Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters hind sight and wisdom of age

Dr. Howell,
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<br>I have been reading the Prudent pressure in modern rifles and do not wish to go over any of the points there, since they are covered very well indeed. But it did get me to thinking again.
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<br>I love to hunt and for me a rifle is for hunting. I know from your life you have used rifles alot for hunting and that you have been involed with ballistics for sometime. What I am woundering is given looking back and all that you have experienced and know now, what would you chose for rifle(s) and cartidges for the following...
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<br>Varmits up to coyote size
<br>Deer and parie goats size
<br>Larger then deer non-dangerous up to moose
<br>large dangerous stuff
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<br>I know we can all get 'many' a rifle and cartidge for specific conditions, but I am think along the lines of fewest that would cover these.
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<br>My mind goes to two..
<br>a 6.5-06 for Varimits and deer sized (kind of like the ol 256 Newton)
<br>and a 375 RUM for the other stuff.
<br>Both would be loaded to moderate pressures, roughly 50,000 psi or less.

Pick, I'd be well satisfied with two cartridges for anything and everything from gophers and prairie dogs through the huge coastal bears of Alaska. If I were going after Cape buffalo or elephant, I'd add a third.
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<br>For varmints through deer, antelope, and caribou, I'd choose my .220 Howell with 75- or 80-grain bullets. Despite prevailing opinion about .224s on these smaller big game, this cartridge and others like it have proved in the field to be impressively deadly on this class of big game.
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<br>For the bigger American game, I'd love to be able to choose either my .340, .350, or .380 Howell -- but these require their own brass for best results, and I'm afraid their brass is soon to be unavailable. (Hope not!) As a second choice in this category, then, I'd go with the .338-.280 RCBS or the .358 Norma Magnum.
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<br>For the biggest nasties, I'd be confident and comfortable with the .458 Winchester Magnum or (better) with either my .416 Howell (100 ft/sec faster than the justly famous Rigby, from a 2-1/2-inch case) or .450 Howell (my .416 with a bigger mouth).