Top Five All Around Sporting Cartridges

[Oldtrader3]

I don't know about everyone's tastes or reasons for choosing specific hunting calibers. What I do know is that we are talking about and mixing a couple of different issues here: those being, what is most popular or useful for most hunting situations, versus what most people actually use and shoot for normal hunting conditions.

The only two calibers in this article which I currently use and own are the .30-06 and the 7mm Rem Mag. The two animals that I most hunt are the mule deer and the Roosevelt elk. My most used deer rifles are my .257 Roberts and my .270 Winchester. My most used elk rifles are the .338 Federal and the 9.3x74R. These are not most hunter's choices but they are mine and suit my needs.

If I hunted Africa or Alaska, I would most certainly buy another .340 Bee and another .375 H&H. I sold both of mine because I am older and will most likely never hunt dangerous or even large game again.

To each his or her own. If it works for you, use it!

 

[SJB358]

If I had a little more time in hunting season, I'd probably give the old M94 30-30 or M336 35 Remington a go for a Fall. Being as my time is clocked I run with the 338 and 35 Newton for elk and just about anything else I have in the safe will hunt deer just fine. Most of the time, if I am hunting deer in the woods, I am likely to be carrying my 45-70 or maybe my new to me 348 Winchester.

 

[Anonymous]

What is the most popular caliber above the 375 in the States and Canada. I would guess the 45/70 ?

My guess is that you'd be right. The 45-70 is fairly common here...more so than any of the bigger bores or the .375 for that matter.

 

[DrMike]

What is the most popular caliber above the 375 in the States and Canada. I would guess the 45/70 ?

My guess is that you'd be right. The 45-70 is fairly common here...more so than any of the bigger bores or the .375 for that matter.

Yeah, the old war horse has grown in popularity over the past couple of decades. It still delivers the goods at modest ranges, hitting hard and leaving a big hold in animals. All the air leaks out pretty quickly when that big brute penetrates the lungs; and all the run drains out of their legs when they are shot with that big ol' bullet.

 

[Palouser]

My top five would be:
22-250
243 Win
270 Win
300 Weatherby
375 H&H

 

[Elkman]

If I had a little more time in hunting season, I'd probably give the old M94 30-30 or M336 35 Remington a go for a Fall.

Those 300 yard plus shots made in a howling wind, are difficult enough, I see no reason to handicap yourself with an antique. Stick with the 338!!!!!!!!

 

[Oldtrader3]

Aside from rimfires and one varmit only caliber, I only have (6) rifle calibers. Some may find that somewhat confining but I feel liberated from back when I had 18-20 different calibers and still only used five calibers mostly, not including my .375 H&H.

 

[Guy Miner]

OT3, I agree. At one point I found myself loading for about twenty different rifle cartridges.

It was a pain.

Now I'm down to quite a few less. Sometimes, like with the .204 Ruger, I'll only do one loading session a year. Build a bunch of identical varmint loads and call it good for another 12 months. Or more. I actually don't think I've loaded for the .204 in two years now. No need. I stocked up, and haven't been doing that much varmint shooting.

But for the bigger cartridges... mostly I just load for the .25-06, .308 Win, .30-06 and .375 H&H.

I've got a few others, but those are the ones I rely on the most. Could simplify that even more, real easily.

Guy

 

[Rigbymauser]

Behind every riflecartridge is a history that in time tell in what times it was developed or who used it in that time.
The .270Winchester has written Jack O all over it...and it´s still used with great succes.
The .375 H&H has written "Africa" all over it along with a great Gun Company in London.
The .30-30 WCF takes the American cartridge development into smokeless era.
The .22o Swift. The need for speed gets into a factory package from Winchester.
The .378Wea from Roy where magnum really becomes "magnum" in the early Weatherby era.

All the above mentioned cartridges are still in use and many more could be mentioned. Of all the above I see the .270Win and the .30-30 as the most succesfull for the average shooter/hunter and both from WINCHESTER.

 

[Oldtrader3]

OT3, I agree. At one point I found myself loading for about twenty different rifle cartridges.

It was a pain.

Now I'm down to quite a few less. Sometimes, like with the .204 Ruger, I'll only do one loading session a year. Build a bunch of identical varmint loads and call it good for another 12 months. Or more. I actually don't think I've loaded for the .204 in two years now. No need. I stocked up, and haven't been doing that much varmint shooting.

But for the bigger cartridges... mostly I just load for the .25-06, .308 Win, .30-06 and .375 H&H.

I've got a few others, but those are the ones I rely on the most. Could simplify that even more, real easily.

Guy

Guy, I also have a .204 Ruger which I also load for maybe once a year. I was not counting that in the (6) game rifles since I don't hunt anything to eat with it. It is a fun rifle to shoot and is very accurate but for the occasional raccoon or coyote, I keep it around.