Recommended non standard hunting cartridge??

IMO the WSM'S and spin-offs, and the Nosler's/Creedmore et al, are just too new to truly be considered "cool." Intresting, sure... but not cool... perhaps that's just me?
 
Lots of suggestions of common hunting cartridges, but if you took the time to read the OP's post, you would have seen that it is really a non std rifle he is after
How about a small twist on a 1000 times asked question....

What would you suggest for a capable all round hunting rifle that is not a standard configuration? Black bear, deer, moose. No big bears or anything like that. Not looking for 30-06 etc etc etc. Something that people you hunt with might ask, "What's that?"



Assume for the purpose of your pick:
Handloading not an issue
Not excessive recoil (subjective I know but something not outlandish)
Not requiring special order/make dies
Not requiring extensive brass forming from a parent cartridge other than necking up/down for example
Sane hunting distances. My area would be 300ish max. Not looking to get a deer at 1000 yards.

The only thing not common these days is people hunting with newer NR black/tactical rifles and there are more and more coming on the market that are great for hunting even the largest game Canada offers.

All the old stuff (majority of what is suggested here) has been done over and over again. Single shots, levers, pumps, bolt, break action, etc have been around for decades
 
How about a 7mm, 300, and 375 Canadian Magnum (also known as Imperial Magnums). Now that's non-standard

These are all very standard cartridges, after Remington bought the rights to them, they became known as the 7mm, 300 and 375 Remington Ultra Mags. Readily available in many rifles and ammo on many shelves..........
 
How about an 8X68S..........hard to get more obscure than this in NA, but still a very effective cartridge within reasonable recoil limits. Certainly a handloader proposition in NA and there are some very good bullets for it right from 165 through to 220 for sure and possibly heavier. This cartridge with a 200 Nosler Part loafing along @ 2800 fps is a real killer and is capable of much more if you want to load it as such.
Now let me tell you, you want to leave the average hunters in camp scratching their heads and wandering off muttering to them selves the 8X68S will certainly create this reaction.........I can pretty much guarantee virtually no one you hunt with will have ever heard of this cartridge, let alone seen one....
Brass although not cheap, is reasonably easy to acquire and is made by Norma and RWS and any rifle in a 300 Win Mag can be rebarreled to this cartridge and will feed and function flawlessly. (except Rugers, they're too short) Were I you I'd give this some serious thought.......
 
How about an 8X68S..........hard to get more obscure than this in NA, but still a very effective cartridge within reasonable recoil limits. Certainly a handloader proposition in NA and there are some very good bullets for it right from 165 through to 220 for sure and possibly heavier. This cartridge with a 200 Nosler Part loafing along @ 2800 fps is a real killer and is capable of much more if you want to load it as such.
Now let me tell you, you want to leave the average hunters in camp scratching their heads and wandering off muttering to them selves the 8X68S will certainly create this reaction.........I can pretty much guarantee virtually no one you hunt with will have ever heard of this cartridge, let alone seen one....
Brass although not cheap, is reasonably easy to acquire and is made by Norma and RWS and any rifle in a 300 Win Mag can be rebarreled to this cartridge and will feed and function flawlessly. (except Rugers, they're too short) Were I you I'd give this some serious thought.......
Gotta agree. 8x68S. Fantastic calibre.
 
An odd one that I have seen put to good use is the 6.5x68. Or any of the old Mannlicher Schoenauers in 8x56 MS or 9x56 MS. All of these are serious pains with respect to brass, but cool and you certainly won't see another in the hunting camp.
 
I haven't dredged through this thread, so I don't know if its been suggested, but 6.5x57 (and 6.5x57R) is a apparently a real dandy, and quite loved in Europe.
 
You've kinda killed it with 300 yards, Moose and a decent recoil maybe. If you wanted a proven mainstream of course it would be 270/308/30-06 would fill the bill. But to be different, and unless its a custom these days the .284Winchester is a sweet round as already mentioned by another chap here.

I had two model 100s, a carbine and a rifle, and it was the very first WSM Winchester made in my mind, and a oddball with the rebated rimless design.

Factory ammo is almost non- existent, though still effective even being a lowly power point 150gr and I payed 54.99 for the last box about 7 years ago. Handloading, and a decent magazine length and a little freebore it will perform as per your request.

Browning chambered the BLR81 back in the late 80's or early 90's for it as well. Not many of those in our eastern deer woods for sure. Then again,...usually no one asks anyhow, unless they are a true gun nut like myself when meeting other hunters what they are toting.

Now if you can accept a little more recoil, I'd go for the Ruger Carbine with rifle sight's in the 300RCM cartridge. One at a local store has caught my eye and I can't seem to shake the concept though I've tried to be more practical in latter years.
 
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