The Ultimate North American Hunting Round?

Best North American Hunting Round

  • .270 Winchester

    Votes: 70 8.4%

  • .270 WSM

    Votes: 11 1.3%

  • .30-06

    Votes: 358 42.8%

  • .35 Whelen (tough to find, yes, but solid)

    Votes: 19 2.3%

  • 7mm Rem Mag

    Votes: 67 8.0%

  • .300 Win Mag

    Votes: 147 17.6%

  • .338 Win Mag

    Votes: 67 8.0%

  • .375 Mag (H&H or Ruger)

    Votes: 54 6.5%

  • .300 Ultra Mag (tough to find, but hard to argue with)

    Votes: 8 1.0%

  • .300 WSM

    Votes: 35 4.2%
  • Total voters
    836
Having been in on several grizzly kills, including one at 9 yards, I can honestly say a 30-06 would not be my first or 50th choice......The .338 seemed a tad light at 9 yards. I've never seen a guide for big bears carry a 30-06 or even a .300 for that matter. The 30-06 is a great "if all goes as planned" cartridge around big bears. Unfortunately, God laughs at those that make plans.
 
I voted the 375....not because it's my favourite, but it is hands down "enough" gun for literally everything on our continent. I could bison in that group as well.....not that the other couldn't do it, as I would likely choose a different caliber for myself, but I would hand the 375 to anyone with confidence of it being enough gun.
 
9.3mauser said:
I've also read ( from Finn Aagaard ) that he switched to using a .458 when his .30-06 almost got him killed.
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Why bother with what Aagard said? If you go here http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...12/Minimum_caliber_for_Kodiak_Bro#Post8871812

you'll see Phil repeatedly telling people that he's quite comfortable with clients shooting cartridges like the 06 and the 308 at coastal brown bears. And, much like in this thread, there's a bunch of people with far less - or no - bear experience telling him he's wrong. Makes for some good reading.
 
Hard to take this poll seriously, you left the 308 out, it is the best, most versatile NA caliber... JP.
 
scottbrechin@shaw.ca said:
Where's the .308 choice?
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Ardent said:
Should have added too the .308 isn't quite as good as the .30-06, and the .30-06 is so uniquitous it was hard to justify including .308 when it's an obvious second and even third choice in .30 cal behind the -06 and Win Mag as an all around continental cartridge. Figured with the popularity of the .308 the snub should be properly explained. And for those who say .30-06, remember the .300 will do everything it does and more, with the added range and power.
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And there we go.
 
Ardent said:
I agree, safer to go over than under, always. I suppose it really comes down to recoil tolerance, if they're all the same to the shooter there isn't a convincing argument for me on why you should use less. I'd rather be properly gunned for the biggest game I hunt and overgunned on the smallest.
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Not to belabour the point... but in belabouring the point... ;)

There are more reasons than recoil to consider the .30/06 over the .300 WM... if it is just a matter of "more" then why not a .338 or .375 or .416 etc... etc...

In properly answering your question, I am considering the most common, lightest recoiling, versatile cartridge that will decisively and cleanly anchor any of the game in question... that is not the .300 WM in my mind, it is the .30/06... bigger may be better, but it is not necessary. With that I exit the debate.
 
BBB said:
Why bother with what Aagard said? If you go here http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...12/Minimum_caliber_for_Kodiak_Bro#Post8871812

you'll see Phil repeatedly telling people that he's quite comfortable with clients shooting cartridges like the 06 and the 308 at coastal brown bears. And, much like in this thread, there's a bunch of people with far less - or no - bear experience telling him he's wrong. Makes for some good reading.
Click to expand...

Soon we'll start listening to "sunray's" quotes over Hemingway and Ruark.
 
I picked .30-06 because it is what I have shot most of my white tail deer with, it was definitely more than enough power. I also chose it because .308 was not listed. Any animal has been shot and killed in NA before this magnum, short magnum, super short magnum, etc ever came out. I really think it is a ploy to upsell guns and ammo to newbie hunters who think they need a 300 win mag to go shoot a deer.
 
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