Are there any cartridges better than the .30-06?

[Spitpatch]

Something my supervisors at work utterly despise.:drink:

 

[Spitpatch]

And, since you mention the .257 Roberts, JGR, You will hereby recognize that I resisted the temptation to retaliate toward your .250/.22-250 dig by saying the only thing good about the 7x57 is that it was the basis for the .257 Roberts.:beer:

 

[Barone20]

More powerful does not always equate to better, either.

uh.. yeah! more power is always better.

300wby mag 200gr nosler accubond, my do all kill all rifle. it works great for elk, deer, antelope, whatever. one shot puts em down.(i don't like chasing wounded game)
sure its $4 a shell at the store, but reloading was around $1.14ea
i have around 140 loads, maybe 40 brass, i usually only use one or two shells a year.:winkkiss: i think im good
i also have a 30-06 and it killed my first deer, it has been in the safe ever since. (15yrs)

 

[JGRuby]

And, since you mention the .257 Roberts, JGR, You will hereby recognize that I resisted the temptation to retaliate toward your .250/.22-250 dig by saying the only thing good about the 7x57 is that it was the basis for the .257 Roberts.:beer:

The problem is though there are those who like both 257 roberts and the 7X57 they are dieing off and I dont consider either a general purpose round. That cannot be said of the 30-06.

James Ruby

 

[DeanMk]

c

I think there are a LOT of cartridges better than the .30-06 for certain various purposes.

I'm just not sure there are very many cartridges better than the .30-06 for nearly all purposes in North America.

I think the cartridge is mundane, pedestrian, and unexciting. I have avoided it all my life for calibers of more intrique.

Tell me what caliber for general big game hunting in North America you believe is a better choice, and why.

I'll reveal my choice late in discussion. It may surprise some.

The most versatile cartridge on planet earth is......the 12 gauge shotgun.
I mean what other gun can take down an Elk this morning, and a couple of phesants later this afternoon?
All it calls for is a receiver and two barrels.
With rifled shotgun barrels and 300-400 gr. "sabot slugs", an accurate hit can extend out to a couple of hundred yards, which is within the range of about 99.9% of the kills made by centerfire rifles.
Which gun to use? Whatever one you want. I'm partial to an H&R Pardner because they're simple, they're cheap and they work....of course, if you feel that you have to spend hundres of dollars more, there are other options that are just as suitable.


DeanMk

 

[JGRuby]

c
The most versatile cartridge on planet earth is......the 12 gauge shotgun.
I mean what other gun can take down an Elk this morning, and a couple of phesants later this afternoon?
All it calls for is a receiver and two barrels.
With rifled shotgun barrels and 300-400 gr. "sabot slugs", an accurate hit can extend out to a couple of hundred yards, which is within the range of about 99.9% of the kills made by centerfire rifles.
Which gun to use? Whatever one you want. I'm partial to an H&R Pardner because they're simple, they're cheap and they work....of course, if you feel that you have to spend hundres of dollars more, there are other options that are just as suitable.


DeanMk

When was the last time you shot a deer with slug at 200 yards? When was the last time you shot elk with a shotgun slug?

James Ruby

 

[Spitpatch]

To Dean MK's credit, he is a good reader. He may be right.

There certainly is NO DOUBT that "the GUN THAT WON THE WEST" is not the Winchester, but in reality and constant repeated practicality, the shotgun: everybody had one, everybody used one.

There is certainly NO DOUBT that it is the caliber of choice for stopping big bears in Alaska (either by the Government, Guides, or General Populace).

Now, if it is practical, or often used, is another question altogether. JGR may have a point in regular usage criteria. DeanMk leaves nothing debatable on the table where effectiveness is concerned.

Before any debate ensues, there might be an average yardage that nearly all big game in America is killed at. I would wager it falls in the realm of a 12ga slug.

 

[jonn5335]

When was the last time you shot a deer with slug at 200 yards? When was the last time you shot elk with a shotgun slug?

James Ruby

A guy at elk camp dusted a buck at well over 200 yards a few years back with his rifled 12 gauge and I personally have killed multiple elk with 12 guage slugs. They work very well.

 

[JGRuby]

Spitpatch in my mind has touch on teh crux of this discussion - how do you define an all purpose /general purpose rifle. What range, what game and what conditions.

I think a genral purpse rifle for the lower 48 must able to reach out to 300 yards with little hold over.
It must be able to reliably take anything from coyote to bear/ elk.
It must not be so expensive as to be cost prohibitive and so heavy in recoil that the average hunter cant handle the recoil.

just my thoughts on what a genral purpose rifle should be capable of doing.

James Ruby

 

[orygun]

Spitpatch in my mind has touch on teh crux of this discussion - how do you define an all purpose /general purpose rifle. What range, what game and what conditions.

I think a genral purpse rifle for the lower 48 must able to reach out to 300 yards with little hold over.
It must be able to reliably take anything from coyote to bear/ elk.
It must not be so expensive as to be cost prohibitive and so heavy in recoil that the average hunter cant handle the recoil.

just my thoughts on what a genral purpose rifle should be capable of doing.

James Ruby

The 30-06 fits this better than most!

 

[DeanMk]

Oops, looks like I stirred up the feathers...AGAIN! =O

Sorry guys. Guess this is what happens when the scattergun crowd decides to invade the twisty shell barracks. =)

It seems that Spit and Ruby may be trying to muddy up the waters a bit.
To be honest, all I was doing was answering Spit's question, as best as I saw fit.

What I took away from that original post was the following question...Tell me what caliber for general big game hunting in North America is better than the .30-06, and why.

This was the question that I answered (and actually, I orignally gave a different answer, but on further thought, I felt the answer that I ended up posting was more to the point).
Sorry if you disagree.


Peace brothers,
DeanMk

 

[badclam]

No.

 

[Spitpatch]

No.

Yes.

 

[Spitpatch]

Spitpatch in my mind has touch on teh crux of this discussion - how do you define an all purpose /general purpose rifle. What range, what game and what conditions.

I think a genral purpse rifle for the lower 48 must able to reach out to 300 yards with little hold over.
It must be able to reliably take anything from coyote to bear/ elk.
It must not be so expensive as to be cost prohibitive and so heavy in recoil that the average hunter cant handle the recoil.

just my thoughts on what a genral purpose rifle should be capable of doing.

James Ruby

A fair and comprehensive recipe. With some considerations:

I would remind those of us in the proletariat ("working class" for those of you from Rio Linda), that although .340 Weatherby cartridges are now pushing (or exceeding) the $50 mark for a box of 20, there exists a level of persons whose financial comfort allows them to make this purchase with similar impact to their budget as you and I feel upon the purchase of a bag of decent potato chips. Therefore, the "economical" requirement I believe is not applicable toward evaluating cartridge suitability for big game.

And, I would extend the light recoil requirement to the extent that the level encourages year-round frequent use and practice on a variety of game in the field, cultivating the shooter toward absolute confidence against big game. Merely "handling" the recoil is NOT sufficient. I know very many sphagnumb shooters who claim to "handle" the recoil. Without exception, they shoot my .250's better than their own guns: a scenario that is repeated year after year on my range here at home.

 

[MountainBear]

Yes.

Maybe.

 

[MountainBear]

Six pages, and I'm still not convinced that a better cartridge than the .30-06 exists. But I'm heavily vested. One Garand and three Springfields...

Damn, I forgot to add my Remington 700 target rifle to that list. Like I said, heavily vested...

 

[Squidly]

No.

+1

 

[Silver Hand]

OK Spitpatch I will bite.

The .22 rim fire could be found useful during times of need or as if surviving in the wild might be necessary.
Silver Hand

 

[Spitpatch]

OK Spitpatch I will bite.

The .22 rim fire could be found useful during times of need or as if surviving in the wild might be necessary.
Silver Hand

While I am a proponent of shot placement being paramount, I would at this point leave it to others to present the disqualifiers toward the .22 rimfire as the best general big game cartridge for North America.

(This in no way means that I am forgetting the very large amount of venison I have consumed that was delivered via "Long Rifle Catering Service".)

 

[orygun]

22 Long Rifle... Shot placement would be an utmost requirement on big game, range would be very limited and if anything went wrong on the the first shot, you've likely lost the animal. Were I guaranteed a still animal at less than 50 yards, I'm sure It would "bring home the bacon". But I don't think it's "better" than many centerfire rounds.

Still, it's a very valuable tool to have.