The Ultimate North American Hunting Round?
- Thread starter Ardent
- Start date
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
It's been fun, for sure. Biggest challenge as many have pointed out is few read the opening post as we got into the second page and beyond, and thus reply with exactly what was hoped to be avoided. Secondly there is of course no right or wrong answer, the fun came in arguing which is more right and which less wrong. Good way to burn evenings in company lodgings.
It's really hard to come up with a cartridge that will be "Ultimate" for everything in North America. A cartridge that will be "Ultimate" for little blacktails on Queen Charlotte will obviously be either on the extreme light side or totally inadequate for bears and bison. On the other hand, the "Ultimate" cartridge for large bears and bison will be way overkill (although some will argue there isn't such a thing) for small deer. Do you want to call a 9Lbs .338 Win Mag or .375 all season, year after year for deer and sheep because every 10 years you go on a bear/bison hunt? Thats how I read your question and why I chose the .30-06 (even though I strongly dislike it). It may not be the "Ultimate" for anything specific but it will work for everything and wont be ridiculous at either end of the spectrum either.
I personally not an advocate of the one rifle for everything philosophy. I like to have the best tool for the chore at hand. This also allow me to justify owning several rifles, each have their own niche.
I personally not an advocate of the one rifle for everything philosophy. I like to have the best tool for the chore at hand. This also allow me to justify owning several rifles, each have their own niche.
I doubt Ardent was advocating for only owning one rifle but just throwing up a post to elicit some fun dialogue. Of course more rifles are better. FWIW, I have a 6lb 12ounce .338WM that is a dream to pack around and with a well fitting stock and quality recoil pad quite pleasant to shoot. With the right bullets ,meat damage even on smaller critters is minimal and it's very practical out to 500 yards. On the bigger stuff it does the job admirably. That's why I picked it.
In the words of Charlton Heston...."You'd have to pry my cold dead hands" LOL Kimber does make a pretty decent factory offering in the same configuration. That's what I had before having this one built. My .338 was likely the closest thing I'll ever build for the ultimate NA big game rifle. My specifications were that it had to be relatively light weight for multi-day backpack trips, good to 500 yards, suitable for sheep and grizzlies, including follow up on wounded bears. A .30-06 never made the list of possible candidates.
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Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
That's exactly the rifle I have in mind, and bcsteve I don't hunt Bison every ten years, better said any time I can, and I've hunted more of them than Whitetail for instance as mentioned earlier in the thread. Until recently I worked on the edge of the only uncontrolled / non-game animal herd in North America, and know the area well. In between I've been drawn for Grizzly a couple times in the last five years at home in BC, and chase pretty well every big critter I can. Also plan Polar Bear, so as I've repeated many times in this thread as per the first post, I don't want or consider a rifle skewed to the lighter game as I'd rather be well armed for the big stuff and on the strong side for the little than vice versa. I've literally filled trucks with Impala while culling in Africa with a .375 H&H, these are tiny animals much akin to coastal Blacktail and there was zero more mess or destruction than my partner's .30-06. That formed my opinion on large chamberings on smaller animals, no such thing as overkill with the right bullet selection.
Finally I do like the one rifle approach, hunting is #1 for me not the guns, and having only one rifle to ensure is ways ready and sighted in is a joy, especially when you fly most places you go as I do. Only one pricey scope to buy, and sight in, one brass and bullet diameter to buy and stock. I'd rather own a hell of a $7,500 custom lightweight .300 that'll work accross the board than four scoped production rifles in different chamberings. I couldn't care less about a .300's recoil, they don't make a mess of small animals despite popular misconception, and I like having less to store and do, and more focus on the hunting so why not in my eyes.
Finally I do like the one rifle approach, hunting is #1 for me not the guns, and having only one rifle to ensure is ways ready and sighted in is a joy, especially when you fly most places you go as I do. Only one pricey scope to buy, and sight in, one brass and bullet diameter to buy and stock. I'd rather own a hell of a $7,500 custom lightweight .300 that'll work accross the board than four scoped production rifles in different chamberings. I couldn't care less about a .300's recoil, they don't make a mess of small animals despite popular misconception, and I like having less to store and do, and more focus on the hunting so why not in my eyes.
That's exactly the rifle I have in mind, and bcsteve I don't hunt Bison every ten years, better said any time I can, and I've hunted more of them than Whitetail for instance as mentioned earlier in the thread. Until recently I worked on the edge of the only uncontrolled / non-game animal herd in North America, and know the area well. In between I've been drawn for Grizzly a couple times in the last five years at home in BC, and chase pretty well every big critter I can. Also plan Polar Bear, so as I've repeated many times in this thread as per the first post, I don't want or consider a rifle skewed to the lighter game as I'd rather be well armed for the big stuff and on the strong side for the little than vice versa. I've literally filled trucks with Impala while culling in Africa with a .375 H&H, these are tiny animals much akin to coastal Blacktail and there was zero more mess or destruction than my partner's .30-06. That formed my opinion on large chamberings on smaller animals, no such thing as overkill with the right bullet selection.
Finally I do like the one rifle approach, hunting is #1 for me not the guns, and having only one rifle to ensure is ways ready and sighted in is a joy, especially when you fly most places you go as I do. Only one pricey scope to buy, and sight in, one brass and bullet diameter to buy and stock. I'd rather own a hell of a $7,500 custom lightweight .300 that'll work accross the board than four scoped production rifles in different chamberings. I couldn't care less about a .300's recoil, they don't make a mess of small animals despite popular misconception, and I like having less to store and do, and more focus on the hunting so why not in my eyes.
Fair enough if this how your view owning firearms and hunting for the way you do it, I remember we've had a similar conversation in the past. For the other 99.9% of hunters (as the poll shows) a .30-06 is better suited for their "Ultimate" all-around North American cartridge.
If you ARE focused on the "hunting," then why not choose one platform, but chambered for two cartridges... this way you are still streamlined, but have the opportunity to use a more balanced tool, regardless of which end of the x-y spectrum of NA game you are pursuing?
42.6 percent but who it counting....lol
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I find the time that is burnt is at the loading bench and the multiple sighting in sessions, not bothered by and actually rather enjoy having different mechanisms about, I only hunt with one per season anyhow so no change ups. Much prefer a single rifle and bullets tailored to the game personally, and likewise appreciate one wonderful gun to numerous decent production rifles- though I subscribe to both "systems" clearly by a look in the safe. See what you're saying, I'm just on the other side of the fence, less rifles less cartridges but more heavily invested in them and tailored to you.
NorthernCX
CGN Regular
- Location
- In My House
OK, then, for those that need to read the OP again, and still argue, here's why the .30-06 is the leader here. The OP uses two different defining words: 'ultimate' and 'best'. He then defines that further as being capable of taking anything, not just limiting the hunter to NA big game. When I said the the .30-06 was the bare minimum for Africa, that was to accentuate the point that if it's the minimum that guides will allow there, it is sufficient, more than sufficient, for the biggest on our continent.
So, for clarification, the .30-06 can utilize bullet weights from 110gr to 200+.... no other caliber can boast of that range. I've loaded ammo for mine from 110 to 220 grain, and it is able to handle everything I've thrown at it, obviously with results varying from one bullet weight to another, but still capable of 'hunting accuracy' with nearly everything.
Ammo availability: no other caliber with the exception of the .22LR is as prolific. I dare anyone here to hit a random business that sells ammo that can't find something for you in .30-06. Can you say the same for the .338? .35 Whelen? Didn't think so. Granted, the .300 Win Mag and .270 come close, but still can't catch it.
By those criteria, the .30-06 is the 'best' for a one-caliber shooter as it will take anything from squirrel to Grizzly, ammo can be had anywhere, the recoil won't kill you, etc., etc.
So, for clarification, the .30-06 can utilize bullet weights from 110gr to 200+.... no other caliber can boast of that range. I've loaded ammo for mine from 110 to 220 grain, and it is able to handle everything I've thrown at it, obviously with results varying from one bullet weight to another, but still capable of 'hunting accuracy' with nearly everything.
Ammo availability: no other caliber with the exception of the .22LR is as prolific. I dare anyone here to hit a random business that sells ammo that can't find something for you in .30-06. Can you say the same for the .338? .35 Whelen? Didn't think so. Granted, the .300 Win Mag and .270 come close, but still can't catch it.
By those criteria, the .30-06 is the 'best' for a one-caliber shooter as it will take anything from squirrel to Grizzly, ammo can be had anywhere, the recoil won't kill you, etc., etc.
Bare minimum for what? And, who set this standard? Africa is a big continent with many countries...some with calibre rules others with not
NorthernCX
CGN Regular
- Location
- In My House
Bare minimum for hunting African big game, and the standard has been set over several years by the PHs and guides that take us on those hunts. No mystery. I've checked that with the South African folk that frequent our range here, because I don't necessarily take everything I see in print at face value, and they've confirmed that, including the SA fellow here offering guided hunts in South Africa. It's also a common caliber in use by those PHs and guides as a backup gun caliber.
Again, honourable mention to the 30-06, but the 300 is a more sensible answer to the original question
No other caliber? Wouldn't the magnum 300's do the same thing, only better? Case capacity really shows when you start loading heavy for caliber bullets, right?
Ammo availability? What serious gunnut buys factory ammo?
Recoil? Who cares about recoil?
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Lots of animals killed each year in Africa with 222, 223, 243, 6.5, 308, 7mm...etc, etc, etc. We hunted Africa with a 7mm. No question the 30-06 is a common chambering over there but it's far from considered bare minimum. I've yet to see a PH carry a 30-06 as a back up rifle. Perhaps some do but not that I've experienced. African game varies from 20 pounds to several thousand.....there is no bare minimum for all. Some countries do have dangerous game minimums but it's much larger than 30-06.
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