My favorite caliber

[Steve Sheasly]

You need at least two more options, 6.5 and 7mm.

My favorite is the 7mm STW and second to it would be the .300wm because of it's utility.

i have 3 rifles cut down from over 30 at one point in my life. .243, 270 wsm, and .338 Lapua Magnum. This covers anything on the planet to hunt IMO.

 

[IndianaMatt]

+1 on 270 WSM after that 7 RSAUM.

 

[747]

I appreciate the 7mms most out of anything that I've tried. My current favorite is the 7mm SAUM imp. which covers near everything. An alternate, heavy duty machine would be the .338 NORMA. Those two cover very well any and all the shooting I have done in the past, and any that I will do in the future.

 

[Walleye Steve]

Why not put em together. I'm having a 6.5/284 Norma built as we speak. Great cartridge fir long and short shooting

 

[Bigaldepr]

Definitely a 7mm man.

 

[TG-5150]

I stuck to the two choices the OP offered.
I voted for the .277 bore, simply because i have a deep love for the .270 Win. But if was forced to only have one gun it would be the .270 Sherman or if I had to choose a factory offering it would have to be the .270WSM.

 

[Will Mathieson]

Favourite or what makes most sense?
Most of the old calibers do just as well as any new/proprietary ones at a lower cost. The animal will not realize the 150 fps difference. My view is if you have a .308, .303, or 7mm Rem Mag you have the longer ranges covered for large game. the 30-30, 35 Rem etc. do well at 200 yards or so, there are of course others very similar. Bringing your proprietary hand loads way up north to hunt and lose them, or get them wet you may be without a gun.
For one caliber you can't beat a .308 for all purpose hunting and virtually any store will carry them.

 

[5gauss]

Favorite 30.06...served me well for years...now .338 win mag for all round one gun hunting

 

[xsn10s]

I've been wanting a 7mm rem mag or a 300 win mag for a long time now. Currently building a 260 AI. But honestly the 30-06 has been my work horse for twenty years now. And with the current powders and higher BC bullets it just got better. Not sure I'd want a harder kicking, non braked rifle, in my M70 FWT.

 

[Will Mathieson]

When hunting you really don't feel a rifles recoil as a negative experience.
I forgot the Swiss 6.5x55mm, a mild cartridge that has taken everything including elephant and good at long range.

 

[Gregger]

I love the old war horse 30-06, it's served me well over the years. I was terribly fond of my 257 Bee, why i sold it i don't know. I recently picked up a 6.5 creed and am having fun with that, puts whitetail down with authority.

 

[rokstockrangtang]

I spent 40 years hunting with the 30's and 270's. A hard call, but I'd have probably have said the 30 was my favorite. For about the last ten years, I've hunted almost exclusively with the 6.5(6.5x284). It has become my favorite caliber for hunting.

I too like my 6.5x284 been around for 50 plus years,and before that the 6.5x55 swede took a lot of game all the way up to elephants, still trying to figure out what the purpose of the creed is???
Other than to stick money in tubbs and hornady pocket.

 

[Msgt William Toprock]

Choosing a caliber for an all around hunting rifle can be daunting for a new or even experienced hunter. After owning several .30 caliber magnums and not liking the weight of these guns, I finally settled on the .270 wsm. My daughter and I both have them and I have found that this caliber has all the qualities i could want in a deer and elk killer. My kid loves hers

Currently I have a Ruger SR 762 in 308 and the avatar picture which is a Remington 700 BDL that has been glass bedded and had a Timminey Trigger in 270 Winchester. I like both guns though the Ruger is a bit heavy weighing in at 11 3/4 pounds loaded. Both are excellent shooting rifles but I love the Fiddle Back Maple stock on the Remington, I'm a sucker for nicly figured wood.

 

[Orange Dust]

When hunting you really don't feel a rifles recoil as a negative experience.
I forgot the Swiss 6.5x55mm, a mild cartridge that has taken everything including elephant and good at long range.

Up to a point. For me, once you get up over about 60fp of recoil, they kick the same on game as on the bench. Especially if they kick both hard and fast. Try a hot loaded .340 with 210 bullets in a standard weight rifle with a lightweight scope and no brake, and get back with me. If it is not a negative experience even on game you are a better man than I am for sure.