Best Classic Plains Game and Cat Caliber Advise

@Jörg Krüger:

.375 H&H - 1912
8x57 IS- 1888
.458 WM - 1956
.470 NE - 1907
9,3x64 - 1927
30.06 - 1906

so nothing after WW 2, apart from the .458, I would call Classic. That does not mean, of course, that younger calibers are not good. This list only shows that a lot of "new" calibers are very often old wine in new bottles....
 
8x68S

Just my two cents...

HWL

The more I shoot the .325 WSM, the more convinced I am that a ‘98 in 8x68S would be a hard combination to beat. That 200 gr 8mm bullet at 2,900 fps performs incredibly at short and long range.
 
I’m currently building a 404 Jeffery and an 8x68 on left hand Zastava actions. 8x68 is versatile and traditional. I also have a 257 roberts custom on a short action Montana 1999. Next will be a 7x64 and I’ll have nearly everything covered.
 
The more I shoot the .325 WSM, the more convinced I am that a ‘98 in 8x68S would be a hard combination to beat. That 200 gr 8mm bullet at 2,900 fps performs incredibly at short and long range.
@WAB
A 225gn .358 bullet performs well at short and long range as well.
 
@WAB
My 35 Whelen does 2,950fps with a 225gn Woodleigh no problems and 2,700 with 250gr

I know Bob, I couldn’t help myself! Maybe your Aussie humor is rubbing off on a sick Canadian eh?
 
I know Bob, I couldn’t help myself! Maybe your Aussie humor is rubbing off on a sick Canadian eh?
@WAB
Canadians is nice folks. Slow on our humour but nice.
Problem is your money. What other people can c a ll a coin a loony.. At lest putene is edible.
Bob
 
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@WAB
Yes the 8x68 S is a classic cartridge as well - preferably in a Mauser .98 System.
And being first loaded by RWS beteween 1938 and '39 it is old enough by my
standards;).
Hunting in Namibia many years ago I saw it in action- with too soft a softpoint
on Oryx- that bullet exploded on the shoulder blade, not reaching the vitals.
 
I used 9.3x74R (circa 1900) last year. Good enough for PG out to 200 yards and leopard much shorter distance.
 
7x57 (I'd Ackley Improve mine. Since his work was primarily done from WWII-1960ish, it's Classic too!) or 256 Newton (6.5). Bill Jones acquired Crawford Fletcher Jameison's 256 and took a buff in Mozambique with it. Both are super accurate, deadly using the proper bullets (i.e. 173s/160s), and quite pleasant to shoot! Nicknamed Chimpongoni - One who never misses!


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I'm leaning towards 6.5X300 Weatherby Mag..
If you check the ballistics and hand load using a 156 grain Burger it's the passes to 300 win mag...
 
The 9.3x62 is the great all round caliber. Probably the most used sporting caliber on everything from Springbok to Elephant in the day. It’s also not a hand loading only proposition. Keep a pair of solids in you pockets and you aren’t completely underfunded for anything that walks.

The perfect battery?
7x57
9.3x62
404J
500NE

I didn’t shoot the 500 or 577 doubles I had very well. I max out around the 450-400, 400 Whelen and 375HH. So that’s where my battery stops.

My African tool chest.
7x57
300 Weatherby
9.3x62
450-400 3”
Lovely chamberings, though I'm a x64 man myself ;)
 

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