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I am enamored with the thought of one man and one rifle. Sort of like Quigley and his Sharps... Seems to me the modern equivalent needs to cover all the North American bases: The "one man one rifle" should be able to shoot near or far (that cuts out the 45-70), and should be able to handle anything from eastern deer to western elk to mountain sheep/goat to Alaskan grizzly bear. The 325 WSM will do that. It ain't a charge stopper on an enraged grizzly, but it meets all the other criteria. It should handle rain or shine, which begs for a synthetic stock and stainless steel.
Seems to me the 325 WSM is a fine choice. What is yours? Mine is "The Alaskan" (.338WM), and the reasons are as follows: It's perhaps the most popular cartridge with big game hunters up here (Alaska), as popular as the .30-06, and the .300WM, except that one can use bullets from 225 to 300 grains for the largest game. Ammo for it can be found in any of the stores in town. Even some of one's hunting partners have ammo for these three one can use in an emergency. Since "Alaska bears" were mentioned, you can bunch me with the group of hunters who use heavy-per-caliber .338 bullets. Sooo, the only big game rifle I have is a Ruger M77 MK-II in .338WM, topped with a matte Leupold Vary-X III 2.5-8x. The stock is a Hogue Rubber-Overmolded.
Last edited by Ray; 07/23/06.
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Chuck, it's FORE not four! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Well, this explains why I keep hitting people. When I yell "four", it means nothing to them. I'll start yelling "fore", maybe that will help. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Anyway, in response to the original post, I would have to say a 340wby/338wm is/are probably optimal. I would have to give a shootability tilt to the 338-06 or 35 W.
_________________________________________________________________________
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
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"Four I guess I should of said two"
Ok movie buffs where is this from?
Mark D
"True respect starts with the way you treat others, and it is earned over a lifetime of demonstrating kindness, honor and dignity"....Tony Dungy
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This topic comes up from time to time and it requires a compromise. Now if one does not have the money for more than one gun thats ok with me. We all have to start somewhere. Around here the standard has been the 30-06 for the last century so there is nobody alive who thought of that first. I got my first 30-06 around 1954 and found it good. When the Featherweight 06's came out they got even better. That was 51 years ago so there is nothing new here. It's as if someone here just discovered a 22" 30-06! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> So I would use what was optimum for the game and distance to shoot. Over again Kutenay has suggested rounds like the 338 WM where there is dangerous NA game about. So a prudent person would use a similar round in that land. For woods hunting in the East other guns are best and for long range here again others. Thats what a sportsmans battery is for. To each his own. So there you have it, the 30-06 Springfield is still the best first choice, but it's not optimum for all situations.
All guns should be locked up when not in use!
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I've had mine since 1994.
Winchester 70 FWT pushfeed 30-06 converted to blind magazine, in an old slim HS fiberglass stock, Weaver bases/rings. Goes 6lbs. 4 ozs. empty without scope.
With the right bullets it could do anything I would ever feel like doing in N. America.
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Boy...tough question.
I think there are actually a few good solutions.
Obviously, the old '06 is a good solution. The 300 WM is also a good solution, as well as the 300WSM.
Personally, I think the 338WM is a bit too much, but I do think the 325WSM would be an outstanding choice.
Life is Good....
One trip a week to the range and a family that loves to shoot and hunt.
John
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Karma and Trouble have busses, and there's always an empty seat.
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Put another vote in for the venerable '06!! My custom Penrod lefty M70 is my go to rifle.............. I have recently purchased a lefty M70 in 300 WSM that I look forward to taking on her maiden voyage this weekend!
I could never sell my stainless lefty M70 in 338, especially now that I have a Shilen tube on her and a Bansner stock...I'm in love all over again.
Then, my final rifle is my Wff Hein in 7X57, hopefully I will have her in my sweaty palms soon!
No more fussin', cussin' and throwing money away.......'tis simply time to hunt!
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Brad,
Finn also inspired my big game rifle. It is a Beretta Mato in 30-06 witha Burris Signature Select 3-10x40 scope with Talley QD rings and bases. I still need to add iron sights and a spare Burris Fullfield II 3-9x40 scope. Finn later replaced that rifle in the picture with another Mauser in 30-06 with a Clifton stock with a built in bipod and a Leupold 2.5-8 Vari-X III scope.
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If I could only use one rifle it would be my M99 in .308. Nothing fancy, just a good dependable round in a good dependable rifle.
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My father told me about a fella in the B&C books ( Granvil Fitz?)
That shot everything in North America with a Sprinfield "06 and a fixed low pwer scope.
Sems to have been working for eons !
Many of the newer calibers would do just fine, it would come down to personal preferance, for sure.
Cat
scopes are cool, but slings 'n' irons RULE!
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Grancel Fitz wrote for Outdoor Life, and was a legend, like Herb Klein. Some of his stories are collected in books put out by Outdoor Life.
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Campfire Regular
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This topic comes up from time to time and it requires a compromise. Now if one does not have the money for more than one gun thats ok with me. We all have to start somewhere. Around here the standard has been the 30-06 for the last century so there is nobody alive who thought of that first. I got my first 30-06 around 1954 and found it good. When the Featherweight 06's came out they got even better. That was 51 years ago so there is nothing new here. It's as if someone here just discovered a 22" 30-06! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> So I would use what was optimum for the game and distance to shoot. Over again Kutenay has suggested rounds like the 338 WM where there is dangerous NA game about. So a prudent person would use a similar round in that land. For woods hunting in the East other guns are best and for long range here again others. Thats what a sportsmans battery is for. To each his own. So there you have it, the 30-06 Springfield is still the best first choice, but it's not optimum for all situations. Savage: I agree with you, but for me it's not really a question of having money or not to only use one rifle. I have found that the .338WM can handle any of the game I hunt in Alaska, from deer to bison and the bears in between. It just happens that the first rifle I bought was a Ruger .338WM, and I became accustomed to it. However, I would be perfectly happy with a "Legend" from D'Arcy Echols, as long as it's a .338WM. In fact, that's my dream rifle. If I had a Legend, then I would use that rifle for all my hunting, and turn the Ruger .338 into a .375 Taylor just for the fun of it.
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Too old to suffer fools
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I have the book, quite a coffee table paperweight. I have mixed emotions on the subject book but he did it all, with the 30-06, without the benefit of some of the better bullets available today. As a matter of fact, he used the same bullet and handload for all of the game. I think it was 165 grains, probably a nosler partition.
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I'm pretty sure he used the Nosler Partition for all the game, but he definately switched weights. He used the 165's alot, but he also used either the 200 or 220 for the larger and more dangerous game.
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