what do you think is the most versatile cartridge ever made?
- Thread starter Mr. Friendly
- Start date
And if the ammo is cheap enough that you've sent a pile of it downrange already, your next shot is far more likely to go where you wanted it to go quickly and without fuss. If it's expensive and you're still on your first box then you're not going to be happy for long when it matters.
This is not an East/West thing... we have plenty of azzhole bears in Ontario... and plenty of guides here who have lots of experience dealing with bears, grumpy or otherwise... the bears that is... well, sometimes the guides too.
Great cartridge and has a lot of positive attributes, anything that has been said regarding the 7x57 can be applied to it aside from some issues slinging long heavy bullets. I doubt you could get a bison legal load for it, but have no doubt that a suitably tough bullet directed well would do nothing good for one's health. Ammo availability it falls to the .30-06, .308 and .270. It wouldn't be my mountain sheep/goat and big bears cartridge of choice, that is why I voted 7 magnum, but I wouldn't turn one down if it meant I could experience those hunts.
I have no doubt about that. Black bears can be sneaky baztards. I'm more commenting on papaclaudes limited knowledge base. He wants us to accept his what he says as gospel, but won't offer the same courtesy to others that have experiences that differ from his narrative.
Now, there must certainly be some media links to all those incidents. And no, there are no bears in Ottawa, but if you go back and re-read my posts, you will read that I spent 2/3 of my life in black bear country. I am 60, which, just to save you getting the calculator out, means I lived 40 years in black bear country. Now, some of us have to move for bothersome things such as providing for one's family. That's what I had to do 21 years ago when I moved to Ottawa. When I was a kid, my old man was the "bear control guy" in town. One summer, he shot 17 right in town (population 3000 at the time). I've had 2 bears on my back steps when I opened my door, had one tear apart a screen door, just to name a few incidents. I also did some guiding for bear hunters as a teen. So yeah, while maybe not a world-class expert such as yourself, I know a bit about them, and I can categorically state that I do not personally know a single person that was mauled, hurt or killed by a bear.
This rifle holds 4 plus one belted magnums without drop boxes, dbm’s etc. 4 or 5 down gives me two for noise if I need them.
That’s a nice rifle regardless of cartridge.
I would rather have a good fitting, handling, carrying rifle in any cartridge. Rather then a pile of junk in what ever gets decided as the most versatile cartridge here.
More so even if I have to make a perfect shot quickly.
I absolutely agree with that. 100%
dgradinaru
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- British Columbia
I plan on harvesting as many species with the 8x57 as I can. Thinking of caribou/moose/billy hunt in the near future. Rifle accompanied with me will most likely be a tikka t3x SS or my cz 550 with B&C stock, both chambered in 8mm.
dgradinaru
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- British Columbia
Dgradinaru, great pics, great addition to the thread.
Thanks! I have many more pics I could put up but you all would get tired of my face
nowarningshot
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
A 308 or 3006 fires the same bullet, a 7x57 shoots the same bullet as a 7 rum.
In each instance its simply ____faster.
This thread reminds me of the one gun hunter threads. Someone already posted the Chuck Hawks chart. Only a few tick every box, some boxes dont matter, its a individual thing. Some reload 》》》ammo availability doesn't matter, some are not recoil sensitive》》》shoot a 375 hunting blacktail.
One caliber for NA? One hunter for NA? Every situation is individual.
I think the 8X57 has proven itself the world over. Asking "What is the most versatile cartridge ever?" is kind of like asking what the best car, whiskey, or beer ever was - you'll get a different answer from almost everyone you ask, and they'll all be right.
My personal choice was the 308, but 2 others that would also fit the bill would be the 6.5 X 55 and 375 H&H. Problem is, the more I think about it, the more calibers I could include, but as someone else posted, I reload, and I'm not recoil sensitive so that opens the field up a wee bit.
BTW, I don't remember if the 22 LR made the cut, but it was used as a self defense round when it came out, has harvested just about every small game animal in the world. Tons of medium game were taken, and even today, thousands of large farm animals are sent to Valhalla with the venerable old .22.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Went on a similar quest with .375 H&H, took a bit over a dozen species with it for which it was overkill for all but a couple. Your 8x57 is a more sensible choice and wish you luck. In the end it’s not what you shoot but what you actually do with it, that’s missing in much of this forum, you’re very much doing things.
Bittereinder
CGN Regular
- Location
- Ontario (GTA)
I think another reason is just history and inertia: military use helped availability and because guns last a long time, quite often grandpa's gun that you inherited was a 30-06.
You could include everything that fits "between" the 6.5 and the .375. And therein lies the folly of such topics.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Not really once you consider mountains, which is where the hardest game to take is. You need a very light rifle with a lot of reach, that’s not just everything. Plus the OP wants everything covered so that means bison with the same rifle, which has a limit here of 175grs and 2000ft-lbs or better at 100m. It gets a tad specific actually on what will do all that, a light .30-06, 8x57 as in one rifle’s case here, or 7 Mag will. Many won’t.
pete dobinson
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Courtenay BC.
Being light on recoil and being reliable enough to take any north american game removes a lot of options. With recoil, everyone's threshold is different so we have to take an average for what most hunters can handle and I believe it would be a 30-06 or 7mm rem mag ball park. Question is, is the 30-06 and 7 rem mag capable of taking the largest game this country has to offer, I believe they are. Another thing to consider is the weight of the rifle, like Ardent has already stated, your a lot better off with a light weight rifle in the mountains, and I agree. Lightweight rifle's also compound recoil, another reason to go with a 30-06 or 7mm rem. So which one of these two chamberings is the winner. I think the 7mm rem mag has the trajectory advantage for mountain hunting, hard to beat 140 gr bullets doing 3200 fps or 120 gr at 3400 and on big game that 175 gr bullet will get the job done. I think the 7mm rem has the edge over the 30-06 but both are good choices. Seems I've changed my mind a little.
