260 Remington
6.5 Creedmoor
7-08 Remington
300 savage
308 Winchester
338 Federal
358 Winchester
One gun for all big game, mostly Wisconsin Whitetail
And perhaps, someday
Texas Wild boar
Irish Red stag
African plains game
Have had several 280s, a 338 win mag
This rifle is set up along the lines of a Remington model 7
Trim and light and handy
Any thoughts?
If you can afford an Africa hunt, you can afford several new rifle. Off your list, there's no cartridge that won't do what you want. Only three class's cartridge's I simply don't care for, not that they wouldn't work. have had my magnum's and will never have another! 270 is one I just never got close to one. Then there is the over 30 cal cartridges. 308 and 30-06 will pretty much handle every thing in North America and maybe even Africa if the shooter's does his job. If he doesn't, anything bigger simply won't help!
Picking from that list and understanding mostly this will be a Wisconsin deer rifle, I'd go with either of the 6.5's! Then again I have a real soft spot for 6.5's and actually also for 7mm's. 7mm-08 would work fine. There is simply to much over run in cartridge,s to tell anyone which would be best. The best will be what you like. Smaller the cal and lighter the bullet's equal less recoil to some degree. Smaller the caliber the lighter good game bullet's can be. Less recoil makes for lighter easier to shoot rifles but I think that is way over played. Actually except in really special case's, I think the only value for any cartridge under 6.5 is deer! Not that 24 and 25 caliber's won't kill game just as dead. But I simply like what I like!
If I was to get rid of everything but one rifle, that won't happen, I'd keep my 6.5x55. If I had a 260/6.5CM I'd probably keep that for no other reason than case's are easier to come up with than 6.5x55 case's. Choosing the just right cartridge and rifle is a totally personal thing!
