Most versatile chambering for handloaders?

[Alibiiv]

Yes I agree it's just I had a Browning Safary with a shot out barrel and a bunch of stuff for a 350 at a garage sale.
Turned into a fine Elk thumper, just wish Barnes would make a 250 with a higher BC than Hornady
Lol
Martin

The 350 Rem Mag is a formidable cartridge that got left behind due to a short-barreled Remington 600 and 660. It really doesn't come to its full potential until it gets a bit more barrel behind it. I like the 200gr., .358 TTSX bt bullets for the .358 Winchester, and....my Ruger 77 really likes them; I think that I am getting around 2400-2500 fps with them. I black bear hunt so really do not need anything more than the 200gr bullets for the game that I am hunting.

 

[Orange Dust]

The 350 Rem Mag is a formidable cartridge that got left behind due to a short-barreled Remington 600 and 660. It really doesn't come to its full potential until it gets a bit more barrel behind it. I like the 200gr., .358 TTSX bt bullets for the .358 Winchester, and....my Ruger 77 really likes them; I think that I am getting around 2400-2500 fps with them. I black bear hunt so really do not need anything more than the 200gr bullets for the game that I am hunting.

It was a hammer out of the 24" 700 I had. The WSM necked up to 358 would be a modern, faster, version of it, but would need a medium action to reach its potential.

 

[Martin@Hin]

The 350 Rem Mag is a formidable cartridge that got left behind due to a short-barreled Remington 600 and 660. It really doesn't come to its full potential until it gets a bit more barrel behind it. I like the 200gr., .358 TTSX bt bullets for the .358 Winchester, and....my Ruger 77 really likes them; I think that I am getting around 2400-2500 fps with them. I black bear hunt so really do not need anything more than the 200gr bullets for the game that I am hunting.

For me it was more of a accidental combination but the cartridge needs the bullets seated out so far that the base doesn't go past the neck.
The Mauser let's you do that and now it's turned into a very versatile cartridge. Shooting lead let you play with your rifle all day long for Penney's.
That being said my hunting is mostly done with my 340 or 375 H&H
I carry the rifle all year since I spend lots of time in the foothills,my young Bernese Mountain Dog does not know that wolf and coyotes play rough.
Martin

 

[Savage 22-243 AI]

30-06 because you can find .30 cal bullet to reload everywhere from cast to solids and a lot of rifle powders will work.

 

[Canhunter35]

I think these questions vary on weighting.
Are we talking a moose/elk and a bear a year,
Or 10 hogs and a couple deer with a bear or moose/elk once every 5 years?
If it's mainly deer and hogs I'd go with a 308.
If it's bears, moose and elk more often, I'd step it up, probably 375 ruger

 

[FEENIX]

I think these questions vary on weighting.
Are we talking a moose/elk and a bear a year,
Or 10 hogs and a couple deer with a bear or moose/elk once every 5 years?
If it's mainly deer and hogs I'd go with a 308.
If it's bears, moose and elk more often, I'd step it up, probably 375 ruger

Agreed! I quantified my response based on the largest deer species and dangerous game as you did.

The .300 Win Mag is my go to chambering from antelope to elk size game up to 1K yards. Because brownies is in the mix my minimum would be .338 WM with a preference for the .375R/H&H ... but that's just me.

 

[Gregger]

If you can get your drop right at 400yds and with lead in the mix I'd go with the 45-70. A 500gr cast lead bullet at a leisurely 1200fps would penetrate a bison end to end.

 

[Turnbolt53]

And..................this is where the fight started! Anything that the .280 Ackley Improved can do the .270 Ackley Improved can do or better!!! It may not be as popular because it hasn't caught on due to some 1950's bad press and old powders. .007 thousandths of an inch does not make that much difference when it comes to deciding which round is most effective for calibers. Wait a couple of years, some ammunition manufacturer, who has run out of new ammunition to manufacture, will check the market to find what has not been lauded, boasted and what IS dreamed about. Then the cartridge will receive an incredible marketing campaign, written up in every possible hunting and shooting magazine as the latest laser round in the world, that will drop and elephant at 1000 yards, and it will become the latest/greatest round of the 21st century, the .270 Ackley Improved Creedmore!! Please don't get me wrong the .280 Ackley Improved is an impressive round by all counts, however the .270 Ackley Improved is a round has gotten an undeserved bad rap for many years. My intention is not to bash any cartridge, it's just that the .270AI does not get the recognition it deserves.

A guy can dream, but until the big bullet manufacturers start making high BC 270 bullets, and the rifle manufacturers start twisting them 9 or faster, no 270 caliber can beat a similar case-size 7mm.

With so few SAAMI 270 cartridges (3?), and only one of which is truly popular, what would the incentive be for the bullet makers?

And with the majority of 270Win shooters buying their ammo at Walmart, and buying factory 10-twist rifles there's little chance for a great awakening at this point.

You'll see a factory 6.5-06 rifles first, and I am sure that won't happen either.

 

[Satterlee Scott]

I like your style I thought the same exact thing

 

[huntinghuasna]

Versatility at that range is .30-06!

 

[GeorgeS]

Depends on your philosophy. You can make the case that choosing a midrange round that can be loaded both down and up in bullet weight and power from that midrange to fill the bill, is the right approach. You can also make the case that choosing a round that has no trouble whatever at the highest reaches - where power is king, the game is life-threatening, and extra oomph determines who eats whom - but that also can be loaded down for smaller game, is the right approach.

If the former, the .30-06 is very versatile, with saboted rounds down in the 55 grain range, and solids up into the 220 grain range, along with handy and widely-available, diverse molds for casting. If the latter, then you move to .458 Win Mag, capable of bringing down a griz or polar bear quickly (elephant, for that matter - assuming a safari might one day happen), yet which can be loaded down and itself likewise saboted to .30 caliber for smaller game.

The downside of the latter is that you want to design for the top end load, which means Mag-Na-Port, heavy Walnut Mannlicher stock, high forward pitch rollover comb, and a significant recoil pad so that the rifle remains controllable with full power loads, and is comfortable to shoot. Once you do that, it's perfectly usable.

I have both, and the .458 is more pleasant to shoot than the .30-06, although it is a bit of work to carry 8 1/2 lbs over a long day. I doubt many would suggest the .458 because of the reputation for recoil, but not many have ever carried or fired one, so they'd mostly be talking theoretically, instead of from first-hand experience, as I am. You'd be surprised how the extra weight tames the recoil.

 

[JMB 1911]

The 06 also because anywhere in the world you can buy it off the shelf. The same could be said for the .308 but the 06 is a better round. That said it's not my go to hunting rifle

 

[sodakota]

If you're considering a 400 yard cartridge for a big game animal, you're limiting your choices, in my opinion.
Having said that I feel that cast bullets for game animals require large diameter bullets.
For me, with the constraints you've mentioned, the smallest cartridge I'd consider would be 350 Rem Mag/35 Whelen. My pick would be a 375 H&H Mag or a 375 Weatherby. Though you probably could do well with a similar cartridge.
Of the rifles I have and considering your constraints, I'd pick my 375 H&H AI.

 

[Hogbreath55]

Same here.

If I were down to just my one gun choice, the 30-06 AI, and in brown bear country with only it, the world would be in a SHTF situation. In that case, I would kill brown bear as soon as they came within 300 yards, which would leave me plenty of time for any follow-up shots, if something goes awry. I'd be very careful never to get myself into a position where they could ever even get close to me!

If I'm going on a hunt anywhere near brown bear country, I'll be toting my Winchester M70 Classic in 375 H&H Mag. If I am specifically targeting brown bear, I'll use my Winchester M70 Safari (CRF) 416 Rem Mag!

Same here.

If I were down to just my one gun choice, the 30-06 AI, and in brown bear country with only it, the world would be in a SHTF situation. In that case, I would kill brown bear as soon as they came within 300 yards, which would leave me plenty of time for any follow-up shots, if something goes awry. I'd be very careful never to get myself into a position where they could ever even get close to me!

If I'm going on a hunt anywhere near brown bear country, I'll be toting my Winchester M70 Classic in 375 H&H Mag. If I am specifically targeting brown bear, I'll use my Winchester M70 Safari (CRF) 416 Rem Mag!

I have greatly enjoyed the conversation on caliber choices until the angry 600+ lb Brown Bear was included in the equation. I too am fond of the 30-06 and 35 Whelen, but the bear input pushed me to my 375 H&H as my choice of caliber when limited to one rifle. I feel I could survive a charge of the other 4 legged foes, but after previous experience with bears, I like the 375 in this equation.