HuntingNet.com Forums - Choosing a rifle caliber

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Quote:

Originally Posted by CalHunter (Post 4319073)

I've been rereading the 2 posts above which were originally posted in that order, one right after the other. OT, I believe softdown's emboldened statements above indicate that he both used to own a 45-70, created reloads for it and shot it, through 1/4" steel plates no less. He said it makes a large hole and is a great brush gun. and he even said he wishes he would have hung on to his (45-70).

Aside from it being just about impossible for any of us to restrict ourselves to owning just 1 gun (what a nightmare), I think both of us would likely recommend another caliber for a more general purpose gun for hunting the lower 48. I will always have a 45-70 and someday hope to take bison and bear with it but my 270 has worked quite well for deer, black bear and coyotes.

I tend to call plates steel. Looking back on it, it was probably an iron plate. The .308 loads hardly dented it as I said. However....as a loader, I can't specify the velocity of those .308 "custom" loads. Using different pressure levels is part of the attraction of loading.

Being responsible.... Don't try this as irreparable damage may result. In fact, I think my test gun may have loosened up a bit in the hinge. Didn't effect safety, may have possibly effected accuracy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahamburg (Post 4317382)

I’m going to purchase a rifle, and I know how cliche this may sound, but I want one that can do it all. I want to be able to hunt anything from a hog up to a bear. From what I’ve seen, a .308 can do this, but any other suggestions? Also, I do know, any bullet will really do the trick as long as you place it in the right spot.

"HOG TO A BEAR" This qualifies your question and defines your needs. You are not hunting big game like Elk, Moose, Grizzly, etc And you are hunting North America with no trips to Africa. No long range hunting as we do out west (400 yds +).
Given those parameters . . . A nice Marlin 30-30 would be my choice. I specify Marlin because it has a side eject port and you can put a scope on it to aid in a 200 - 300 yard capability. 30-30 ammo is affordable, store bought ammo in 140 - 170 grain or the more popular Hornady 160 grain LERVERevolution, and it is fun to shoot at the range. Won't kill your shoulder. 30-30's have probably killed more game than any other caliber over the years.

I agree - 30-06 is the best all around caliber

Hard to argue that the 30-06 isn't one the best all-around caliber. But, for me my choice is the 358 Win. There is a good selection hunting bullets (from 180 grain to 250 grain) and the cartridge is very efficient. I've found that the 358 is really easy to reload and works well with a number of different powders (TAC, Varget, Win 748 and others). Like the 30-06, you can hunt most any game in NA. My 358 pretty much shoots everything I reload well and the fact that it is a short action rifle is a real plus for me.