Favorite "big game" hunting caliber?

[firemanmark]

My personal favorite is the 35 Whelen. I can easily load it up or down for the big game species I plan on hunting, and it has been absolutely devastating on everything I've used it on. I wouldn't hesitate to use it on anything in North America out to say 200-250 yards, although it probably wouldn't be my first choice for the big Coastal brown bears or grizzlies but I highly doubt that I will ever get the chance to pursue either, nor would it be my choice for truly long range hunting out west-again something I will most likely never do. I currently own 4 rifles chambered for this caliber with a 5th on its way. Lets here what you guys think.

[sprrdhawk44]

I hunt with a .300 Weatherby Mag. People always tell me how ridiculous I am for using something like that to shoot a deer. However, when I shoot a buck directly through the shoulders, he goes down right there, instead of running a hundred yards further and getting dropped by someone else. I love the round.

[firemanmark]

I hunt with a .300 Weatherby Mag. People always tell me how ridiculous I am for using something like that to shoot a deer. However, when I shoot a buck directly through the shoulders, he goes down right there, instead of running a hundred yards further and getting dropped by someone else. I love the round.

10-4 on that--"overkill" is way underrated! Esp in PA during first week of deer season on public ground where there seems to be a hunter behind every other tree! My buddies laughed at me last season when hunting on private ground I put a 2nd 12ga Lightfield slug into a deer that was obviously mortally wounded but making its best attempt at fleeing. I "cut my teeth" hunting heavily hunted ground in the North Central PA "big woods" and thus was taught to keep shootin' till its down to avoid it making its way to another hunter.

[TXDMERC73]

My favorite deer caliber is 7mm Remington Magnum, im getting a Remington 700 bolt action for this deer season in 7mm Rem Mag.

its one of the flattest shooting long range deer rifle caliber.

[schr8er2000]

I have truly enjoyed my 30.06 Remington 700... I can use bullets from the 55 grain Accelerator round, 125 grain, 150, 165, 180 and 220 grain bullets. Those will allow me to take everything from groundhogs up to elk... and since there are no rogue elephants or rhinos running loose in PA ( that I am aware of ).. I feel I have pretty much everything covered. Also the 30.06 round is pretty much universally available whether you are near a big block store to the country stores out west....

[hornady]

I have 4 Rifles I Hunt Deer with, I don’t need 4 just ended up that way, I have used a 3006 for 50 years off and on. But I also own a 270, 3030, and a 308 I picked up a couple years ago, if I could only have one Big game rifle it would be the 3006. As the saying goes the 3006 may not be the best rifle for everything in North America but will take everything in North America. Hands down in one cartridge or another more Deer have been killed with a 30 caliber than any other.

[MOUNTAINORACLE]

The only animal Pa has that can be referred to as "big game" is the Elk.

The animals I hunt that I consider big game are elk, grizzly, moose, bison, polar bear, etc. For this type of hunting I am in the .338 Win Mag camp for the smaller ones, .375 H&H for the bigger ones. You also can not go wrong with a .45-70 using a Garret heavy loading when things get up close and personal.

[schr8er2000]

The only animal Pa has that can be referred to as "big game" is the Elk.

The animals I hunt that I consider big game are elk, grizzly, moose, bison, polar bear, etc. For this type of hunting I am in the .338 Win Mag camp for the smaller ones, .375 H&H for the bigger ones. You also can not go wrong with a .45-70 using a Garret heavy loading when things get up close and personal.

According to the PA Hunting Regulations Big Game in PA are specified as Deer, Bear, Elk AND Turkey ( dont ask me why turkey but thats their definition)..

[stud40111]

From my reading on the subject, it would appear that the .30-06 is also sufficiently capable of bringing down big game include Brown bears provided you use a 180-220 grain bullet.

When you consider that fact, and that you can load it down, as one poster mentioned, to contain a 55 grain bullet, as well as the fact that it has probably less recoil than some of the other calibers mentioned, it seems to be among the best cartridges for the purpose that the OP outlined.

[Kramer]

I have Remmy 700s in 30-06 and 375 H&H and that should cover all the big game critters for me.