Big game cal.

[memtb]

I guess it depends upon your definition of “big” game. If elk, moose and bear are in the equation, then my wife’s choice may be a good cartridge. She uses her .338 WM for everything from Pronghorn, up to/through Moose! She’s pretty fond of it’s performance on game! If larger big game is on the menu it’s a great “all around” cartridge! memtb

 

[noharleyyet]

Caliber? I'm a .30 guy. The .06 is awfully tough to beat. The RUM? Badass but takes a particular set of skills to use one. (Stole that from Lawnboy) mtmuley

You're not wrong...

 

[MT.PERCHMAN]

300 Rum hands down !

150 gr Antelope , Wt. Deer
180 gr. Mule Deer , Elk
200 gr. Plus ..Moose , Bear ..ect .

The reason for the 3 different level ammo from Remington .

We have several 300 ultra's in our House !!


MT.PERCHMAN

 

[RidgeRoamingRichard]

I may be getting a new gun and was trying to decide what cal. To get.
In your opinion which is better for overall hunting (big game).
A 300 win mag. Or .308.
Or any other calibers you recommend?

I shoot a .308 and a .300 winmag. To be perfectly honest, I notice very little difference in recoil. Totally different trigger pull, but that's true for guns of the same caliber. My advice, shoot one of each and see what you like.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Does the 500 Nitro have a RUM variant? I think a 500 Nitro RUM would be the new minimum for MN whitetail at 30 yards out of a tree stand. Those hundreds of thousands of dead deer "supposedly killed by a 30-30" over the last 80 years must be more fake news.

Its the 50 BMG

 

[mtmuley]

Its the 50 BMG

Nope, Kirby Allen hotrods the BMG. mtmuley

 

[VikingsGuy]

Nope, Kirby Allen hotrods the BMG. mtmuley

Yup - nothing better for whitetail than 750 grain AMax at 3100fps! 510 Allen, the round of choice for the “no such thing as too much gun” hunter. I makes my 25-06 seem so puny.

 

[mtmuley]

Yup - nothing better for whitetail than 750 grain AMax at 3100fps! 510 Allen, the round of choice for the “no such thing as too much gun” hunter. I makes my 25-06 seem so puny.

Pretty sure he has a .458 built on a bigger case. mtmuley

 

[Cornell Cowboy]

Of the two options you gave, it's the 300 WM if your "all-around" includes elk and up. If it doesn't, then it's the 308. (Of course, other cartridges can kill just fine, but you asked for the BEST all-around between the two.)

 

[RMLloyd]

I personally use a .308 for big game (as a general all around caliber). It's a solid all around performer and is very friendly to skinny guys like me who can't handle a lot of recoil. That said, I was recently at the range and struck up a conversation with a guy firing his .300 Win Mag. Like me, he was not a fan of the recoil either. He had put some money into a substantial muzzle brake and a limb-saver recoil pad. He graciously allowed me to put a few rounds downrange and I was amazed with how gentle this made the gun (though quite loud).

Like the other guys said, go with a gun you are accurate with, and a bullet that you know the capabilities of. Part of that is having a weapon you are happy to go to the range and fire a lot. If you have any friends that will let you fire a gun in the caliber you are looking at it's worth the time to do that.

Got myself a Ruger American in 308, took it the the range and shot a box and half of ammo. My shoulder was pretty soar the next day. I put on a LimbSaver recoil pad and a factory muzzle break, the kick and muzzle flip was much more manageable! Plus my shoulder was not soar at all. Still waiting on the ATF to bless my suppressor, the muzzle break works but is loud.

 

[midwesthunter]

If you want to get a NA Big Game cartridge to handload for get the 280AI - the cool guy cartridge of 2019. Or wait a few years and do a 18" barrel Sig 277 Fury

Or the 7mm STW, 2020 make the STW's great again!

 

[mtmuley]

The STW has sure been forgotten. I have friends that have used it since it was a wildcat. Custom guns had to be built. I think Remington chambered it first. mtmuley

 

[Lynard]

isn.t a 308 win, 3006, 300 wm and 300 rum all .308 caliber????......you guys have me so confused....

 

[mtmuley]

isn.t a 308 win, 3006, 300 wm and 300 rum all .308 caliber????

Yep. mtmuley

 

[OldTexicanNewMexican]

In the words of my cousin, "One world, one rifle...375 H&H Magnum".

 

[ImBillT]

From the two, I’d go 300Win. The trajectory of the .308 with factory loads, and with bullets over 155gr is just to easy to beat with almost anything else. It’s a still great cartridge, I’ve hunted with one a fair bit and even took one out this weekend but didn’t see anything I wanted to shoot.

I’m not a huge fan of magnums, but for no particularly important reason, so personally, if I was buying an all around gun and wasn’t a reloader I would look at the 7-08, 280Rem, or 280AI. If animals larger than elk are not important, I would consider any of the 6.5’s. They’ll work fine on elk, but if elk are a top priority, then it’s nice to shoot something in the 150gr+ range, and not only are those rare to non-existent in factory ammo choices, but only the big 6.5’s will drive a 150gr bullet faster than a .308.

If you reload I would include the 30-06, and the 6.5’s(including 6.5-06) to the list. The 30-06 can be handloaded up to beat the .308Win by a lot more than the factory ammo. In 6.5, reloading makes it a lot easier to get bullets weight more than 150gr and this makes then a little more versatile.