Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Pick 2

Want to thin things out a bit, pick 2 calibers for everything in NA, Deer and larger.

.243
6.5x55
7mm Rem
30-06
300wm
338WM

7mm Rem Mag and 338 Win Mag. If I would have built those two 20 years ago I'd probably be further ahead.

.338, loaded up or down as needed.

I half thought the same but was thinking 300wm

Yeah, I have lots of overlapping here. Problem is the the swede and the 06 are my favorite rifles, one being an 85 Finnlight and the other a M70 Featherweight classic. HArd for me to choose based solely on numbers...hence why I posted here.

Pick 2? You could accomplish everything on your list with a 300 win mag just fine. Or a 338. Or a 7 mag. Despite the 3 magnums you have the boring 30-06 has been getting it done for many years.

Perhaps focus less on chamberings and look at which rifle feels good in your hands and shoots well. I'd take a slow accurate 30-06 over a smoking fast 300 win mag that won't group well.

I could accomplish everything with a .243 if need be. Need doesnt be so Id like to have 2 rifles that may be BETTER suited to certain game or at longer distances. I could load a 338 down to to small whitetail levels but since im not limited to one rifle Id rather have another option that doesnt create such big hole or kick as hard. If I was only gong to have one id probably scrap all of these and get a 375.

All of these rifles are moa or better.

.243 and .300 Winchester.

30/06 and 6.5x55,06 will do heavy work 6.5 for lighter work and as you get older you'll use the 6.5 more because of less recoil. and as you stated their your favorites.

243 and 300wm

Just one

30-06

6.5 would do all I need, heck the 243 would too.

243
30-06

What Brad said...

This. The 338 would not see much use....unless you just felt like using it.


Yeah those 243's and 6,5's would make wonderful brown bear cartridges.....

Love my 338 and use it a lot. However, if going with two for NA, I'd say 243 and one 30 cal. 30-06 if you're keeping things inside of 5-600, and a 300 if you want more reach.

Like most of us here I have a lot guns that I have never shot or shot less than ten times.

I think about selling most of them off a lot but I have two boys that are hunters/shooters so I have been waiting to see how things go before I sell.

For me I'm mostly a deer and antelope hunter and only hunt elk every few years (thinking about changing this though because I'm getting older and elk tags are easy to get).

I've always thought a 243 win, 30-06 and a 300 win would get me by the rest of my life for big game rifles. I like to take two rifles with me when I travel so deer/antelope I could take 243/30-06 and elk I could take 30-06/300 win never being under or over gunned. I'll probably never get there but that's my thoughts anyway.

Dink

Im pretty much in the same boat right now. My boys arent quite hunters yet but that hasnt stopped me from securing a few pieces for them. I want to set the boys up with quality hunting rifle, shotgun, AR and handgun. The list may expand if one of them takes to hunting or shooting but I believe every man should at least own those.

My 2 boys are 4 and 7. AR's are done and last week picked up the 2nd M70 Classic in 30-06, one being a stainless and the other a Featherweight.

All that aside after moving from AZ to Iowa Ive found my centerfire rifles, especially the larger calibers only coming out to get a fresh coat of oil.

After perusing another thread on Scenar lethality, I'll probably stick with the swede as my medium game caliber. The Finnlight is just a sweet rifle and pairs well with that caliber. I probably should have omitted the 243 as I only use it for my long range/windy varmint gun when I think a shot might present itself that the .204 wouldnt handle as well.

Ive never shot anything outside of 500 but if Im truly thinning down to a pair, I think Im leaning 300WM.....just in case. is there anything a 338 does thats hands down better than the 300?

Yeah........ shoot a 250 gr Nosler Partition ....... and in brown bear country that's a "plus" for me...but Ive only killed two of them so what do I know ?

I am not one who thinks the 338 is some universe apart from a 300 magnum, but if we're playing games and picking "two" for everything I will take the 338 in brown bear country. I understand the shot placement thing.

The 7 RM handles everything else.