What rifle caliber would you prefer for large game?
- Thread starter RiMP9
- Start date
My interior Griz fell to a 8mm Mauser at around 35 yds. The coastal bears I would opt for something in a .375 flavour just because.
Beats me. Most folks here laughed when they heard I used my .366, they all use 30-06, .303, one guy has a .300wm.
I mainly hunt Deer and Moose if I can only choose one it would probably be 300WM, in reality I use 270 win for deer and 338WM for Moose. I don't factor in the cost of ammo at all. I don't reload, I have used other calibers over the years but the last few years I have returned to boring readily available popular ammunition.
JDMLandscaping
CGN Regular
- Location
- Lower Mainland BC
I personally have 3 rifles that rotate out for hunting here in BC. For large game (moose, elk, big bear etc) or if I am hunting open country where a longer shot is most likely then I grab my 7RemMag since you can load up to hit hard and it’s a fast level shooting round, for light skinned game and smaller I have a semi auto .308 that does the job very well and is fun as all get out, and for when I am pushing thick bush or just want something smaller to carry around I have my trustee Winchester 94 in good old dirty thirty (30-30).
If I was first getting into hunting again I would want someone to tell me to buy a 30-06 though as I went through a bunch of guns trying to find what I liked and what worked. If I had to give all of mine up except for one rifle for hunting purposes I would pick to keep the 7RemMag, but if they took them all and said I could choose one rifle that they would give me for hunting it would be a 30-06. Just my thoughts
If I was first getting into hunting again I would want someone to tell me to buy a 30-06 though as I went through a bunch of guns trying to find what I liked and what worked. If I had to give all of mine up except for one rifle for hunting purposes I would pick to keep the 7RemMag, but if they took them all and said I could choose one rifle that they would give me for hunting it would be a 30-06. Just my thoughts
Its illegal most places to hunt with two guns. Also ive never heard of hunting with multiple guns - sounds pointless and stupid, almost like fuddlore tomfoolery.
I never said to drag all three out when you are actually hunting. Have another coffee and wake up.
Really? It isn't even illegal in Saskatchewan to hunt with more than one gun, except for not using more than one shotgun waterfowling. That one is so people don't use two shotguns to get around the mag capacity rules.
I use mostly a 280, but any of the medium cartridges are close to the same. If by some strange reason I only had 1 for all big game it would be a 300 mag. Reload for more practice and save a bit on each shell. The price of ammo is very little when compared to the price of gear and the hunt. I had quit hunting do to health, but this year I might get out for deer. I think I’ll use a 50-90 Sharps.
walleyed99
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- I'm not telling, Sask
I use primarily my 300 Weatherby, and I handload and have plenty of brass so I'm never really worried about finding ammo. I usually have a backup with me, either my 303 British, 6.5CM, or my 308. All you have listed are great rounds depending on the situation. Can't beat a 30-30 in the bush, and all others anywhere else.
270 for elk?
The OP asked about calibre preference for large game. Simple enough question, and he got a hundred different answers (and counting), but very few answered the "why" part of the question. Perhaps one of the better answers I saw suggested anything that shoots 150 gr at 2500 feet per second or more will do just fine. Hard to argue with that, even if there wasn't an explanation.
He mentioned hunting caribou. It's my hunch that he doesn't plan to hunt in southern Ontario - I haven't heard many reports of caribou there! A-hem. For a first hunting rifle for the game he mentioned, or the gun for the "one rifle" hunter, I would select a .30-06 because of its versatility, and wide bullet selection that is almost second to none. The other reason for selecting a .30-06 is because having that as your main big game round makes it easier to select a second gun if you later decide you need to move up or down in terms of power. The "aught-six" will effectively cover just about the broadest selection of terrain and shooting distances around.
Everybody, almost, has their favourite or "cherished" calibre. That's why there is always such a breadth of answers to this kind of question. Once you narrow the selection to the loads that will do the job, perhaps the best answer is the one that you feel is most reliable and comfortable to shoot. THAT'S the one that will perform for you!
If I had to start again, that's where I'd start.
30-06 for years for me, primarily for deer and moose. Why? Just an all around sensible cartridge with affordable ammo and manageable recoil. I never shoot over 200 yards so terminal performance meets my needs. A neck injury got me looking for a lower recoil option so I ended up with a .308 autoloading rifle (ugly-ass plastic BAR, but it works). As I learned more about 308 ballistics I've come to admire the efficiency of the cartridge. Not very ###y but it works for me.
Not being a fan of autoloading rifles, I've also acquired a soft shooting .243 bolt action for whitetail (and coyote) but haven't had it in the field yet. I'll use from ground blinds to around 100 yards or so.
Not being a fan of autoloading rifles, I've also acquired a soft shooting .243 bolt action for whitetail (and coyote) but haven't had it in the field yet. I'll use from ground blinds to around 100 yards or so.
