Your 3 favorite hunting cartridges of all time

My actual favorites..... ready for Africa......458 Win-Mag, 9,3x62, 6,5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer
Schönauer.JPG


Sitting at home, because of a Chinese bat.....

HWL
 
It's amazing how we don't read the question.
Probably like we don't read the instruction manuals.
I didn't scroll back to find my original post but I'm looking again the thread is 11 years old and and asked
"What are your 3 favourite hunting cartridges of all time"

There is no asking what are the 3 chamberings you can't live without or must have if restricted to 3.

I probably didn't read it properly either.

So based on preferencesvmore than experience I would now say

.280ai, .300wm and .375H&H purely as "Hunting" cartridges , I own 1 rifle in each and bought each one based on the "Cartridge" potential as a versatile hunting "Cartridge"

Mostly based on research and my preferences and possibly a preconceived ideas of what I wanted. It's just a matter of reading enough material to support our belief.

Based on experience I have shot more critters with either or any one of these .222, .223, 7mm-08, .308 than the other 3 collectively.

I shot a dozen animals in South Africa with a hired 7mmRm the only 7RM I've ever used
 
Has anyone seen a Man-Bun or Latte cartridge even mentioned in the last 26 pages?
 
It's amazing how we don't read the question.
Probably like we don't read the instruction manuals.
I didn't scroll back to find my original post but I'm looking again the thread is 11 years old and and asked
"What are your 3 favourite hunting cartridges of all time"
I chuckle, as I see this routinely in various threads. Often something like "Hey, found this rifle in XXX, should I buy it?" followed by a bunch of posts expounding on the virtues of every chambering besides the one in question. And maybe, eventually, someone says "yeah, that looks like a good deal, buy it".
Often these tangents can be fun, but don't answer the original post-much like this one so far....
And so, to answer the original op question, for me- the 45-70, 300WinMag, and a 20ga (double). Playing with a 9.3x74R right now that might make me modify that, but for now, those 3 would be the favorites.
 
Has anyone seen a Man-Bun or Latte cartridge even mentioned in the last 26 pages?
You mean like a 243? That one that seems to get the Aussie all fired up? :ROFLMAO:
 
.22 LR... Thousands of cottontails, ptarmigan, spruce grouse and snowshoe hares would seem to indicate I like .22s. Also, all the furbearers dispatched over trapping a good portion of my life.

.300 WinMag... First rifle/caliber I bought when I moved to AK a long time ago. I didn't have a clue what I was doing; it was blind luck I got something that was so versatile when I got around to hand loading.

.338 Marlin Express... Yeah, it's dead now, and has been for several years. I bought mine in 2011. There is nothing I'd rather use for caribou and moose.

I don't own any big, big thumpers. My first Africa trip is a couple of months away; maybe some year after that on a subsequent trip I'll need something big.
@Tundra Tiger
I can't understand the 338 Federal and Marlin Express didn't gain more interest. Both are little power houses that pack a big punch for their size. The same with the 358 Winchester. All great cartridges that are capable if punching well above what paper balistics say.
Just my thoughts.
Bob
 
@Tundra Tiger
I can't understand the 338 Federal and Marlin Express didn't gain more interest. Both are little power houses that pack a big punch for their size. The same with the 358 Winchester. All great cartridges that are capable if punching well above what paper balistics say.
Just my thoughts.
Bob
I agree Bob, though I admit to bias. My memory is that the ballistics on the .338ME is slightly better at 400 yards than a .30-06 pushing a 180 grain at the same distance. Bottom line: it's a right fine cartridge for whatever I hunt with a tube fed lever gun. I have high hopes for it in a little more than a week on plains game.
 
I agree Bob, though I admit to bias. My memory is that the ballistics on the .338ME is slightly better at 400 yards than a .30-06 pushing a 180 grain at the same distance. Bottom line: it's a right fine cartridge for whatever I hunt with a tube fed lever gun. I have high hopes for it in a little more than a week on plains game.
@Tundra Tiger
A good friend of mine used the 338 Federal on scrub bulls and water buffalo here in OZ with great success using a hand load of H4895 and the 185 grain Barnes TSX.
You will have no problems, listen to your PH, pull trigger and collect game.
Bob
 
I'm a little late to the party, but couldn't make up my mind.
#1 - 35 Whelen
#2 - 7mm 08 or a 6.5/06
#3 - .22
I know there are no "African" calibers here. Assuming I didn't own a .375 H and H and assuming that I was going to hunt DG in Africa I would have to rent a rifle. I'm not that guy that can go there every year...:)
@Rick Cox
You have the perfect African PG rifle there mate. The 35 Whelen won't let you down on any PG.
Bob
 
22lr. Best rifle ever!!
300winmag awesome bovine rifle
375 h&h. Cape buffalo? Let you know this June
@Still alive
Aren't cape buff in the bovine genus.
So why 2 bovine rifles you can pick a mother now.
Bob
 
Has anyone seen a Man-Bun or Latte cartridge even mentioned in the last 26 pages?
@CBH
Yes there's been a few 6.5 manbuns and some people actually had the idea the 243 was actually a hunting cartridge.
Also been quite a few 25/06s, 257 Roberts and a smattering of Whelen cartridges. You know the real cartridges not the pretend ones others use. There's even a few 7x64s which are close enough to the 280 and AI.
Bob.
 
@CBH
Yes there's been a few 6.5 manbuns and some people actually had the idea the 243 was actually a hunting cartridge.
Also been quite a few 25/06s, 257 Roberts and a smattering of Whelen cartridges. You know the real cartridges not the pretend ones others use. There's even a few 7x64s which are close enough to the 280 and AI.
Bob.
A .243 is actually a hunting cartridge. They even make hunting rifles in .243
It must make someone s favourite list.
 
A .243 is actually a hunting cartridge. They even make hunting rifles in .243
It must make someone s favourite list.
@CBH
The so called rifles they make for that cartridge just give a bigger area ( called the but) to hammer in as as tomato stake.
There is a mother forum started I'm going to be looking at called another useless survey. Bob
 

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