Largest caliber that you comfortably hunt with?

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Northern Shooter

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For your big game game hunting are you firmly in the 30 cal camp or do you hunt with something larger? Is it a once in a while choice or something that you consistently hunt with?
 
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I've hunted with a Win 70 in 375 H&H. Kinda felt like a shotgun with buckshot, not really all that scary. The big slow round nose bullets damaged less meat than smaller, faster cartridges too. Ditto for 9.3x62 with a 286gr round nose. Would definitely hunt deer and moose with those again, liked the results on both.

Mostly a 6.5mm guy these days.
 
Joel said:
I've hunted with a Win 70 in 375 H&H. Kinda felt like a shotgun with buckshot, not really all that scary. The big slow round nose bullets damaged less meat than smaller, faster cartridges too. Ditto for 9.3x62 with a 286gr round nose. Would definitely hunt deer and moose with those again, liked the results on both.

Mostly a 6.5mm guy these days.
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Yeah 375 is definitely a comfortable "solid" cartridge to hunt with, nothing too intimidating there. I've heard many 300WM and 338WM's feel much snappier than the 375's.

What are you hunting with the 6.5's? I own a 6.5X55 which I've taken it moose hunting but never got one with it, always felt a little undergunned for moose.
 
53moose320Elk said:
375 Ruger for wt deer, elk, last couple years , would been for moose also but did not see one couple years ago when I had a tag
Shot a coyote also with the 375 Ruger
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I really want to try out a 375 Ruger, If I didn't buy a H&H I likely would have grabbed one. Seems like a perfect all-rounder.
 
I usually hunt with 32 and 8mm because ya know, Elk. Used from 22 Hornet to 9.3x57 and Buckshot. They work, pretty much everything works on Deer from what I've seen.

Had a 375 Winchester, 9.5 Mannlicher, and 375 H&H.
 
I started out thinking I needed a heavy hitter bought a model 700 sps from SIR mail order and punished myself for hundreds of rounds trying to get the thing to group after finally finding a local gunsmith who took me under his wing we discovered some imperfections in the rifling towards the end of the muzzle we went with a heavy Bob jury barrell and chambered her for .300 rum after developing loads for it and carrying all that weight on my shoulder for 10 years I picked up a tikka t3x in 6.5x55 and guess what it's the only rig I carry now for deer black bear and moose!
 
I have hunted many seasons with a 375 HH and the 9.3x62. Not that terrible, and actually found them better for less spoilage of meat. For years before that, I had a .358 norma made up, and it was my go-to gun for quite a while on everything. I actually found that the .358 was an excellent all around cartridge and highly overlooked on the North American continent.
As I get up in my sixties now, I find myself drifting back to the same cartridge my father ended his hunting career with: the boring old 30-06. Lighter to pack, avialable everywhere for cartridges, and good enough bullet selection to kill anything I chase with efficiency. Nowadays, I hunt smarter and closer, and place my shots better than the "hurry up and shoot" days of my youth.
I could never have just one "main" hunting rifle. Life would be too boring. I often slip back into my old ways and bring out the magnums, and I also like to hunt with a variety of open sighted vintage lever, and side x side guns, to add some spice.
 
Northern Shooter said:
Yeah 375 is definitely a comfortable "solid" cartridge to hunt with, nothing too intimidating there. I've heard many 300WM and 338WM's feel much snappier than the 375's.

What are you hunting with the 6.5's? I own a 6.5X55 which I've taken it moose hunting but never got one with it, always felt a little undergunned for moose.
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They definitely do!

To be honest I've only taken deer with them so far, but the wounding ability I'm seeing is indistinguishable from something like a 30-06, 308, 7mm-08 etc. You just can't look at the organs and internals and say "it was only a 6.5mm and it shows". Between that and the testimonials here and elsewhere from people who have done it, I'm not too worried....with a good tough bullet, not something like the 120gr Ballistic Tip.

That said though, shots on moose don't really stretch out very far where I hunt.
 
While I hunt with a variety of chamberings, lately
for Elk, I have moved over into the 8mm camp. I
am using either my 325 WSM or my 8mm Rem Mag
for this species.
4 elk, 4 shots fired. greatest distance,
425 yards, shortest, 188 yards. EE
 
Joel said:
They definitely do!

To be honest I've only taken deer with them so far, but the wounding ability I'm seeing is indistinguishable from something like a 30-06, 308, 7mm-08 etc. You just can't look at the organs and internals and say "it was only a 6.5mm and it shows". Between that and the testimonials here and elsewhere from people who have done it, I'm not too worried....with a good tough bullet, not something like the 120gr Ballistic Tip.

That said though, shots on moose don't really stretch out very far where I hunt.
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Sectional density is where the 6.5s shine. I've been able to find 156gr from S&B but have been trying to track down some 160+grain options.
 
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