Best all- around big game cal.

[LongTatLaw]

Well, looks like plenty of people agree with me...

I love my 300 win mag! although any other 300 would probably do just as good.

I have had arguments with people about this and many many seasoned hunters make unreasonable claims about the capability of their weapon system. I first hunted with a 30-30, later a 30'06 which is the standard big game rifle in the Mountains of North Carolina. I then bought a 444 to kills GA swamp pigs... and I love that gun. Ive killed 50+ animals with my slug barrel on my 835 and I still own a 308. When I was looking for the rifle that I was gonna replace my 06' with...I went to the ballistic charts. I looked for heavy bullet, energy, and bullet drop...and then I pushed the distance because almost anything does the job at 200 yards.   I wanted something with a bigger bullet that I could make easy bullet drop calculations on the fly in the filed.

Wanna know the best caliber. Ill say this... hunting a 200+ pound big game animal with less than 150 grains is under gun. Taking a 400+ yrad shot with a caliber thats gonna drop more than 24 inches at 300+ meters is well beyond 90% of hunters in the woods today. News flash...   if ya want 150 or more grains and less than 24 inches of bullet drop... those two requirements (my own personal not anyone else's) would eliminate 3/4 of the choices on here.

There is one gun that rides with me...from the 80 pound bucks of Florida to the 400+ pound pigs in GA...to the mountain deer of North Carolina to the fram deer in Mississippi...to the BLACK BEARS in WSHINGTON.

If a rifle is legal and the game is in North America and isn't a brown bear...  then Ill be killing it with a Walmart bought 12 year old Winchester Mod 70 in 300 win mag.

and anyone that thinks a 30'06 or a 270 is producing the same performance at the same distance as the 300 win mag in 180 grains at 200, 300, 400...ect yards

PM me and Ill send you a good link for ballistic charts

[jackelope]

i'm no ballistics expert, but wouldn't that be like comparing apples to oranges as far as magnums and non-magnums? 300wm versus 30.06?

[Hunting Cowboy]

LongTatLaw,
Sent ya a PM!

[Dman]

 I have to second the .300 winmag as the best all-round. I started hunting with a .308, it did fine and was very accurate, but I just didn't like the "feel" of the gun I had, as far as taking a longer distance shot. I then shot a Savage .243 for a few years, just not enough knock down for bigger deer. Tried a 30.06 and again, didn't like the "feel" of the Remington 700 model. I finally bought a Weatherby .300 winmag in 2004 and promptly killed my best buck with it. I have taken four bucks in four years with the .300mag and all were bigger deer and all went down hard. I may not own another caliber again, though I'd give the .264mag consideration. I don't think the .300 is overkill at all for blacktail, I've never had much meat wastage. If I were to shoot at an elk, the only non-magnum cartridge I would consider using would be the 30.06.

[jackelope]

I'd have to assume that not liking the "feel" of the gun had more to with the rifle itself than the caliber?
did you have problems killing deer with the .243?

[Dman]

 Yep, I'm very particular about stocks and the type of safety. I absolutely hate double-safety's on a rifle. I shot a really large buck at close range with my .243, made two killing shots, but he didn't go down with the first. I have no doubt with my .300 he would have went down on the first. Sounds graphic, but a .243 leaves an exit wound you often can't even see, with a .300 it's never hard to find. You have to consider that also when following a bleeding deer, smaller exit wound = less blood.

[huntnphool]

That would depend on the type of bullet though. My brother uses a 243 for deer and they have great exit holes. On the other hand I have friends that use 300 Weatherby Mags and pop holes right through the deer, leaving very little blood trails. There are way to many variables to consider before saying which is the best, IMHO.

[WAcoyotehunter]

I love my little .243 for deer.  I'm shooting factory 100 grain bullets and get decent exits...particularly when i get into much bone.   

[jackelope]

That would depend on the type of bullet though.

kind of what i was thinking. lots of people kill lots of deer with .243's. i'm gonna dial mine in with 85 grain barnes triple shocks and see how it does. any thoughts?

[huntnphool]

Here is his 07 Montana buck. He was a large bodied buck and was dropped in his tracks with a Federal Premium 100 gr. NP  Didn't go 30 feet.

[Dman]

 Good point, though I agree the bullet can be a factor, but logically wouldn't be the only factor. A 150 grain bullet with good expansion will always cause more damage than a 100 grain with the same expansion. I don't believe there is a .243 bullet that is more superior than anything made for a .300 in that regard. I'm not saying you won't kill deer with a .243, I'm saying I like the fact the .300 puts them down quicker. the .243 is as accurate a gun as you will get, but I've found unless you hit a deer in the heart which is not always possible, you may be in for a follow up shot or two.

[huntnphool]

"I don't believe there is a .243 bullet that is more superior than anything made for a .300"

No argument here, I agree 110%

[jackelope]

certainly wouldn't argue that fact either.
i've been using  a 30.06 in 1 way shape or form for my entire life. every deer i've killed except 1 has been with an '06, from 40 yards to 259 yards. the 1 oddball was a 7mag.

[Bighorse]

Ah.....The old accuracy vs. power argument being struck up again under another guise.

 

Gents  a busted heart is a busted heart

A crushed spine is a crushed spine

A mutilated and torn up gut sack is, well, gross but just that mutilated.

Most modern rounds in the correct hands do the job.  Know your ballistics and anatomy and you can make clean kills. 

[Hunting Cowboy]

Ah.....The old accuracy vs. power argument being struck up again under another guise.

 

Gents  a busted heart is a busted heart

A crushed spine is a crushed spine

A mutilated and torn up gut sack is, well, gross but just that mutilated.

Most modern rounds in the correct hands do the job.  Know your ballistics and anatomy and you can make clean kills. 

I tend to agree with Bighorse.