Best all around hunting caliber

walden said:
Perhaps you mean "magazine" or did I just take the bait?
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I couldn't help myself after seeing how frazzled the 17th poster got, over sweating about the small stuff.:redface:

But I wasn't "baiting", that's an infractable offence, just "stirring the pot".
Which should be OK, or why else would they put that icon in, right?
 
Firstly,caliber designates only a bore size, nothing else. The 30-30win,308win, and 30-06 are all the same caliber. Secondly, there is no best caliber for hunting.
 
I've been hunting for over 50 years and if I had to reduce to one rifle it would be the 7RM Unfortunately my 7 isn't used as much because I have other rifles for specific purposes.
Just my opinion
Neil
 
I'm wanting to buy one rifle for hunting deer, elk, moose and bear and have decided on a ,308 calibre because there is a greater selection in rifles (especially semi~auto's and scout style hunting rifles), ammo, is easy to find and the option for cheap ammo, is there in ,308,,, I do recognize that 30~06 has a little more energy/accuracy out past 400yds, but my studies on ballistics has lead me to believe that under 400yds they are similar and the ,308 may even have a bit of an edge on the 30~06 for energy/accuracy below 300yds,,, However the 30~06 is available in heavier grain bullets 220+, and the ,308 is not, which may be an advantage for larger game (moose) at longer distances (400+yds),,,
I do not expect to be hunting here in BC beyond 300yds max, and will usually be shooting at game from under around 150yds,,, As for a lightweight rifle, the ,308 is a shorter round and lightweight scout style rifles are more often found in ,308

Hope this helps in your decision making, good luck with your choice of hunting rifle,,,
 
c-fbmi said:
Technically Demonical that would be a 30 cal not 308.

I would highly recommend a 300 WM this is probably one of the best NA one gun does all cartridges. 30-06 is a good recommendation but I prefer the range and energy of the 300 mags.
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For the added recoil/ benefit ratio on North American game, I would go 30-06 all day, every day, and twice on Sundays, over 300WM.
 
Versatility comes from the selection of loads available for a given cartridge, rather than from case capacity or bore size; thus handloading provides us with the greatest versatility. A .30 caliber rifle has a velocity range from about 1200 fps to about 3200 fps with bullets ranging in weight from 100 to 250 grs, and bullet styles ranging from ULDs to WFNs, and designed to be frangible, expanding , military non-expanding or solids suitable for game. A big case .375 also works within that velocity envelope with nearly as great a selection of bullet styles and construction, but with bullet weights up to 380 grs, you can do more with the .375 than with cartridges having a larger or smaller bullet diameter.
 
stubblejumper said:
Firstly,caliber designates only a bore size, nothing else. The 30-30win,308win, and 30-06 are all the same caliber. Secondly, there is no best caliber for hunting.
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Yes to this. However, if you replaced "Best" with "practical" / "versatile" and/or "availability of ammo"....then 30-06.
 
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I've noticed a geographical trend in a lot of these threads..........people from eastern Canada tend towards smaller non-magnum cartridges and us western hunters seem to gravitate towards bigger cased if not necessarily bigger bore cartridges. I suspect it has a lot to do with terrain and forest density and mountains. I think we westerners tend to see game at greater distance more commonly than in the eastern hardwood forests, hence our penchant for the likes of 7 RM, 300 WM, 308 NM, 300 RUM etc...etc. I do know in the Yukon, sheep hunting for instance, I will generally take either my 300 Wby or my new ultra light 300 WSM. Part of this decision is the frequency with which we encounter grizzlies while sheep hunting........if it weren't for this I would probably use my 257 Wby.
Anyone else notice this trend or do I just have my head up my a$$?
 
C-fbmi,

That's pretty close, but it could be a close cover/ open country thing as well. When bush hunter has been smacking things around at close range for years with a "standard caliber" he has likely decided that there's little use is hitting some unhappy beast any harder than he already is. He still has most of his muzzle velocity at impact. It might be hard to realize that we want to do the same thing a couple or 400 yards farther away. Then there's trajectory and wind, which he may have heard about but never needed to consider.
 
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I say 308. There are lots of bullet options with it. It's a short action. Recoil is handle able for most. It's sweet. It's so sweet. And "usually, gun for gun, it will out shoot the 30-06"! Just repeating what Ed said.:p :stirthepot2:
 
I know this isn't the case. But when asked this question with no extra information readily given, I always say .50 bmg with a good 'huntin bullitt'. Half the time the individual has no clue what I'm talking about. So I say "Trust me... You can pick one up at Bass Pro."
 
c-fbmi said:
I've noticed a geographical trend in a lot of these threads..........people from eastern Canada tend towards smaller non-magnum cartridges and us western hunters seem to gravitate towards bigger cased if not necessarily bigger bore cartridges. I suspect it has a lot to do with terrain and forest density and mountains. I think we westerners tend to see game at greater distance more commonly than in the eastern hardwood forests, hence our penchant for the likes of 7 RM, 300 WM, 308 NM, 300 RUM etc...etc. I do know in the Yukon, sheep hunting for instance, I will generally take either my 300 Wby or my new ultra light 300 WSM. Part of this decision is the frequency with which we encounter grizzlies while sheep hunting........if it weren't for this I would probably use my 257 Wby.
Anyone else notice this trend or do I just have my head up my a$$?
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Douglas,

you may be right about geographical location.

in your hands a 257 will work on a grizzly too don't you think?

all the best.
 
Between .270, .308 and .30-06 I think you're just splitting hairs. All three are cheap and readily available, and have comparable ballistics. In my non-expert opinion, the biggest differences between these rounds is: .308 can accommodate short-action rifles; .270 shoots slightly flatter than .30-06 at longer ranges; and .30-06 has slightly more power than .270 at shorter ranges (inside 300 yards? I cant remember).
 
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