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

[thomas89]

This antelope buck at about 175 yards with a Ruger #3 in .375 Winchester.

 

[Wally Dog]

Custom Classic English sporting rifle style chambered .358 Norma............It goes boom, things fall down.

 

[Harrier]

I’ve used really old sporterized military rifles in 8x56R and 7x57 to kill hogs, and .30 carbine on a peccary. I’ve been trying to shoot something with my 6x52 Carcano but haven’t been successful yet. I’ve shot lots of deer with a Springfield rifle .30-06, if that counts.

 

[Keep on]

444 Marlin, 32 Win Special, 300 Savage, 358 Win, 375 Win, 35 Rem and 356 Win all used for white tail. Can you guess my dad and subsequently myself were in to old lever guns?

 

[Europe]

My big game rifles were on refection "old" calibers, but not exotic or unusual and I stayed with the same rifles throughout my life.

Used a Stevens combination 22-410 with slugs for deer and Javelina ( and of course small game and birds ). Was then given a 250/3000 which i used for a while and then given a sportorized 6.5 x 55 and these three rifles ( plus a shotgun) were the only guns i owned until I got married.

Soon after getting married, I got the 300 H & H and a new 6.5 x 55. I got a 450/400 for my first trip to Africa and also took my 300 H & H. After that trip the 450/400 went into retirement and it was replaced with two rifles. A 375 H & H and a 9.3 x 74 R. I picked up a 275 H & H simply to round out my H & H's and it turned out to be a pretty nice caliber

I would guess that through the years, after getting married that the 6.5 x 55, 300 H & H and 9.3 x 74R were used 85 % of the time.

However, my husband was fascinated by weird stuff and he had several different "drillings", "vierlings" and old "Sharp' rifles. I think they made four or five different calibers, maybe more and he had to have them all. VERY irritating as I could have gotten a new Ferrari with the money he spent on rifles

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

.22 BB cap.

 

[Bill V]

32 Win Special on mule deer and 225 win on javalina.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Borrowed my PH's 270 WSM to reach out and drop this wildebeest at 370 yards with one shot behind the ear.
And this kudu at 440 yards

 

[mikwat]

My default rifle is a 6.5 Swede that I built up on an old Mauser action. Bought that barrel just because it was on sale. Love that rifle, but haven’t harvested anything yet. I also have a Winchester-Lee sporter in 6mm Navy that I really need too build ammo for.

I have a buddy back home that used to shoot snapping turtles with an Arisaka

 

[choc dogs]

7x57, 6.5x55, 257 Roberts. Several deer with each of those. I’ve got a 375h&h that I’ve never pulled the trigger on a critter yet, but it kills milk jugs dead.

 

[elkhnter]

Have used a 257 Roberts, 6mm Remington, 300 SAUM and 325 wsm. Old and odd.

 

[Fullquiver]

I've killed deer with my Uncle's .30 Remington in a model 8 my friends 303 Savage in a Model 99, my brothers Marlin 38-55. I owned a 7x57 Mauser that I killed a few deer with before rebarreling it. I hunted with a friends 6.5 Carcano it was extremely accurate but very difficult to get ammo for. Never killed a deer with it.. Mostly when I was younger I carried what rifle I could beg or borrow. When I had enough money I bought mainstream calibers and haven't looked back.

 

[dan valasek]

8mm rem mag, 350 rem mag, 7x30 waters, 30-40 krag and 375 winchester on whitetails.

 

[FLS]

I’ve got a 6.5 Arisaka that came home as a war trophy the was sporterized by a favorite uncle. My oldest son killed his first buck with it.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

8mm rem mag, 350 rem mag, 7x30 waters, 30-40 krag and 375 winchester on whitetails.

You from PA? You sure sound like a Pennsylvanian.

 

[dan valasek]

You from PA? You sure sound like a Pennsylvanian.

yes sir. butler area . north of pgh.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Get outta here! I know Butler. I grew up not far from 422 in OH and went to Allegheny College for a couple years. Sir, it was the way you listed off all those obscure calibers that made me think “I’ve met this kind of person”. True story, only place I’ve ever seen functional Krags is in PA. All those guns are terrific for shorter range work which is all of PA. But you didn’t have to list 16ga slugs and that’s why OH hunters buy up non-res every year.

 

[Lilhowie83]

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.

I love shooting my dad's old 7.65 Argentine Mauser that he handed down to me. I've never killed anything with it, but he's killed more deer than you can imagine with it.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Killed a few does with my 30-40 Krag that my grandad gave me.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Get outta here! I know Butler. I grew up not far from 422 in OH and went to Allegheny College for a couple years. Sir, it was the way you listed off all those obscure calibers that made me think “I’ve met this kind of person”. True story, only place I’ve ever seen functional Krags is in PA. All those guns are terrific for shorter range work which is all of PA. But you didn’t have to list 16ga slugs and that’s why OH hunters buy up non-res every year.

Ironically, That's where I am from and that's where this Krag is from.