Bolt action caliber for North American hunting

[rjohns94]

.308, 30-06, .300 win mag, 35 Whalen, .375 ?

Wood or synthetic stock ?

Blue, stainless, carbon wrapped barrel ?

Box fed or internal magazine ?

One bolt action rifle, all game caliber from hog to deer, to black bear, caribou, elk, moose.

Your choices? Why?

I am putting up several shotguns, a rifle, several handguns for sale to finance this project.

[JerryB]

Back in the early 1950's when I started reading the three hunting magazines on the market at that time the model 70 Winchester 30-06 was the king. A hunter could have the same rifle and ammo that the rich sportsman used. Ammo was available from 125 or 130 grain bullets al the way up to the great big 220 grain round nose used on really big bears and anything in Africa. I reckon now days it's like the 30-30 just not cool enuff.

[jeepnik]

My first, as opposed to a family gun, rifle is (still have it) a 700 lefty in 06. Blued, there was no other choice. Fairly decent wood stock, which compared to what comes on today's rifle looks real purty.

Pretty much did everything I ever needed or would need. But, variety is the spice of life.

[Blaine]

Wow....a custom bolt worth big, big bucks good for everything....the mind boggles. I have an '06 in the back of the cabinet just in case I need 220 grain solids. Everything else is personal preference. A custom Winchester 70 would be cool.

[ollogger]

Years past now but at one time a stainless synthetic 300 win mag was my go to gun
for any critter I was after I hand loaded bullets from 165- 220 gr. great cartridge!!
Internal mag. for me the rifle did it all & would take the rigors of the hunt & I didn't have to worry bout pretty wood



Brad

[Sixgun]

'06, wood, carbon steel. The 06 has the 10" twist and longer action for the 220 if so needed. Don't have to explain the wood or blued steel as I'm shooting guns 140 years old that are made this way and they still knock down things real far away. KISS "keep it simple stupid"

No magnums of any kind....takes too long to explain it -----6

[fordwannabe]

Although I am with my mentor Mr. Sixgun on most things I gotta respectfully disagree. If I had one gun for EVERYTHING stainless, synthetic, 300 win mag. Wide range of bullet types and weights same as 06 but more power if needed. I bought a Savage 112 topped with an EGW base and Warne rings with a 4-12 leupold, then put a muzzle brake on it due to my torn rotator cuff. It now feels like shooting a 308. Please remember my HEART is wood and blued with calibers most people at the range have never heard of, but if It was one rifle for everything, then stainless and synthetic. Of course this opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it.

[harry]

Guess I'll be the odd man out here and say 30-06, stainless and a good synthetic stock and quality glass in low power (maybe 2 - 6 power). I'd bet you can find a box of cartridges anywhere on the face of the earth.

[Tycer]

358 Win CZ 557 Ranger Walnut and blued Steel.

Why? Short Action. Great fit and finish. Comes with iron sights. 35 Cal 250 grainers have enough variety from bunnies to bruin and knockdown out farther than you can shoot. CZ is making some darn nice rifles at a good price. Great ******* trigger. 10 round mag.

What? They don't make it in 358? OK, 308 Win.
What? The Ranger is only Canada? OK, Sporter.

[Chuck 100 yd]

.308, 30-06, .300 win mag, 35 Whalen, .375 ?

Wood or synthetic stock ?

Blue, stainless, carbon wrapped barrel ?

Box fed or internal magazine ?

One bolt action rifle, all game caliber from hog to deer, to black bear, caribou, elk, moose.

Your choices? Why?

I am putting up several shotguns, a rifle, several handguns for sale to finance this project.

All of the above will get the job done. I cant say I would want a carbon wrapped barrel, just a gimick.
Buy the one that appeals to you.

[AJMD429]

375 Ruger in their stainless 'Alaskan' rifle.

Loaded light with cast bullets it is like a 375 Winchester but loaded up with jacketed bullets it betters the 375 H&H Magnum.

Out to 350 yards or so it is nearly as flat shooting with 270 grain Spitzer as a 270 Winchester is with 140 grain bullets.

Between that and a 22 Hornet or 223, not much is left un-covered.

Please remember my HEART is wood and blued with calibers most people at the range have never heard of, but if It was one rifle for everything, then stainless and synthetic.

Yep.

[hfcable]

338 or 35 whelen ......will work for anything

[Old Ironsights]

Any properly designed stainless .308 Scout Rifle that takes readily available box mags (FAL/G3/M14) and a Lucid L7 scope.

[jcw]

I Think 30-06 Would be my first choice. I might go with the 300 Win. Mag. only if most of my shooting was at extended ranges. Although Mod. 70's are nice I would go with a Tikka T-3 lightweight in stainless and synthetic.

[FWiedner]

+1 on the .358 Win, but of the choices you listed above, you can't go wrong with the .35 Whelen.

Blued steel and fine wood, internal mag... Nice.

[.45colt]

Ruger Guide Gun, if big bears are on the menu get the .375 Ruger. if not the 30-06. on Gunblast Jeff Quinn did an excellent review. watching Him shoot the .375 with the muzzle break will make a believer when shooting the big ones.

[Mainehunter]

Torn between the 358 Winchester or 30-06. From mice to bears, proven track record, a buffet of cast and jacketed bullets to choose from and most importantly off the shelf ammo, the 06 gets the nod..... but not by much. It would be blued with a nice looking walnut stock.

Mainehunter

[GunnyMack]

I'm not too much with plastic stocks, look at the laminates. They are stable, better weather resistant and some cool factor to them.
'06 is a great round, every rifle I have had or tried in '06 beats the snot out of me. I can shoot my .338 Win Mag from the bench all day and not feel like I would with 15 rounds of '06! Granted factory stocks are made to be universal and I made my 338 stock and the geometry is better for me.
With the new fangled tough bullets, a lesser caliber can and does what some of the larger bores can do as well or better.
When .338 Federal came out I got a Ruger Hawkeye, hate the plastic stock! But it shoots well. Dropped a big fat cow elk with 1 shot at 175, Havent used it since... Mmm elk.
I really like the .264 bore, I think the Creedmore would be my next choice.
308 is a winner too!
In the long run its up to you, all we can do is provide our opinions.

[piller]

I think I would go with my Remington 700 in 30-06. Plastic stock and a Nikon scope on it and I don't worry about it. It does the job better than I can.

[Tycer]

I agree o the 308/7.62 NATO carbine that takes readily available 10+ round magazines. All the hunting you asked about and predators of all kinds in a portable package for days of hunting elk.

[Old Ironsights]

I agree o the 308/7.62 NATO carbine that takes readily available 10+ round magazines. All the hunting you asked about and predators of all kinds in a portable package for days of hunting elk.

Or Blue Bonnets...

[jhrosier]

Tikka T3X 3006 stainless, compact tactical, synthetic stock.
I would like to top it with a Leupold 2-7 scope.

SWMBO sez "Just go and buy it."

That's an offer that I can't refuse.

Jack

[donw]

any of the named calibers are an excellent choice.

i would also add that handloading is a 'must' along with it. ammo costs are now becoming a factor. and, along with that, handloading will expand the applications you outline.

my preference is a good synthetic stock and depending on the quarry and distances anticipated to be shooting, Leupold optics and professionally installed open/iron sights.

[44shooter]

Anything you mentioned will work fine. But I would say with one rifle, go with a common chambering. That way in a pinch, you can buy a box of suitable ammo in a Walmart, Dicks, or maybe a local hardware or bait shop. I know many order their ammo or load their own, but sometimes local availability can save a hunt. I like both the 3006 and 308.

I never quite warmed to the 300 win mag because I never felt like the increased trajectory and down range power was needed or worth the extra recoil, noise, barrel length, weight etc. I do have a couple of magnums but they are short action magnums, a 7mm WSM and a 338 RCM. I haven't used either one but will probably hunt the 338 mainly because I like the little Ruger rifle. I know these chamberings aren't popular, but I have 308, 3006, 270 etc to back them up.

The 35 Whelan is reputed to be an excellent performer. It's not popular but easy to load from 06 brass.

I prefer the 308 over the 3006 because I like short actions. The difference isn't much, but I've messed with bolt actions enough that I can be nit picky. They tend to be at least a quarter pound lighter although only about an half inch shorter. But that's a half inch of bolt, receiver and stock removed from the middle of the rifle. The 308 is accurate, available, has moderate recoil and blast, and is very effective even with conventional old tech bullets. 3006 is great too. All the traits of the 308, but with a bit more recoil and action length an weight. 3006 is slightly more powerful. The difference is more apparent with heavy bullets. So the 06 is a bit more versatile.

I have blued, stainless, and parkerized rifles. I have solid wood, laminate, injection molded and hand laid synthetic stocks. They all can work just fine.

Find a rifle you like that is suitable for the hunting you will do the most of. Pay attention to ergonomics, length, weight, balance, maneuverability. Then get it in 308 or 3006 and don't look back.

[Bulldog]

One do all rifle, under any circumstances, or weather conditions, I'd go with an older Ruger stainless synthetic in 300 WM.

[J Miller]

.308, 30-06, .300 win mag, 35 Whalen, .375 ?

Wood or synthetic stock ?

Blue, stainless, carbon wrapped barrel ?

Box fed or internal magazine ?

One bolt action rifle, all game caliber from hog to deer, to black bear, caribou, elk, moose.

Your choices? Why?

I am putting up several shotguns, a rifle, several handguns for sale to finance this project.

My choice would be as follows:
30-06
Wood stock
Blue or stainless barrel
Box fed

OK, reasons:
The 30-06 always has been and will probably be available nearly everywhere ammo is sold. Plus it's easy to load for and uses common components.

I've always preferred walnut stocks but the laminated ones really look nice too. I'm not a fan of synthetic stocks at all. To me they just do not feel right.

I do no have any great experience with stainless barrels. All of my rifles to date have had steel barrels.
I would think that a steel or stainless barrel of good quality would be well suited to the task.
Other than making the barrel lighter, I personally know of no benefits of the carbon fiber wrapped barrels. So I'd not consider those.

I've used them all and actually prefer the box fed magazines as those can be removed and cleaned easily. Plus some models of rifles have magazines of larger capacity available. That's a nice feature.

The only thing I would add that seems to be out of the norm is iron sights as a back up to what ever optics might be used.

I've pretty much got my version of the rifle you describe already.

Joe with MR-7 8-28-07 web.JPG

With my Marlin MR-7.

Joe

[765x53]

I spent my early years reading all of the advice form all of the famous writers about the one best all-around rifle.
Then I realized that I don't want one all-around rifle. I want as many different rifles as I can possibly own.
That is when I bought my first lever gun, a Marlin 336.

Any of the cartridges mentioned are entirely adequate, everything else is a matter of personal taste or budget.
Debating the minutia of published ballistics is just an interesting waist of time.

[tman]

308. It's shorter, lighter,and with a shorter barrel, will lose less velocity than the rest. All excellent choices.

[.45colt]

The one for Me................http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-375GG.htm

[Griff]

.308, 30-06, .300 win mag, 35 Whalen, .375 ?

Wood or synthetic stock ?

Blue, stainless, carbon wrapped barrel ?

Box fed or internal magazine ?

One bolt action rifle, all game caliber from hog to deer, to black bear, caribou, elk, moose.

Your choices? Why?

I am putting up several shotguns, a rifle, several handguns for sale to finance this project.

Remington 700, 7mmRemMag. From 110gr HPs to 175 Grand Slams, good for it all, range aplenty and mine is scary accurate. BDL, very nice wood, blued steel and doesn't weigh a ton. And even cartin' it all over the mountains in CA, 36 years of use, still looks good!

I 'ave a second that has a synthetic stock, black, with black stainless that is even more accurate, but has a bull barrel, not one I'd want to hump around the mountains all day with.

[65 GRENDEL]

My first, as opposed to a family gun, rifle is (still have it) a 700 lefty in 06. Blued, there was no other choice. Fairly decent wood stock, which compared to what comes on today's rifle looks real purty.

Pretty much did everything I ever needed or would need. But, variety is the spice of life.

I agree, the 308 was the first deer rifle I ever owned but my first Left handed rifle was a Remington 700 BDL in 30.06 Given to me by my wife as a Christmas present.

[2ndovc]

I have an extremely light and deadly accurate .30-'06 custom 1903 that was done in the mid- '60s. When I was younger that and a Sako .222 Rem were all I hunted with. When you spend that kind of time with a rifle the slight edge that a .300 or .338 may have doesn't matter all that much. Plus I'm a big believer in one of the comments above. If you become separated from your ammunition while traveling is very easy to pick up replacements.

jb

[Lastmohecken]

If money is no object, then I want a nice custom Mauser action in a beautiful wood stock, and in 30-06, because I love blued steel and Walnut, and the 06 ammo can still be found most every where, just in case, my favorite loads get lost, etc. But if it was in .308 I would be just as happy.

[Old Savage]

For the animals mentioned, any regular .270 or .30-06 would do. Pick what you like best. No need to spend a lot. I have half a dozen. We found here in Calif. that the copper bullets make a 130 behave terminally like a 150 in the .270 and a 150 like a 180 in the .30-06. They are shaped like target bullets and retain near 100% weight for penetration.

[Rusty]

Years ago Bob Milek wrote about an upcoming build he was Planning. It ended up being a Mauser action in .30-06.

Today I'd go with a Ruger 77 in .30-06.

[Pete44ru]

.


The two absolutely most flexible rifles I've had were 6.5x55 & .30-06 Winchester Model 70 Featherweight Classics (post-91 CRF's) - the .30-06 being very slightly edged out by the 6.5x55 due to it's slightly less recoil. (Scandinavian hunters regularly take Moose with the 6.5x55)

I would consider the same rifle in 7x57 to be the same.

At 7lbs, with a low-powered (1x-4x or 2x-7x) variable scope, a Model 70FW is IMHO hard to beat.






.

[jeepnik]

Interesting that most seem to like .30 caliber rounds. Mostly 06, some .300 mag, and a couple .308 win. I suspect those choices are strongly based on personal experience, not what the "experts" claim is best.

Other things like, stock material, metallurgy, metal finish and sights come down to personal choices as well. I suppose that if one considers all of the available climates synthetic and stainless make sense. But, I grew up mostly before those were readily available.

I can't say I've hunted in every available climate and weather condition. But I've been in hot & dry, hot & humid, cold and dry and cold and wet climates at various times. I never had any issues with wood and blued steel, if I did my part in caring for them. More care than stainless and synthetic is likely needed, but I'd likely care for a rifle with those materials the same as wood and steel. I guess one tends to fall back on what one was taught.

I have to admit though, that since I picked up my GS I tend to gravitate to it. It's stainless & wood, but I've thought about a synthetic stock and forearm. I know it has range limitations over just about any .30 caliber bolt gun, but I find it more of a challenge to try and get within range than take a shot from longer distances these days.

I'm a sport hunter, as opposed to a subsistence or trophy hunter. I like the meat I can obtain, but I don't need it. So even if I don't get a shot, I've usually had an enjoyable time trying. When I was younger it was all about filling my tag(s). Today, it's just being able to get out there. It's likely that I know I'm not able to do what I did when I was twenty, and also that I now appreciate the time outdoors more.

[vancelw]

I've been using .308 Win 30 years. It does 1 shot kills on everything I've ever hunted. Pronghorn, Mule deer, whitetail, hogs, bear...

That being said, .30-'06 is no slouch. And .35 Whelen is more better! For heavy bullets, I'll take the .35 Whelen.

I have more than one example of each.

I used a borrowed .30-'06 in Africa on plains game. One shot kills on all.

[tman]

Lots of good arguments for why any one of them will fit your requirements. Don't think that you will get ONE definitive answer for any of them. Looks like you are gonna have ta choose which one YOU like best. Good luck and have fun.

[kaschi]

If the caliber HAS to be from your list, I'd go with a Kimber 84M in 308 topped with a Leupold 2x7 scope. Overall the rifle is compact and light with a wood stock and the action uses the Mauser controlled feed/claw extractor. Safety is 3 position Winchester style. Doesn't get better than that! Now, I'm very partial to the 35 Whelen (have two of 'em) but for small animals it would be overkill. For a caliber not on your list, the 270 would be a top pick and it would be at home in the Ruger 77 Hawkeye. I just bought one last month and can't wait to try it out.

[HillbillyGadget]

I chose a Ruger scout rifle .308 with a Leupold scout 1.5x5 fire sight. Laminate stock.
I've killed grouse and rabbits to elk with .308. It's just a handy rifle to have with you.
It's a very practical.

I could "get by" really well with an old '94 Win. in 30-30 with the joy of it's limitations.
Paired up with a good revolver.

[jkbrea]

I've hunted elk for 25 years. I started with a 7mm mag. Since then I've used a bolt action 30-06 and .308, and a lever action 45-70, and 30-30 . In my opinion, if I had to stick with one, it would be my Tikka stainless 30-06 with a box mag. It's the most practical for all weather and lightweight. But....I'm not limited to just one so I rotate every few days of hunting.

[bgmkithaca]

A rem. 700 adl in 30-06 served well for 52 years for everything I came up against and a pretty fair amount of that was in Alaska. I would still be using it but health reasons forced me to stop hunting as of this fall. Hard to go wrong with a 30-06 as others nave pointed out for bullet selection. Bigger calibers won't kill any more dead and may be harder to hit with because of induced flinch from increased recoil- most shooters are NOT as resistant to recoil as they think they are. There are plenty of choices for rifles and calibers-choose wisely and it will last you a lifetime as mine did for me.

[buckeyeshooter]

lower rifle, Winchester 70 in 300 H+H.... as all around as you need for North America!

[rjohns94]

The top one looks like a Dakota, what is it?

[buckeyeshooter]

The top one looks like a Dakota, what is it?

lower rifle, Winchester 70 in 300 H+H.... as all around as you need for North America!

A Custom shop Winchester 70 Custom African Express in .470 Capstick.

[Bill in Oregon]

I tend to go for older classic calibers. That 6.5X55 Pete mentioned is one of my all-time favorites, but I would prefer more oomph when hunting in grizz country --even if not for grizz.
I think it would be great fun to find or build a .300 Holland & Holland Magnum on a pre-64 Model 70 action. It would be a laser with Barnes 130-grain TSXs for deer and antelope and serious moose medicine with 200-grain Partitions. And just for the fun of it, the new Woodleigh reloading manual shows their 240-grain PP SN getting to 2500 fps with 70 grains of Re 25. It would just about take a diesel locomotive to stop that bullet.
The H&H has been in decline since World War II, but remains a super capable classic.

[Bill in Oregon]

Whoops, I see Buckeyshooter beat me to it on the .300 H&H. I guess I had better get another cup of coffee!

[marlinman93]

Without hesitation I would say the .30-06! After over 100 years, it can still hold it's own with all sorts of modern day posers that attempt to dethrone it! It can be loaded with everything from under 100 gr. plinkers to 220 gr. bullets that push 2500 fps, and over 2800 muzzle velocity! And compared to a lot of larger magnum calibers, it does what it does very efficiently.

[Old Time Hunter]

http://cz-usa.com/product/cz-550-fs-6-5 ... fixed-mag/