What Is Your Favorite All Around Caliber...And Why????

AKaviator

Veteran member
Jul 26, 2012
1,819
1,083
375h&h! It's accurate with any load I give it from 235 grain to 300. Will cleanly kill snowshoe hares to Brown bear! Great caliber!!
 

6mm Remington

Very Active Member
Mar 27, 2011
972
29
Western Montana
My 30-06 or .280AI. Both are well balanced accurate cartridges that you can hunt everything in North America except maybe the larger brown bears. Even at that the 30-06 loaded with a 200 gr. Accubond or Partition would work.
 

ScottR

Eastmans' Staff / Moderator
Staff member
Feb 3, 2014
7,846
2,706
www.eastmans.com
My 30-06 or .280AI. Both are well balanced accurate cartridges that you can hunt everything in North America except maybe the larger brown bears. Even at that the 30-06 loaded with a 200 gr. Accubond or Partition would work.
I will admit that the old .30-06 has a pretty special place in my heart.
 

JimP

Administrator
Mar 28, 2016
7,220
8,528
71
Gypsum, Co
I have quite a few different ones that I use for different animals.

But if I would pick just one it would be my .340 Weatherby. It is a fantastic long range round and will get the job done at any distance that I can shoot. All the animals that I have shot with it would of been one shot kills but I live by the motto that if the animal is still standing keep pumping rounds into it.

The smallest animal that I have shot with it was a spring buck in South Africa and I carried it with confidence on my grizzly hunt in British Colombia.
 

sneakypete

Veteran member
Aug 9, 2011
2,812
249
Oakdale Ca.
Mine is the 7mm, I really like the versatility of the round. Though I only shoot 175 grain rounds it's been a very accurate around and gun for me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bowedark

Colorado Cowboy

Super Moderator
Jun 8, 2011
8,218
4,541
83
Dolores, Colorado
If I had to pick just one, it would be hard for me to pick between my 30-06 and .300 Wby. I think it would be the .300 because of better performance with 180 gr and above bullets.

I shoot a 25-06 on deer, antelope and feral hogs and love the caliber, but I don't think it has enough oomph (shooting a 117 gr bullet) for elk or moose.
 
Last edited:

Bruce Mc

New Member
Mar 10, 2011
15
2
Edna, Texas
Make mine a .270 win. An all around for me would be a rifle mainly for deer that can stretch to elk. And this opinion has changed over the years. A decade ago I could go along with the 300 mag as the all around and my go to rifle was a model 70 7mm rem mag, but as time goes by I find the lighter less recoiling .270 win a bit more to my liking. A 130gr of any flavor for deer and such up to a 150 or 160 partition for Elk. But I'll temper my opinion with the fact that I've only been elk hunting twice and have not been successful.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bingo and WyoKid85

Work2hunt

Veteran member
Mar 2, 2013
1,366
11
St. Louis, MO
I like my 280. 140gr handloads with R19 powder and nosler partitions has been lethal on deer, elk, antelope, and bear. I also like a lighter recoil.
 

Alabama

Veteran member
Feb 18, 2013
1,393
190
Sweet Home Alabama
7mm Rem Mag: Good bullet selection and will cleanly kill anything North America has to offer except maybe brown bear/grizzly. Good caliber for my needs as I've never shot at an animal over 400 yards.
 

Ikeepitcold

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 22, 2011
9,947
1,519
Reno Nv
300 Win Mag

Ammo is very available pretty much anywhere

Great ballistics

I have went to all 300 so I don't have multiple different brands and loads.
 

Timberstalker

Veteran member
Feb 1, 2012
2,242
6
Bend, Or
I really like my 280AI but I have to hand load for it. I wouldn’t consider any non standard caliber a good “all around” caliber.
.270, 30-06,7mm, .300 Win Mag. Anything else is ego or just plain wanting to be different.
 

Tim McCoy

Veteran member
Dec 15, 2014
1,855
4
Oregon
My fav all around cartridge is the 280 Remington. Mine launches 145gr LRX's over 3,000fps, loves 175gr partitions too. Nothing in NA I can't effectively take with it. Lethal, moderate recoil, plenty of range, no magnum muzzle blast. Suits me well. Plenty of ammo available too, but if that's a concern, a 270 or 30-06 are similar stable mates.

My fav hunting round is a 25-06. Pole axes medium game and with the right pills is lethal on elk. If I was just starting out, I might very well develop a relationship with a svelte 6.5CM and keep a 30-06 around for anything mean or larger than an elk.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sawfish

ScottR

Eastmans' Staff / Moderator
Staff member
Feb 3, 2014
7,846
2,706
www.eastmans.com
I really like my 280AI but I have to hand load for it. I wouldn’t consider any non standard caliber a good “all around” caliber.
.270, 30-06,7mm, .300 Win Mag. Anything else is ego or just plain wanting to be different.
And because we love to shoot we will keep buying them and keep the industry looking for new options.
 

xtreme

Very Active Member
Feb 25, 2011
859
4
Searcy, Arkansas 72143
I am set up for 168 go Berger for my 7mm. Looking back I wish I had done the 180, however I have enough RWS 177 to last me. I can and do use Remington Core-Lokt, mostly 150. The Berger has proven to 2nd most accurate, RWS beats it. I like reloading and my brother and I have a dedicated reloading room with everything we need. We did that for insurance when it looked like the government would make it impossible to find ammo. I love shooting the Bergers.
Shooting brown Bear is not going to happen so why go to a punishing caliber? Matter of fact with a do over I would probably be 25-06