One rifle for North American big game?

[Hunter-Habib]

@Hunter-Habib
African grizzly bears???? Where do you hunt them
Bob

I must be getting imbalanced, Bobby. I meant to write "American grizzly bears".

 

[Shooter375]

28 Nosler like this one.

 

[degoins]

Another vote for the boring old '06.

 

[BeeMaa]

28 Nosler like this one.View attachment 601519

I like the rail scope, but .284 is a little light for the big bears of NA. Granted, shot placement is king, but that scope isn't going to help with a follow-up shot walking through the alders.

 

[degoins]

Oh I forgot about the scope. Fixed 4X Leupold.

 

[Scott CWO]

28 Nosler like this one.View attachment 601519

For brown bear? I don’t think anything under 30 caliber would be considered a caliber for all NA game.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I must be getting imbalanced, Bobby. I meant to write "American grizzly bears".

@Hunter-Habib
I know the feeling mate
I recently bought a pair of slippers with memory foam in them. Well stuff me when I have them in I can even remember what I went to the kitchen for.
Bob

 

[Hunter-Habib]

@Hunter-Habib
I know the feeling mate
I recently bought a pair of slippers with memory foam in them. Well stuff me when I have them in I can even remember what I went to the kitchen for.
Bob

Maybe someday you'll forget that you hate the .243 Winchester (hopefully) !

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Hello,

Wondering if any North American hunters can help me out.
I am wondering if anyone could suggest a rifle to sort of "do it all" for North American big game.

The main things I will hunt with it are Whitetail Deer and Wild Hogs in Florida.
However, there are other hunts I plan to do with this ride - out in the west for pronghorn, elk, and mule deer - as well as black bear somewhere further north.

First of all, what caliber would be suggested to take all these species? On average they will be 100-200 pound animals, so it needs to b comfortable to us for that - while still having the power to handle a 500+ pound elk.

As far as rifle action, weight, barrel length, and scope variation - what would you suggest? It's got to be comfortable in denser cover for hunting Florida, but still able to take game to 250+ yards for pronghorn and mule deer.

Can't wait to hear your suggestions.
Drew

Well Drew, you asked this question almost 6 years ago. You got a lot of good recommendations. What did you opt for?

Cheers,

Doug

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Maybe someday you'll forget that you hate the .243 Winchester (hopefully) !

@Hunter-Habib
NEVER. As long as my bum points to the ground I will dislike it and they only way my bum won't point to the ground is if'n I'm burried face down
Bob

 

[Forrest Halley]

I like the rail scope, but .284 is a little light for the big bears of NA. Granted, shot placement is king, but that scope isn't going to help with a follow-up shot walking through the alders.

It hauls freight, but there is a big difference between a 180-240 grain .308 and some .284. Flat... out to...won't cut the mustard.

@Hunter-Habib
I know the feeling mate
I recently bought a pair of slippers with memory foam in them. Well stuff me when I have them in I can even remember what I went to the kitchen for.
Bob

Those slippers remember what life was like before you stood in them... longingly.

Maybe someday you'll forget that you hate the .243 Winchester (hopefully) !

When that happens they'll shut him in a home.

@Hunter-Habib
NEVER. As long as my bum points to the ground I will dislike it and they only way my bum won't point to the ground is if'n I'm buried face down
Bob

Or if you get a 6.5 Manbun...then your bum will point to every rainbow...

 

[86thecat]

Hello,

Wondering if any North American hunters can help me out.
I am wondering if anyone could suggest a rifle to sort of "do it all" for North American big game.

The main things I will hunt with it are Whitetail Deer and Wild Hogs in Florida.
However, there are other hunts I plan to do with this ride - out in the west for pronghorn, elk, and mule deer - as well as black bear somewhere further north.

First of all, what caliber would be suggested to take all these species? On average they will be 100-200 pound animals, so it needs to b comfortable to us for that - while still having the power to handle a 500+ pound elk.

As far as rifle action, weight, barrel length, and scope variation - what would you suggest? It's got to be comfortable in denser cover for hunting Florida, but still able to take game to 250+ yards for pronghorn and mule deer.

Can't wait to hear your suggestions.
Drew

Depends where you plan on hunting. When in bear country, I carry a 375R or heavier. Some areas, a shot is like ringing the dinner bell for cleanup of the gut pile. If only one rifle, it would be a 375R or H&H with 23 or 24" barrel and a 2-7x or 1-8x scope on good QD rings for using irons after making a kill or in camp in case things go bump in the night.
Many say when in DG country to carry a DG rifle, I feel the same about Wy, Mt, etc bear country.

 

[wvfred]

30-06 has the best assortment of rifles and ammunition by far.It's a boring cartridge as it is so common but there is a reason for that....it is that good.

 

[JimP]

Along the lines of a 06 I'd go with a 7mm Rem Mag. You can get 175 gr bullets which are plenty for a bear or shoot 160's for any other North American game animals. The only other one that I would recommend for a beginner would be a 300 Win mag.

Years ago I was taking to a very well known Alaskan Brown bear outfitter and asked him about what cartridge to bring since I had a 7mm Rem mag, he just said "one that I can shoot very accurately"

He had too many people show up with the heaver 338's to 375's that couldn't shoot them well enough to hit a paper plate at 100 yards.

 

[AWLee]

6.5x55 & 7x57 are proven performers and the best choice in metric measurements.

270 Winchester & 30/06 are proven performers for everything in North America if you prefer imperial measurement.

I have friends who have hunted literally everything in North America with each of the four above cartridges. All are perfectly adequate. None are superior to the other in my opinion. The only argument which can be made against the metric cartridges is ammo and case availability.

 

[colorado]

270 Win Will kill anything on your list and more. Light recoil, hits hard down range.

 

[375Ruger416]

OP asks for all NA game up to and including black bears and elk. IMO, anything from a 270 and up is a fine choice.

Add in the big bears and I think a 30 cal magnum and larger is a better all around choice PROVIDED the hunter can shoot them accurately. Otherwise, the most powerful cartridge they can shoot well. Me, I’d take my 300 PRC or 375 H&H for a one gun for everything in NA.

 

[Alaska Luke]

If all my guns burned tomorrow here is what I'd do.

I'd get a compact Tikka in 308 put a Trijicon 2.5-10 scope on it and be set. If I traveled a lot I'd have a 2nd scope with QD rings or I'd add sturdy iron sites. Eventually I'd look for a suppressor. Any extra money would be for practice ammo. I would not feel the need for more unless I shot past 400 yards (not now) or I was hunting brown bear. But even then.... I saw a 308 do real damage on a moose recently. I'd like to try it on a bear and see.

 

[Forrest Halley]

Depends where you plan on hunting. When in bear country, I carry a 375R or heavier. Some areas, a shot is like ringing the dinner bell for cleanup of the gut pile. If only one rifle, it would be a 375R or H&H with 23 or 24" barrel and a 2-7x or 1-8x scope on good QD rings for using irons after making a kill or in camp in case things go bump in the night.
Many say when in DG country to carry a DG rifle, I feel the same about Wy, Mt, etc bear country.

I definitely don't worry with the .375 along. A handful for ammunition solves a lot of problems.

270 Win Will kill anything on your list and more. Light recoil, hits hard down range.

How come you've got that smoochy maiden .500 then? How come she's still a maiden after all that smooching you've been doing?

If all my guns burned tomorrow here is what I'd do.

I'd get a compact Tikka in 308 put a Trijicon 2.5-10 scope on it and be set. If I traveled a lot I'd have a 2nd scope with QD rings or I'd add sturdy iron sites. Eventually I'd look for a suppressor. Any extra money would be for practice ammo. I would not feel the need for more unless I shot past 400 yards (not now) or I was hunting brown bear. But even then.... I saw a 308 do real damage on a moose recently. I'd like to try it on a bear and see.

I'd feel just fine on a bear with a 180 grain or better .308 or .30-06 if I got to call the play. If I have to react to something, I feel a lot less confident about it. Things aren't always DRT with a .308. There's a high probability of it, but I will definitely send two.

 

[CZDiesel]

338 Win Mag! From Coues Deer to Polar Bear! There are many many cartridges that will get the job done! From 44Mag to 30-30 and from 270 and 30-06! Of course ther is the venerable 7mm REM Mag and the 300 Win Mag! But the best and most authoritative is the 338 Win Mag! I think this covers all the bases…