Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Favorite medium bores of members

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.

9,3x62.

and you wont look back.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

Any campfire darling chamberings in this class?

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,

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......

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

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.

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!

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.

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

Dwayne

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.

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.

Jim

You might left out the best of the bunch

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'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.

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.



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

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

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.......

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

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.

Yes, 375 Ruger is another great choice although maybe not as available as the H&H

To me it would depend on what I was gunning for and where.

I have a SS M-70 Classic (NH) in .375 H&H, an AHR CZ 9.3x62 and an Alpha Arms Alaskan .338-284.

The M-70 is a rugged gun with synthetic stock. It wears a Zeiss Victory 1.5-6 in Talley QD's and has NECG irons. To me it's a solid using gun and isn't uncomfortable to shoot. The AHR is a fancy gun but is heavier than the M-70. The Alpha Arms is a good shooter, but isn't my favorite.

To go Nilgai hunting, etc, I'd pick up the .375 and not look back. Lots of options regarding loads and a near fool proof delivery system. I wouldn't worry about scratching it up on S. TX sticky brush. It would be a good choice for wet climates like AK. Just an all around gun.

IMHO,

DF

my late hunting partner carried a BROWNING BLR 358 win for the last 16 years,we hunted and constantly kidded me about dragging a cannon around for hunting with my 340wby and 375 H&H for most of that time,and yeah I still do, looking back on 40 plus years of hunting elk,all I can say is all three rifles killed both elk and mule deer and over that whole time frame I remember just three times either of us had an opportunity too take a shot at game at over 300 yards so the extra range potential of my 340wby was not a huge advantage.
pick what ever your comfortable with and practice a good deal, the 358 win and 35 whelen have the advantage of cheap 308 and 30/06 brass

340MAG,

if you are really worried for the brass they can be done with 30-06 brass even if i prefer the 9.3x63 brass ...

I'm a big 338/06 fan...So happens mine is in AI attire but certainly nothing wrong with the standard version.

Make mine a .338WM. I carried one as my primary Alaska rifle for 23 years.

There's a wildcat/hybrid of the .338/06 Improved in my gunsafe waiting for me to figure out how to get it to shoot.

Ed

Favorite / ideal cartridges and rifles are definitely subjective.
My subjective 2 cent opinion, which could vary day to day,is:

325 WSM for a using lighter medium
338 Win Mag for a using medium medium
375 Ruger or H&H for a using larger medium
416 Ruger or Rem Mag for a just the hell of it heavy medium
And a 45/70 Lever gun, just because.

I have the aboves and my order of favorites are the 375 Ruger, 338 Win Mag, 416 Ruger, 325 WSM's. The 338 Win Mag with 225gr premium bullets would be the one I consider the mythical most all-around from whitetails to bear. Though personally with bear in the equation when moose hunting, I prefer the 375's with 270gr TSX. The 416 Ruger with 350gr loads could move to the top of the list, depending on the terrain/foliage. The 325 WSM, I really like this cartridge for a lghter rifle option with 200gr TSX. The new Swift reloading manual #2 has some great looking loads for 200 & 220gr A-Frames.

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I had that itch a while back and built a 338wm off New Haven SS Model 70 Classic. No regrets, shoots very well and kills well. Perhaps because of the round count I have on it or the good quality glass and components I have complete confidence with this rifle as to where the bullet is going to go - every time.

The ballistics and bullet selection of the 338wm, in my opinion, hit that sweet spot between great range, moderate recoil, and a broad selection of bullet choices readily available.

FWIW in my view there is little real world difference in ability to kill stuff from calibers ranging from .308 up to .375. To be honest I cannot swear it kills better than my 3006 but it is the rifle I always reach for out of the safe.

Always liked my 350 Rem mags ,and the handy little Remington carbines.

My favorite rifle/cartridge is my .300 Weatherby. I would not hesitate to hunt any North American animal with it. I never considered the .300 Weatherby as a small bore cartridge but with the parameters of this thread, I guess it is.

So within these parameters, my favorite medium bore rifle/cartridge is my .375 Ultra mag. This cartridge has the trajectory of a .30-06 and the energy of a .416 Remington.

I've taken my .375 RUM on two African hunts, and used it to make one shot kills on a variety of animals from 25 lb Steenboks to 1500+ lb Buffalo and Eland, at ranges from 30 to 350 yards.

338-06 is the cartridge that gets my vote!

210 grain TTSX @ 2800 fps will leave a good exit and entry wound on anything I am liable to shoot at.

I have a 358 Win and a 9.3x62 and both are fine rifles for hunting large game in NA; especially if you hand load. My 9.3x62 is hard hitting and gives me a bit more distance (300+yards). If bear is in the mix, I'd probably choose my 9.3. For deer, elk and hogs under 250 yards or so, my lighter-weight 358 Win is what I carry. I like them both!

Hello Dwayne

Every time I shot that 378 after that my teeth were fully clenched like a dog on a meaty bone. Solved that problem.

How's your fall going so far? Been out quite a bit myself for deer but have seen no big bucks just spikes.

The moose I shot earlier in Sept is the worst moose ever to grace a plate in my life. It taste fine but tough every bite. Old bull on the decline for awhile.

Hope all is good

Hmm maybe a tradex 8x57 should come live in my safe for a while. I could always have it rebarrelled to .338-06, .35 Whelan or 9.3x62. Although those zastava m70's with a full stock are very tempting.

I have shot the most big game with the .358 Winchester. I have a number of rifles chambered for it.

I have other BG including the 264 thru the 375 ready.

If there were a choice when I got my favorite, the Savage 99F .358 and the .338 Federal was available I might have chosen it.

The 180 Nosler .338" bullet is interesting.

.358 is an easy cartridge to shoot. I enjoy carrying and shooting a 99F lightweight .358 and it's very effective.

My favourite medium bore is my Ruger #1H in 405 Winchester. Why? Well, in the #1 platform, I get a 300 grain bullet going downrange at 2450 ft/sec. It's old and powerful enough at medium ranges for any and all game animals in North America, including the Sasquatch.

I'll have to choose a big 35,,in this case my Norma. It's been traded for a Big Horn Armory 500 S&W so my 30Gibbs has rebored to 35 gibbs so no 35 withdrawals will hit me.

I'm enamored with the 35 Whelen and the 9.3x62. The 375 Ruger sounds ideal for ballistics and power, but I'm sure it is out of my comfort range recoil-wise, at least in a gun I'd be willing to carry all day. I'm not a fan of muzzle brakes either, and will never own one. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd likely get the Whelen first!

I'm inheriting a nice Marlin XLR 444 from my dad, and have been excited to carry it after elk in the high timber for a long time. It will be an opportunity to carry another part of him with me. He has had Alzheimer's for some years now, and his days in high mountain meadows are past.

That's what I found, my 375 Ruger was accurate but I didn't enjoy shooting it from the bench much. Really enjoy my 35 Whelen though and like what the 9.3x62 offers but don't own one as of yet.

I have used and like the .356 Win, .358 Win, have used the .35 Whelen a LOT! and the 45-70 a little and also a .375 H & H.
If doing it all over I'd choose the .35 Whelen again or more likely a 9.3x62.
Medium in range and excellent on big critters, without the recoil of the .375 and in a shorter action and lighter, handier rifle.

oh, and I forgot, I just added to my collection with a nice old German guild gun, small ring mauser M98 chambered in 9x57. have not shot game with it yet, but it handles very well and has ballistics equal to the .358 win. 250 gr. at 2300 fps. It should kill stuff too.

Agree completely with the 9.3X62.

I'll preface my answer by saying I'm basically hunting northern whitetails, Black bear, or occasional moose if lucky enough to draw a tag. For those I don't think a hunter could go wrong carrying the 358 win. I've had great results.

This is just me but I think the 9.3's are the beginning of the big bores and the 338WM-358Norma down are the medium bores. The 338-06 in my opinion is about perfect for a medium bore rifle. Big bears w/the 250Partition and 180's for deer.210's and 225's for elk and moose. Just my view. powdr

From my arsenal, I'd have to go with my .338 WM. A bit more reach than my .358 Win but easier (for me) to shoot than my .375 H&H and Ruger. I'm sure there are other choices as good, but I don't own them..............yet. Oh wait, I do have a .405 Win coming. Is that a medium?

I don't think there is a bad choice in your group.

I, too use a .30-06 more than anything else. I do have a .338 Win Mag, .35 Whelen and a .375 H&H.

I use my .338 the most of the others and that is what I would recommend. It is easier to come by cartridges and the choice is wider. I don't see a lot of difference in distance traveled by a hit animal but I believe I can tell when they are hit with more certainty.

My .35 Whelen is also amazing. I get 2640 with 225 TBBC's and that is with a 22" barrel. I would likely use it more if it was stainless.

I do believe that I will eventually replace my .338 with my .375. I am still getting used to it and will need to shoot a few animals with it to get my confidence up.

Your right on the 30-06 hard to beat as an all rounder! I have both an 8x68S in a BRNO ZG 47 and a BRNO 21 in 9.3x64 Brenneke. I tend to pick up the 9.3 most of the time when bigger critters than deer or sheep are on the menu. The 35 Whelan or 9.3x62 would get my vote that said I also have a soft spot for the 338 Win Mag!

[quote=BobinNH][quote=Jamesd1187].......

You might left out the best of the bunch

I think every body has left off a good medium bore and that is the 358 NM 250 at 2900 a 275 in the2650 to 2750 range is not exactly a a spite ball. By the way I am having one put together on model 110. Will let you know how it turns out.
Cheers NC



]

Had a fairly light 35 whelen (8lb scoped) and for me it was a bit of a handful. Manageable but I needed to shoot it a bit. If I had another one I'd go a bit heavier. That being said, if I hunted moose/elk regularly in the thick stuff I would have another one.

338 Win Mag

.30-06, 9.3 x 62, and .375 H&H.

Can't beat the 30-06 for all around performer, but I love my 35 Whelen!

I want to clarify my answer:
I like my 350 RM Model 600 with a Kevlar stock. I shoot 250 grain Hornady's and although I also have 250 grain Nosler's loaded and they shoot to the same point of aim, I don't think the premium bullets are needed at 250 grain.
But I've shot more game with 338 WM Model 70 again 250 grain Nosler's and Hornady's. In the 338, I primarily use the Nosler's for game.
Which one to choose? It depends on where I'd hunt, semi-open country or thick brush. The weather would have some influence in my choice also: Thick brush, rain or heavy snow - 350, Semi-open country, sunny,windy - 338. The 350 weighs a little more than half the weight of the 338; so since I'm in my mid-60's now, if carrying long distances was in the mix the 350 would likely get the nod. I sold my other 338 with it's Kevlar stock and if I would be lucky enough to have a license for caribou, moose, deer, and grizzly, I might restock the 338.
I think either would handle anything in the North America just fine.

Another vote for the 9.3x62. Can be made into a trim rifle, but carries some punch without too much recoil.

The only thing better than 338-06 is another 338-06. Both on pre 64 the fwt used for 160-190 gr and the std for 200-250 gr. have taken brown bear to whitetail to caribou to moose and seven African antelope etc thrown in. Both in Mickey stocks and Leo scopes. The fwt ready to shoot at just over 7 lbs and the std just short of 9 lbs. both shoot touching groups at 100 yds. Yes I have the obligatory 338 win mag at just less than 10 luggable lbs growing old in the gun cabinet.

I'm the only guy who owns/enjoys a 375 Weatherby? (No, not 378)

338-06 Ack

Stick with your 30/06. The medium urge will pass soon enough.

After using the .375 H&H and .30-06 for years I find myself strongly preferring my 9.3x62. It's an '06 size gun (used to be one in fact) that hits just like the .375. So far it's been used on brown bears, goats, and deer.

I've used my .35 Whelen for moose for the last few years within any complaints. This past season I used my newly acquired .375 Ruger Alaskan and I love it. Nice compact package with lots of thump and range withy the 250gr TTSX. It's now my new favorite moose rifle.

I also have a .444 Marlin but so far it's only been a fun range gun and an un-needed back up rifle.

I have a 338-06, I never felt under gunned when I'm carrying it.

I have used Nosler 225 Partitions with success. I have a load worked up with 200 Nosler A/B, I'm going to start a work-up with Barnes T-TSX 210 grain.

Have a good day.

I found 51-52 gr RL15 was great with the 210 TTSX ! Sable wildebeest zebra bush pig waterbuck all one shot kills with this load.

Thanks for the loading information.

Any favorite loads for the 9.3x62? I've been asked to load for a friend who got one on a 96 action, so not sure how concerned I need to be about pressure.

I have 9.3x62 and .338WM rifles and these are my favourite rounds for where I hunt, BC. I have LOTS of others, but, much prefer these to my .300 mags and .375H&H rifles.

I load 250s exclusively in the seven .338WM rifles I currently own and 286s in my four 9.3s and if I HAD to choose only one, ghastly idea, the .338WM,WW brass, CCI 250s, RE-22/76 grs, 250s, especially the NP, is IT, for me.

My latest, a birthday gift to myself, last July,is my second Dakota 76-.3338WM and as with my first of these bought May, 1994, it puts this load under an inch at 100 consistently...and is just under 8.5 lbs. all up with superb balance....the ideal BC rifle.

Kute, is that you? If so welcome back you old war dog, if you are not a certain old war dog who used to post under a different name than please disregard this first comment.

SNAP, 76 grains of RL 22 seems hot and compressed? What kind of velocity are you getting? Any issues with pressure?

FWIW I am in complete agreement on running only 250grn bullets in a 338wm.

Not SNAP but I do have a .338 and my usual load is 76/R22 over 225 gr. Partitions. Velocity is just at 2,800 FPS. Have used the same charge under 250 gr. bullets and is stout but not a problem. Haven't chrono'd that one.

Jim

Yup, my old computer croaked last year and when I got this and tried to log on here, I could not recall my sign-in info., so, just started another account under this new handle.

...war dog...ME, hells bells, I am a mellow old fellow and very laid back.........