Best do-it-all hunting caliber

RYoung said:
Hey guys and gals. I'm relatively new to hunting as well as firearms ownership, but am wanting to get into it more and more as each day progresses. I already have my waterfowl shotgun, and I'm looking for a hunting rifle, but would prefer one caliber that can do it all. In my search for that magical caliber, I stumbled upon a link from Bass Pro in which they have a chart with over a dozen different calibers and categorize what they're best for. 300 WinMag seems to be the only golden caliber (on their chart) that can handle all big game. I know many factors come into play like shot placement, distance, bullet type, weight, etc. But in your expertise, is a 300 WinMag a good, do-it-all caliber? Thanks for your input.

https://1source.basspro.com/news-ti...e-rifle-caliber-chart-pick-right-ammo-hunting
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The 300 Win. Mag. has a recoil that will make many flinch. I would settle for the 30-06: mild recoil, accurate cartridge, great bullet selection, ammo can be located everywhere, many rifles to choose from.
 
RYoung said:
I live in BC and would like to get started close to home. But I wouldn't turn down an invitation to another province or country if one were to be offered to me. So I am looking for a versatile cartridge that can handle anything from deer to bear (bison would be nice, but probably need a much stronger round I'm guessing) from 100 yards to say 600 maybe even further. Just looking to make one purchase that can keep me going until I can afford to have a short range deer gun, a long range deer gun, an ULTRA long range deer gun, etc.
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Pick the rifle you like, then pick one of 270, 7mm RM, or 30-06. The only minimum in BC is for Bison and the 270, with 180 grain bullets, or the 7x57, 7-08, 303, 308 are at the minimum.
 
geologist said:
30-06, lots of bullet weights, ammo found everywhere, even in remote northern communities, enough power for hunting almost all North American species and the reoil can be handled by anyone with good technique and a good stock fit.
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This is one reason why I went with 270. It seemed that at least locally, in the middle of hunting season 270 is more common on the shelves of the big box stores, perhaps because more people are buying up the 3006 and 308?

track said:
The 300 Win. Mag. has a recoil that will make many flinch. I would settle for the 30-06: mild recoil, accurate cartridge, great bullet selection, ammo can be located everywhere, many rifles to choose from.
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The US military has gone from 3006, to 308, to 223 (obviously recoil isn't the only factor, but it is definitely something they consider). 30-06 is above the threshold determined by the British military for recoil a century+ ago (303 brit was pretty much the top end, which was around 15/ft lbs I believe). Now, I'm not saying a 3006 is too much rifle, but I wouldn't call it mild recoiling either when praising its virtues (unless you're directly comparing it to magnums).

MiG25 said:
Pick the rifle you like, then pick one of 270, 7mm RM, or 30-06. The only minimum in BC is for Bison and the 270, with 180 grain bullets, or the 7x57, 7-08, 303, 308 are at the minimum.
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Most 303 Brit factory ammo doesn't meet the Bison requirement (particularly with loads that dont use spitzer bullets). That said, considering the travel and everything involved in a bison hunt you can just buy a 300 or 338mag for that hunt if you get drawn. There isn't much in the way of 180gr 270 pills either, even the Berger EOL bullet is only 170gr, and you'll likely need a custom barrel for that too because almost every factory 270 is a 1:10 twist which tends to be right on the fence with 160gr pills. (woodleigh does make a 180gr 270 pill)
 
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44WCF. You can shoot anything in NA even big bears with it. AND, it might even die before you, if you can outrun either it, or the guy you're with.:onCrack:



Seriously, I'd vote the 338WM. up close, or fairly distant it's quite capable on pretty near anything. but it best be head shots if you take a liking to squirrel.
That said, I prefer a variety to one.
 
Suther said:
This is one reason why I went with 270. It seemed that at least locally, in the middle of hunting season 270 is more common on the shelves of the big box stores, perhaps because more people are buying up the 3006 and 308?



The US military has gone from 3006, to 308, to 223 (obviously recoil isn't the only factor, but it is definitely something they consider). 30-06 is above the threshold determined by the British military for recoil a century+ ago (303 brit was pretty much the top end, which was around 15/ft lbs I believe). Now, I'm not saying a 3006 is too much rifle, but I wouldn't call it mild recoiling either when praising its virtues (unless you're directly comparing it to magnums).



Most 303 Brit factory ammo doesn't meet the Bison requirement (particularly with loads that dont use spitzer bullets). That said, considering the travel and everything involved in a bison hunt you can just buy a 300 or 338mag for that hunt if you get drawn. There isn't much in the way of 180gr 270 pills either, even the Berger EOL bullet is only 170gr, and you'll likely need a custom barrel for that too because almost every factory 270 is a 1:10 twist which tends to be right on the fence with 160gr pills. (woodleigh does make a 180gr 270 pill)
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I do agree with you, the Bison LEH has such poor odds that it should really be disregarded.
 
I'm a firm believer in the idea that their is a right caliber, bullet and rifle for every hunt.
So for me, there is no "do all" caliber , you are always sacrificing something if you try to peg yourself into a "do all" rifle.
The liberals will want to make peoplekind believe that they only need one rifle/caliber to kill a deer so it must be good for everything else
I have close range rifles, long range rifles, deer rifles, moose rifles, some of them double as elk rifles and bear rifles but there is no "do all" in the bunch. At least not in my books.
I say one for every occasion !! :)
 
Eagleye said:
There are a few contenders in the .358, 366, and 375 diameters, but most are either a handful, or trajectory is not ideal outside of 250 yards.

Dave.
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Dave,

i removed most of your very good and informative post but im just wondering about the 250 yards for say a .375 caliber.

it is personal experience or years of observation? i really wondered because last time at the range someone was very surprised at my results at 300 meters with a short .375.

i have heard the same in europe but did not see in real world experiences and i ve seen a lot the 375hh used at farther distances than that ...

Phil
 
Dogleg said:
Someone should invent a cartridge with 30-06 bullets and .270 velocities. ;)
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Will anyone else see what you just did ? ;)

We have the search for the do all chambering , but there is always that rifle we grab that just works regardless of it not being the so called do all chambering.

Mine is that damn BLR , that is my best all round tool for me. :)
 
pete dobinson said:
It's hard to beat a 30-06 as the best all around cartridge but I prefer a 270 for deer sized game and down and it's still a capable elk moose cartridge.
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Last autumn I shot a 6x6 bull elk while hunting whitetail bucks. I had 7 bulls standing in front of me at 125 yards. Killed it with a 270 Win. 130 gr. Nosler Accubond........one shot. I didn't find a big enough buck, however my son hammered a nice buck with his 7mm STW.
https://imgur.com/a/srHwZJX
 
mimile said:
I love the 6.5x55 but if one is not a handloader the ammunition in hard to find.
Where do you find new 7x57 rifles these days besides the Zastava at Tradex?
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I started hand loading when I bought my first 6.5x55. It was Tikka T3. I have a semi-custom left handed Winchester M70 7x57. I didn’t have it built, I’m the third owner. There are some Ruger #1’s kicking around though.
 
I like 308 for the many options, but I think you're right about the 270. 308 and 3006 are more popular and tend to sell out fist.
Suther said:
This is one reason why I went with 270. It seemed that at least locally, in the middle of hunting season 270 is more common on the shelves of the big box stores, perhaps because more people are buying up the 3006 and 308?



The US military has gone from 3006, to 308, to 223 (obviously recoil isn't the only factor, but it is definitely something they consider). 30-06 is above the threshold determined by the British military for recoil a century+ ago (303 brit was pretty much the top end, which was around 15/ft lbs I believe). Now, I'm not saying a 3006 is too much rifle, but I wouldn't call it mild recoiling either when praising its virtues (unless you're directly comparing it to magnums).



Most 303 Brit factory ammo doesn't meet the Bison requirement (particularly with loads that dont use spitzer bullets). That said, considering the travel and everything involved in a bison hunt you can just buy a 300 or 338mag for that hunt if you get drawn. There isn't much in the way of 180gr 270 pills either, even the Berger EOL bullet is only 170gr, and you'll likely need a custom barrel for that too because almost every factory 270 is a 1:10 twist which tends to be right on the fence with 160gr pills. (woodleigh does make a 180gr 270 pill)
Click to expand...
 
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