Best all around caliber

[Tlock]

Ive killed every species in oregon with a 22-250....so thats what works best for me.

 

[Sxsnuf]

7mm Rem Mag!
"Shoots as flat as a .270, recoils like a 3006 and hits as hard as a .300 Win Mag!"
Well, that's what Remington told us 64 yrs ago, when they introduced it.

Seriously though, the 3006 gives up almost nothing to the 270, 7RM or 300WM.
It probably enjoys much better factory ammo availability than the others, in a greater variety of loads and bullet weights. Everything from lightweights for varmints, to heavy hitters for the big stuff. I guess if you handload, you don't care so much about that.
The 308 win is it's near equal, but with a more limited selection of bullet weights in factory ammo.
JMHO

 

[Andy54Hawken]

.54 caliber .530 Lead round ball.
Love my Hawken rifle.
I have taken :
Grouse ...
Coyote...
Antelope...
Deer...
Elk...
And Black Bear with this rifle.
All of the above have been one shot kills and the round ball has been a "pass through."
Andy

Hawken Rifle , shooting pouch and hunting knife

• Andy54Hawken
• Dec 31, 2024

 

[Tlock]

.54 caliber .530 Lead round ball.
Love my Hawken rifle.
I have taken :
Grouse ...
Coyote...
Antelope...
Deer...
Elk...
And Black Bear with this rifle.
All of the above have been one shot kills and the round ball has been a "pass through."
Andy

Hawken Rifle , shooting pouch and hunting knife

• Andy54Hawken
• Dec 31, 2024

I had a feeling you where one of the guys that always over penetrated!

 

[Sxsnuf]

.54 caliber .530 Lead round ball.
Love my Hawken rifle.
I have taken :
Grouse ...
Coyote...
Antelope...
Deer...
Elk...
And Black Bear with this rifle.
All of the above have been one shot kills and the round ball has been a "pass through."
Andy

Hawken Rifle , shooting pouch and hunting knife

• Andy54Hawken
• Dec 31, 2024

Yes, but can I find ammo at the hardware store in Two Dot??

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Yes, but can I find ammo at the hardware store in Two Dot??

Okay....
I have never had to search out ammo....but ...glad you can find your ammo.
Andy

 

[PORSCHE928S4]

.54 caliber .530 Lead round ball.
Love my Hawken rifle.
I have taken :
Grouse ...
Coyote...
Antelope...
Deer...
Elk...
And Black Bear with this rifle.
All of the above have been one shot kills and the round ball has been a "pass through."
Andy

Hawken Rifle , shooting pouch and hunting knife

• Andy54Hawken
• Dec 31, 2024

Good gawd that huge hunk of lead is bad for the environment I'm sure Al Gore has his eye on ya Andy !

 

[monks]

That's an easy answer. My choice would be a bolt action 30-06. It's a great cartridge and I wouldn't be without one.

 

[bcp]

whats everyones opinion on the best do it all caliber for western big game?

How sneaky are you and how good a shot are you under field conditions?

Hunters used to kill them all with spears.



Bruce

 

[titsonritz]

The 280 Ackley Improved.
Has a large selection of bullet weights to choose for the game at hand with great velocity and flat trajectory.

This is my choice.

 

[Buddy1211]

I like .300wm…..and it actually suppresses pretty great!

 

[mhayd93]

.54 caliber .530 Lead round ball.
Love my Hawken rifle.
I have taken :
Grouse ...
Coyote...
Antelope...
Deer...
Elk...
And Black Bear with this rifle.
All of the above have been one shot kills and the round ball has been a "pass through."
Andy

Hawken Rifle , shooting pouch and hunting knife

• Andy54Hawken
• Dec 31, 2024

Sometimes there is no replacement for displacement (as well as shot placement). There isn't much built in the world to survive a .53" diameter ball weighing a couple hundred grains going well over 1000fps!

 

[titsonritz]

7mm Rem Mag!
"Shoots as flat as a .270, recoils like a 3006 and hits as hard as a .300 Win Mag!"
Well, that's what Remington told us 64 yrs ago, when they introduced it.

And .280AI hangs right in there with it in a .30-06 cartridge case size rather than a belted magnum case, which gives additional ammo capacity and less recoil. Bottom line, it's a more efficient round.

Seriously though, the 3006 gives up almost nothing to the 270, 7RM or 300WM.
It probably enjoys much better factory ammo availability than the others, in a greater variety of loads and bullet weights. Everything from lightweights for varmints, to heavy hitters for the big stuff. I guess if you handload, you don't care so much about that.
The 308 win is it's near equal, but with a more limited selection of bullet weights in factory ammo.
JMHO

Hard to argue against the ought-six, I just happen to think the .280 is it's best offspring.

 

[No_Regerts]

When I think "best all around caliber/cartridge", I think of something that is generally useful with one load. Not 125gr for this, 200gr for that. I don't want to have to re-zero if I'm hunting pronghorn today and moose tomorrow. I also consider logistics.

In my experience, the 300 Winchester Magnum really does it all. I really like the 168gr Barns TTSX pushed at 3200 fps. With a 200 yard zero, its 6" low at 300 and 18" low at 400 yards.

 

[orygun]

30-06 vote here

The original "one gun for everything".

I have others, but rarely does anything else make it out to hunt. Mines been an Ackley Improved and then back to "standard" with a Douglas barrel.
Anything based on the 30-03 or 30-06 is a winner, too.

 

[coonanboy]

270 win for sure, Then 30-06, Can find ammo almost anywhere. Just my old school opinion.

 

[Tuker]

Sometimes there is no replacement for displacement (as well as shot placement). There isn't much built in the world to survive a .53" diameter ball weighing a couple hundred grains going well over 1000fps!

That's a awesome gun!

 

[Colt Carbine]

Another vote for 30-06

 

[Andy54Hawken]

If I were made to pick , some O' them new fangled metallic cartridges....they'll never ketch on by the way....
I'd pick :
.45-70
.30 WCF
.30-06
.270
.308
Any of the above would do for me...and my hunting.

Some things that might be a smidge more important....

Learn how to hunt...learn the land you hunt in..learn the animals you hunt...
Respect all the above as well.

Lean how to shoot and 'Care and Feed" for your rifle...in as many situations that you may find yourself in.

Respect your hunting and shooting abilities ...And stick with them.
The hunting field is not the place to experiment....
Save that for the range.

Andy

 

[10mm]

That's an easy answer. My choice would be a bolt action 30-06. It's a great cartridge and I wouldn't be without one.