I am looking for a rifle with great knockdown power for bear, caribou, elk, moose, deer, well just about all big game. Which caliber rifle will fit best for this, and what kind of accurate distance will iget from them?
The .338 Winchester Magnum will hammer any animal on the planet, with the exception of cape buffalos and elephants, and it has dispatched plenty of those.
Location: On an Island in the west coast of New England
Posts: 13,129
RE: Big game calibers
My next rifle will be a .325 WSM. It will take out pretty much everything in the lower 48 states and then some. Close to the same ballistics as the .338 Win Mag with a little less recoil.
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I shoot everything with the .300 Win Mag. Antelope to elk. I would take it to AK for Griz if I could afford it. I's shoot moose and bison too with no worries if I could draw a tag.
I'm a firm believer in "shoot 'em with a big gun, and you won't have to chase them". BUT! There is a limit to what your shoulder should have to take to achieve this. I believe the .300 WM satisfies all aspects of your search.
Also consider this, the long range balistics for a .338 180gr is identical to the .300 with 180gr. Check it out at Federals sight. They have easy to use and read ballistic info. And, there is more over the counter ammo avail for the .300 than the .338, or any of the other calibers mentioned. If you do roll your own, you know how many 30 caliner bullets there are out there on the market.
I believe the family of short mags is just another way for the gun companies to spice up sales. Other than a shorter action (1/4"?), what's the point?
I firmly believe (cause I've done it) that just about any caliber from .270 on up can and does drop all the big game you have listed. And out here in the west, the two most popular calibers are the 7mm Rem Mag and the .300 WM. Lots of knockdown power, readily variety of ammo, not to tough on the shoulder, all combine to make (for me) the ideal caliber.
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If your talking about all those big game animals stick with .30 caliber or larger. Really it all comes down to shot placement . Learn the vital areas of whatever your after. As mentioned the .325 wsm and .338 are great cartridges.The .375H&H is overkill for mostbig game in North americaand you dont need all that power unless your after big bears like grizzlys. But it will do the trick for sure with minimal if any tracking if you want to shell out$65.00 or more for 20 shells, and have a large enough frame to handle the serious recoil. The 30-06 has relatively light recoil and has taken every big game animal in North America as well. Best of all you can find ammo for it anywhere. Everyone stocks it.Bullet weights range from 130 grains up to 220 grains with both pointed bullets and round nose bullets. It all boils down to personal choice and what you can shoot well.
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Remington 7600 30-06 carbine
T/C Omega 50 cal
I'll second the vote for the Whelen. It can produce higher velocities with lighter bullets like the 180 grainers, but can handle bullets of up to 300 grains if you can get them. It has the legendary knock down power of the .35 bore, but doesn't hurt your shoulder like the big magnums. It can even be had in a quick shooter if you're hunting the thick stuff in the east.
It can shoot accurately and effectively beyond my ability to shoot it, but others would probably be better able to comment on those aspects.
Big game calibers
somebody is going to get
so lets sit back
and enjoy the
