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JediMindTricks
12-11-08, 18:13
I know nothing of hunting calibers etc. With that said, basically what would be the most cost effective, lightest recoiling round to hunt all of N.American game. The reason I ask is because I can't afford 5 different hunting rifles for 5 different things etc. "The guy" @ my local gun shop said 30-06 because of the many loads there are for it. Someone else said 270 would suffice with proper shot placement for "big" game, and another guy said 7mm. I have researched all of them and the 7mm seems to be the one more hunters would go with but I've even heard guys say that the 7mm is too small for Grizzly, or Moose.... I was recommended 375 H&H as well but it recoils way too much. I have never hunted big game and it's something I want to get into.

Thanks in advance.

thopkins22
12-11-08, 19:15
I killed my elk cleanly at roughly 200 yards with a 30-06 out of a 16" barrel. A .270 with a longer barrel should certainly be enough gun with the right bullet. .300 win mag would be another option. I have zero experience with 7mm mag...but others seem to be happy with it.

Bigger than those and you start flirting with overkill...plus you'll generally have to ditch the "Wal-Mart rule" of ammo availability.

Saginaw79
12-11-08, 19:38
Id say .308

30-06 will be overkill on some game, like FL deer etc

.308 should do well overall IMO

SHIVAN
12-11-08, 20:27
Are you realistically going to hunt moose and coastal grizzly? Give us a percentage probability so we can recommend accordingly.

JediMindTricks
12-11-08, 20:39
Are you realistically going to hunt moose and coastal grizzly? Give us a percentage probability so we can recommend accordingly.

Oh yes. Not right away. The only game that I've hunted has been rabbit, squirrel, duck. I have never hunted deer, or hogs so that's where I will start. From there I will branch out to other game as my experience and comfort increases. Eventually I would love to be trekking through Western Canada, or Alaska. It wouldn't be for a while, but I'll get around to it eventually. 75% + depending on how much I enjoy hunting/cleaning big game.

cutigerjbm
12-11-08, 20:56
I would say 30-06, I have a .270 A-bolt and a 30-06 BAR. The 30-06 is much more versatile and recoil is much less than my .270 because it is not a bolt. I have taken small and medium game with both. I have read many places that the 30-06 can take just about any game in north america with the right round, although personally, for large game I would prob step up to something like 300 win mag.

water4545
12-11-08, 21:38
I've taken just about all the big game species that N. America has to offer with a 30-06. Recently moved to the .270 Win. with the purchase of the new Sako A7. With a buddy last month that took a nice bull moose with his .270. It's all about bullet placement and distances. Most of our shots up here in N. Idaho are under 250 yrds.

whaledriver
12-11-08, 21:50
If you want something a little different, try a Remington 280. It is my favorite all around cartridge. Little more ump than the "06, flatter shooter, seems to have a little less recoil as well. Downside is the factory ammo availability, although every year it seems to get better.

ghideon
12-11-08, 21:53
I've heard 308 recommended mostly. Ballistics-wise, isn't the difference btw 308 and 30-06 negligible? I'd consider 308 for bolt action, since I already have another 308 rifle. I wouldn't want an additional caliber if I could avoid it.

SHIVAN
12-11-08, 22:47
Definitely moose and grizzly. Ok 300 Win Mag as a minimum.

30-06 could probably do it, but maybe not ideally suited to heavy game like grizzly.

thopkins22
12-11-08, 23:05
30-06 could probably do it, but maybe not ideally suited to heavy game like grizzly.

Yeah the moose and grizzly requirement changes the game. Any larger than .300 win mag and he's going to have to compromise his requirements about recoil etc...

I'm sure I COULD take a Grizzly with a 30-06, but I'd definitely want the Guide beside me pointing something like a .416 Rigby at it just in case.

Buckaroo
12-12-08, 07:13
Yeah the moose and grizzly requirement changes the game. Any larger than .300 win mag and he's going to have to compromise his requirements about recoil etc...

I'm sure I COULD take a Grizzly with a 30-06, but I'd definitely want the Guide beside me pointing something like a .416 Rigby at it just in case.

If you have enough money you can make a .300 Win Mag that feels like a .243. My brother has one but he paid well over $1000 for the comp. work if I remember correctly.

Buckaroo

markm
12-12-08, 07:19
Just get a fitty cal. :rolleyes:

jmart
12-12-08, 07:43
What ranges will you hunt at and do you reload? If range isn't excessive and you reload, look into something like a .338-06 or a .35 Whelen.

shadowalker
12-12-08, 09:42
Just get a fitty cal.

When I was in Alaska an A-10 pilot decided to go moose hunting with a 30 mm. From what I'm told it was pretty impressive, not much left of the moose. A hunter happened to see him do it, go his numbers and the (rightly) had charges pressed against him and was kicked out.

I'd consider 30-06, .308, .270 or 7mm Rem Mag with preference to the 30-06. They all have manageable recoil and can take most game humanely. Larger calibers have much higher amounts of recoil for very little gain for most game, they also go through barrels faster, use more powder if you reload, shorter barrel life, and less pleasurable to shoot.

For general North American hunting you are hard pressed to do better than a 30-06. The range of ammunition and bullets available is outstanding, from 110 grain bullets for varmint shooting to 220 grain bullets for heavier game.

You do not *NEED* a 300 WM for moose at <= 250 yards, I'm from Fairbanks and have seen plenty taken with 30-06 or 308. Shot placement and bullet construction are far more important. There are valid reasons to use magnums but what tends to happen is a genius that fires their rifle once or twice a year goes moose hunting, doesn't hit the vitals and decides the solution to their problem is a larger caliber.

.308 is great, especially for target shooting but I'd pass and choose 30-06 for a firearm meant for hunting, it is 150-200 FPS faster, and can use heavier bullets and that can make a difference, especially for larger game.

30-06 is fine for deer, use 150 grain medium constructed bullets, premium heavy bullets can be overkill. Black Bears can typically be taken with the same ammunition as deer.

The Big Bears *CAN* be taken with something like a 30-06 with well placed shot but I'd go for something like a 338 Win Mag. If you don't live in Alaska and plan on hunting Browns / Grizzlies the tag / guide price will make a new rifle seem like nothing anyway.

Bow hunters take grizzlies all the time, they are big and mean but not invulnerable, the last one in my family was at less than 30 yards with a 65 lb draw.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/hunting_rifles_game.htm

User Name
12-12-08, 09:55
30-06 is a simple choice. Deer, elk, caribou etc... I know guys that shoot .308 on Elk quite a bit. Though a 300 win mag would be better on the larger stuff. I'd go with two rifles like .243 for deer, antelope etc... and a 300 Win Mag for everything else like caribou elk etc... 375 H&H? Sure if your going to hang out with brown bear and polar bears exclusively with side trips to Africa for Cape Buffalo. Plus I cannot what it would cost to shoot the thing without reloading. This is all hear say as I am not much of a big game hunter. I just live in Montana which you can hunt a variety of large and larger critters and have looked into rifle's myself.

matthewdanger
12-12-08, 10:00
.308 or .30-06 will do most anything you need in North America.

Remember, at one time the .30-30 was quite a hotrod (change to smokeless powder) and it has supposedly taken every game animal on this continent.

Ttwwaack
12-12-08, 11:09
I know alot of guys in Alaska who hunt with the 270 and 308 for moose, caribou, sheep and goats although the 338 is pretty much the dominant cartridge here above the pan handle. Win Q3131 has quite a following out in the bush with the native folk (Rem 700's) along with 7.62 X 39 in Ruger mini 30's. Alot of game has fallen to these two rounds. I haven't heard of any stories on Q3131 terminal performance on bears though.

When you are ready to tackle more challenging game, your concious will tell you what you need. A few friends hunt bear with 300's and the 338 but I'm not really sold on those cartidges because they have had to take too many follow up shots. Personally, I'm comfortable with a 45-70 (handload), a 12 Ga or a .375 on up in bear territory. I haven't shot a bear yet, but if I had to, I want to anchor it quickly.
.

Dave L.
12-12-08, 11:17
Just get a fitty cal. :rolleyes:

I just got the tracking number for my Barrett M99 CQ from Atlantic Firearms :cool:

Aray
12-12-08, 12:34
I would, based on experience, recommend the .30-06 for one reason, versatility. You can buy 150, 165, 180 and 220 gr factory loads at Wal Mart or any sporting goods/hardware store in the country. 150 gr is great for antelope and small deer, 165 and 180 gr will cover you up through Bull Elk and 220 gr is respectable for larger heavy boned animals.

As previously mentioned, Magnum rounds burn up barrels, money for ammo, and shoulders. I carry a 300 WSM more often than not while hunting big game, but that's because it's stainless and the weather usually sucks. My .30-06's are a joy to shoot and hunt with.

The '06 is not the best at anything, but it will do it all, also ammunition is plentiful and inexpensive when compared with most other rounds.

All of the above IMHO, of course.

TOrrock
12-12-08, 12:42
I think you'll probably be able to afford two rifles if given enough time.

If you're not going up against Alaska grizzly, then a .30/06 will more than do the job, and has been for 102 years. As others have said, the wide selection of bullet types and loaded factory ammo would let you handle most anything.

If you're going up against a grizzly, depending on your location and distances involved...

A .45/70 Marlin 1895 lever action would fill the bill inside of 200 yards, or a .338 Win or one of the .375's would be fine for distances.

Realistically though, you could take the same animal with a .30/06 with proper bullet choice and shot placement.

JediMindTricks
12-12-08, 13:54
I will most likely be getting the 30-06 due to the majority of recommendations. Is there a particular platform that is considered the standard (Remington 700)? I am willing to spend up to $800 for a nice, quality rifle, but if I could spend less then this would be ideal. Besides the real money will be spent on the glass. Does savage make a good product? Their guns are very reasonably priced. Which should I look into, which should I stay away from?

Thanks

Dave L.
12-12-08, 14:31
I will most likely be getting the 30-06 due to the majority of recommendations. Is there a particular platform that is considered the standard (Remington 700)? I am willing to spend up to $800 for a nice, quality rifle, but if I could spend less then this would be ideal. Besides the real money will be spent on the glass. Does savage make a good product? Their guns are very reasonably priced. Which should I look into, which should I stay away from?

Thanks

Remington 700 is probably the standard in American hunting rifles, and it's the base receiver for many precision rifles. For hunting, you may want to look into CZ, Tika/Sako, Browning A-Bolt.

JediMindTricks
12-12-08, 15:15
Remington 700 is probably the standard in American hunting rifles, and it's the base receiver for many precision rifles. For hunting, you may want to look into CZ, Tika/Sako, Browning A-Bolt.

Will the others you mentioned be in the same price point as the Remington? I have never heard of Sako/Tika? Are they Japanese, Swiss, Finnish?

TOrrock
12-12-08, 15:32
Sako/Tikka are Finnish, and some of the finest bolt action hunting rifles ever made.

CZ is out of the Czech Republic and made some really nice bolt actions based on the Mauser 98 action.

Aray
12-12-08, 16:09
Rem 700, and Winchester Model 70 (especially pre 1964 years of manufacture) are the gold standards. Browning A Bolt and new X Bolt are both excellent platforms also. All are in your price range.

Winchester rifles were discontinued for a few years and are now back. I don't have any experience with the new manufacture run, so I can't comment on the quality of the new for '08 models.

thopkins22
12-12-08, 18:27
Sako/Tikka are Finnish, and some of the finest bolt action hunting rifles ever made.

And the Tikka half of the equation presents great bargains.

JediMindTricks
12-12-08, 20:01
And the Tikka half of the equation presents great bargains.

Would you be so kind as to recommend me a good 30-06 from them so that I can research?

thopkins22
12-12-08, 20:21
Would you be so kind as to recommend me a good 30-06 from them so that I can research?

Unless you're enamored with wood stocks on hunting guns, I think you'd love the T3 Lite or the T3 Lite Stainless. They are light, very accurate, nice triggers, smooth actions, available in a wide variety of calibers, and I'm not sure I can find a legitimate fault with them for the price.

SethB
12-12-08, 20:37
A .338-06 or a 9.3X62 is the classy answer.

Shoot one load for everything.

hatt
12-12-08, 20:46
I'd figure if you could afford to go and hunt bear in AK, you could come up with the money to buy a proper rifle. This one gun approach is likely going to mean you are overkill for most of your hunting and still too light on the other end. A 338 mag should work with careful bullet selection for the intended game.

yrac
12-12-08, 20:52
I think you'll probably be able to afford two rifles if given enough time.

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.
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A .45/70 Marlin 1895 lever action would fill the bill inside of 200 yards...

I think both of these suggestions have a lot of merit. You'll find rifles/cartridges that are capable of doing many things, but it will always be a compromise (maybe a severe compromise) in some areas if you need one rifle that will do everything. Chances are, if you're going to trek all over the continent hunting every game species available, you'll probably be able to get two rifles. This will make it much more likely that the rifle you take on any given hunt is well suited to the job.

The Marlin 1895 in .45-70 is a great suggestion if the ranges are kept relatively short. An 1895 Guide Gun is a really handy package. If you handload, it can be loaded to perform nicely on white tail sized game, or loaded hot with heavy bullets to perform well against large, dangerous game at close ranges and not leave you feeling undergunned.

SethB
12-13-08, 02:29
Never shot a bear, but I did shoot a moose at 500 yards with a .375 Holland and Holland.

Shit isn't hard to kill, if you hit it right.

maximus83
12-13-08, 02:48
A .308 or .30-06 with reasonable shot placement will take every type of game--without exception--in the US. There's no need for any larger type of ammo unless someone were REGULARLY hunting the large bear species, in which case a larger caliber would be a better way to ensure your safety and a quick stop.

FlyingHunter
12-13-08, 19:10
Maximus83 is right on target. I have hunted throughout N. America, including Alaska brown bear, moose, caribou, and agree with the .308 or .30-06 answer. As you state, you are new to big game hunting, and using a larger than needed caliber will result in bad habits. Buy a .308, spend alot of time shooting and developing skill. Shot placement is everything.

FWIW, I use a .338 Win. Mag Custom Winchester Model 70. It is a heavy rifle and has a similar "kick" to an off the shelf, standard size and weight, .308. I did not start with a .338, I used a .308. The reason I choose .308 over .30-06 was simply the availability of military or cheap ammo to develop my skill.

Might I also suggest, Buy a .22lr in the same configuration as your new big game rifle as the fundamentals of accurate shooting are best learned, polished, and maintained with a .22lr.

Happy Hunting.

ST911
12-13-08, 21:40
I've settled on .308 for my go-to, big game, bolt gun. The many types and weights of bullets, and loading data/commercial availability, will harvest everything I need them to.

Buck
12-14-08, 00:02
If you want just one rifle that can handle all game found in North America the, Winchester 71 and its .348 Winchester cartridge is pretty hard to beat....

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylor/model71_images/2.jpg
http://www.municion.org/Win/WwSuper348WinG.jpg

Just my .02

B

03humpalot
12-14-08, 05:54
If you want just one rifle that can handle all game found in North America the, Winchester 71 and its .348 Winchester cartridge is pretty hard to beat....

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylor/model71_images/2.jpg
http://www.municion.org/Win/WwSuper348WinG.jpg

Just my .02

B

Good rifle/good round. My grandfather/father and i have all killed numerous critters with a Model 71. Need to get it fixed, it currently has a broken firing pin.

I hunt with a .308 with proper bullet selection for the animal at the time. Have taken everything to from ground squirrels to Bull Elk with it.

Bigun
12-17-08, 02:21
Another hearty recomendation for the TIKKA T3. I love mine, I topped mine with a Bushnell elite 4200 3-9x and couldnt be happier.

bkb0000
12-17-08, 04:04
I'm NOT a bolt-gun guy, but when i did decide to get one, my thinking was the same- get something that can kill anything i might need to eat someday. I went with a rem 700 in 7mm mag. i don't think the .300 mag was available at the time, and don't know much about that load, but the 7mm was hitting harder and flying flatter than just about anything else I saw.

ammo availabilty is pretty decent, you can get it at walmart. it's a little spendy.. i've spent as much as a dollar and half per round, and found it for upwards of $2 a round, for earth-destroyer handloads.

i have nothing to compare it to (for bolt guns), but i think it's pretty XXXXX straight.. the little shooting i did with it, i was getting .6-.8 moa with good factory 150grs. i should take it out and play with it some again, been years since i shot it.

for what it's worth.

Gutshot John
12-17-08, 08:05
.30-06 should do nicely for a variety of game if you're only going to get one rifle, I've used my dad's 1903 for years which he used as a boy. Mostly I keep it for sentimental reasons as I exclusively hunt bow these days. You should consider two hunting rifles. Personally I'd say 30-30 lever action and then something high-powered and exotic for bigger game.

If I was hunting grizzly however, I'd consider having a backup .44 Mag no matter what you were using. Any animal is likely to have quite a few seconds to either fight or flee.

Moose won't be any problem for .30-06...though they're a bit harder to hit when coming right at you...which they do. Ask me how I know. :eek:

Gutshot John
12-17-08, 08:18
I will most likely be getting the 30-06 due to the majority of recommendations. Is there a particular platform that is considered the standard (Remington 700)?

Remington, Ruger, Winchester...you're going to be fine.

If I were you I'd consider a 1903 Springfield for cool points.

Like so...

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll99/GutshotJohn/DSC_1092.jpg

Cold Zero
12-17-08, 10:49
This is an interesting question. I wonder how many N. American animals on your hit list the guys in the gun store have taken themselves? Have they ever even been to Alaska? I have made 10 hunting trips to AK. as well as numerous trips to Canada and Mexico. I have used only three guns for every animal I have taken from Brown bear down to Mexican Coues deer. I used .30-06, .300 W.M. and .340 Wthby, for only Moose and Big bears.

No one gun/caliber will be a perfect choice for all animals, shots, or situations. A good choice would be a Remington 700, or Sako with stainless steel and synthetic stock in .30-06.

The .30-06 has an excellent ammo selection of factory ammo and if you handload you can even get 250 gr. N.P. bullets now. Federal H.E. in 180 Gr. N.P. will take everything on your list, or if you handload a 200 gr. bullet for the heavier game would be a good choice as well. The Fed' H.E. gives equivelent velocity to about a .300 H.H. narrowing to gap between the .06 and the .300.

For the smaller game you can drop down to a 165, or even a 150 gr. bullet, if recoil bothers you. I would suggest shoting more and having a brake and recoil pad installed. Realistically, you could use a 180 Gr. bullet for all, as I have done.

A scope in the 2.5-8X or 3-9X would be a good general purpose choice for optics.

Good hunting to you.

jchtrh
12-20-08, 03:52
.338 will take care of all North American Big Game, but with that being said...I have taken Bear and Moose with a 30-06. Clean kills, one shot.

Leprechaun
02-01-09, 19:50
In short the 30.06 will do it all.You can also find ammo for it anywhere.

It has a proven track record and will take any game in NA

DrDoot
02-23-09, 12:33
.308 will do and you can shoot it all day. If you're going to fire 5 rounds a year and mostly in areas with larger animals, bump up to a larger caliber.

ra2bach
02-25-09, 21:48
.308 will do and you can shoot it all day. If you're going to fire 5 rounds a year and mostly in areas with larger animals, bump up to a larger caliber.why limit yourself with a .308 when a .30-06 is better at everything?

nemohunter
02-25-09, 22:20
it depends on if you handload or not. if you dont then the .30-06 has taken every game animal that walks the globe. if you do then any caliber .264 and up. just pick and load with Brnes X bullets or Win fail safes for heavy lifting. it is called hunting not stopping. taking a shot at an unsuspecting game animal thats calm is entirly different than stopping a pissed off Bear or Elk.

LonghunterCO
02-25-09, 22:26
I am going to have to buck some here and go with the 300 Win Mag/7mmRem. I would give the nod to the 300 Win Mag for its larger selection of bullet weights, plus I do not care for the sharper recoil of the 7mm.
I am not sure as to the OP location where most of his hunting is going to be at but out here many guys hunt with a 30-06 and there is nothing wrong with it in the hands of someone that shoots it alot and has a great eye for estimating distances in open country. There in lies the problem, game pressure it at an all time high with longer distance shots being more common. A guy with a flatter shooting weapon has a greater chance hitting, and hitting where he is aiming at.

chadbag
02-26-09, 02:08
I know nothing of hunting. (Yes I would like to learn -- my dad was not a hunter so I did not grow up doing it, that's all). However, my aunt's husband (yes, my uncle through marriage) is a subsistence person out in the wilds of Alaska. They hunt or grow all their food and he has been doing this for like 30 years. I don't know if he has gone after Grizzly but has taken many a moose, as well as smaller things like caribou.

He told that many of the subsistence folks use smaller calibers and just take a few shots rapidly to make sure the animal goes down. When you are hunting for your food I guess your attitude about how you hunt changes.

He uses a 270 and a 22 hornet for everything. He also told me he knows a guy who uses a 6.5x55 for everything. Including bears and moose. They all handload and use the best bullets they can get.

Just a different perspective.

Gutshot John
02-26-09, 12:53
I think there is a difference developing between "minimum" caliber and "best" caliber. Additionally why be restricted to just one?

Does minimum imply bullet diameter? velocity? energy? large game? small game?

No matter what caliber there is a tradeoff in something and everything is dependent on shot placement.

The "minimum" caliber is a .22 and you can kill a lot of things very efficiently depending on your skill. A .223 would be a bit overkill for a lot of small game.

The 30-30 probably gives you the broadest choice of game selection, but not so great for smaller or very big game. The .308 is probably a bit better and could probably take big bear IF you had a semi-auto and a box magazine.

The minimum caliber to handle all big game in North America is the 30.06, but that's way too much for anything smaller than a deer. It's perfectly capable of taking big bear if you're a good shot.

If you live way north and are going to be taking moose/bear on a regular basis, I'd consider the .300 win mag as a minimum.

Honestly for me, the best caliber for most North American game is a 100 gr expanding broadhead. Learn to hunt bow and save your ammo for training. :D

The Dumb Gun Collector
02-27-09, 11:20
I like the idea of the 45/70. It is pretty flexible, and can kill, and has killed, everything that walks the earth. Unfortunately, if you plan on talking a lot of 3+football fields away shots you are out of luck unless you get a custom BDC from Leupold.

SHIVAN
02-27-09, 11:25
why limit yourself with a .308 when a .30-06 is better at everything?

Like? Excluding the very heaviest of the .30 caliber projectiles, most .308 Win and 30-06 loads are within a hair of one another.

I suppose handloaders might find the case capacity to be more versatile, but I'm pretty sure the .308 Win edges the 30-06 in accuracy while still getting similar velocities across the board.

RyanB
02-27-09, 15:58
I can buy .308 ball cheaply, and match ammunition is easy to find. Softpoints are just as available as 30-06. If I were using factory ammunition, I would use .308.

Gutshot John
02-27-09, 16:43
I can buy .308 ball cheaply.

Have you looked at the price of .308 recently? Prices are spiking. I'm of course assuming you have to buy on the market like I do.

Last month I had someone offer me $800 for a case of 7.62 milsurp that I spent $170 on three years ago, so I traded him for a brand-new Glock. I can't imagine commercial is that much cheaper.

I can get 30.06 much cheaper these days.

I seem to remember reading somewhere (though I can't put a name to a source so keep a grain of salt handy) that the .308 was a more efficient round relative to size/power, but that the 30.06 was faster and had a flatter trajectory. I similarly thought they were usually a bit heavier so with weight and velocity delivered quantitatively more energy than .308.

I don't think either was developed to be a hyper-accurate round, but I concede this understanding may be flawed.

Alaskapopo
02-27-09, 17:09
Id say .308

30-06 will be overkill on some game, like FL deer etc

.308 should do well overall IMO

Depends on where you live. I would say at least a 300 win mag but I live in bear country. You take a bear rifle with you even when you are going dear hunting. A gun shot is like a dinner bell to Kodiak Bear.
Pat

RyanB
02-27-09, 19:57
I can buy M80 all day long for 60 cents a round.

Aray
02-27-09, 20:09
CMP has M2 Ball .30-06 for $0.28 to $0.31/round.

yrac
02-27-09, 21:21
CMP has M2 Ball .30-06 for $0.28 to $0.31/round.


I can buy M80 all day long for 60 cents a round.

Gents - let's keep this thread focused on the original post, not the cost of ball ammo. Thanks.

bpd315
02-28-09, 15:43
30.06. Buy ammo nearly anywhere. I can't comment on moose and bear as I have never hunted either. I'd stress shot placement over caliber. You can shoot a bear with .50 cal and if you have poor shot placement, you'll probably have a really ticked off bear.

rly45acp
03-01-09, 01:24
I know nothing of hunting calibers etc. With that said, basically what would be the most cost effective, lightest recoiling round to hunt all of N.American game.

Thanks in advance.


Actually, by just changing loads to suit the game,you can make a pretty good argument for the 6.5x55 Swedish and the 260 Remington. Both of these will handily meet your criteria. Maybe a bit light for the big bears, but for the lower 48, I wouldn't hesitate to take a rifle in either caliber. Bullet construction and bullet placement. The Swede has taken countless moose in Scandanavia and I doubt our moose or elk are any harder to kill. If you could have two rifles, I might opt for two Mannlicher stocked CZ's, one in 6.5x55 and the other in 9.3x62. That combo will easily handle anything in North America.

adrock1
03-06-09, 20:22
As has been said, the only X-factor is if you intend to hunt Griz. If so, rule of thumb is start at .338.

A 30-06 would kill a griz no problem if you had to, it just doesn't have enough of a safety factor if the SHTF in a grizz hunting situation. This is an important consideration when hunting critters that can eat your a$$.

A lot of people also think you need a lot of gun to kill moose. Not true. Millions of them have fallen to a 30-30. I know a professional hunter that guides moose hunts in Ontario. His personal moose gun is a .270. Many people will tell you Elk are tougher then moose.

All that said, I don't think you could find a finer combination then a new winchester model 70 in 30-06. It would be absolutly splendid for everything but Griz. I'm a big time fan of the Mod 70 so I'm biased, but I don't think any amount of money could buy a finer of the rack hunting gun. In addition to a stellar reputation as a hunting gun, the Mod 70 featherweight is (in my opinion) one of the finest looking firearms mankind has ever known. If you want to go custom, a model 70 action is also great place to start IMHO.

adrock1

Cold Zero
03-06-09, 20:45
Adrock1, While I agree with much of what you said. It is important to point out that there is a large difference of several hundred pounds between an Eastern, or Western Canada Moose for that matter and the Alaska Yukon Moose. I have hunted both The Western and Eastern Canada Moose myself.

While a .270 is fine for a several hundred pounds lighter Eastern Canada Moose (Ontario) it is light for the Alaska Yukon Moose where most Moose Guides like to have clients use .30 cal., or larger rifles, for the much larger Moose.

The other consideration is that if the .270 does not put the Eastern Canada Moose down with authority, there will not be a Grizzly Bear sitting on the Carcass , causing you to lose your trophy and meat, were there will be in Alaska, possibly a Brown Bear in your more coastal areas. If you have to shoot in self defence to stop a Grizzly, or Brown bear, would you want to use a .270?

You are correct that Rocky Mtn. Elk and especially Roosevelt Elk, will take more killing than a Moose. Likely the big difference is comparing an Elk is primarily a Mtn. animal which tends to be a heartier beast, than a low lying area Moose, aside from anatomical differences.

Many Subsistence hunters in Alaska use .22 Hornet to hunt all kinds of game, that does not make it ideal, humane, safe or even smart to use a lighter than ideal caliber for the choosen game to hunt. MHO

kaiservontexas
03-06-09, 23:14
I am in the .30-06sprg camp.

RyanB
03-07-09, 14:14
Moose are not all that hard to kill, but I want to anchor them. They can cover a lot of ground with a mortal wound, and I don't like walking.

adrock1
03-07-09, 22:28
ColdZero,

I hear ya. I wasn't claiming a 30-06 was the ideal round for a moose. Just saying it's perfectly adequate. A lot of moose hunters would feel better with a 300mag or perhaps a 338, but the 06 will do just fine in the hands of a resposnible hunter. I'll agree too that if you walk up on a griz on your moose kill, you'll want the biggest gun possible.

It's important to remember the OP wants a do it all caliber. Everyone who shoots much knows such a thing doesn't exist. You have to be willing to make some compromises/consecions if that is your goal. No one caliber is ideal for all applications.

With that said, I think the 30-06 is about as close as you could get to reaching that goal. There is not a critter on the whole continent that couldn't be killed quite effectively with one well placed shot from a 30-06. Like I said, it could even kill a grizzly although I sure as hell would want to try just because it would be so marginal in terms of killing performance and that's not acceptable when your quarry can bite back.

Another recomendation to the OP, if you reload, would be to try a 300 win mag. Load it to 308/30-06 velocities for smaller critters (like deer) and give it a full charge for bigger/tougher critters. That would be a more versatile gun still.

Adrock1

MAUSER202
03-07-09, 22:58
When you say any big game, do you actually plan to hunt moose, elk, grizzly/brown and black bears as well as deer? Do you hunt in a north eastern forest , a southern bean field or out west?Do you plan on hikeing in and camping or four wheeling to a blind? An 06 can do it all, but the rifle type and wieght can vary by a couple of lbs from a light wieght mountan gun (short barrel, hard kicking) that is about 6llbs to a long barreled beanfield gun that could wiegh 10lbs.
The point I am trying to make is get something that fits your needs best for the type of hunting you will do most. An 06 is geat but if your only hunting deer in the eastern woods with mabe an 80yd max shot a 30 30 lever gun might be better.

ra2bach
03-16-09, 09:48
Like? Excluding the very heaviest of the .30 caliber projectiles, most .308 Win and 30-06 loads are within a hair of one another.

I suppose handloaders might find the case capacity to be more versatile, but I'm pretty sure the .308 Win edges the 30-06 in accuracy while still getting similar velocities across the board.
only if you're talking about them as they are loaded commercially. at equal pressure, the .30-06 will flat run away and hide from a .308. a bigger case can do more work. there's no denying that.

and then there is that thing you mention about heavier projectiles. the OP requested something to take all species in NA. and some weights are simply not available for the .308.

admittedly, the advantage appears somewhat slim, but where it does lie, it lies with the '06...

rat31465
03-16-09, 10:26
I set out on a project similiar to this many years ago with the goal being to build a rifle that I could hunt everthing from Coyotes to Elk with.
I know I will get hammered for saying this but I dislike Belted Magnum cases so I immediatley ruled out the various 7mm mags, 300's and all the Weatherby cartridges.
I settled on .280 Rem...with the idea of rechambering it later on to the .280 Rem Ackley Improved. Having already improved a .22-250 and shooting a buddies .220 swift improved extensivley I have a lot of confidence in P.O. Ackley's Improved line of cartridges.
In the Improved version the .280 gives nearly identical ballistics to the 7mm Rem Mag... plus since the .280 uses the same .284 dia bullets as the 7mm does there is a great selection of High Quality Big Game bullets as well as lighter weight varmint class bullets available to those who handload.

I built mine off a Rem 700 BDL added a 2X7 Burris scope to it and couldn't have been happier with the results even with the rechambered factory barrel.

Unfortunantley I dont have the rifle any longer as it was stolen from my locked vehicle while sitting in a Corp of Engineers parking lot on Table Rock Lake.

I'm gonna build another though soon.

Triton28
03-16-09, 14:47
30-06.

Jack of all trades, master of a few.

DRich
03-16-09, 16:26
When I first started hunting brown bear in a Alaska about 20yrs ago, I met an old-timer who told me, "Son, if someone tells you they can't kill it with a 30-06, they probably couldn't kill it with a cannon." I believe Col. Cooper once said that a man armed with a .22LR and a .30-06 can hunt every animal in N. America.

That being said, I use a 45/70 Gov't for big bears (with a 12ga slug gun as a backup) and 6.5x55 for everything from whitetail to moose. Guess I just won't listen to reason. :) However, I've yet to encounter a situation where I didn't bring enough gun.

03humpalot
03-27-09, 09:50
I stopped a Grizzly charge last summer with an 8 pound splitting maul and a Glock 19 (bear stopped before getting to me thank god;)) 9mm hydrashock to splitting maul transition would have sucked majorly.

I Carry an 870 with Slugs or my M1A now. Need to get a friggin .45-70 with a quickness.

LonghunterCO
03-27-09, 10:32
I stopped a Grizzly charge last summer with an 8 pound splitting maul and a Glock 19 (bear stopped before getting to me thank god;)) 9mm hydrashock to splitting maul transition would have sucked majorly.

I Carry an 870 with Slugs or my M1A now. Need to get a friggin .45-70 with a quickness.

:eek:. I about crap when I run into a black bear in my yard. I can not even imagine that. The 870 is what I use around here but black bears are not even really in the same league.

I am thinking for you three words, " Marlin, Guide, Gun".

Sierra 1
04-07-09, 08:44
300 Win. Mag. You can hunt anything in North America with it. You have a wide range of bullets to choose from. You can get a Remington 700 sendero at a reasonable price and they shoot great out of the box!

LonghunterCO
04-07-09, 09:14
He needs to set up a poll.

swampwolf
04-29-09, 18:39
Because "all North American game" includes the largest brown bear, I'd vote for the .338 Winchester Magnum. And, though recoil ("perceived" or otherwise) can be a subjective question, I don't think the .338 is that bad of a kicker in a properly stocked and padded rifle, weighing not much less than eight pounds, unloaded and sans scope.

scottryan
05-09-09, 13:32
I have taken every North American large game animal except a grizzly bear with a .270 Win

I did not feel like I brought not enough gun.

Cold Zero
05-09-09, 16:52
I have taken every North American large game animal except a grizzly bear with a .270 Win





That is quite an accomplishment. Many men hunt an entire lifetime to acheive that goal and spend a king's ransom in the process. Bearing in mind that going on a hunt does not mean that you will come back with the animal you are after. Completion of the list makes you eligeable to receive The Weatherby award. The most prestigous award in Big Game hunting. The completion of each species slam along the way, a Diamond award is awarded by SCI.

Let's take a look at all N.A. Big Game species and sub species, the check list if you will. 5 Caribou are needed for the Caribou slam, 4 Moose are needed for the Moose slam, 6 Deer are needed for the Deer slam, 2 Elk needed for the Elk slam, 4 Sheep for the Sheep slam and 5 Bear for the Bear slam.

Caribou:
Woodland
Central Barren Ground
Barren Ground
Mountain
Quebec-Labrador

Moose:
Alaska-Yukon
Shiras
Eastern Canada
Western Canada

Deer:
Whitetail
Blacktail-Columbia
Blacktail-Sitka
Rocky Mtn. Mule Deer
Desert Mule Deer
Cous

Elk:
Roosevelt
Rocky Mountain

Bison

Muskox

Pronghorn

Rocky Mtn. Goat

Sheep:
Dall
Bighorn
Stone
Fanin
Desert Bighorn

Bear:
Brown
Grizzly
polar
Black
Glacier

Wolf

Wolverine

Wild Boar

Javelina

Walrus


I would love to see your trophy room sometime.

Thomas M-4
05-09-09, 23:03
Well I definitely have not hunted every north American game just deer and pesky critters ;). I saw were 338 magnum was posted. I my self have thought about a .338 but not magnum but a .338 federal maybe AR-10 http://www.gunblast.com/ArmaLite-AR10T.htm I would think that 25 rounds of .338 federal could do a lot of damage I would really like to have a scout rifle in .338 federal http://www.grizzlycustom.com/packages/scout/ If I could afford a nice custom hunting rifle. Of course its not a long range cartridge but to about 300 yards I think it could do the job for most of the time. Of course YMMV

scottryan
05-18-09, 23:26
That is quite an accomplishment. Many men hunt an entire lifetime to acheive that goal and spend a king's ransom in the process. Bearing in mind that going on a hunt does not mean that you will come back with the animal you are after. Completion of the list makes you eligeable to receive The Weatherby award. The most prestigous award in Big Game hunting. The completion of each species slam along the way, a Diamond award is awarded by SCI.

Let's take a look at all N.A. Big Game species and sub species, the check list if you will. 5 Caribou are needed for the Caribou slam, 4 Moose are needed for the Moose slam, 6 Deer are needed for the Deer slam, 2 Elk needed for the Elk slam, 4 Sheep for the Sheep slam and 5 Bear for the Bear slam.

Caribou:
Woodland
Central Barren Ground
Barren Ground
Mountain
Quebec-Labrador

Moose:
Alaska-Yukon
Shiras
Eastern Canada
Western Canada

Deer:
Whitetail
Blacktail-Columbia
Blacktail-Sitka
Rocky Mtn. Mule Deer
Desert Mule Deer
Cous

Elk:
Roosevelt
Rocky Mountain

Bison

Muskox

Pronghorn

Rocky Mtn. Goat

Sheep:
Dall
Bighorn
Stone
Fanin
Desert Bighorn

Bear:
Brown
Grizzly
polar
Black
Glacier

Wolf

Wolverine

Wild Boar

Javelina

Walrus


I would love to see your trophy room sometime.


I meant I've hunted every kind of animal. Not every subspecies.

thopkins22
05-19-09, 00:06
Six months later do we know what the JediMindTricks decided to buy for his do-it-all-kill-em-all rifle?

Alaskagrown
05-26-09, 22:19
no love for the musk ox?

The minimum for me would have to be 300 Win Mag . I actually shot a 6' 3" black bear yesterday morning at 0030 hrs with a 338. nasty exit wound but I don't like ribs that much anyway.




That is quite an accomplishment. Many men hunt an entire lifetime to acheive that goal and spend a king's ransom in the process. Bearing in mind that going on a hunt does not mean that you will come back with the animal you are after. Completion of the list makes you eligeable to receive The Weatherby award. The most prestigous award in Big Game hunting. The completion of each species slam along the way, a Diamond award is awarded by SCI.

Let's take a look at all N.A. Big Game species and sub species, the check list if you will. 5 Caribou are needed for the Caribou slam, 4 Moose are needed for the Moose slam, 6 Deer are needed for the Deer slam, 2 Elk needed for the Elk slam, 4 Sheep for the Sheep slam and 5 Bear for the Bear slam.

Caribou:
Woodland
Central Barren Ground
Barren Ground
Mountain
Quebec-Labrador

Moose:
Alaska-Yukon
Shiras
Eastern Canada
Western Canada

Deer:
Whitetail
Blacktail-Columbia
Blacktail-Sitka
Rocky Mtn. Mule Deer
Desert Mule Deer
Cous

Elk:
Roosevelt
Rocky Mountain

Bison

Muskox

Pronghorn

Rocky Mtn. Goat

Sheep:
Dall
Bighorn
Stone
Fanin
Desert Bighorn

Bear:
Brown
Grizzly
polar
Black
Glacier

Wolf

Wolverine

Wild Boar

Javelina

Walrus


I would love to see your trophy room sometime.