Townsend Whelen’s Best Cartridges List

[filmjunkie4ever]

According to Outdoor Life, Townsend Whelen’s favorite cartridge list went thusly:

Best All-around - .30-06 Springfield
Best Whitetail Deer - .250-3000 Savage
Best Mule Deer - .270 WCF
Best Elk - .30-40 Krag
Best Moose - .35 WCF
Best Grizzy/BB - .375 H&H Mag
Best Black Bear - .35 Remington
Best Antelope - .257 Roberts
Best Sheep/MG - 7x57mm Mauser
Best Caribou - 6.5x54mm M-S

If you were to fill out this list today, based solely upon your own hunting experiences (even if you’ve not personally hunted these critters) which cartridge would you use in each of these spots? We played a game like this around the campfire up above our Ukiah, OR elk camp about 20 years ago. I wish I would’ve written the answers down that each person gave. It was insightful.

 

[Blkram]

Best Antelope: 257 Roberts
Best Whitetail: 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser/6.5 Creedmoor
Best Mule Deer: 270 Win
Best Caribou: 280 Rem
Best Elk: 338 Win Mag
Best Moose: 338-06 A Square
Best Mountain Sheep/Goat: 280 Rem
Best Black Bear: 358 Win
Best Grizzly/Brown bear: 9.3x62
Best all Around: 300 WSM

 

[DrMike]

Best All-around - .30-06 Springfield
Best Whitetail Deer - .257 Roberts
Best Mule Deer - .280 Remington
Best Elk - .300 WSM
Best Moose - .325 WSM
Best Grizzy/BB - 9.3x64 Brenneke
Best Black Bear - .356 Winchester
Best Antelope - 7mm-08 Remington
Best Sheep/MG - 7x57mm Mauser
Best Caribou - 270 WSM

 

[6mm Remington]

Best All-around - .30-06 Springfield
Best Whitetail Deer - 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser
Best Mule Deer - 280 Remington
Best Elk - 300 WSM
Best Moose - 338-06
Best Grizzy/Black Bear - 338 Winchester
Best Black Bear - 7x57 Mauser
Best Antelope - 6mm Remington
Best Sheep/Mountain Goat - 280AI
Best Caribou - 25-06

 

[JD338]

Best All-around - .30-06 Springfield
Best Whitetail Deer - 308 Win
Best Mule Deer - 280 AI
Best Elk - 338 RUM
Best Moose - 338 RUM
Best Grizzy/BB - 375 H&H Mag
Best Black Bear - 35 Whelen
Best Antelope - 257 Wby
Best Sheep/Mountain Goat - 280 AI
Best Caribou - 280 AI

JD338

 

[DrMike]

Haven't seen anything with which I'd disagree. In fact, I tend to agree that any one of the listed cartridges would be comfortable were I to choose that one. We're registering preferences, but I suspect we each hold those preferences rather lightly. The best cartridge is the one we hold when we go afield looking for game. Nevertheless, it is fun to speculate and reminisce.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

Here's my take:

Best All-around - .30-06 Springfield
Best Whitetail Deer - 7mm-08 Remington
Best Mule Deer - .270 WCF
Best Elk - 7mm Rem Mag
Best Moose - .35 Whelen
Best Grizzy/BB - 9.3x62mm Mauser
Best Black Bear - .338 Federal
Best Antelope - .25-06 Remington
Best Sheep/MG - .264 Win Mag
Best Caribou - .308 Winchester

Like Dr. Mike I think I have yet to see any choice that was way out of line. We are burdened with so many great choices that sometimes its really hard to pick just one for each category. As I get older I find myself reaching more and more for my .30-06 and .270 for anything big game and am seeing my magnums get to go live at someone else's house.

 

[AFG270]

Best All-around - .30-06 Springfield
Best Whitetail Deer - 7mm-08 Remington
Best Mule Deer - .280 Remington
Best Elk - .338 WM
Best Moose - .35 Whelen
Best Grizzy/BB - 375 H&H
Best Black Bear - .30-06 Springfield
Best Antelope - .25-06 Remington
Best Sheep/MG - 270 WSM
Best Caribou - 300 WSM

Interesting, most of my 55+ years of hunting I had a 30-06, don't own one now. A few years ago I rebarreled my m70 30-06 to a 25-06, bought a 280 and a 300 WSM. I guess I need to start looking for another 06.

 

[salmonchaser]

Catherine calls this crew “the Nosle Heads” She’s fixing lunch and looked over my shoulder at the list. You have most of those rifles don’t you? Yep, says I. You have an 06 right? “Yep” I proudly respond. You’ve killed all those animals right? With your 06 right”? You arn’t a gun nut you are a gun dork she says.
I become more convinced however that a lot of the hunting I’ll be doing over the next ten years will be with the 275 Rigby, at least until I run out of Rl 17 and Reloader 26, With those two powders I equal the 280 with 140s and 150s. Haven’t played with anything heavier, at least not trying to push them hard.

 

[AFG270]

Catherine calls this crew “the Nosle Heads” She’s fixing lunch and looked over my shoulder at the list. You have most of those rifles don’t you? Yep, says I. You have an 06 right? “Yep” I proudly respond. You’ve killed all those animals right? With your 06 right”? You arn’t a gun nut you are a gun dork she says.
I become more convinced however that a lot of the hunting I’ll be doing over the next ten years will be with the 275 Rigby, at least until I run out of Rl 17 and Reloader 26, With those two powders I equal the 280 with 140s and 150s. Haven’t played with anything heavier, at least not trying to push them hard.

That's why I don't let my wife look over my shoulder. Haha

 

[PJGunner]

Catherine calls this crew “the Nosle Heads” She’s fixing lunch and looked over my shoulder at the list. You have most of those rifles don’t you? Yep, says I. You have an 06 right? “Yep” I proudly respond. You’ve killed all those animals right? With your 06 right”? You arn’t a gun nut you are a gun dork she says.
I become more convinced however that a lot of the hunting I’ll be doing over the next ten years will be with the 275 Rigby, at least until I run out of Rl 17 and Reloader 26, With those two powders I equal the 280 with 140s and 150s. Haven’t played with anything heavier, at least not trying to push them hard.

I think I'm inclined to agree with you on the 7x57 AKA .275 Rigby. I have two decent loads, a 140 gr. Sierra Pro-Hunter over W760 for 2800 FPS and the 150 gr. Nosler at 2880 FPS with RL17. I use 7-08 data in a Winchester M70 FWT and Ruger #1A. Next project is to see what I can do with the now long gone Sierra 170 gr. Round Nose.

On Whelen's list?
Best All-around - .30-06 Springfield
Best Whitetail Deer - .7x57
Best Mule Deer - .270 WCF & 7x57
Best Elk - .30-06, .35 Whelen
Best Moose - .35 Whelen
Best Grizzly/BB - .375 H&H Mag 7 .35 Whelen
Best Black Bear - .358 Winchester
Best Antelope - .257 Roberts, 7x57, .270 Win.
Best Sheep/MG - 7x57mm Mauser, 270 Win., 30-06
Best Caribou - 6.5x54mm M-S (I had one that was stolen and frankly wouldn't choose it for caribou. 7x57, 270 Win. .280 Rem and .35 Whelen in big bad bear country.
Paul B.

 

[Bruce Mc]

Townsend also wrote "the 257 Roberts is perhaps the most useful cartridge".

 

[xphunter]

Best???
I have thought about this question a number of times, since I have seen this thread, and I feel like a woman who loves shoes in a mall full of shoe stores...
As @Guy Miner , and many others know I am an odd-duck in many ways.
I typically shoot what many would call short barrels: 14-18 inches
Most of the time it is a single-shot.
Primarily a Specialty Pistol, but revolvers every now and again. Buttstocks are overrated
I hunt at short, mid-range and at long-range distances.
I will never hunt a grizzly, but IF I did, it would require a guide, and I probably would hunt with a one of the Short Action (SAUM, WSM, 7.82 Patriot) 30's.
It would have around a 30-06 rifle performance.
I want something that I can shoot fast for a specialty pistol, and still be able to handle the recoil and be precise when shooting from odd positions.
All of the other animals, "best" it would be dependent on the likely Max distance I would be killing at.
Give me a 7mm Dakota center-grip XP-100 with 175-180 class bullets at 2900 fps, and I am fine killing about any none dangerous game on the planet, at close range or at distance.

 

[salmonchaser]

Townsend also wrote "the 257 Roberts is perhaps the most useful cartridge".

I certainly like mine. Mom carried one from as far north as Point Barrow Alaska to Tucson Arizona.

 

[SJB358]

I certainly like mine. Mom carried one from as far north as Point Barrow Alaska to Tucson Arizona.

Boy, that does sound quite versatile. Never owned a Roberts but have admired from afar a few times. Amazing what we did when we didn’t have a safe load of great rifles.

 

[truck driver]

Boy, that does sound quite versatile. Never owned a Roberts but have admired from afar a few times. Amazing what we did when we didn’t have a safe load of great rifles.

Though I don't have all the calibers on the list I do have a few, Nd the 30-06 is my go to rifle.
The 35 Whelen Ackely Imp would be my second choice since it can do everything the 30-06 can and a little more.
The 338WM is a toss up since there is so many factory loads for it like the 30-06.
My 257 Roberts is so nice and will handle a lot of different jobs.
I had mine built on a Rem 725 30-06 action that I had shot the barrel out on. Yeah hard to believe you can wear a 30-06 barrel out but I did since it was used for everything.
The 257 Roberts I have has a 26" 1-12" twist Douglas XX air gauge barrel It doesn't like the long boat tail bullets but you can cover 5 shots with a dime at 100yds.
I had a 6 pt white tail that was playing peak a boo with me and was well over 100yds away hide behind a old growth poplar tree with his vitals hidden behind the tree, all I had was a shot at his hinds and didn't know if I could clip the spine or not, I glassed towards his front end when I saw he was looking straight at me thinking he was safe(I guess if you can think like a deer ) I put the cross hairs of my 6X Bushnell scope on his nose and squeezed of the shot. He fell like a box of rocks, a 115gr Hornaday round nose bullet had found it's mark dead center of his nose.
One of the guys I worked with was hunting close by but hadn't seen the deer but came to me to see what I had shot while I was dressing the deer out he looked for the bullet hole but couldn't find it until I told him where I shot it, When he saw the hole in the center of the nose he was a little shocked with disbelief that I had taken that shot, but I had all the confidence in the world when shooting that rifle and knew it would get the job done.
Next day at work I was given a box of red Christmas light bulbs with a note that these were to replace the one I shot out of Rudolfs nose.

 

[salmonchaser]

Boy, that does sound quite versatile. Never owned a Roberts but have admired from afar a few times. Amazing what we did when we didn’t have a safe load of great rifles.

My favorite 257 Roberts story:
Fall 1974 I was a freshman at Oregon State. I was on the wrestling team, met a girl who had a thing for wrestlers so I took her to deer camp to meet the folks and my six siblings. Mom adored her, dad kept saying things like" if it seems too good to be true".
Saturday morning she and I are working down a ridge. My younger brothers had yet to figure out why I killed so many deer there. A dandy buck sneaks up on the ridge, looks back at my brothers down below, and is one step from getting shot.
She screams look out, the buck jumps, I shoot, he runs straight into a big juniper and is DRT. She is hysterical.
I am unable to work on the deer, get her calmed down. I point to a fence a couple hundred yards down. Go there, turn right, go to the next fence turn left. Follow that to the road, you should see mom and the truck. It's about two miles I told her. Thankfully mom saw her. She made it to the road but she's a city girl, she was looking for pavement not a two track.
Turns out they were having a great time visiting, mom pointing out deer on the hill, how she grew up on Michigan avenue and got swept off to Alaska.
Eventually a buck pushed off the hill, crossing out in front. Mom picked up her Roberts and folded him into the creek bottom.
I heard the shot, wasn't far off, with my buck on my shoulders. Figured my new love would be an out of control wreck.
I hit the road right out in front of the truck. Both Terrys were ratchet jawing at 90 mph. Mom sticks her head out of the truck, pointing, said drop your buck, go take care of mine, we're busy. My GF gets out telling me how fantastic it was, your mom is so cool. Blah blah blah! Dad has wandered in. He's muttering something. I dump my buck into the truck, GF says you're a mess, I'm going to have to give you a bath. Dad mutters "to good to be true" mom punched him.
257 Roberts is a great cartridge.

 

[DrMike]

My favorite 257 Roberts story:
Fall 1974 I was a freshman at Oregon State. I was on the wrestling team, met a girl who had a thing for wrestlers so I took her to deer camp to meet the folks and my six siblings. Mom adored her, dad kept saying things like" if it seems too good to be true".
Saturday morning she and I are working down a ridge. My younger brothers had yet to figure out why I killed so many deer there. A dandy buck sneaks up on the ridge, looks back at my brothers down below, and is one step from getting shot.
She screams look out, the buck jumps, I shoot, he runs straight into a big juniper and is DRT. She is hysterical.
I am unable to work on the deer, get her calmed down. I point to a fence a couple hundred yards down. Go there, turn right, go to the next fence turn left. Follow that to the road, you should see mom and the truck. It's about two miles I told her. Thankfully mom saw her. She made it to the road but she's a city girl, she was looking for pavement not a two track.
Turns out they were having a great time visiting, mom pointing out deer on the hill, how she grew up on Michigan avenue and got swept off to Alaska.
Eventually a buck pushed off the hill, crossing out in front. Mom picked up her Roberts and folded him into the creek bottom.
I heard the shot, wasn't far off, with my buck on my shoulders. Figured my new love would be an out of control wreck.
I hit the road right out in front of the truck. Both Terrys were ratchet jawing at 90 mph. Mom sticks her head out of the truck, pointing, said drop your buck, go take care of mine, we're busy. My GF gets out telling me how fantastic it was, your mom is so cool. Blah blah blah! Dad has wandered in. He's muttering something. I dump my buck into the truck, GF says you're a mess, I'm going to have to give you a bath. Dad mutters "to good to be true" mom punched him.
257 Roberts is a great cartridge.

Gotta' love it!

 

[xphunter]

If I am stuck with picking an all-around that I can get good factory ammo, it would be the 7mm RM/7mm PRC, and the 300WM/300 PRC.
I am even embracing both old and new cartridges with both calibers

 

[RL338]

I’ve only taken 2 on that list whitetail and muley. Minus the big bear a 257 Wby would be an excellent choice along with 7mm-08. Including Grizzly I would grab the 416 Wby for the entire list.