Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Second rifle choice

I currently own a Winchester M70 in 30-06 and I am quite comfortable carrying/firing it. I want a second big game rifle for Alaska and would like to hear some of your opinions. At this point I am leaning towards a .300 Win Mag but have considered going larger and purchasing a .375 Ruger or .375 H&H. This rifle would be used for moose, sheep, goat and brown bear.

You'd gain little in going to the 300.

Either get a second 30-06 just like the one you've got,
or get a 375.

Your '06 is sufficient for all big game in Alaska. within reasonable range- say 500 yards. Or more if you are capable of it. Either sell it and get the 300 Mag, or skip the .300 and jump to a .375. (what I would do, as there isn't that much difference between the .300 and the '06 for all practical purposes within 500 yards, Or do what I have done over the years - just buy one of most everything......

I really gotta get me a Winchester 70 in .375 - never had either..... kill 2 birds, etc. That said, once I get back to the Kenai and get my lathe set up, my current-use '98 '06 is probably going to be converted to .300 mag. Never had one of that caliber either... my sole reason to do it.

I have several '06s, a .338, as well as a .243, .260, .30-30, and have had several other calibers over the years. Ain't no damned difference with a properly placed bullet sufficient to the task. The .243 has taken a moose , several each of caribou, sheep, and black bears. The .260 has taken several caribou, an elk, and a wolf. My first moose (20 some ago) was taken with a .30-30. I'm hoping to take a moose with the .260, maybe next year - this year I'll be using the '98 '06 again, as I have for the last three years, taking 9 caribou and one moose. I'm using it for caribou also again this year. The two moose prior to last year's were taken with a 17 inch bbl RU77 '06 (not it's first) and a RU77 .338Mag (also not its first), respectively. For that matter, that 12 Ga slug did a fine job on a moose as well...

As I said - no diff - just what I happen to be preferring, or have available at the time... If you have an '06, anything else is really "want", not need.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, he says....

I've got a 30-06 and .375 in similar M70's, it makes for a pretty good combo...provided I get to shoot some big stuff at some point. The .375 is a 30-06 and a half, power wise, and has the same trajectory. If you are just looking to hunt, not a loony, it's a pretty hard combo to beat in my opinion.

Or you could go the other way. I love the .260, tho store-bought ammo is both expensive and fairly hard to find at times. Makes a dynamite lightweight, shooter-friendly, mountain/packing rifle.

Everything I've shot with it, including the elk at 150 yards, and several caribou over 300 yards have been bang-flops, using 140 grain Corelokts. My particular rifle doesn't like anything but 140s (any flavor), but others have very good luck with lighter bullets.

The 7-08 is another good one. Dang, I've never had one of those either!

What I was looking for when I stumbled on the .260 barrel.....

I have considered picking up a 7mm-08 or .308 for a deer and black bear gun. Probably a Kimber Montana, seems to be a good lightweight backpacking rifle. My 30-06 M70 is the Extreme Weather edition. So far the most extreme thing it's done is kill a wild pig in Southern California. I'm looking forward to adding to it's list of accomplishments. Perhaps I'll move to Juneau, take a job at Alaskan Brewing Co. and hunt the ABC islands. Not a bad life.

Generally speaking, folks go for a lightish rifle for the bolded items, and generally speaking, you want a little weight in anything that starts with .375.

The solution is easy - you need more rifles.

Enabler...

Goats are pretty tough. Many sheep have been taken with 22-250.
I think 30/06 is good for nearly everything but I would get a 458 Winchester Mag in a CZ for possible Bison, Brown Bears on Afognak or just when some dumb jerk tries to steal your generator or your 30/06 and then let the thunder roll. (Especially 500 Grain bullets)

I have a Mossberg model 590 12 GA for anyone who thinks they can take what is mine. It holds nine 2 3/4" or eight 3" mag shells. I currently refer to it as my "urban hunting weapon". If they get out of buckshot range there's a 20x Nikon on top my heavy barrel .22-250. Hard to out run that.

FWIW, I don't own anything big big.

338-06 is go to moose round, have a couple bigger, but rarely think of them.

In your situation, bare bones minimum, shotgun for game. Something for defense. Large handgun. Small handgun. 22 rifle- 22 handgun might cancel the need for a 22 rifle, but my 10-22 with can serves a lot of purposes fairly quietly- but the can fits on the 22 pistol too..... 06 and then a 375 or 416 ish would suffice IMHO. Or again IMHO, you could sell the 06 and get a 338 win mag and let it do all the big game issues. My buddy ran one as a guide even on sheep stuff for so long I don't remember when he picked up a 416 ruger for bears finally... 338 stopped/helped stop a couple of big brown ones on the coast for clients as needed.

I have a light 284 if I ever get the chance to climb high for white things... I would not pack heavy for that...

A good Lever Action in 45-70. Your 30-06 will cover the sheep and goats.

thats another decent choice!

Agreed, a Marlin gg or XLR in 45-70 is perfect for Alaska.

I'm with DakotaDeer, you would gain little going with the 300 Win Mag owning a 30-06…and a really like my 300 Win Mag. If it were me, I would consider a 338 Win Mag or a 9.3x62. The 338 WM is good for anything in NA including the big bears. My hunting buddy uses his for deer, hogs and elk. The same applies with the 9.3 which I have and have used for elk and hogs.

Since you already have the 30-06 the logical partner to it would be the 400 Whelen.

I would get a .300 and .375.. But I already have those..

A 9.3x62mm chambered rifle is a good option.

Read up on what Phil Shoemaker and Finn Aagard say about it. Plus the CZ550 is a quality rifle at a reasonable price. $600-$900.

Hornady makes the ammo here in America. Plus imported European ammo is available

.30-06, .300WM, and .338WM are the most popular cartridges in Alaska.

If you want to go bigger, pick a .338WM.

Ray, Ray, Ray....

You know he needs a .375 flavor.

I wouldn't rush it, you will need the money to live, it's not cheap there. I was there for 33 years and had a 30-06, 338 WM, 375 H&H and 45/70 plus others obviously but any of those would be additions to the 30-06 but with the 30-06 you aren't really in need. Hold off on the 44Mag, till you get there, you can't take it through Canada. Getting a job, in Alaska is like anywhere else. Much of it is who you know, as much as what you know. Plenty of guys here with ins that can put a good word out for you which makes a big difference. I wouldn't get in a huge hurry to move until the price of oil goes up, low oil prices make things more difficult. At least it's something to consider.

I truly appreciate all the info. It just shows first hand one of the big reasons that I want out of California and into Alaska, the people. It's good to know that there are still quality human beings out there who care people other than themselves and understand things like community as well as basic respect and responsibility.

I'm curious about the recoil difference between the .338 WM and the .375 H&H. I've never fired either but I've read that the .338 has a strong kick and .375 is more of a "push". Basically stating that although the .375 is a larger caliber is easier for some people to fire. Thoughts and comments?

All depends on stock design and fit, plus weight. In reality the .375 H&H produces more recoil than the .338WM (more powder to burn), but the average .375 H&H rifle is a lot heavier than the average .338WM, which helps with recoil.

We all should have a .30-06, .300WM, .338WM, and a .375

You made a lot of sense, Cariboujack.

Wife and I are both smaller folks. Have fired up to 460s...

I"m 180 she is 115.

What I can say is speed of recoil is an issue for us. THe faster a lot hits you the worse it is.

338/375 is a wash IMHO. Neither one kicks bad enough for it to matter or be of any difference.

That being said sometimes larger folks are more sensitive to the recoil than smaller.

And in the end the only thing you need is a good bullet and right shot placement.

Find someone who has both and fire, but either is going to be the same category to me.

Finally bullet weight makes a difference too...

Stick,

Those folks still exist in plenty of places in Cali. I know them and I'm even related to some .

You may be more likely to run into them in AK as the percent of them in the total population there might be higher.

If you live in a city in CA you may just find that if you plan to live in a city in AK you may not be getting away from a lot of what you're trying to get away from. I can speak to that in regards to Juneau at least. I lived on the "outskirts" of that city and was glad I did.

Perhaps some of the other AK members here can speak to conditions in some off the larger cities in the state.

I had friends/acquaintances that grew up in Juneau and if their situations had allowed they would have moved, as their nice "community" had changed over the years. I've lived in a bunch of places in the lower 48 that have experienced similar "growing pains". Still, Juneau is a WHOLE lot nicer than San Diego where I grew up.

Good luck in your new adventure, whenever you get to wherever you're goin'.

Geno

Its funny, but I've lived rural, 15 minutes out of a town of 4500 ish... most of my life. I would NOT live in town if I had to, well there are some instances but generally no.

I would not live in a large city on a bet.

Yet I'd rather live in Los Anchorage and at least be close(r) to nirvana... than not at all. And rather there in a heartbeat than where I live now for some reason. But I'd be scheming to get out asap once there...

I tend to prefer having only a few good friends and no one close enough to my house to be able to see, preferably even hear... LOL

I don't know if this helps, but my hunting buddy and I both have nearly identical Browning X-Bolts. His is chambered in 338 Win Mag and mine in 300 Win Mag. I see very little difference in recoil. If anything, I think the recoil of my 300 may be just a bit sharper. My CZ550 American (Kevlar stock) in 9.3x62 is a little heavier and is more pleasant to shoot than either of the X-Bolts. I've never shot a 375 H&H or Ruger but I would think the recoil would be manageable.

I never lived on a paved road until I was 18. I grew up outside of a village of 600 people. We raised our own cattle, pigs, sheep and chickens as well as growing a large garden. That's a huge part of why I need out of the city in general. I do appreciate the variety that the city offers but I would like to have a bonfire or take a piss in the back lawn without getting arrested. I don't think throwing clay pigeons and firing no. 8 shot over the neighbors' houses would work out well for me either.

As I've said before, Alaska is a land of extremes and that goes for the people as well as the land.

You'll meet some of the finest people in the world, and some of the worst. Living remote is no guarantee to be around quality people, there are some really demented alcohol rattled in bread end of the roaders in small communities. There are also wonderful people in every corner of the state. Same goes with Anchorage or any of the other larger population centers.

Moving to Alaska is no panacea for escaping the ills of the world. No way I'd move back to the lower 48, but with an 18 year perspective I'd say it's what you make of it and what you bring to the table.

Well said 458 Lott!

There seem to be several rather logical choices for a companion to the .30-06 M70:

.375 H&H
.260 Rem or 6.5x55
or a lever gun.

In equal weight rifles, I'll shoot a .375 over a .340 any day of the week. I can't speak for the .338 as I've only shot those that belonged to others, but the .340 gets your attention in a 8.5lb rifle.

Yep, I'd also choose a 338 win mag....Something like this one: 7 3/4 pounds all up:

I've found the 338WM to be a pussy cat if stocked right. My 375 weighs 10 lbs loaded and ready to go and will let you know it's there. The 338 and my 340 neither one kick as bad. The 375 is a Pre-64 model 70, and even had a straighter stock put on it. I guess a lot of it depends on the stock though the one on the 375 supposed to be the best design. The 340 is a Wby MkV, and the 338 I shot was an out of the box model 70 , modern pre-64 style.

OKAY, just went to page 1 and read the initial question. Personally, IF I were to go to something bigger than the 06, would go to the 338. But, many moose killed with the 06 every year. A guide up there recently told me he considered the 375 completely over the top for Moose. I don't know on that, so won't say, but he guides people all the time and said the 06 as good as it gets, especially with good bullets (that part mine). My dad killed his moose with two shots from the 06. Second one not necessary. He'd hit it in the chest from the side, as it was walking out of a pond, and it turned and came back into the pond, and he thought it might "be coming" so hit it again. Was using 180gr Nosler Partitions. I killed an Eland, which is as big as the normal moose, with one shot, using the 06, and a 165gr Partition. Today, that bullet or the TTSX is about as good as it gets. So no real need for a 2nd rifle or round. You WILL see the moose when you're out with the 06 hunting Caribou anyway, lol.

Well, as a fella at the Sporty Whse was overheard to say, "It's amazing how much difference those two thousandths make."

Quotable. Lmao

I've used all manner of rifle calibers up here on just about every critter aside from sheep and goats. I would have no problem using a 30/06 loaded with good bullets for all my big game hunting. Heck I've used a 300 Savage for about 75% of my hunting the last 3 years. My main rifle I think of as my Alaska gun is a 35 Whelen and I own about 25 CF rifles from .17-.45 caliber.
I would sooner use the Whelen or an 06 and have my 17Rem for predators than only have an 06 and my 375 or 458. Big game is easy, but it takes a pretty specialized cartridge to do good work on fox and other fur critters without ruining hides.

I'm partial toward the .338 Winchester, but if you ever intend to hunt Africa go for one of the flavors of 375.

I have so much trouble finding the correct bullets for my 340 that I have simply taken to wrapping .338 bullets with Scotch brand invisible tape to 'bump' them up. (Plain 'clear" doesn't work since they come in at .343") It's a lot of trouble, especially when I plan to spent an afternoon sniping bunnies in the willow thickets. What really sucks is the clean up afterwards - the bunnies that is; Hoppe's #9 cuts Scotch tape fouling real easy.

As for the thread at hand however, I would only worry about the specifics of the rifle other than the caliber unless the 30-06 you already have is a solid stable 'Alaska-proof' design. (I enjoy blued metal and walnut, but there are times I really prefer something that needs no more care than a paddle.)

I had both 338 WM and 375 H&H, neither were heavy rifles. About the same weight. I used the 338 more cause it was stainless the 375 was a blue sako, so I was more careful with it. But as far as sitting down and shooting 40 rounds or so I prefer shooting the 375.

Zackly what I woulda said.

338-06 is always a good choice.

Thanks everyone. I'm going to look into the 35 Whelen a little more. It seems to be fairly popular caliber in AK and more than capable of taking a brown bear. I won't be hunting browns for a few years but I would feel more comfortable with something a little heavier than the 06 when I'm in the thick stuff and there's a chance of a close range encounter with one.

If I ever get home for some real time hopefully I can find someone local with some big boy guns I can fire at the range for recoil comparison. I grew up hunting whitetails with 3" mag 12 ga slugs but I don't exactly enjoy them when sighting the gun in.

The .35 Whelen is quite a nice cartridge, but not necessarily very popular in Alaska, maybe because ammo is readily available only for the most popular (.30-06, .300WM, .338WM, .375H&H, 7mm Magnum, .270, .45-70, and so on). But all of this makes no difference if you reload to the .35 Whelen, or any other cartridge for that matter.

As others have mentioned, there is nothing wrong with the .30-06 and ammo loaded with 180-grain bullets.

Read this thread:
http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php/140874-Tiniest-bear-I-ever-shot

Cool story. I will definitely be spending some time on the Kenai when I come up. I have some friends with a farm near Homer. I may stay there for a bit and do some halibut fishing and black bear hunting.

I have no doubt the 30-06 is capable of taking any game animal I'll be chasing. The main issue is I don't like having just one of anything. I really like having a variety of toys..and tools...and girlfriends. I'm not sure which one costs me more money at this point. I suppose there are worse problems to have.

Today's a well deserved day off in Newcastle, Australia for me. I think I'll go find a bar with a kangaroo burger or emu steak and some cute local company.

If you never slow down, you never grow old. Work hard, play hard. Life is meant to be lived, not gone through.

They're not involved in a "reality" show, are they?

Ha! You're close, very close. I know Mairiis "Mossy" Kilcher. Her brother Otto and his family are on "The Last Frontier". Mossy has a place called Seaside Farm out on East End Rd. I stayed there for a few days a couple of years ago and did their little mini cattle drive from the farm to the old homestead. Apparently they were filming the series the week before I got there, glad I missed that. Mossy is a little "eccentric" but she has a good heart and it's hard to beat the view of Kachemak Bay from the farm.

I work in entertainment industry which includes a lot of television stuff when I'm in Los Angeles. Nothing in TV is real. I also really wish they would stop making shows about Alaska. It's been my dream to live there for a long time and I don't need a bunch of morons going up there and ruining it for me.

338-06 and 210 ttsx is my go to gun so far....as an all arounder more or less.

I will take larger when after browns.... if that ever happens.

I'm getting to the point that TV is almost a total waste these days... can't much stand it.

Don't sweat the folks seeing reality AK tv, when they go up and find out that it wasn't reality... they'll leave again.

The idea that Kilchers are "out tehre" is nuts... roads all over that place but no one ever shows that part...

I would go with a 44 mag, 444 or 45-70.

416 Rem Mag is my next step up.....

well actually I have a couple 300 mags and will have a 338 win mag, but in reality they are kinda in no mans land in some ways, though I could live forever with a 338 win mag if I didn't have the 338-06... and not even contemplate a 416

I dare say the rifle you use most won't be dependent on what the chamber will hold and more about other factors…….like weight, balance, fit, reliability, ease of use, maintenance needs or lack of them, etc. The perfect rifle could be chambered in 7mm-08 or 338-06 or lots of things in between and be an all-around tool. But I'd like to see/know what my "all-arounder" was before I nailed down a second rifle choice.

Would a guy be well served with simply a 7-08 and a 375 of some flavor? Should a guy really feel like he needs a heavy?

(I'd prob want a fur gun too - 223 or something but all could be done with those 2?)

. . . or a slug gun.

This is where I'd go if I already had an accurate and reliable 30-06 for all around hunting.

My reasoning is based on the fact that no matter where I go hunting in Alaska, there'll be the chance/need to take a bear. And a 30-06 will work well. Going smaller than that can be okay but that's starting to walk a fine line. 308/280 with vetted premium loads, okay. So something less and notably different than 30-06 would only be chosen if going to the range for fun. Then looking bigger than 30-06, and we have to go quite a bit bigger to make the step worthwhile. Either 338 win mag or 375, but the recoil and/or the weight is a big increase and there's nothing up here that those can do that the 30-06 can't as long as you do your part including skillfully moving within 200 yards of your target. But then there's the role of a handy rifle that can stop a bear when you're not necessarily hunting. If I'm spending a lot of time in the field, a handy defensive long gun that can take a lot of exposure to weather and dirt is what I take.

I like .25-.28 calibers and 40-50 grains of powder for 'small/light' big game like caribou, etc, a .30-.35 caliber and 55-75 grains of powder for heavier big game. If I was going to have a single 'big game' rifle, it would be a 30-06. In any case, I'd probably also keep a .223 crank-handle available simply because a lot of 'being out' isn't necessarily hunting, although a caribou might make a target of opportunity on the high side down through wolves, lynx, fox, ptarmigan, etc.

In Alaska all depends on where you hunt. For example, a .45-70 is handy in you hunt in forested areas where the shots are close, but not necessarily the best for hunting some of the wide open areas of the interior where the shots can be long.

The thing about a .30-06, .300WM, .338WM, or even a .375H&H is that you can take short of long shots as needed. Someone I know uses a .45-70 with iron sights to hunt moose, and is real good at it. But he hunts in areas where 50-yard shots are just about the norm. There are big bears in the areas he hunts, so his rifle choice is a good one.

Yup.

Everything's a situation.

So maybe this is a better question. How many different big game rifles and what calibers have each of you guys carried while hunting big game in Alaska over the last five seasons? Let's include wolves in that category for the sake of this conversation.

Me. One. Since going from the 30-30 to the 338-06...

Beware the man with one gun.

The two most common over that past five? Ruger M77 30-06 and 358 Norma. But also Win M70 (Classic) in 6.5X55 and 375 H&H.

308 win has been my 'go to' for quite a while.

I might change that....because I can.

375AI, 8x57JR, 300WM, 30-06, 7x57, 7-08, 270, 25-06, 243, 6mm, 223,... those are the ones that come to mind...

Just a 375 ruger for me. I really want another rifle, but when it comes time to pull that trigger I can't imagine a time to take a rifle out there that I wouldn't want that 375. Curse that thing.

.416 RM, .358 Norma, .35 Whelen, .358 Winchester, .340 WM, .338 WM, .300 WM, 7mm STW, 6.5x55, 25/06, .223, & .221 Fireball jump to mind, though I'm undoubtedly forgetting a couple.

Hi Art!

It seems that you have a number of options and a decision to make.


Or not.

Hi Mike...

It turns out it was the RL22 that was 'used'. I have H4831.

IMO your 30-06 is fine for hunting everything in Alaska.

If me I'd add a carryaround DG stopping rifle with iron sights.

That 45/70 several have mentioned would be a starting point.

I'd also look at a bolt action 458 win, or if $,$$$.$$ allowed, a double rifle.

I'd bring what you have, then hunt a few years while deciding.

If an 06 with heavy bullets won't stop the fight, then likely a bigger round probably won't make much if any difference.

Then you likely have had time to find out for you whats missing.

BTW don't forget on sheep/goat type stuff, you can zero in wiht sheep ammo and carry HEAVY bullets in the gun for bear... the zero at close range should be more than close enough... and generally sheep/goats you have time to open the bolt and change a round or two...

From most used to least used:
280AI
7WSM (more or less replaced by the above)
223 Rem
338 RUM

In S.E Alaska my primary rifle was a push feed M70 458. Even with 500 gr softs you can make 200 + yard shots. That being said I don't think the 300, 338, or 375 changes anything catagoricaly. I've had a long time association with the 375 but also like the 338. Usually as soon as someone mentions they want a 338, people start trying to talk them out of it saying that they don't "need" it or that it doesn't shoot as flat as a 300. I quite simply own a 338 because I no longer own a 300. Like many cartridge choices you are on one side of the fence or the other and neither choice is wrong. If you are not a hand loader you might invest in reloading instead of buying a new rifle. You will just limit your choices and get further behind.

338 not as flat as a 300... I've got a guide buddy that laughs when thats said, after he saw me hit a bou twice with a 338 a fairly LONG ways off.

30-06 and 375 h+h rounds can be bought pretty much everywhere here if that matters.

have killed the most game with my 7mag


have carried more and finished off more critters with my .338


have killed last two moose with a 7mm-08


the rifle that always seems to be around no matter what I'm doing is .45/70 but damn have broken my second stock on mine.


if it's not near me when I'm snowmachining, boating, goofing off then a .30-.30 is.


when it was time to buy my oldest boy a rifle, he got a .30-06

cause after years of hunting and shooting, it's just a damned fine caliber that will do about anything.

I'd say with either a .223, .243 or 7mm-08

an 06

and a .375 H&H or maybe the Ruger round


all your bases would be pretty well covered.


if you have an 06 I'd skip a .338 and go to a .375

but that's just my take on it.


good to listen to others, but when you're parting with your cash you only have you to make happy, thank god for that.

375s are great. I have a 375 wby in an M70 and couldn't be happier with it. The 30-06 is also one of my favorites but this is where I loose sight of the want for a 300 over the 338 when having a 30-06.

All depends on bullet weight, but in general the slimmer .30-caliber bullets shoot flatter. That said, a 180-grain NOS bullet shot out of the .300WM at the standard factory velocities, hits the 500-yard mark just under 2" above a 180-grain NOS bullet (same bullet design and weight) launched out of a .338WM that has been sighted to the same POI as the .300. The reason for that is because the .338-caliber ammo is loaded around 200-300 fps faster.

Federal offered such .338WM load for pronghorn hunting, but lightweight bullets aren't very popular with .338 hunters. The 225-grain TTSX is my favorite for Alaska hunting.

The .375 H&H is more popular in the coastal areas, by Anchorage and Kodiak for example, but not so much toward the interior with moose and caribou hunters. In fact, the .30-06, .300WM, and .338WM outnumber all other hunting cartridges in Alaska.

Main hunting rifle is 356win, 200gr factory ammo when hunting where no bears 350 kodiaks for hunting where bears are. When hunting alpine or other area's where range may be longer, 30.06 180 trophy bonded federal ammo, occasionally 220's. Plus a 348 with 250 woodleiaghs when in the mood.

Ray Quote, {"The .375 H&H is more popular in the coastal areas, by Anchorage and Kodiak for example, but not so much toward the interior with moose and caribou hunters. In fact, the .30-06, .300WM, and .338WM outnumber all other hunting cartridges in Alaska." [/quote]

True this, as far as power/weight ratio 30-06 with a heavy bullet will do it for you. But the 375 H&H is such a fine rifle. Mine is a Sako but it's blue, so I used it maybe 1/3 of the time. My 338 WM is a stainless Ruger and I used it the other 2/3 due to being stainless. I read an article by Phil Shoemaker years ago where he talked about converting a Ruger stainless 338WM to 375 H&H by removing the bolt stop, maybe setting it back I think that would be just about perfect, after you rebore the barrel. I would still love to do that. My Sako was popular with me because they aren't real heavy like the Stainless Winchester mod 70 classic. I've had several of them but they are heavier than I want to carry. Even cut them down to 20" but the didn't ballance well that way. Pick one or two and use them. If it's stainless you will probably use it more. If you want to be a one rifle guy 338 or 375 for the majority. Goat, sheep, Caribou 30-06 works just fine and a proper weight. Again a Ruger Stainless Mk II. Maybe Phil will jump in here.

Maybe 40 years ago and back that meant something ......

Still does. The man that shoots one gun all the time is very proficient with it.

Its one reason I'm so good with my old 308 bolt... I shot it a LOT, know it inside and out etc..

Right now I"m getting awful good with a 300/221 wiht a can to its max distance....

The folks that swap around a lot, well I can and they can, but you are never quite as good typically

I can't say this is absolutely untrue, but having known a lot of "one gun guys" I've never seen one that was more than a passable shot. In my experience, guys that can really shoot have inevitably been guys that enjoy shooting and that means that they've invested in the shooting sports--primarily their time, but also arms, ammo and accessories.

I've never witnessed an exception to this, though I hear/read about their proficiency all the time......

I only have and use one big game rifle (Ruger .338WM), but all I have hunted in Alaska is moose. Maybe I have been lucky, since I have never missed a shot with it, except for this moose season. But then, a friend of mine missed a shot with his one-gun battery 7mm Magnum

Maybe I am wrong, of course, but I figure that if one has only one hunting rifle, one has a good chance to become more proficient with that rifle. Regardless of being good or bad with it, nothing guarantees that one is going to have a moose standing out there, broadside and waiting to be shot, so maybe it's just good luck (?).

Then there is the possibility that one or more rifles makes no difference. Not everyone is a good shot, regardless of how many rifles one has. Besides, how good of a shot a moose hunter should be when most shots are taken within 100-150 yards? I know a guy who calls his moose around 30-50 yards, sometimes closer. He uses a .45-70 with iron sights.

The 338 is a fantastic medium bore.

I really like mine. It's a Ruger 77 MK-II, but I replaced the stock and trigger when I bought it in the early '90s. back then I paid $250.00 for a new Leupold vary-X III 2.5-8x scope, and have hunted moose with it each season. It does very well with 250-grain NOS and Swift A-Frame, but I have settled on the 225-grain TTSX (very accurate with this bullet). Have killed moose with NOS, the old 230-grain FS, the A-Frame above, and 225-grain TSX, but not with the TTSX since I started using it this year.

Have been looking at the Ruger Hawkeye Safari version, except that I don't like wood stocks. The rifle is just about right in length and weight, but if I buy it a friend of mine will re-finished with a layer of CeraCoat, and I will replace the stock with a synthetic one.

Get a good Hoyt Charger and learn how to shoot it. It will open up opportunities in a lot of areas.

I have seen a couple of the Africans here locally. You can get a Ultimate Shadow and make some mods on it like, get rid of the lame stock and cut the barrel down to 24 inches. 338s are great. Even a 340 wby or 338 can be housed comfortably in a 24" gun. I'd like to put togeather another 340 in a 24" M70. I absolutely prefer a 338 win mag or 340 over a 300 When choosing a medium bore, especially if a someone already owns a 308 or 30-06.

If you own a 30/06, you do not need a second rifle..... unless you want a 350 Mag!

...........Your 1st choice in cartridge should depend on what game you are hunting at the time.

Imo, and since you already own a 30-06, I see little benefit in acquiring a 300 Win.

Simple solution if it were me given the rounds you mention;

For big bears and moose, either the 375 Ruger or H&H as the 1st choice.

Sheep and goats, the 30-06 as the 1st choice.

I agree. Again, for the life of me I don't know why whenever a guy wants a medium bore and owns a 30-06, people try to talk him out of getting a 338 and into a 300. You will always want and be curious about the 375 so why not fuel the hunger and get a 338 or 340.

I am kinda partial to the 375 wby now.

30-06
338 win mag
375 H&H

I don't see the 300 mag of any sort in that list.....

It would be real easy to 'do it all' with a 223 and a 300 Win Mag. But with a 30-06 already, there really is no need for the 300. But again, I'd consider carefully factors other than what the chamber digests before I worried about what kind of ammo I needed to feed it. A big rifle (338/358/375) is generally an extra unless you're specifically involved the the habitual taking of big bears - or you're just plain looney. (If the latter, you probably need to own at least one 308, 30-06, 300 H&H, 300 Win Mag, and a couple 30-30 levers - in different makes, of course; and that's just the 30 cal stuff! )