rifles that work when needed?

I've hunted most of the lower 48, Canada, and Alaska. I've used calibers from 6.5mm up to 58 caliber. The most effective caliber for quick effective kill shots, versatility of hand-loading, and all around accuracy has to be the 338 win mag. I know there are a lot of other calibers that will perform, and I enjoy hunting with the 7mm mag, the 30-06, the 300 win mag, and several others. But if I had to choose just ONE all around caliber and cartridge to take from the swamps of Florida, the flats of west Texas, the Mountains of Colorado or Alaska, or the timbers of Canada it would be the 338. I can load a 165 grain for deer, a 250 grain for elk, and a 300 grain for Kodiak's and muskox.

I've been hunting for just short of 50 years. I have used .243, .270, 30-30, 30-06, 44 mag., 7mm mag., and .300 mag. Most of my hunting involves Antelope, Deer, and Elk. Never bothered with Moose, sheep, or goats.

What I settled on for a all around rifle was my Ruger M-77 rifle, in 7mm Mag., topped with (now) a Bushnell 3 to 9 power variable scope. I found that this rifle, caliber, and scope combination served me well for all three of the animals I hunted.

If I ever do decide to go after a Moose, I probably would put the 7mm mag. back in the gun safe and go get another .300 mag.

i have found that a good .308 , 30-06 , or .330 winchester mag are more than perfect for anything on this continent. i usually use my .308 or 30-06 for everything up to and including brown bear and grizzly. anything bigger such as kodiak bear i use my .338 winchester magnum. it has been proven over the years that the .338 winchester magnum has enough power and energy at poi to bring down anything on this continent and most of South Africa.from my experience for must game at standard ranges the .338 is a little to hot. i had a 257 yard clean shot on a small black bear with my .338 winchester magnum and i made the kill but had to track the bear almost half a mile due to the bullet went right through. i hope this helps.

First of all, it is the rifleman that matters, not necessarily the rifle. Take your choice from 6.5X55 (used to kill moose in Europe and my personal favorite) to .375 H&H mag. For any game North America - I'd take a .300 Mag and never look back.

I agree with SM, the .338 's I could live with indefinitely if I so had to choose on anything you would care to shoot with em followed by the 8mm Rem mag and the .300 mags. You can load them up and down for any game on earth to the BIG 5 that require a .375 and .416 up to humanely kill one with. Even tho most .338's exceed the power of most all of these past 150-200 yds. Who says the .340 Wtby is overkill? lol

Considering ballistics and everything else, i came to the conclusion of the .270 calibre. Its cheaper than higher cost unnecessary calibres.

Its a flat shooter, more accurate, and holds energy for longer compared to other higher calibres, so that means more hitting power over a further distance... this energy compensates for the .270's lower grain projectile :)

Who knows about the rifle. You can get a dud from the best model even ! so get the one people mention most. :)

A 30-06 is a great bet I mean so many different grains of bullets and in my eyes the greatest all around gun out there. You can hunt anything coyotes, deer, antelope, mountain lion, bear, turkey, elk, basically anything in the hunting books. Great gun my favorite gun, perfect, for me. Remington 770

My .300 Weatherby loaded with 180gr Nosler Partions has never failed me yet. "Knock on Wood".

I would take a 10 gauge,anything from squirrel to grizzly