Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Pick your North America big game battery.

Anyone amended their choices in the interval?

It’s interesting how few 7 mags are listed.

Yeah, everyone probably just switched to 6.5 creedmoor and retired the rest.

Laughing.

Sure seems that way, does it not?

Nope.....no changes since ‘05! memtb

We are revoking your rifle looney status.

I’ve already been “banished from the kingdom”! Exiled for blasphemy! I’ve been a “one gun” hunter for many years! memtb

Who needs 3 rifles for NA?
M70 FWT in 270 with 3-15 SWFA. varmints to moose. I'm so ashamed.

I dearly love the 270.....you were speaking of “grains”, weren’t you? memtb

Well, that was 15 years ago.

What would I change? I've added quite a few rifles since 2005, including .ARs in .223/5.56, .300BLK and .308 Win and bolts in .223, .243 Win, 6,5 CM, .280 Rem, .30-06 and .338WM. Have a Savage waiting for me to decide on a barrel. Maybe/probably 6.5 PRC but .375 Ruger keeps popping up in my mind.

Today my list looks like this:

6.5 CM or PRC for whitetail and antelope (Better ammo and bullet choices than .257 Roberts)
7mm RM or .300 Win Mag for mule deer through elk.
.375 Ruger for moose, bison, and big bears.

Only need 270gr for Africa and I've decided I'll never make it back. Oh well, the H&H is a great coyote gun.

17 HMR-Savage Bushnell 3X9 trophy- for trigger time and vermin

6.5 Creedmoor- Ruger American Rifle SWFA 6X -for everything else cause that's all I got!

.22
308
12ga

Simple-- 30-06

Yep......very effective on coyotes! memtb

For big game in NA, my main quarry is Pronghorn Antelope, Mule Deer, Elk and Moose. Hope to hunt Caribou and Bear in Alaska some day. So, here's what I use most of the time:

25-06 & 280 Rem. : Antelope & Deer

338WM & 35 Whelen : Elk & Moose

I don't need (3) rifles for NA, as I would use any of these for every animal NA offers, including the big bears and Caribou I hope to hunt.

If forced to choose, my two rifle battery would be the 280 Rem & 35 Whelen. If given the luxury of three, I would add a 223 for cheap practice/fun with my Ruger African.

I also agree with some of the posters that it could all be done with just a 30-06. But I own many rifles and the OP asked for a three rifle battery. I also think that while the 30-06 is capable of doing it all nicely, I don't feel it's the best for each category of animals. I don't feel the need for that much power while hunting deer and antelope, and I would prefer the larger calibers I mentioned above for elk, moose & big bears. These are just 'my' preferences.

I use a Leupold VX3i 2.5-8 matt/duplex on all of my hunting rifles.

I use both SS/syn and blue/walnut finishes on my rifles. I like both.

I'd start with a good lever action. I'd go with a Marlin Cowboy in .44 magnum or .45-70 or possibly the Guide Gun in .45-70. Those choices all attach the magazine to the barrel with a hanger rather than a barrel band which I've found to be more accurate. The rifles are for short to medium range hunting in cover. They are also good for hitting things real hard if you need to. I'd want a light sporter in something between .270 and '06, long action or short. That does almost all of everything else.

The third gun is a puzzle. It may not be needed in most cases. It depends on what you hunt, where your focus is. I would consider an AR-15. With a fast twist and heavy bullets, it'll kill deer. My Ruger MPR will keep 5 70 grain accubonds inside 3/4ths of an inch at 100 yards. Holes frequently touch when I'm shooting the 60 grain Nosler ballistic tip factory load. It is .. flexible. I'd consider a muzzleloader if only because some hunts legally require it. My favorite remains the old TC Big Boar in .58. I regret selling mine. If you hunt long range a lot, then maybe a very large 7mm, .30, or .338 is called for. The only one I've messed with is the STW. If money weren't a consideration, I'd also look at a .338-.378 in the Weatherby Accumark. Something throwing very heavy bullets fast and far for elk .. or anything smaller. I suppose the final consideration would be a .375 H&H. Nostalgia, I guess.

Tom

Some lack reading comprehension. It's "Pick Your Three Gun Battery fo NA BIG GAME", not which three guns I can live with to hunt everything?

It can vary from where you hunt. Some will need a shotgun, straight walled cartridge or muzzleloader to hunt where they live, others will not. Some can use 22 centerfires, others cannot. Some hunt in thick cover and a traditional lever action works great, prairie or mountain hunters would think a Marlin 336/Winchester 94 is next to useless.

For strictly big game where I live and hunt, Something in the 243/25-06/6.5Creedmoor/270 range would be the light, a 308/30/06/300WSM/300WM would be the medium, a 338WM or 375H&H would be the heavy.

I currently own a 25-06 and a 6.5 Creedmoor - pick 'em. I own both a 308 and a 300WSM - I'll take the 300WSM. I have a 375H&H. If I could only have one - 300WSM. I mostly hunt deer & antelope - could live with either the 25-06 or the 6.5 Creedmoor.

I have shot big game for over 50 years with many different calibers.
They all work, but I could have used one gun, ------a 30-06.

With confidence!

'96 Swede sporter 6.5 x 55 (Burris 2 x 7)
Win 70 Fwt in '06 (6x fixed B&L)
JPSauer Mauser 9.3 x 62 (4x fixed B&L in claws with original irons beneath)
Picked these choices in the '70's..still works for me.