Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska If you were to have just one caliber ?

30-06

Always thought the .358 STA had to be one of the very best "zero to whatever" chamberings ever devised for NA............and most of the rest of the world. There's a Model 70 Classic in .300 Wby in the safe that never sees any use. I've entertained the thought............. But there's also a .375 Wby in the safe that DOES get used and there's a pretty big redundancy factor there. Still not sure if redundancy is a valid reason NOT to, yet.

I always thought that a “hot rod” .35 caliber may be on of the best caliber options for the handloader….. with the .358 STA possibly the best! 👍 memtb

Yoder, you really need to put that Weatherby to use! 😉 memtb

Truth of the matter is if you have a 30-06, it will do anything you need it to do. Having said that people choose their rifle and cartridge based on wants, rather than needs. Nothing wrong with that. I'd never be without a 30-06, but I dearly love my 338 mag, worked for me in Alaska and Africa. Awesome cartridge. If my 375 H&H was stainless rather than blued it would have been used more than it has, and it's still killed my biggest moose and my brown bear.

The donor possibility is high.

If you “really must” eliminate your .375……you could do far worse than the .358 STA! Especially so, if you’re a hand loader that likes to shoot cast bullets or perhaps jacketed pistol bullets at much reduced velocity. The “hot rod” .35 calibers offer a lot in versatility! memtb

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH, NOOOOOOOOO !!!!

There'll be no elimination of Whomper !!!! No way!!!

I've crawled on my belly and lips, pushing that rifle ahead of me for more miles than most would believe. We've been through thick and thicker together. Whomper has accounted for, likely, the only B&C entry I'll ever have. And when things go to schidt.........guess who draws the short straw to go in and fix it ?? Me and Whomper.

That rifle ain't going NOWHERE.

A nice, pretty and classy walnut Model 70 in .358 STA could share stable space with him. But it'd have to live a row or two back.

I misunderstood! I love my .375 AI, and have no intention of “ever” getting rid of it. However, if I were starting over and Africa were “not” on the “bucket list”…..the .358 STA would be a top contender for my “go to, do it all” cartridge! 😉 memtb

You are forgiven.

And I concur with your .358 STA theory.

I have three rifles chambered in 375 H&H and two in 375 Ruger. I also have the big bores and the lighter bores. I think the .375 is the sweet spot and the best "all-arounder" is the 375 H&H. The 375H&H has great knockdown power but a very tolerable "push" recoil. Plus, it can be loaded to duplicate 30-06 ballistics.

The375 Ruger can slightly exceed 375 H&H velocities but at the expense of a much sharper felt recoil.

Bullet velocity isn't everything. In general, the lower velocities on heavy game produce deeper penetration.

The 375 H&H is very effective, drives deep but doesn't needlessly produce massive tissue damage and as they say, "you can eat right up to the hole". I have killed game from small whitetails to the huge eland with a 375 H&H. One shot kills are common.

For the cape buffaloes and up. I use my 458 Lott but, I doubt there are many of those in Alaska. :-)

T.S.

Don’t know how many 458 Lotts there are, but I know of two .416 Taylors.

I've owned 4 ea. 338 Win Mag's (2 ea 700's and 2 ea 70's) and I liked them, but they all went away. It's not on your list, but I'll suggest the 300 Weatherby with 200 grain (or heavier) partitions for the closest shooting and 200 partitions on the longest shooting. I've heard some complain about the 300's recoil, which I don't understand it isn't a heavy kicker on the 700 Classic platform - I have a BDL stock on the one I shoot.

I have a 375 H&H AI and that would be another option for me. It doesn't kick when at game, but it can get tiresome on a long bench rest shooting day.

I like the 375 Ruger cartridge, but I don't like the Ruger 77's - (I get to like and to dis-like what I want).

According to the Navy, you'd have a barrel that was as long as the diameter of the projectile in question (or of interest, to quote a certain Navy vet).

For me it’s hard to beat a 338 Win Mag. Bullets from 160 gr - 300 gr for any game challenge. .33s have a nice sweet spot when it comes to quality bullets and BC/SD characteristics. Provides close to .30 mag trajectories and can provide close to .375 performance when loaded heavy.

For AK, 1894 JM Marlin, .45-70.

Simple, the 30-06. Because that is what the M1 Garand and 1903 shoot.

kwg

Agree with just one rifle being a depressing concept, but if I was in AK, had to pick just one, I'd go with this SS M-70 Classic in .375 H&H with Zeiss Victory 1.5-6x42, QD's and NECG irons.

I just sold a very nice FN Mauser 336-06 which would work. But, the old .375 H&H is a time proven classic, so many ways you can load it and you'll never come up short.

This one's a keeper.

DF

Bingo! We have a winner! Dirtfarmer….isn’t it ironic that two Louisiana boys just happen to know the best rifle for the job! 😉

However, the Sako Talkeetna would be a great one to consider….. it’s quite a bit lighter than the Winchester. It’s pretty much the Winchester in a lighter package!

Run a chamber reamer into either making an AI or a Weatherby……and you have a near ultimate Alaskan hunting rifle! 😉 memtb

Kimber Talkeetna?

I never wished for more velocity on the H&H, and in fact it is one chambering that I don't load to its limits. Still seems to kill stuff pretty well. I do agree that it's a good single chambering for all of AK, but I think I would be fine with most anything 280 rem and up.