What Old/Odd Chamberings Have You Actually Used To Kill Big Game Animals ?

[Mustangs Rule]

For many years, decades actually, I hunted with both the 35 Whelen and the 6.5 x 55 Swede. I took many deer with the Swede and with the 35 Whelen took deer, elk and large wild boar.

When I got got my 280AI in a Kimber Hunter that replaced both of them. I have since sold the Whelen, and all magnums but kept the Swede and plan on using it for deer season next fall.

It's history offers something of value.

A friend of mine now hunts with a single shot Ruger in 30-40 Krag.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

My grandfather used a WWII surplus Argentine Mauser in 7.65 Argentine in completely factory form from the time he got out of the Corps until he quit hunting in his 90's. He said he gave 20 bucks for it and it came with 250 rds of ammo. I saw that man make some incredible shots with that rifle, Open sights of course.

He gave it and a few others to me when he knew he would no longer be hunting.. I get it out of the safe and clean it now and then but I should really practice up with it and make a kill with it one of these years.

 

[Ben Lamb]

450/400 2 3/8's BPE (whitetail)

450 3 1/4" BPE (whitetail)

7MM Mauser AI (pronghorn)

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

I've used my 9.3x62mm to kill probably half a dozen elk and a couple deer.

 

[Walkathon]

I used a friends WWII K98 8MM Mauser to shoot a deer back in mid 90's. It was a whitetail buck at about 70 yards. Not sure on the ammo. It was a standard cup/core bullet with exposed lead at the tip. The gun had the original iron sights and was brought back from WWII by my friends grandpa, from what I was told.

 

[nhenry]

I'll admit I'm a little bland.
I used a 45 colt on a deer from my 1892 and 30-30 from my 336.
I used a sporterized Mauser 98 my grandpa owned chambered for a 25 Niedner (which is just 25-06) at one point in my life. It was built in 1922 I think.

 

[CowboyLeroy]

I've killed a whole bunch of hogs with a .30 carbine

 

[CUElk]

I've killed a whole bunch of hogs with a .30 carbine

My grandpa had one of those. Never left his side when he was riding the farm. No telling how many critters he shot with it.

 

[buffybr]

My Dad wasn't a hunter so I didn't start hunting until my second year of college at Colorado State back in 1965, when one of my roommates invited me to go deer hunting with him near his home town of Craig, CO. He lent me a Winchester model 94 chambered in .32 Win Special, and I shot my first deer.

The next year he invited me back to hunt with him, and because we had seen some elk the year before, I bought an elk tag and that year I borrowed a sporterized .30-40 Krag rifle from my Uncle, and shot my first elk, a 5x5 bull.

The following summer I bought a .30-06 barreled action and a semi-inleted walnut stock from Herter's and put together my first centerfire rifle.

Eight years later I moved to Montana and although my .30-06 continued to keep my freezer full of deer, elk, and antelope meat, my next door neighbor who had become my new hunting partner, showed me a .30 Gibbs case. I thought that case looked so cool that I carried it around in my pocket for several months, and finally I had a local gunsmith re-chamber my .30-06 to .30 Gibbs.

With a stiff load of H 4831 behind 180 grain Nosler Partition bullets, that rifle put 21 elk in my freezer along with an Alaskan caribou, 2 Montana Shiras moose, and a mountain goat.

Along with having that gunsmith chamber my .30 Gibbs, I had him rechamber a .25-06 to .257 Ackley Improved and had him make a tapered octogon barrel and put it on a Mauser Mark X action. I then put both of those rifles in Fancy walnut Fajun stock blanks.

The .22-250 became my dedicated varmint rifle, although I have also shot a few deer and antelope with it.

I made the .257 Ackley mainly as a deer and antelope rifle, but I also used it to shoot 4 bighorn rams in Montana's Unlimited Units; a Dall ram, a mountain caribou, and a wolverine in Canada's Mackenzie mountains; and my 2nd largest 6x6 bull elk in a early wilderness season just north of Yellowstone NP. This .257 Ackley is still my go to deer and antelope rifle.

 

[VikingsGuy]

These days, my .270 and 30-30 feel like they meet OPs requirements.

 

[Jbotto]

I put together my .338-06 as an elk rifle, haven’t had an elk tag yet. Worked on two does so far though.

 

[TN2shot07]

These days, my .270 and 30-30 feel like they meets OPs requirements.

This is unfortunately true. If it ever gets to the point we can’t order online I’ll have to look for a new rifle based on the ammo I see locally…
I was in a shop a couple weeks ago and they had a beautiful BLR that I just had to take a closer look at (not my favorite but I’m a sucker for lever guns) and the damn thing was a creedmore

 

[Fishdart]

I killed a few whitetail doe with an old Mosin Nagant M44 in 7.62x54r with 200gr soft points. It did the job well enough that I didn't ever need to deploy the bayonet.

 

[300stw]

8mm/376 steyr,,,,,200gr accubonds

 

[SFC B]

My son has shot all of his whitetail deer with a Handi Rifle in 44 mag loaded with Hornady Leverevelution ammo. Really good medicine on those critters and will be getting some love from me in IL in the coming years.

 

[Bgriffith]

I’ve only ever used normal stuff but my dad on the other hand has a beautiful Schultz and Larson 7x61 that he has used for years to take elk and deer.

 

[EastTNHunter]

45/70 for several deer. Even cast my own 420gr and 320gr bullets. I miss that rifle

 

[D4570]

YUP, my 45/70 for sure one of the OLD timers, chambering not the gun.
How about a .323/375 H&H AKA 8mm rem mag.

 

[std7mag]

7mm-08AI, 250 Savage, 257 Roberts, 284 Win.
Seems i like the "obsolete" cartridges.
Hopefully this year i can add the 25 WSSM to the list.

 

[Southern Elk]

I’ve killed whitetail deer that were being run by hounds with 12 gauge buckshot. I feel like not too many people can say that anymore.