If you could pick only one cartridge for all NA game except the big bears...

[milkie62]

You should give it a whirl... You just might love what you discover. Some of us have been STW nuts for decades. I had wanted one since I was about 10 when I first read about it in Shooting Times magazine. Then got my first one Rem 700 Sendero SF 7mm STW when I was 16, and still have it. It shoots sub-1/2 MOA all day long with handloads.

You can say that again Mudrunner. I have been intrigued with the 7mm STW since they 1st came out even though I do not have one.

 

[MudRunner2005]

You can say that again Mudrunner. I have been intrigued with the 7mm STW since they 1st came out even though I do not have one.

You should get one... Everybody needs one parked in the stable.

 

[Snoplop]

.300 Win Mag for me. Primarily because it's been my go-to rifle sine I bought my first one in 1977.

And mine also since 1983.

My walk-in safe is packed to the gills with other calibers for comparison only.

 

[mountainman56]

Jack O'Connor would be very disappointed

 

[syanidi]

well I guess I will be the odd duck and say 45-70. Its been around for well over 100yrs and has killed small game with a 125gr bullet all the way up to buffalo/grizz with 500+gr bullets. can it shoot 1000yrds?? yeah, does it do it fast??..NO but it will do it. easy to make your own bullets for as well..

Matt

Agree with 45-70

 

[scottyboy]

300win mag for me, i do not reload so being I can find ammo more or less in any store in any city in any state at any given time is a big plus should I ever forget to bring my own.

 

[Engineering101]

I've got a full custom 338 RUM and it is my favorite. It shoots 0.3 MOA if I do my part. With the right bullet selection it will kill anything near or far and do it with very little meat damage. Of course with the wrong bullet selection it can cut an animal in half. It is also really fun to shoot - especially out past 600 yards.

 

[dfanonymous]

.300 win mag.
I'm use to that cartridge, its common, 212gr projectile has some series terminal ballistics and I can reach out as far as I need to.
I have wind formulas and constants set up and I find misses to be easy to correct for at ELR. So really its a comfort thing. The only down side is the barrel erosion after awhile, but even that isnt horrible if you take care of your rifle.

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

All things considered it looks like the .300 win mag easily won...not surprisingly ! If you only could have one it is a tough one to beat. Brass availability, ease of reloading, .308 holes, good enough for 1000 yard ballistics etc. You can always know a few hundred fps off for smaller game, just a fine all around basic round, nothing flashy and you can walk in just about any little store in any state and buy ammo for it if you need it in a hurry, not switch lots of the cartridges listed. You can't go wrong with this old time tested warrior

 

[trailerdon]

That's a tough question. North America has a lot of game; large and small.
That being said, take out the thumpers for the "Big bears".
My choice would go to the 7mm mag. Plenty of speed to reach out there and touch em'. with a fair amount of bullet choices for varies game choices.
That however is a loaded question as there are many capable choices out there and just as many personal favorites.

 

[littlewhaler]

Flip of coin for me between 280 AI and 300 WSM. Both are great and are my choices for serious hunts. Plenty of power for anything out there except the big bears..
Little whaler

 

[Jerry M]

.30-06 for over a hundred years it has been getting the job done. Boring: yes; Works: yes.

 

[FEENIX]

The unofficial count (top 4 only) after post #68;

.300 WM =13
.30-06 = 8
? = 6
.280 AI = 5

*? = poster has more than 1 choice.

 

[Scrumbag]

I'd go with 280 Rem or 7x64. Easy to shoot and 7mm pills tend to have a bit less drop that .30 Cal. Only issue is not as easy to find at 270W or .30-06