Cartridge & rifle choice - game specific !

[NewToCali]

Like many others I too have multiple rifles that range from .243, .270, 30-30, 30-06, and 7mm Rem Mag. I however for the last several years have found myself reaching for the tried & true 7mm Rem Mag. Not because I believe this caliber outperforms the others, we all know that some are more practical than others for specific situations (i.e. Hogs in the South Georgia swamps or coyotes in the Mojave Desert). What it boils down to is confidence, I am more confident with my 7mm Mag than any other rifle I own.
I truly believe that regardless of caliber or brand, confidence in ones gear is the greatest contributor to success in the field aside from preparation and opportunity.

 

[luckynv]

Thompson Center Encore-Black powder and lots of centerfire barrels- .223 to 45-70. Love my 7mm-08, Love the .375 H&H, have not tried the 416 Rigby or 338 Win Mag yet. The 12 guage with turkey loads works. These guns once you figure them out are scary accurate!! God Bless ya'll

 

[HuskyMusky]

223 Zombies, coyotes
243 coyote, antelope, deer backup
270 antelope, deer, bear,
300 win.mag elk, bear,
340 wby. elk, moose,

 

[memtb]

As a new member, I?ll revive an old thread! While we have a multitude of rifles/handguns, I am a ?one gun? (excluding my handgun) hunter. My wife is also, a ?one gun? hunter. We choose calibers, that can be used for all North American game, and most African game. We use one bullet, one load, and one zero for all hunting. If we were hunting exclusively in dense timber, we would likely change the zero. However, our hunting covers a multitude of terrain and ranges (very close to 500 yards).....hence the ?zero? system we use! memtb

 

[Prerylyon]

Well, this is what a cheap guy that lives 1,000 miles away from the front range used/uses to kill 1 mule deer and 1 antelope , so far in his journey as a western hunter:

30+ yr old Win Mdl 70; .280 Rem, 22" bbl

Bullets: Sierra GK HPBT (used on the mule deer), Speer BTSP (used on the antelope), Speer GS (there is an elk somewhere with a death wish waiting for this one)

[emoji38]

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[JimP]

I have a number of rifles and calibers that I could say would be just the one gun for everything from rabbits up to the larger plains game in Africa. But the question is why, that would be so boring just having one rifle in one caliber to do everything. Now back when I was young and couldn't afford much I used my old 30-06 for everything from rabbits up to elk and it worked quite well. But then I found that there were better rabbit guns and elk rifles and calibers out there so I started to add to my collection.

I now have rabbit guns, deer guns, elk guns, and quite a few inbetween. I have bolt actions, single shots, and lever guns that also fit the bill from rabbits up to elk and even the big bears.

Life would be way too boring to just be able to pull one rifle out of the safe and go hunt anything. But then I have a few that I can do that with also.

 

[memtb]

JimP, Same Caliber since 1983, same rifle and cartridge since 1990. I did change bullet weights about 5 years ago! Have been pretty successful with it! The wife has used same rifle/caliber/bullet weight....since 1995! She’s done pretty well, also! I know, quite boring....but effective! memtb

 

[JimP]

I just learned over the years that there are rounds that will do a lot of things better than others. Granted my old 06 will handle anything that I have shot in my life. From parrie dogs in Wyoming to the African plains game that I have shot.

But I have also learned that shooting parrie dogs is a lot more fun with a 22-250 or similar caliber than they are with one that you are tired of shooting after 100 rounds are shot downrange. Likewise when that trophy bull elk steps out at 600+ yards with no way to get closer that old 06 is going to be a marginal caliber for the shot, if you want to make a clean kill.

The old saying of beware of the person that only has one rifle because he knows how to use it also applies to those of us who have multiple rifles and calibers.

 

[RICMIC]

Elk - .338 WM, 185 gr. Barnes TSX reloads (so far four 6x6 bulls)
cow elk - 30-06 Rem. Corelokt (1 so far)
mule deer - .300 WM (2x)
- 30-06 (Tika super lite, 2x)
- 50 cal. muzzle-loader (1x)
Antelope- 30-06 (5x)
.243 (2x)
Bison - 7mm mag. (1x)

**I find myself using the Tika 30-06 more and more. Why? Because it shoots real good, ammo is dirt cheep and I can shoot it a lot, it's light (5.8# w/o scope), light recoil, SS and composite stock make it almost weather proof. Head shot a rabbit while antelope hunting last year, and many white-tails in MN. Will be going with the MZL on an elk hunt in CO this year. Might try out the new .223 for doe antelope,coyote,prarie dogs, rabbits,stink bugs, etc. in WY.

 

[hunter25]

Have used a 7 mag for many years with barnes 160tsx.
Added a 300 win mag last year with 165 hornady gmx for taking to alaska. Used it on antelope, deer and caribou this last year.
35 Whelen when conditions are shorter and tighter. Killed a moose and a deer with that.
Backup is a 270 wsm and my first rifle I ever owned is always ready in 30-06 if ever needed.

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[Colorado Cowboy]

Antelope/deer= .25-06, Ruger M77 bought in 1971 or 72, Topped with a Leupold VXlll 4 x 14 with Leupold ballistic turret. Handload 117 gr Sierra Game King BT. 3250 fps.

Elk & larger = .300 Wby, custom commercial Mauser action, Shilen match SS barrel. Topped with a Leupold VXlll 4 x 14 with a Leupold ballistic turret. Handload with 180 gr Nosler Partition. 3300 fps.

Backup= .30-06 custom on a military Springfield 03 action with military barrel. Topped with a VXlll 3 x 9 Leupold with a Leupold ballistic turret. !50 gr Sierra Game King BT. 3100 fps

Varmints/prairie dogs= .220 AI Swift. on a custom Springfield 03 action, Shillen match SS barrel. Topped with a Leupold 6 x 18. handloads with a Sierra MatchKing 53 gr HPBT bullet. 4130 fps.

That's it guys. Been hunting with the same guns for 30 or 40 years.

 

[HuskyMusky]

.243 Win. - 85gr TSX - for Antelope and Coyotes, and maybe deer or deer backup rifle,

I think in the future my main 2 gun battery will be a .270win and 300wsm, I'm liking shorter barrels, lightweight, but not ultralight, nor heavy.

I have a 270win, 300win.mag., 340wby if need be.

340wby was kind of the long range elk stomper amongst future Moose etc...

I'd like a 375H&H, just to have and for certain, but of course I also want a 416 rigby and 458 lott as well. perhaps one day I'll have a need to use them, worst case you could break them out on a random deer hunt etc... just to have some success with each.

 

[mallardsx2]

Varmints/prairie dogs= .220 AI Swift. on a custom Springfield 03 action, Shillen match SS barrel. Topped with a Leupold 6 x 18. handloads with a Sierra MatchKing 53 gr HPBT bullet. 4130 fps.

Shiza....thats fast.
My dad reloads Sierra MatchKing 52 gr HPBT bullets in his 22-250.
Its just a Rem 788....but glass bedded and its a shooter with those bullets..

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Shiza....thats fast.
My dad reloads Sierra MatchKing 52 gr HPBT bullets in his 22-250.
Its just a Rem 788....but glass bedded and its a shooter with those bullets..

It does shoot! I built the stock also.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

.308 Javelina
.308 Deer
.308 Elk
all with 165gr boatail
never needed more.

 

[tx2019]

Ruger M77 in .300 Win Mag with 180gr TTSX. There isn't much this side of cape buffalo that you can't take with that combo

 

[taskswap]

30-06 Browning X-Bolt, 165gr Hornady SST. Any animal bigger than a rabbit and smaller than a whale.

These threads are better fun-time-wasters than Candy Crush

 

[Plainsman]

These threads are better fun-time-wasters than Candy Crush

Agreed! for me, .300 Win Mag with 180 gr. pills, mixed variety depending on the mood I guess. Haven't found a good reason to change yet!

 

[tdub24]

7mm-08 Remington 788 140 grains Remington Accutip - antelope, deer, (killed one elk)
270WSM Remington 700 150 grains Winchester Ballistic Silvertips - elk
6.5 Creedmoor Browning Xbolt 143 grains Hornady ELD-X - antelope, deer, elk
270 Remington 700 130 grains Remington Scirocco - deer, elk
243 Lever Action Savage open sights 100 grains Remington Core Lokt - antelope, deer
30-30 Marlin Lever Action open sights 150 grains Remington Core Lokt - antelope, deer
Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunte Muzzleloader - antelope, deer, elk

There are a few more but basically any of my rifles would get used for any animal if I draw a tag, just depends on the day. Typically I draw the archery tags I apply for so I will be using my new Bowtech Realm SR6 for that.

 

[BKC]

Perhaps a new version of the time tested question !

What do you shoot for the following, gun, cartridge and load ?

Antelope (pronghorn) - I shoot a ULA mod 20 in 257 Ack with 115 gr AB

White Tailed deer (east) - Wild west Guns Guide gun converted to takedown in 45-70, 350 gr Hornady FP
ULA mod 20 in 284 Win 140gr AB

Mule deer - ULA mod 24 in 280 AI (non Sammi) 150 Scirocco or 160 Part

Elk - Jarrett in 300 weatherby 180 gr Scirocco

280AI I also have a ULA model 20 in .284. I use it for antelope and deer. My elk rifle is a ruger 77r markII in 300 win. mag.
the best part of the ULA is when someone picks it up. They look at it and have a weird look on their face. No one can believe it is that light.