what is the best hunting caliber for north america?

Ardent said:
Is it that time of year again? You're in BC, so you have bison, grizzlies, mountain sheep and goats at your fingertips. The best all around cartridge for your purposes is the .300 Win Mag. This considers ranges out to 500 (mountain game, trajectory and energy delivery at range), effectiveness on bison twice the size of moose, grizzlies, ammo availability off the shelf, and rifle selection available in the chambering. Other cartridges will do, and offer things like less recoil if that's a concern. But you didn't ask the easiest cartridge to shoot, you asked for the best and for BC I'm convinced that's the .300 Win Mag. Four out of six clients we had show up this year to hunt BC had some form of .300 mag, in my opinion they chose wisely.

If you're never planning to chase the exciting species lesser chamberings would do fine. Would be a sad choice, you can do more than a quarter million dollars of hunting as a BC resident for the price of tags.
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awesome thanks you sold me gonna go with the 300 win
 
You said "up to elk and moose".

Does this mean grizz and bison are not on your list?

If so, I'd recommend taking a look at; .270 win, .270 WSM, 7mm RM, 6.5x55, 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08...

But first and foremost, I recommend putting a box of ammo through a .300WM and see how well you shoot it, if that's what you have chosen. Dogleg's post was quite poignant. Pay attention to it.
 
kyan said:
awesome thanks you sold me gonna go with the 300 win
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No sweat, you'll come accross .300 WSMs, RCMs, Ultras, Weatherbys, and potentially even H&Hs- stick to the standard .300 Win for now. There's everything from reduced recoil, to 130gr lazer beam pronghorn loads, to 220gr heavy game loads on the shelf. For a no nonsense do it all chambering, that's hard to beat, be sure you can shoot it before spending a bunch as ironsighter points out. The magnum you can't shoot to save your life is worse than the .223 you can, not sure what your experience level is. The .300 Win isn't by any means rude, but it will get the attention of those new to "beyond .30-06". Sadly many figure nobody can shoot a magnum and assume anyone carrying one is somehow uninformed. Get out in the bush in BC and you'll quickly find the Internet opinions of that line of thinking don't exist out here. .300 Wins bloody well work, are easy to feed with ammo in every small town hardware store, and give you as many rifle options as anything. It reaches, it lazerbeams, it thumps, and it has more loads, data, and components than just about anything available. You'll also find it's the most common chambering in the north half of BC, in the field.
 
Is it that time of the week already. searches will find that this question gets asked alot.

7mag, 30-06, 300 win mag. Any of those and you are done for anything short of buffalo and really big bears. If you are recoil shy and not hunting in areas with G bears, then maybe add a 270 win.
 
ironsighter said:
You said "up to elk and moose".

Does this mean grizz and bison are not on your list?

If so, I'd recommend taking a look at; .270 win, .270 WSM, 7mm RM, 6.5x55, 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08...

But first and foremost, I recommend putting a box of ammo through a .300WM and see how well you shoot it, if that's what you have chosen. Dogleg's post was quite poignant. Pay attention to it.
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most likely not, but i might change my mind down the road so i figure better to have it just incase. and also i want something i can shoot long distance at targets. and i have taken a few shots with a 300 win and 30-06 and i dont mind the recoil it isnt a deciding factor for me.
 
I'm with Ardent here, you will not go wrong with the 300 WM. I have taken dozens of animals with the 300 WM right out to past 400 mtrs and taken some very large game with it, such as bison and the biggest grizzly I ever took. As a one gun fits all it cannot be faulted and as Angus says it is not difficult to master and shoot very well. Buy one in stainless and fiberglass and you'll be happy forever with a minimum of maintenance and grief put exceptional glass on it (I like Zeiss or Leupold), don't skimp here as one can only hit what one can see. Something in a 3-9X40 or 3.5-10X42 in good solid low as possible mounts and you will have a lifetime hunting companion that will never let you down as long as you reasonably care for it.
Shoot it lots, don't get it too hot but become proficient with it and it will fulfill your lifetime of hunting dreams on any and all NA big game.
 
AH 2dogs, the 300 WM is a pussycat..........no dental work or detached retinas with it. Move up to the 378 Wby, 460 Wby, 450 Ackley and the like and there is real cause for concern.
 
If I was only going to shoot one cartridge it would be a .303 British in a custom built Ruger single shot - come to think of it, that is exactly what I shoot!!Laugh2
Cat
 
kyan said:
im looking to buy my first bolt action gun, but i only want to buy only one in my life time. What are your guys suggestions?
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GTFO!!! Seriously, only want to buy one rifle in your life? You need to get our more. A 30-06 will do nicely for what you're likely yo hunt in BC but there are better options when you hit the mountains or the open prairie. 7Rm will do a lot
 
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