Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 257 WBY or 300 Win Mag as the all around western rifle?

Here I am wondering how much of what some people wrote here was actually comprehended. I don't think any of us advocated a .257 Weatherby as the ONLY rifle for ALL western hunting. David has a .375 H&H, for crying out loud. I know some will claim this isn't a good long-range cartridge, but in my experience with it (considerable, though mostly in Africa) it works fine at longer ranges with the right bullet and some practice. And I don't know anybody who thinks the .375 isn't enough rifle for elk, under any circumstances.

Also, the claim that ANY experienced elk hunter would suggest the .300 Winchester over the .257 Weatherby simply isn't true. I have become acquainted with quite a few elk outfitters and guides in my time, people who often see more elk killed in a season or two than most hunters will kill in a lifetime. Yes, there are a bunch of them who advocate nothing less than a .300 magnum, but I have run into an equal number who say, "Whatever you're confident with."

One long-time outfitter from Colorado and I got to talking about elk rifles (naturally), and when I asked about what he advises as a minimum, he said ".257." I said Roberts or Weatherby? He said either one, as he's seen a bunch of elk killed with both. And a lot of the shooting on his ranch is long-range stuff.

So we can come up with lots of opinions on either side of the argumment. My main point, however, is that David has a .257 AND a .375, and nobody here was telling him to get rid of his .375 and hunt everything in western North America with his .257.