The "One Club" Tournament, Grand Slam Style

What chambering for all 29 North American Big Game with one rifle?

  • Total voters
    206
I'd go with a blackpowder traditional muzzleloader, or maybe a high-power pre-charged air rifle. After all, if they were good enough for Lewis and Clark...oh, wait...no, that "good enough for fill-in-the-blank" logic never made much sense to me.

Okay, I'll take the 7mag...wait...wait...nah, I just remembered that it's a loudmouthed brat of a cartridge that I have never seen any point in using. I cannot think of a single circumstance in which I would not prefer a .300WinMag, so skip the 7...

The .30-06? I have never had any interest in it before, so I am unlikely to develop any now.

.300WinMag is sounding better and better. I like big heavy bullets, and I have always thought of the .300 as being roughly capable of delivering heavier bullets at the same velocity as the .30-06 with lighter ones, which can only be a good thing.

.375H&H is a huge sentimental favourite with me, and for that reason alone I'd lean that way over the .30-cal guns. But even when you don't give a rat's ass what strangers think, it would probably become tiresome to have every second person (who's never even shot one) tell me how badly it kicks, and how severely over-dead most of the critters would be, so...

I think the logical choice here is either the .338WinMag or Douglas' .340Wby. I'd go with the .338 just because I have one, while I probably won't ever own another .340. Fast and flat enough to shoot as far as I ever would...and "flattening" enough to work for the biggest critters on the list, which of course is what I would be most concerned with; the smaller stuff will just have to settle for being 'way deader than they really need to be.
 
Ardent said:
Nothing too outlandish in either direction. 7 Mag first at 180gr with 780, and .30-06 second, same barrel lengths. A 180 from a 7 Mag will needless to say fly better thanks to the BC. You have to look for them to find loads that are 10 grains apart, loaded and shot a truckload of each. The 7 averages about 5grs more powder, generally slings a lighter bullet, which equals identical recoil. The 7 Mag compares well on similar powder charges because it runs at higher pressure, about equalling out the .30-06s better expansion ratio being a bigger bore. The 7mms BCs and ability to shoot lighter bullets better then takes the cake as a hunting rig for mountains for me.


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The 7RM will run at less pressure (and velocity) with the same charge due to a larger case.

The 30-06 outruns the 7RM with 175's and they are neck and neck with 150's.

They really are 2 peas but I'm surprised you'd pack the extra weight of the 7RM shells.
 
Out of the rifles I currently own, I have two choices, a kimber montana 7mm wsm or a shultz&larsen 308 norma. I would probably go with the 7mm wsm as it is a lighter rifle.
 
Ardent, one gun you say? I think you would be disappointed if I didn't,t say .375 H&H:) While in Africa I love whacking the small stuff with solids and still having some softs for whatever else the bush might offer up. In all seriousness for me it is all about what you are most comfortable with.
 
MiG25 said:
The 7RM will run at less pressure (and velocity) with the same charge due to a larger case.

The 30-06 outruns the 7RM with 175's and they are neck and neck with 150's.

They really are 2 peas but I'm surprised you'd pack the extra weight of the 7RM shells.
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Sort of, broad strokes there, but that's where the fun in these threads is. At the same powder charge they both run about the same pressure, find loads with overlapping charges of the same powder between the two and guess in the middle ground (like the loads with 780 above). Reason is the 7mm has a smaller bore, and expansion ratio. Less space to burn the powder, even if the case is slightly larger.

This isn't about 7 Mag vs .30-06, they're all just brass tubes with little kinetic payloads to sling. Make the bullet smaller, and you need more pressure and / or powder at an equal bullet weight to match velocities with a bigger bore- but the smaller bullet's efficiency in flight will be better. Make it bigger diameter, and it has to be heavier to fly well (BC). Make the smaller bullet heavier and its bearing area increases, increasing pressure, but its efficiency in flight also increases again. We're all just justifying our own personal view of the best ballistic middle ground.

If you want light and fast, 7 Mag wins hands down. If you want heavy and moderate, the .30-06 wins after 160grs, though the 7 Mag edges it out way downrange due to BCs. If you want it all get a .300 Ultra, I see plenty of those on the rocks and had one chase Grizzly too (Dogleg's). Personally I prefer a .270 at 110gr or a 7mm at 120gr in the mountains, 3400-3500fps, and am very content with the 175gr performance for big heavy stuff.
 
Following the 7mm conversation with interest. Recently picked one up and afraid it will take the place of my .338 wm as a go to hunting rifle.

Nosler lists much higher velocities and max loads for the 7mm RM. Using H4350 it is about 300 fps with 150's compared to the '06 with the same according to their data.

Interested in the 120 grain loadings for deer, this was always intended as a muley rifle for me.

I voted .338 wm but what do I know. Do know the list includes polar bears though, and I am not up for the 22lr spine shot.
 
I would have to say the 338 win mag.it can reach out and touch them and finish of something with teeth close. the 375 would have been my first choice but doesn't have the reach a 338 has. the 300 has great reach but less weight on bullets for something up close with teeth that wants to eat you. the 9.3 well what can I say its metric hahahaha .
 
dogger1 said:
I would have to say the 338 win mag.it can reach out and touch them and finish of something with teeth close. the 375 would have been my first choice but doesn't have the reach a 338 has. the 300 has great reach but less weight on bullets for something up close with teeth that wants to eat you. the 9.3 well what can I say its metric hahahaha .
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Actually the .375 is better for reaching out in my estimation than the .338, albeit marginally. Out to 500 yards, the two flattest shooting loads in my ballistic computer's library for .338 Win and .375 H&H has the .375 0.11" ahead in drop at 500 yards; identical trajectories, the .375 is just arriving there with a bit more energy. Load a 300gr boat tail in the .375 and it will arrive even at 1000 yards ahead of the .338 on energy and comparable on drift and drop. At the hunting ranges, 400 and under, the .375 will easily equal on trajectory and beat on energy the .338 with a 260gr Accubond, 250gr TTSX, or 235gr CEB Raptor. This all said, you're right the .338 is a better North American 29 rifle, more versatile, and generally lighter rifles, an important consideration. People discount the .375's long range performance however when it is actually one of the better choices for terminal effect at range. But they are heavy guns with more recoil than some can manage.
 
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