All-American cartridge? - 24hourcampfire

What do you consider THE All-American hunting cartridge? I know this gets asked a bunch and I was stewing on it myself. The ol' standard answer is 30.06. But, what about the .270? Or some even older classics 45-70 or 30/30? Just wondering what your choice is?
 
 Another ponderment, once you chose what you feel is the All-American cartridge, what would be your recipe for the classiest of classy All-American rifle?

It's the 30/06 with the 180 gr bullet. There is little argument about that.
 
 For a rifle it gets harder to pick. Maybe someone else will help as I am a pre-64 M-70 fan and would select the Featherweight.
 
 But they made only about 1/2 million pre-64's and at the same time many more 740's and 94's were sold.
 
 I just ignore that stuff.

Pointer,
 
 How about the 44 Henry or Spencer series of cartridges used during the misunderstanding between the states? Those were, I guess, the genesis of metallic cartridges in America.
 
 The Spencer was the original assault rifle and it took almost 100 years for the military to come back around to the view that a long range cartridge wasn't necessary for most combat applications.
 
 Just a thought!
 
 Sincerely,
 
 Bearrr264

358 winchester in a Savage 99, and scoped with a leupold 2.5x compact.

.30-30
 
 No question.
 
 Rick

Like it or lump it, it's got to be the 30/06. Don't even own one anymore, have a rifle on each side -- .308 and .300 Weatherby. But the 'ole .06 helped win two world wars, is more adequate than the 30/30 for most hunting conditions across the nation, sells the most ammo for big game hunting, ect. I know, the 30/30 has killed more deer ( so they say ) but across the broad spectrum of hunting in this country the '06 has got to be king. JMO
 
 Jeff

I would have to add a vote for the 30-30. Millions of them out there and most of those are in North America. While the 30-06 and 270 are great they have become international in the last half century. As far as I know the 30-30 is still an "all-American" round. Will not argue with anyone voting for one of the other three.

Without a doubt it's the 30-30. Millions upon millions of lever actions sold in that caliber, not to mention the single shots and bolt guns. Every one of these rifles were made and bought to be hunted with. The 30-06 only became a household item post WW II when surplus war rifles were cheap as dirt. The production number of pre-64 M70s in 30-06 doesn't even come close to a M94 or 336 in 30-30. Most every country boy I know has at least one 30-30(who knows what those city slickers have [Linked Image]

), while less than half have a 30-06.
 
 It's also funny that the 30-30 is refered to as a "classic", and yet its not that much older than the 30-06.

Because you specifically asked for all american and classy rather than most common, I am moving well away from the crowd on this rifle cartridge choice.
 
 A springfield based .35 Whelan built on old classic lines such as early Griffin & Howe.
 
 Reasoning: wildcats are almost uniquely American, based on the springfield and '06 which brought the US into the modern era, the Whelan will work well for any big game in America, and the G&H style was/is the epitome of American sporter class.
 
 Fireplug

Pure American brawn and beauty has been achieved in many rifles from the Winchester lever action 1873, 1892, 1894, 1895... in multitude of calibers to the 30/06 and 270 in every type of bolt action made.
 If there can be only one then in my opinion that one must be a Sharps Shilo in 45/70. A work of art and the power of Hercules. Combined with the Colt model P (PeaceMaker 44/40 of course)... well this is the stuff of legends, all American legends.
 
 Bullwnkl.

" All-American cartridge" to me is a cartridge that is very big in America but not so big elsewhere.
 
 On that basis I would vote for the 338 Winchester.
 
 But then again it is really based on the English H&H. The 30/06 of course is a spin off from the 7 X 57
 
 So perhaps the 30/30 is it.

Ok,it's gotta be non-foreign based.
 
 For cartridge,I'd say 45/70.
 
 For rifle,I'd say the Weatherby Mark V,since everything else it based on the Mauser or something else foreign.The only thing the Weatherby barrows is the idea of the bolt action from Mauser.
 
 Funny though,the majority of Weatherbys in the hands of American hunters were those made in Japan.I've had German,Jap,and USA Weatherbys and the only thing I could tell that was different between any of them is that the German ones just seem a tad nicer.Why I don't know.
 
 WB.

German Mark V had alloy trigger housing but steel in Jap and USA rifles.
 
 USA (unless changed recently) have a 2 piece steel floor plate rather than the 1 piece alloy floor plate in the Jap models.
 
 Mike

22 Long Rifle,followed closely by the 30-30................

30-30 in a Win 94, John Wayne's favorite! MtnHtr

The 30-30 would be mine too. Probably more big and little stuff killed with that cartridge than any other before or since. In hand guns I would say the 45 Colt. Of course if you look at rounds shot, the 22 rimfire beats them all. JMHO Tm

Black powder pistol 45 long Colt. No body else in the world used it or uses it even today.
 Rifle 44/40 popular here in western hemisphere but no where else
 Smokeless 30/30
 JMHO
 BCR

My first reaction is the 45/70, but lets think outside of the box. What about the 40-40, the 44 mag, 357, 45 acp?

John Waynes favorite rifle was the 92, not the 94.

Well I have to go for the 30-06 as I had one of Griffen & Howe's Mauser based ones for years, son now has it and someday the grandson. That said I have taken more game with my Winchesters, a 1920's vintage 94 in .32WCF and an 1886 in 45-70. every thing from Deer to Black bear and much in between. I meant .32 Winchester Special not WCF ( yet another senior moment strikes!)

Almost went with the .30-06, but I'm not THAT old and my first mule deer came courtesy of a .30-30 mdl 94, as did my first mt lion and my wife's first deer (whitetail). Don't use the rifle any more, but can't bear to sell it for sentimental reasons. My vote is for the .30-30.

Wasn't there a John Wayne Commemorative with the hoop style lever? I guess 94 ain't close enough! Mtn Htr

Winchester made the commerative on the 94 because that was the only lever action they made at the time. The gun that made John Wayne famous in the movies was a hoop lever 92.

30-30 in Winchester Model "94"

My idea of the All-American cartridge is the 300 Weatherby in a MK V with the bright shiny barrel and stock. It is loud,powerful and screams American!

Aaaaaah.... The 45-70, survied the black/smokeless and large dia/hig vel transistions. Proven in war and game fields, and does a good job on the target range as well short or long.
 
 For the rifle, well give me a Winchester High wall, a John M. Browning design, with 26 inches of barrel. Of course you have to shoot casl slugs from 300 to 500g out of it.
 
 Use this for anything from prarie dogs to elephents. Heck I do not even need smokeless to make this baby sing and all American all the way.

It has to be the 9.3X62 Mauser. No question about it. Just kidding. Actually, I have to go along with the majority, and vote for the .30-30, as it is, and has always been, a very popular deer round in the US, but NOT anywhere else in the world. The others have developed a following world-wide. The main reason for this, of course, is that only in America do we appreciate a lever gun.

Either the .45 Gov't in a trapdoor, or a .30 Gov't in a pre war model 70. I've never owned a lever gun though. That bug just hasn't bitten me yet, and probably won't, as my tastes would be way too expensive.
 
 Scott

The hands down All- American Cartridge has to be the .30 WCF. It's been made full tilt by Winchester and others for over 100 years now and no end is yet in sight for it. It is refined, improved and even more effective and efficient than it's ever been and there seems to be interest in improving it even further by many in suitable guns. When annual sales totals are taken by ammo makers it rarely even slips into third place. Usually first or second place. This flies in the face of no less than a dozen or so "better" deer cartridges; some of which are pretty geriatric age wise themselves.
 For a "classy" American rifle I'd have no hesitation in saying a pre WWII lever Winchester in a deluxe rendering. Which one might be tough, but a M-71 .348 might do it. AW

I have the Browning repro of the Winchester M-71 in .348. I put the Lyman peep sites on it, and with this settup it shoots factory loads right around an inch at 100 yards, which is fantastic for any lever gun. Trigger is a little creepy though, as it seems to have a small break, followed by the real one. Anything to do about that?