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Ok if I am being honest with myself I probably don't need another rifle at all, my .30-06 probably covers any hoofed mammals I am likely to pursue in Canada and the bears don't really excite me or cause me to loose sleep. I have been craving a medium bore recently and have narrowed it down to .358 winchester, .338 Win mag, .35 Whelan or 9.3x62, the .444 marlin has been calling to me too, so what are your preferences and the reasons why?
I look forward to hearing from my fellow members stories, suggestions and you don't have to stick to my list let me know what your favorite medium bore is and why.
For arguments sake lets say between .32 cal and .40 cal is medium bore and we'll toss in the lever action big bores as qualifying as mediums.

Last edited by Jamesd1187; 11/09/14. Reason: Expanding the details of my question
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9,3x62.

and you wont look back.

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What, no 375 H&H Mag!!

Considered by many to be the king of the medium bores - In popular use all over the world especially in Africa. (Who knows - you might go one day).

Less blast and recoil than the 338. More powerful than the 35 Whelan and 358 and more common than the 9.3X62 or 444.

I was in the same situation 20 years ago and picked up a very nice pre owned Sako AV in 375 H&H.


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I have a 338 win mag. 700 action, Sako extractor, Kreiger barrel. Stainless bedded in an HSP stock. I also have a 375H&H Ruger 77 Safari Grade.

Love 'em both and both are excellent shooters. The 338 is my 'go to' when the terrain is rough and the game is tough.


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Love my 35 Whelan, will handle anything I'll ever hunt.

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Died in the wool 8mm nut here. Not sure if .323 qualifies as a medium bore. 8x68 S sounds like a grand idea. smile

I have 3 8x57 and one .325 WSM in the house and one other of each the 8x57 and .325 WSM have passed through the house.

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I have two favorites. A Sako 8x68S and another Sako in 358 Norma. They cover all my hunting needs in Alaska.

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Any campfire darling chamberings in this class?

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Jamesd1187;
Good morning to you sir, I hope this calm November morning finds you well.

While I can't say they are by any stretch a 'Fire favorite, I've come close to picking up a 96 Swede in 9.3x57 either from tradexcanada or from a chap I know who seems to always have one for sale from there at his table at the Penticton gun show.

The ones I've handled seemed like veritable magic wands to me and the cartridge just has to work, wink

They are reportedly very sedate arms to shoot too - much less so than say their bigger cousin in 9.3x62.

I suppose it depends on where you're at in your shooting journey James, but as I left my forties behind me somehow the fun of heavy recoiling rifles vanished along with my close range vision...... cry

Oh, at one time I did shoot a .338 and with it we killed something like 3 medium/small black bears and at least 2 meat mulie bucks too.

Somehow James, while all the animals died, they didn't die any quicker than with my '06, my wife's ..308 or my late father's 6.5x55 for that matter.

A very good friend had an late '80's Sako in .375 H&H and did some guiding up north with it for black bears, grizzly, moose and goats. As I recall he said there wasn't much difference that he'd noticed between the .338 loaded with 250gr Partitions or X's and his .375 loaded with either type of bullet in the corresponding weights for the .375 - 270gr maybe?

That said, we both thought his Sako .375 was easier to shoot well off the bench than my Ruger 77 .338, but that could be stock design/fit coming into play too.

Anyway, I guess if you want to shoot it a lot I'd recommend a more sedate round, but if you want a boomer to take to the range when you feel like loosening your dental work and relieving some neck tension, then by all means go for at least a .375H&H.

Actually I hear the .378 Weatherby in a stock that doesn't fit the shooter can be a memorable shooting experience, and I vividly recall a now gone shooting friend's Browning HiPower in .458 being quite something to touch off.

Good luck on your rifle quest whichever way you decide James.

Dwayne

Last edited by BC30cal; 11/09/14. Reason: added info

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I chipped a tooth shooting a 378 without the brake Dwayne.

As for a medium I have used only the 338 on game. Never did anything that my 3oo was already doing. If I was to purchase one today it would be a 325 WSM.


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Mike;
It's good to hear from you sir, I hope all is well with you as of late.

Yes, chipping a tooth would put me off a cartridge, I can certainly see that! eek

A now gone shooting mentor had an 8mm Rem Mag in one of the limited run 700's they did every year and the thing was a shooter for sure, but to my knowledge he never shot any game with it.

I know other folks have seen marked or more difference in the .338 than we did - but I still recall the first mulie buck I hit with it and my late father's response when it showed little sign of being hit - kept walking calmly in fact.

All he said Mike was, "What happened there?" but as he'd been asking my about the "artillery round" I was carrying earlier in the day - as compared to the Swede he was using then or his previous .308 that had killed multiple moose - well I could tell he wasn't that impressed for sure. wink

Good luck on your remaining hunts this fall Mike and all the best to you.

Dwayne


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While I had a 340 W for years and really liked it, I always admired the 358 Norma from afar, not because it could do any more than the 340, but just because it was uncommon and a very good medium.

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Moose are the largest animals that I hunt. For these I find the .338 WM to be more positive than lighter calibres. To be honest my rifle has a muzzle brake which I know many hate. With it bench shooting is no problem. With the brake off I only ever fired two shots before putting the brake back on. The OP might want to keep this in mind if he plans to do much practice shooting with whatever his choice happens to be.

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Originally Posted by Jamesd1187
....... I have been craving a medium bore recently and have narrowed it down to .358 winchester, .338 Win mag, .35 Whelan or 9.3x62, the .444 marlin has been calling to me too, so what are your preferences and the reasons why?
For arguments sake lets say between .32 cal and .40 cal is medium bore and we'll toss in the lever action big bores as qualifying as mediums.


You might left out the best of the bunch smile

Reasons?

All those listed above are "lesser included" with a 375H&H or 375 Ruger(today). The 375 bore trumps in bore diameter, bullet cross section and expanded diameter. They seem to me to make bigger holes that leak a lot.

The H&H and Ruger cases drive the heavy bullets at high velocity. Trajectory wise the H&H and Ruger will drive a 250 gr bullet at 2900 fps,and over as flat a trajectory as a 338 will a 210,and stay so close to a 340 Weatherby it's hard to tell a difference. (A friend and I proved this to his dismay shooting both at 400 yards quite a few times.

The 375 was designed to take all the world's soft skinned BG animals.The rest were designed later as compromises in an attempt to approximate it based on constraints of lack of rifles, action lengths, Madison Ave marketing, and/or rifle/action types.

I figure a guy needs one good medium. I would take the Ruger or H&H 375's over anything else in that category.JMHO.




The 280 Remington is overbore.

The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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I've owned and hunted with all of your mentioned cartridges but currently find myself taking the short barreled 9.3x62 almost exclusively as it's got adequate range and bullet weight and comes in a handy sized rifle that fits me.

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A few years ago I stumbled across a great deal on this .375 H&H Number One. It's turned out to be one heck of a bear rifle. Not needed, but I thoroughly enjoy loading for it, practicing with it and hunting with it.

[Linked Image]

It's made some good hits on bears now, two at just over 300 yards. Am mostly using the 260 gr Nosler Accubond at a modest 2620 fps. Very nice load, borrowed from John Barsness.

Regards, Guy

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let me see!!! I'm guessing Whelen!!!!


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There isn't a measurable difference in the killing effectiveness of the medium bore rifles, IME, on brown bears or Alaska moose. There is a difference in availability, recoil, gun weight and external ballistics. Deciding which of these is most significant makes my choice and I've a bunch of mediums from which to choose. I like them all for one purpose or another.......


Originally Posted by Mule Deer
Suck bullets simply suck.

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Originally Posted by Jamesd1187
Ok if I am being honest with myself I probably don't need another rifle at all, my .30-06 probably covers any hoofed mammals I am likely to pursue in Canada and the bears don't really excite me or cause me to loose sleep. I have been craving a medium bore recently and have narrowed it down to .358 winchester, .338 Win mag, .35 Whelan or 9.3x62, the .444 marlin has been calling to me too, so what are your preferences and the reasons why?
I look forward to hearing from my fellow members stories, suggestions and you don't have to stick to my list let me know what your favorite medium bore is and why.
For arguments sake lets say between .32 cal and .40 cal is medium bore and we'll toss in the lever action big bores as qualifying as mediums.


My favourite medium bore is the 35 Whelen, it has never let me down on animals from a blacktailed deer all the way up to moose. It is fairly easy to get factory ammo for it, doesn't kick bad and is a hammer on game. I have never owned a 9.3x62 but find it very interesting as well. Right now I also have a 358 Norma Mag but it kicks a lot more than the Whelen for about 150-200 fps more in speed, I like it but it has no chance of replacing the Whelen which is here to stay. I had a 375 Ruger but it went down the road since it basically did the same things as my Whelen but kicked a lot harder.

Your 30-06 can pretty much do anything you would need but it is nice to have other options available.

Of your list this is the order I would put them in when all things are considered.

35 Whelen
9.3x62
358 Win
444 Marlin
338 Win Mag


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Originally Posted by BobinNH
Originally Posted by Jamesd1187
....... I have been craving a medium bore recently and have narrowed it down to .358 winchester, .338 Win mag, .35 Whelan or 9.3x62, the .444 marlin has been calling to me too, so what are your preferences and the reasons why?
For arguments sake lets say between .32 cal and .40 cal is medium bore and we'll toss in the lever action big bores as qualifying as mediums.


You might left out the best of the bunch smile

Reasons?

All those listed above are "lesser included" with a 375H&H or 375 Ruger(today). The 375 bore trumps in bore diameter, bullet cross section and expanded diameter. They seem to me to make bigger holes that leak a lot.

The H&H and Ruger cases drive the heavy bullets at high velocity. Trajectory wise the H&H and Ruger will drive a 250 gr bullet at 2900 fps,and over as flat a trajectory as a 338 will a 210,and stay so close to a 340 Weatherby it's hard to tell a difference. (A friend and I proved this to his dismay shooting both at 400 yards quite a few times.

The 375 was designed to take all the world's soft skinned BG animals.The rest were designed later as compromises in an attempt to approximate it based on constraints of lack of rifles, action lengths, Madison Ave marketing, and/or rifle/action types.

I figure a guy needs one good medium. I would take the Ruger or H&H 375's over anything else in that category.JMHO.


I agree; my medium is now an H&H. With a 260-gr AB or 250-gr TTSX, it's plenty flat to four hundred.

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