what caliber for BC?

My all around BC rifle is a Ruger .300 WM my dad gave me as a parting gift when I left home to come to BC in 1980. I mainly shoot 180 grain partitions in it and sometimes 200 grain partitions for moose and bear. I don't think the caliber is especially punishing on the shooter or hard to shoot well. It terminate's everything I aim at real well...

Troutseeker
 
Had indeed...pic 1, 3, and 4 are now zoned for condo/suburb sprawl development. :(

Also we can't shoot in many of our clearcuts these days. :(
 
Spatsizi

There's lots of room up here for long shots. Stick with a .338 up here though, or go with someone that has one.
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Because of the diversity of hunting ground in BC, there would be no suggestion that would be correct for all species, in all areas.
For example, "driving screws into wood is best done with a Robertson's bit screw driver, but in a pinch can be done with a hammer".
That being said, I hunt big-game almost exclusively with a .30-06 and a few years ago bought a .340 Wby for hunting moose and growly bears up in the northern country. I would use a .30-06 or the .340 interchangeably, they will both kill moose and bears dead. However, I recently bought an Ultra Lightweight .257 Wby to use when hunting sheep and goats, up in the mountains. If I could only have one of my rifles to hunt anything and everything in BC, I'd have to take the .30-06. More than adequate for moose and grizzly, range'y enough for goats and sheep and it's not overkill for deer or wolves, coyotes, etc. It'll do what you need a rifle to do, anywhere in North America. If I have the option of a few different rifles, that's when I would pick the .340, .257 etc. etc. etc....
And, just for clarity, I am not an advocate of the "One Rifle" line of thinking, it's just that the .30-06 wouldn't have been around as long as it has if it weren't pretty great. Gotta have variety though, or it'd be pretty boring if we were all walking around in the woods with the same ol' ought-six....
CLINT
 
Levi Garrett said:
Thanks for posting Gibbs, I have seen bear over 1/2 mile away :D and Elk/Blacktail also, where you had to pick a spot in a clear cut, could not cover it all.
No problem, I felt that some would enjoy the pic!:D
 
A guy that I know had one of his hunting buds killed by a grizzly about 18 to 20 years ago. He was packing caribou meat by himself. Others heard 3 shots, and when he didn't show up people went looking and found his body and that of a dead grizzly, proving once again that you can kill a grizzly with a 270, but in this case, not before he kills you. Just thought I'd throw that in.
 
The most successful two hunters I ever knew on Vancouver Island was a father son duo. To my knowledge the father never used anything but a 32 win special.
His son used a Marlin 30/30 for years and then a 30/06.

When I used to hunt with them I usually had my 308.

I have spent most of my life hunting in the Cache Creek, 70 mile area and most of the people who live in the area use something in the 30/06 class.

I have hunted up there with a 303, 30/30, 30/06, 308, 338, 356, 44 mag as well as a few others.
The vast majority of game that I know that has been taken in these areas are at 150 yards or less, so for most areas a 30/30 would work. However with logging slashes and hay fields (if you have permission) you can get that 300 yard shot (if you are a good enough shot).
For a long time I primarily hunted either with a 30/06 or a 308 and that included hunting up by Babine Lake and Pink Mountain after moose.
Never felt undergunned with either.

Twice while hunting up at Pink Mountain I came very close to grizzly (as opposed to seeing them at a distance) and one of them seemed to be following us (or just travelling up the same trail).
On both of these occasions my brother and I were both carrying 338 win mags and I will tell you at the time I thought they felt rather puny.

Neither amounted to anything as we were able to get far enough away to alert the bears to our presence without seeming to be threating to them and they obviously did not think we were supper
 
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