There probably over fifteen calibers ...
 

that have taken bear and deer in the continental U.S.

Old hunters mostly used a few calibers. Who buys fifteen calibers and uses rhem ? Most hunters try a few. And those are their favorites. The rifles worked.

Decades ago, .270 got a reputation for a western U.S. cartridge by writer Jack O'Connor. I never did think of it as an eastern cartridge after that.
One caliber became an unfavorable to me. An acquaintance shot a deer with one caliber; the deer ran over the hill and was downed by a hunter with a 30-30.
I could never shake that memory and never bought that caliber.
I never did find out how bad a shot he was.

And that's one story how we come to liking certain calibers.

It takes a number of preference points for a resident here in MI to get a bear license in most units and with a 2% cap on nonresidents I seriously doubt that they'll need to worry about what caliber to use in the near future.

Mostly great replys!!!! I have forwarded this info on and will let them do the math after that.
I told him that I would lean the 308 route for I know after 10's of thousands of rounds from it, what it can and not do. I will build some lighter loads and let her start from there and see what comes of it. Thanks again.

Isn't that the truth !!! :poke:

270 or 308 will do all that is asked and more.

Well, I used to do a little blood tracking. Most hunters had used a bow, but .270 was the most common rifle round. Never did have a 30/30, or 25/06 though.:confused0024:

The shortest track was a 30/06 by the way. More a case of vision then marksmanship that time.

ATB

Close your eyes and play eeny, meeny, miny, moe or flip a coin. Six in on hand half dozen on the other. Either way the animal will be dead as long as you do your part.