One rifle for North American big game?

[krish]

30-06 Is the best choice fo lower 48. Brown bear and Alaskan moose hunting run 20k +. For all other games in NA YOU CANT BEAT 30-06. IF YOU REALLY WANT A LITTLE BIGGER THEN 338. YOU WILL NOT BE BUYING BUNCH OF RIFLES TO KEEP IN SAFE. THE AMMO IS AWAILABLE EVERY CORNER FOR THE ABOVE. BUY A SYNTHETIC STOCK STAILESS RIFLE YOU ARE GOOD TO GO RAIN OR SHINE.

 

[Ray B]

Two thoughts- Rookhawk, do you consider the 470 significantly better than the 458 for the uses contained in the third group?
and, I agree, since there are uses for uses for a passenger car and a truck, the user is better off to purchase a passenger car and when possible, a pick-up; rather than getting one of those mini-vans or worse yet, one of those pick-up cars that I see GM offering.

 

[colorado]

I killed my 9' brown at 13 yards with a 375 Weatherby, 300g A-frame. Hit him perfectly, bullet performed perfectly, he lived for 5 mins roaring in the brush. After 10 mins we followed the blood trail and went after him, luckily for us he died waiting on the blood trail. Yet, sometimes a 270 with 150g Partitions drops them dead right there. The minimum caliber Phil Shoemaker allows when he guildes. If I were to hunt them again, I'd only shoot at a 10' bear or bigger, go hunt with Scott Mileau in Olga Bay and bring my 500 Jeffery. I'm not as young or as immortal as when I guided in the Bob in my early 20s

 

[WAB]

I killed my 9' brown at 13 yards with a 375 Weatherby, 300g A-frame. Hit him perfectly, bullet performed perfectly, he lived for 5 mins roaring in the brush. After 10 mins we followed the blood trail and went after him, luckily for us he died waiting on the blood trail. Yet, sometimes a 270 with 150g Partitions drops them dead right there. The minimum caliber Phil Shoemaker allows when he guildes. If I were to hunt them again, I'd only shoot at a 10' bear or bigger, go hunt with Scott Mileau in Olga Bay and bring my 500 Jeffery. I'm not as young or as immortal as when I guided in the Bob in my early 20s

You learned a valuable lesson with no loss of skin. I’ve stopped a poorly shot brownie with a .300. It was that experience that caused me to buy a .375. Will a .270 or .30-06 kill them? Absolutely, and sometimes instantaneously. However, if you want a high probability of turning the switch off, I would go bigger.

Also, be aware that all shots are not the result of a carefully planned stalk. When you spot a bear in a chute or flat and begin a stalk, you invariably transect creeks, thickets and other tangles of crap. Bump a big brownie at 10 yards while your hung up in a tangle of devil’s club and tell me how that .30-06 or .300 feels!

Again, if a guide is covering you with a big stick that changes the equation completely. I’ve never had the luxury of hunting bear with a guide.

 

[colorado]

Actually my guide had a 338 Win Mag. He didn't get a shot off and I'm glad for that. We were stalking him and lost him. The bear and I saw each other through the brush at the same time. He was at an angle approaching me. I hit him in the right front shoulder, the bullet went through him diagonally stopping in the hide on the outside of his left thigh. It was a perfect shot with a 300g A-Frame at 13 yards. He still lived five mins. I wouldn't have done anything different except maybe waiting for 15 instead of 10 minutes before going into thick stuff after him. So other than that I don't what valuable lesson I learned. Following the blood trail it was like someone was throwing cups of blood everywhere. We smelled him before we saw him waiting on our trail. It was a great hunt!

300g A-Frame still weighed 299.5 grains

 

[Buffalo1]

30.06 Bullets selection is 110 gr. to 220 gr.. Best is 165-180 gr. range- which will kill any animal in NA.

 

[fourfive8]

No kidding! Walk along following some big brown bear tracks in thick alder and someone tells me they think they have enough gun carrying an '06- hah! The 375 or even 416 "feels" a lot better! On Kodiak, going along as a back up, with a relative hunting bears who was carrying a 338 WM, I didn't feel at all comfortable.

And interesting colorado you mention Shoemaker's area there on the Peninsula. I hunted the Black Lake- Cathedral Creek area on the Bristol Bay side a few years before Shoemaker took it over from Swiss, the previous owner. Great place! Never hunted over on the Pacific side nor the Olga Bay Area- out of time now, getting too old and cost getting too high so will never be able to. Fine memories of both Kodiak and the Peninsula though with some truly excellent fishing as a bonus

 

[WAB]

Actually my guide had a 338 Win Mag. He didn't get a shot off and I'm glad for that. We were stalking him and lost him. The bear and I saw each other through the brush at the same time. He was at an angle approaching me. I hit him in the right front shoulder, the bullet went through him diagonally stopping in the hide on the outside of his left thigh. It was a perfect shot with a 300g A-Frame at 13 yards. He still lived five mins. I wouldn't have done anything different except maybe waiting for 15 instead of 10 minutes before going into thick stuff after him. So other than that I don't what valuable lesson I learned. Following the blood trail it was like someone was throwing cups of blood everywhere. We smelled him before we saw him waiting on our trail. It was a great hunt!

300g A-Frame still weighed 299.5 grains

Awesome, and beautiful bear!!! The lesson I was referring to was that you had enough gun and you got a very vivid picture of why that was the right gun to take. I probably didn’t word it well, well done!

I wasn’t as smart as you. I started with a .300 and found out that a .375 was a much better idea. Of course, I spent a lot of time in bear country hunting, fishing and just messing around, so the odds of a dust up were pretty good. We had five people chewed on in our little town in one year. One guy lost his face completely, eyes, ears everything, and survived. I can’t imagine what his life is like now.

 

[colorado]

I'm getting old too still in decent shape, it is expensive, but it's a once in a life (or twice) thing. The nice thing about Olga Bay is you get to stay in a cabin. If I can I'll hunt spring and if I don't see a beautiful 10' plus bear I'll just take pictures and blow the bears a kiss

Nice talking to you

 

[Tbitty]

My top choices would be .30-06 or .338 WM. The 338 is overkill for most NA game, but is the most comfortable choice for big bear or moose. The .30-06 is the most versatile due to wide variety and availability of ammo, plus a hand loader can gain considerable additional advantages to game-specific loads.

I'll throw an honorable mention to 7mm Rem Mag just because I really love the round, although I dont know that there is much real-world difference between it and .30-06

FWIW, I still grab my '06 Rem 700 as the go to for last day of hunting or other similar scenarios when hunting big game. Mostly because thay was my first rifle and familiarity with it gives that mental advantage.

 

[fourfive8]

Peninsula bear hunt. 375 HH 300 gr- not too much gun!
When you hear of 200 pound pack of wet bear hide... believe it!
size 12 ankle fit wader and front foot
9'10" bear

 

[shark_za]

Often this question misses a key point in why you are hunting.
As predominantly a meat hunter I always stay away from excess velocity and tend to use slower heavier bullets.

If your aim is simply to kill the animal as quickly as possible then go for a 300 Magnum shooting 180gr strongly constructed bullets.
Trophy hunters in Africa are best served this way and if the same objective is used I cannot see how this is different to NA.
But an efficient meat hunter is better served with a .30-06

 

[Philip Glass]

Hello,

Wondering if any North American hunters can help me out.
I am wondering if anyone could suggest a rifle to sort of "do it all" for North American big game.

The main things I will hunt with it are Whitetail Deer and Wild Hogs in Florida.
However, there are other hunts I plan to do with this ride - out in the west for pronghorn, elk, and mule deer - as well as black bear somewhere further north.

First of all, what caliber would be suggested to take all these species? On average they will be 100-200 pound animals, so it needs to b comfortable to us for that - while still having the power to handle a 500+ pound elk.

As far as rifle action, weight, barrel length, and scope variation - what would you suggest? It's got to be comfortable in denser cover for hunting Florida, but still able to take game to 250+ yards for pronghorn and mule deer.

Can't wait to hear your suggestions.
Drew

7mm Mag

 

[colorado]

Nice bear. I guess my Rem XCR II in 375 Weatherby would be my one rifle choice. 7 1/2 lbs with scope and sling, shoots 300g A-Frames at 2700 plus fps. Recoil is relatively (compared to my 500 Jeffery) mild. Shoots as flat as a 338 Win Mag, hits harder.

Same bear, with rifle got rid of those ugly nickel plated rings with Talley steel QR rings CeraKoted.

 

[clockwork_7mm_gator]

.280 covers it all, as does 30-06. 7x64 is a unique one in the same wheelhouse. For what you've listed anything from 708 to 32special would cover it, depending on distance.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Biggiesmalls, your question isn't exactly a new one. The advice that the thousands before you have gotten is quite simple. A 30-06. There are a couple of other calibers worth considering, but when it come time to make the final choice it is an '06 that gets my recommendation and vote.

@Shootist43
Art I am disappointed that you didn't recommend our beloved 35 Whelen for a do it all any where in the USA and most things in Africa.
But you did choose the good old 30 ought six.
As the old saying goes. $700 and a good ought six is fine for everything.
Bob.

 

[AES]

300WM loaded heavy is my choice. Let's be serious, if you are paying to hunt coastal Browns, you will have a rifle equipped for that (since they are an enormous outlier compared to all other NA game).

 

[R.M.C.]

Is this guy looking for a brown bear gun?

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Nice bear. I guess my Rem XCR II in 375 Weatherby would be my one rifle choice. 7 1/2 lbs with scope and sling, shoots 300g A-Frames at 2700 plus fps. Recoil is relatively (compared to my 500 Jeffery) mild. Shoots as flat as a 338 Win Mag, hits harder.

Same bear, with rifle got rid of those ugly nickel plated rings with Talley steel QR rings CeraKoted.

@colorado
That looks like one big mother of a bear..
I have never hunted them and probably never will due to age and cost but if I ever did I would not feel under gunned with my Whelen stoutly loaded with a 275 grain Woodleigh or 280grain Aframe.
Bob

 

[Ravensview]

Is this guy looking for a brown bear gun?

I thought he was looking for something for whitetail deer, boars, black bears and possibly some western game, I did not read anything about brown bears at all, and I believe as a non resident of Alaska you need to have a guide for that unless you have an immediate family member who is a resident, but I could be wrong-won’t be the first time and definitly won’t be the last