If you had to choose just one caliber???

[Brian in Montana]

.308, Versatile and factory ammo is plentiful

Yeah, the older I get, the more I've hunted and used different cartridges, I'm kinda right there with about the good old reliable .308 Win. There isn't really one thing in particular that it it does that I'd call "outstanding", its just that it does everything "well". I know folks that will line up to say the same about the -06 and .270, but the .308 still gets my vote.

 

[Ben Lamb]

You have to love it (-:

used a 300 H & H, but with the stipulation, store bought ammo only, 30-06

I mean, if you're going to choose an all-around, choose the original, right? 150's, 180's, 200's, 220's - nothing on North America that a 8mm Mauser, 8mm-06, 8x64, 8mm Mag, 325 WSN can't put down.

 

[elkhnter]

Thank God I don’t have to pick just one. Too many great rifles and calibers in the safe.

 

[Chad Gus]

.270 wsm for me

 

[Big Slick]

30-06

 

[hank4elk]

Well if I HAD to...
30cal,same I have used for 45+yrs.
30-06, same as I have used for 45 yrs.
I did have an 8mm Mauser for about 5 yrs to play with....a real Nazi sniper style one...ammo was just too pricey for me. It did shoot fine, but not as good as my 700 30-06.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I’d choose a 7mm caliber, but there’s a bunch of good cartridges in each caliber.

 

[Don Fischer]

Factory ammo only? Think I'd quit hunting!If I had to pick one, anything 6.5 cal and above!

 

[rmauch20]

I’m going with the .308.

 

[Greyman]

An older Field and Stream article on this very subject.

Can One Gun Do It All?

You need faith, good ballistics, and a little black magic.

www.fieldandstream.com

 

[Bulldog0156]

.264

 

[Gunner46]

Limited to factory ammo, it has always been and will always be the 7mm. But if I could cheat and hand load.... the 338 !

 

[SaskHunter]

Calibre .30 all day everyday.

 

[tzone]

.284

 

[shoots-straight]

.284 or 7mm, which ever comes first.

 

[Buffs35]

.300 Wby, from 50 yards to 500, any animal in north america.

 

[EOregonian]

There are a lot of great all around calibers but when you come down to the parameters of factory ammo it has to be the 30-06 you can walk in any hardware store in the middle of nowhere and find a box of 30-06. The next I would agree with the 12 gauge, It would be cool if someone made an affordable over under with both-I remember Baikal used to make one but I never actually handled one.

 

[Europe]

There are a lot of great all around calibers but when you come down to the parameters of factory ammo it has to be the 30-06 you can walk in any hardware store in the middle of nowhere and find a box of 30-06. The next I would agree with the 12 gauge, It would be cool if someone made an affordable over under with both-I remember Baikal used to make one but I never actually handled one.

Sir, you can still get one from Blaser and occasionally you can find a Valmet and also Tikka for sale ( I think Tikka was 308/12 however )

 

[Crumb]

300 win mag

 

[Panda Bear]

the CZ584 were not pretty, but they worked and as mentioned by EOoregonian----the combination of a 30-06/12ga would certainly cover everything , not just big game--"the" one gun/caliber/gauge. I think as a survival gun or one gun for everything this is not a bad option ( not necessarily the cz, but the combination 30-06/12)

However, in some time zones it would be illegal to hunt some species with both or to even have both with you own the hunt ( a rifle and shotgun )