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NA big game cartridge

geeguy
I was asked to give a recommendation for a NA Big Game cartridge (elk, bear, moose)to a friend for a new rifle. His choices are 7mm Rem Mag, 30-06, .300 Win Mag, .300 Weatherby Mag, .338 Win Mag.

I had used (many years ago) a .338 Win Mag, although there is quite a bit of drop when in excess of 300 yds. In viewing the ballistics it appears the .300 Weatherby Mag would be a good selection.

Anyone currently hunting NA big game, what do you recommend?

Edit: I had recommended the .30-06 because of the wide range of bullet selection and it is not a belted case when reloading (he is a new reloader). I have used the .308 for Whitetail and the .338 WM for Elk, I was concerned that I may be under gunning him for Bear or Moose with a .30-06.

Thanks for the recommendations.
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • 317wc
    .30-06 has been the classic NA caliber just about since it came up. .300 Win. Mag is probably second. .300 Weatherby I believe fits in the so called "extra-long" action, which increases the weight of the rifle and of course recoil and some will say that round also has a shorter barrel life. .338 Mag. would be nice but not really essential, and you probably wouldn't be shooting past 300 yards with it.

    I'd say go with the .30-06 and if you friend feels that isn't enough, bump up to the .300 Win Mag.

    Edit: Forgot to say .30 Govt and .300 WinMag ammo can be found in just about any gunshop, hardware store, Walmart, anywhere that sells ammo. So that might be a factor.
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  • Horse Plains Drifter
    Agree with 317.
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  • 11b6r
    If 30-06 will not kill it, then
    a) you are in Africa
    b) it is an armored vehicle, or
    c) you are shooting at a whale.
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  • MG1890
    .30-06 for the average hunter shooting at normal shooting ranges. .300 Win Mag for the guys with superior equipment and skills looking to reach a little further and retain a little more energy.
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  • charliemeyer007
    I'll take my 7mm Rem Mag.
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  • gearheaddad
    Personally, I'm a 30-06 fan.
    Wide range of factory loads, easy to find ammo in "remote" areas, plenty of punch for anything in North America and all plains game in Africa, and probably another 20-30 reasons!!
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  • beantownshootah
    I generally agree with above.

    I'd say any of the above could work fine, and people have had success with all of them.

    Like many of "what's best" questions, I think it comes down more to personal preference than anything else. Much of that comes down to recoil tolerance, hunting and shooting skill level, and maybe budget/ammo availability concerns.

    Remember, plenty of moose, elk, and black bear are still killed every year with 30/30s. That's probably not "optimal" (and certainly not for long shots), but I think it illustrates the point that its more about skill of the hunter and ability to carefully place shots than anything else. I think its tough to make a specific recommendation to your friend, without knowing these things. (Size, skill, budget, likely use, etc).

    In GENERAL, .300 Win mag is probably considered "the standard" right now for NA big game, its widely popular and available, and assuming this shooter is comfortable with something of that recoil/power level (not everyone is) I think you could probably just end the discussion there.

    As mentioned above, .30-06 with appropriate bullets is still "good enough" for everything, and probably a better choice for many shooters than the magnums, depending on their physical size and comfort level with magnum rifles. .30-06 obviously has its own advantages in terms of wide ammo and gun availability, lower cost, and also more flexibility for use on smaller game (if desired). I actually like .30-06, though I think its light for Brown (Grizzly) bear, and I'll concede that magnums can give you better range (which I'm not a good enough shot to take advantage of).

    quote:Edit:
    If 30-06 will not kill it, then
    a) you are in Africa
    b) it is an armored vehicle, or
    c) you are shooting at a whale.
    Or maybe you're not such a good shot, and maybe shouldn't be shooting at whatever you're shooting at!

    On the others, I don't think you can go wrong with 7mm magnum. That one is tried and true, somewhat less punishing to shoot than .300 Win mag or the others, but still a good bit more powerful than .30-06. Lots of people swear by it.

    IMO .300 Weatherby Mag is perfectly fine, but I don't think the ballistic advantages over .300 Win mag justify the disadvantages of more recoil, longer action gun, harder to find and more expensive ammo. IMO this one is best if you have deep pockets or want to reload.

    .338 Win mag: Just typing that makes my shoulder hurt! IMO, this one is really best for Brown Bear and maybe Bison where max power is desirable. In reality, I think many (perhaps most) shooters *can't* handle the recoil here and shouldn't be carrying this, but that's up to your friend to decide. I'd say the fact that he's even asking about which cartridge he needs almost by itself means that this one isn't appropriate! IE, if he was ready for .338, he wouldn't need to ask!
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  • tsr1965
    Hard to beat a good 30 caliber. In this case for ammunition availability, I would suggest the 30-06, or 300 Winchester Magnum. Seems that just about every mom and pop corner store in hunting country carries a box or two of those. Not so much for the Weatherby, or 338 Winny...especially here in the East.

    Best
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  • toad67
    300 due to the fact that you can go from 150-220gr bullets. It can do all that the 06 can and more if you choose to do so. Just because it's a magnum you don't always have to shoot magnum loads thru it.
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  • 62fuelie
    I would suggest the .30 calibers. The '06 is classic and ammo can be found anywhere you would be shooting it. It can be very accurate with the load(s) the rifle likes. The .300 Win Mag is the standard extra range sniping caliber for the military - speaks very well for its accuracy. Anything the 7mm can do the .300 Win can do better bullet weight for bullet weight - lower pressure for given velocity or higher velocity for given pressure. My only 7mm kicked me harder than any of my .300 Win Mags.
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