Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters How many different cartridge have you REALLY hunted with?

For whitetail deer and handguns, I have hunted and killed with(not back up or extra guns)

22 lr
22 Rem jet, never had a shot I was comfortable with this but did hunt with it a few times, no shots taken
38 special
357 mag
41 mag
44 special
44 mag
45 acp
45 win mag

rifles
22 lr
44 mag
223 rem
243
25-06
7mm-08
7mm mag
32-20 never had a shot with it
30-30
308
30-06
300 win mag
325 wsm no shots yet with this one

I have killed whitetailed deer with;
.223 Remington
.257 Roberts
.25-06
.280 Remington
.308 Winchester
.30-06
.338-06

Throw in .410, 20 and 12 gauge, as well as .22 long rifle for various fowl and small furry animals. I have acquired a 7mm Remington magnum and a 6.5-06 AI since last season closed. I hope to add them to the "killed with" list this year as well.

While hunting I have used these.
300 Savage
308 Win.
30-06
25-06
270 Win
7mm Rem Mag (Primary from 1977 to 2005)
300 WSM since 2005

22lr.
222
223
22-250
243 win
250 savage
257 Roberts
270 win
7mm-08
7x57
280
308
30-06
410
20 gauge
12 gauge
50 cal. inline

probably a couple I forgot?

I've been hunting pretty steadily since 1959 - I was 9 at the time. Started hunting big game in 1965. I haven't used a lot of different cartridges to kill stuff with, as most of my hunting could easily have been done with a 30-06.

In order of having killed something BIG with it:

30-06
30-30
7RM
30-06
30-30
308
30-06
30-06
30-06
30-06
"
"
"
"

303 Brit
300 WM (x7)

Killed gane animals with, but not while actually hunting:
38 Spl
40 S&W
12 guage 00Buck

Have dragged these afield but shot nothing so far:
405 Win
45-70 Gov't

Pretty easy to guess which is my most prolific rifle cartridge.

Have killed deer, moose and blackies with the 30-06, 40 S&W, 38 Spl, 30-30.

Thanks for starting the thread, AD

For Big Game Hunting:

243 Win
25/06 Rem
270 Win
280 Rem
30 Rem
30/30 Win
30/06 Sprg
300 Win Mag
340 Wby Mag
9.3X62
44 Mag
444 Marlin
45/70 Gov't

Landrum

222
223
243
6mm rem
257 robts
6.5x55
7x57
280
7mm Mag
30-30
308
300 win mag
338 win mag
358 win
375 H&H
458 win mag
12 ga slug

I've actually only hunted with a few cartridges:

22 LR - squirels and woodchucks
222 Remington - woodchucks
220 Swift - woodchucks
308 Winchester - deer
30-06 Springfield - deer and elk
358 Winchester - deer
44 Magnum - not hunting, but killed a grizzly in self-defense

I own rifles chambered for 20 different cartridges, but have always felt comfortable with the above - they do the job.

....22RF various small game...22Mag RF bobcat,coyote...222 Remington small game...223 Remington small game...32 S&W long small game....38 Special small game...38/55 Winchester deer...357 Maximum deer...41 Mag Hog/deer/alligator...45 Colt deer...22/250 deer...6.5mm Swede deer...7X57 Mauser deer...280 Remington deer...284 Winchester deer...30/30 Winchester deer... 30/06 Springfield deer...7mm STW deer...7.62X39 Russian deer...243 Winchester deer...6mm Remington deer...17M2 RF squirrel...338 Winchester Mag Bear/deer...35 Remington Hog/deer...308 Winchester deer...303 British deer/feral bull...350 Remington mag deer...50 caliber muzzleloader deer...

Lets do big game ....

30-30
270 Win
257 Rbts
12ga (both slugs and buckshot)
8mm-06
7x57mm
44 mag (both rifle and pistol)
45-70

Do not have the 30-30 anymore (passed to brother long ago) or the 270 (sold when I was deployed overseas and could not take with me). All the others I still have the others or passed them to direct family.

Small game.
.17 HM2
.17 Rem
.22 Lr
.223 Rem
.22/250
.243 Win

Big game and all others.
.243 Win
.264 Win mag = the ultimate!
.270 Win
7 mm Rem mag
.308 Win
.300 Win mag
30/378 Weatherby
45/70
.444 Marlin
9 mm
.357/38
.357 Max
.44 Rem mag
.50 MZ
12, 16, 20 gauge shotguns = slugs.

I have killed big game with the following cartridges:
.257 Roberts
.260 Rem.*
.270 Win
7 x 57 Mauser*
.300 Savage*
.308 Win*
.30-06
.300 H + H*
.338 Win
.350 Rem Mag
.35 Whelen*

Starred ones are present battery and are all my "keepers"--favour the 260 or 7x57 for deer class and the .35 Whelen for moose/elk.

LawMan.

30-06
7mm-08
.358
30-30
32 WS

.308
45/70
338 WM
.325 WSM
44 mag

30/30
32 SPL
41 Mag
45 Colt
44 Mag
243 Win
257 Rbts
270 Win
30/06 SPRG
300 Win Mag
45/70 GOVT
12 Ga
(These are what I can remember)

338 Wm
30-06
450 marlin

Not to big of a list....

I own and have carried others hunting, but here are the rifle/pistol calibers I've used to kill game:

22LR
22WM
223
243
257 Roberts
260
6.5x55
270
7x57
30 carbine
308
30-06
35 Whelen
44 mag
45 Colt
45-70

I like them all but favorites include 7x57, 30-06, and 45-70. The Whelen is neat and very effective but recoils about half-again as much as the '06 (subjective opinion). The 7x57 handloaded with 160 grain Speer Hot-Cors is about as close to the perfect deer rifle as I can imagine. The 30-06 with 180 grain bullets gives flawless performance with zero excuses at any angle or range. The 45-70 has also proven flawless with every bullet I've tried, including 300 grain Speer Uni-Cors, 400 grain Speer FPs, 350 grain Hornady RNs, and 405 grain Remington FPs. I can't comment from personal experience on the efficacy of any factory-loaded centerfire rifle or pistol ammunition because I've never killed a single game animal with factory ammo in 35 years of hunting.
-

I have taken game with:
.22-250
.243
.257 Rbts
.270
.280
.30-06
.35 Whelen
7mm-08
.45/70

I've been sucessful hunting big game with:

243
270
7-08
7 Rem Mag
50 ML

I have also carried:

12 ga. 00 buck
54 cal. Flinter
30-06

Currently own these in addition to the above:

223
25-06
7 WSM
30-30
308
300 RUM
8x57
338 WM
40 cal flinter
45-70

I'd own more but I'm a LH shooter and that puts a damper on my enthusiasm.

I have successfully used:

22LR
20 Gauge Slugs
7-08
7 X 61 S & H
7mm Rem Mag
7 X 58 Antiloper
30-06
300 Win Mag
338 Win Mag

Before I moved to Alaska I was definitely a 7mm fan.

I have hunted and harvested game and birds with the following cartridges:

17 Mach 2
22 LR
.410
12 gauge
6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser
270 Winchester
270 Weatherby
280 Remington
7MM Remington Magnum
7MM STW
30-30 WCF
308 Winchester
30-06 Springfield
300 WSM
300 Winchester Magnum
338-06 A-Square
338 Winchester Magnum
358 Winchester
35 Whelen
375 Winchester
376 Steyr

The 7mm caliber has accounted for more than 25% of my harvested game, and more than half of my "hunting" time afield.
The 30 caliber has accounted for just under 20% of my harvested game, but less than a quarter of my "hunting" time afield.