if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

i want to get a high powered rifle for hunting big game. something that will handle elk and grizz. i don't want to buy 2 or 3 guns right now so i just want one that will do the trick for all the north amer. big game. I'm looking at the 30-06, 7mm, 338 and so on. what would you guys recommend if you could only have one gun to hunt all the big boys:)thanks for the replies and good luck to all this season.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

All your options are good ones, but give me the 30-06! Ammo anywhere I choose to go, can't say that for the others.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

To handle everything, 45-70 or sluggun.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

To handle everything from Grizzly to deer and antelope I would, with out a doubt, pick a .338 of some kind.

If Grizzly are not going to be part of the bag then a 300 WSM would be my choice.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

300 rum or 338 rum. The 300 rum is my favorite gun I will be buried with it I do beleive. But I think the 338 win mag would also do the trick like bigbulls said

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

Same here!:)

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

I would stick with the good old 375H&H and be covered for any game in the world I just got one for Sambar deer and Water Buff but I will likely use it for Camels and Donkeys and all of my Red deer shooting as well.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

It's neat to get someone on here from another part of the world.

We always talk about deer, bears, elk, and moose, etc...

I never thought that camels and donkeys would be considered game animals. Kinda cool. ;)

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

I have a donkey I just never thought they were a game animal. What the hell did I buy that noisy bastard for anyway. She he huhs all the time are they actually pretty wild over there.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

300win mag

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

I dont hunt large bears so I would flip a coin tween my 270 and 7-08.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

Yep the only real big game over here are Red and Sambar deer, donkeys, camels, Brumbies (a wild horse) Scrub Bulls (wild cattle) Water Buffalo and we are the only country left in the world to have a wild Banteng herd.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

.340 Wby. Mag. ;);)Good luck.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

Yep "1 world, 1 gun" without question my big game pick would be a .375HittemHard.

BUT then again, if you can jet around the globe chasing big game I think you have the means for more than one rifle!!! ;)
RA

ps
If all I could have was one gun I would want it to be a simple single shot 12ga. That would easily take my head cleanly off with a single round!!!

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

If you're staying in America, and away from Mr. Griz. The 30-06. (Now, since I don't really like long range hunting, and I like to handload In reality I might go with a 8mm-06 in lever action...but I'll keep dreaming.)

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

In that i will never hunt the big stuff, i think i will just stick with my rem 700 in 280 caliber.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

325 WSM

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

a 4.5' green hickory with a quick taper tip, but with plenty of back bone, that should do for any big game i'd ever go for up to grizzies[:-]

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

If grizzly weren't on the menu, I might go with the ol' 6.5x55 Swede. But for Grizzly's too, I'd take a .35 Whelen.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

Question: Isn't the 300 WM enough for Grizzly? I know it would kill it but would it have enough umph to keep them away?

Thanks
Tom

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

Yes the 300 WM is enough gun for grizzly. Since many have been taken with the 30-06 and even smaller cartridges, The 300 WM would certainly do the job. The 300 WM would be about as good as a one gun battery gets. I am however iumpressed with the ballistics of the 325 WSM as mentioned above, the 8MM-06 would be right on its heels. Take out grizzly and I would take the 30-06 or 270. Would make little difference which one.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

300, 338, 375 mag of any flavor

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

30-06 like they said ammo can be found anywhere, its cheap, and it`ll knock down anything id ever have the urge to try and kill.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

I like my 7mm Remington Magnum. Shoots flat, hits hard, ammo is available everywhere and pretty cheap. Recoil doesn't hurt. Not hunting big bear, so that will kill anything I am ever likely to run into.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

Without a question it would be my 45/70.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

HOWITZER!!

Bigoleindian

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

7mm remington. It is good enough to shoot grizzly,elk and moose. I have a B/Bar in 7mm and my buddy borrows it to shoot all of the above on his hunting trip 4-5 years ago and it stop eveyone in there tracks. 7mm will shoot flatter than 30-06,300, and 338.As far as Ammos goes it is everywhere, I haven't found a gun shop or sporting store that carry guns and don't have 7mm remington on the shelf.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

How quickly folks "strip away" the original parameters of the thread and "dumb down" the species list involved vs. the rifle required to where it can be said, "Yeah, what I've got in the closet now." Not necessarily good or bad, but entertaining to watch.

Only one?
Elk and grizzly bears? (you including brownies in there?)

375 H&H

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

The 7mm Rem. mag. loaded with 175 grain Nosler partitions will easily take out the biggest bears. You need good penetration on big bears to stop them, and the 175 NP does this very well... In fact, it out penetrates most of the bigger bullets, most hunters "think" are so great. (like the .375 270 grain ect..)

Drilling Man

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

ditto that's why i got my 30-06

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

I would pick the 7mm

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

I will take my Blaser R-93 in 375 H&H.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

I've asked this question before and the answer I always got was that 338 win mag is the min for grizzley. But still ideal for elk, moose, etc. Plus it's very versatile. Just my 2 cents.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

I would go with the 30-06, im just about to get me one and ive heard some good things bout it.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

If you're looking for a one gun solution, you're asking for a compromise. For Grizzly, you want a BIG boy! I don't personally like heavy recoiling guns, but this is an application to make an exception. I've heard .338 ??? For all the rest of the game there are so many better choices. You could end up with a gun that will take the grizzly down and live with a punishing recoil bad boy for all the rest...where you'll spend more time. Reconsider getting two instead. One of them could be a Savage with a Burris Fullfield II scope. It wouldn't cost you a fortune to make all your hunting a lot more pleasurable.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

For a one gun hunting senario the 30-06 would by my choice...
For Grizzly I wanta least a 200gr premium bullet...This combo has taken Grizzlys before
along with proper shot placement...
BUT THATS HUNTING THEM.....:)

Hunting bear is alotdifferent than encountering oneface to face unexpectedly...
No matter what distance they are...They cover ground quickly...
AND ARE FULL ADRENALIN..
I know.:D:D:DI've been there...

I've only encountered one bear it was in late NovemberI was hunting moose...
Not expecting to see any bears this late in the year especially in the high elevation I was hunting.
I let my guard down...
ON the way back to camp late one afternoon I walk straight into a Grizz (that was walking with his head down)..
I put my gun up right at about the same time he lifted his head to look at me...
LUCKY FOR ME THE BEAR TOOK OFF IN THE SAME DIRECTION HE CAME FROM
I HAD A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WALK BACK TO MY CAMP (IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN)[:'(]:D

I had my 30-06 loaded with 180gr.TBBC but I THANK CHRIST THAT THE BEAR FLED...:D
CAUSE I WAS UNDERGUNNED I KNEW IT AND I FELT IT...

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

375H&H has about the same felt recoil as a 7mmrem mag IMO so thats why I chose one. When hunting big game you only fire 1 or 2 shots every now and then so you might as well hit em hard and make suer they go down for good then again when shooting at big game I never feel recoil anyway but watching something get hammered by a 270-300gr pill inspires a lot of confidence.

RE: if you had to own just 1 high powered gun
 

30.06 or 7 mm