The perfect North American pair

[Borngeechee]

Been doing a lot of reading on N.A game hunting and rifles for the task. I may be off but I'm in agreement with what I read in a few articles stating that a rifle chambered in .270 zeroed for 130gr bullets and a 30-06 zeroed for 180gr bullets would make the perfect pair.

[Pygmy]

That would be a good either/or mix...Not much you could do with one that you couldn't do with the other..

For a two rifle battery I'd prefer something heavier on the upper end to avoid overlapping performance..

A .270 or a 30-06 plus a .338 Win mag would be a good example..

OR just simplify it and get a rifle in the .270/.308/30-06/7mm mag class and use it for everything.

But what fun would THAT be ??...hehehehehe...

[Dom]

I would go with the .270 paired with a shotgun.That to myself is a better pair,The 270 would not be so good for smallgame

[BizCT]

.270 is great. My dad prefers the .270 wby mag, I prefer the 7mm wby mag

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[CharlieNY]

I would go with the .30-06 on the heavy end with 180 gr. bullets for big game such as elk, caribou, pronghorn antelope,mule deer, and black bear. Then I would go with something a little lighter for whitetail deer and varmints like the 7mm-08 with 140 or 120 gr. bullets. However, if you plan on hunting moose and brown bear, I would go with the .30-06 on the lighter end, and a 7mm. Mag. or larger on the heavier side. The decision would plan on what you plan on hunting and how often you would hunt those animals.

[wildcat junkie]

Been doing a lot of reading on N.A game hunting and rifles for the task. I may be off but I'm in agreement with what I read in a few articles stating that a rifle chambered in .270 zeroed for 130gr bullets and a 30-06 zeroed for 180gr bullets would make the perfect pair.

Sounds like it would cover deer/antelope/sheep/goats W/the 270 & the elk/bigger stuff W/the '06

 

W/150gr bonded bullets, the 270 could sub for the '06  & W/165gr BTs, the '06 could sub form the 270 

 

Could you be planning a hunting trip out West..

Edited March 1, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[Elmo]

I'd go with 7mm Rem Mag paired with a shotgun. Covers every single possible North American game you can think of without too much over kill or over lap.

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[Mr VJP]

You could just get a 30-06 for all of your big game needs.  With the variety of bullets available for it, you wouldn't need another rifle at all.

 

[Borngeechee]

Sounds like it would cover deer/antelope/sheep/goats W/the 270 & the elk/bigger stuff W/the '06

W/150gr bonded bullets, the 270 could sub for the '06 & W/165gr BTs, the '06 could sub form the 270

Could you be planning a hunting trip out West..

My best friend moved to Colorado and we have been toying with the idea but it's mostly me wanting a new one lol

[Borngeechee]

You could just get a 30-06 for all of your big game needs. With the variety of bullets available for it, you wouldn't need another rifle at all.

I have the 270 already and I'm pretty good with it but you know us boys and our toys

[wildcat junkie]

My best friend moved to Colorado and we have been toying with the idea but it's mostly me wanting a new one lol

You could opt for a 338-06 for a bit more bullet weight, but then an 8X57 does the same thing.

 

For me, it would be the 6.5X55 W/130gr bullets & 8X57 W/200gr pills as the perfect combo, but I reload. 

Edited March 1, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[Mr VJP]

If you already have the .270 and want something bigger without going for too much, consider the .325 WSM.  It's actually an 8mm bullet but hits close to 3000fps with a 200 grain bullet.  It can also shoot 220 grain bullets.  It will do very close to what a .338 Win Mag will do but with a lot less felt recoil and uses a shorter action.

 

I own one, and it will take brown bear, though I also own a .375 H&H for that job.

 

[wildcat junkie]

If you already have the .270 and want something bigger without going for too much, consider the .325 WSM.  It's actually an 8mm bullet but hits close to 3000fps with a 200 grain bullet.  It can also shoot 220 grain bullets.  It will do very close to what a .338 Win Mag will do but with a lot less felt recoil and uses a shorter action.

 

I own one, and it will take brown bear, though I also own a .375 H&H for that job.

Damned "metric" masquerading as a Yankee cartridge!

 

Everyone knows those metrics get feet & meters mixed up so they lose energy faster that true blue Yankee boolits.

Edited March 1, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[Borngeechee]

If you already have the .270 and want something bigger without going for too much, consider the .325 WSM. It's actually an 8mm bullet but hits close to 3000fps with a 200 grain bullet. It can also shoot 220 grain bullets. It will do very close to what a .338 Win Mag will do but with a lot less felt recoil and uses a shorter action.

I own one, and it will take brown bear, though I also own a .375 H&H for that job.

I didn't even know about that cartridge. Guess I have some more reading to do. Since I've been in this site I've done so much damn reading it's ridiculous lol.

[Mr VJP]

I didn't even know about that cartridge. Guess I have some more reading to do. Since I've been in this site I've done so much damn reading it's ridiculous lol.

 

IMHO it is a great round for Elk and I prefer it to the .338 WM.  It has never really caught on since it was introduced and ammo isn't real easy to come by.  You can find ammo in big stores like Cabela's, but I find most of my .325 WSM ammo on line.  The price has gone up a lot in the last few years.  I figured it would so I stocked up when I got the rifle.  I plan to reload the rounds now and have about 250 rounds to work with.  You can get 180, 200 and 220 grain bullets for it in factory loads.

[wildcat junkie]

I didn't even know about that cartridge. Guess I have some more reading to do. Since I've been in this site I've done so much damn reading it's ridiculous lol.

The 325 WSM was poo-pooed by the 338 fans even though the 8mm bullet makes more sense than a 338 in a short WSM cartridge, thus the luke warm reception & lack of publicity.

 

The ideal compromise bullet weight in .323  or 8.2mm, the actual bullet diameter, is about 200gr.

 

A .323 200gr bullet traveling @ 2900 FPS (a more realistic Mv) makes over 3500 ft# of energy & it will have a better BC than a similar weight 338 bullet thus retaining energy better & having a better trajectory.

 

If I were to purchase a WSM clambering, it would be the 325 WSM.

 

Back before the 325 WSM, I was researching an 8mm WSM widcat of the slightly larger capacity (than the 300 WSM) 7mm WSM case.

 

.

Edited March 1, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[Mr VJP]

If you hand load the .325 WSM with 180 bullets, you can drop the velocity to duplicate a 180 grain .30-06 loading too.

 

[Mr VJP]

Born, did you know there is a .270 WSM too!  Uses the same .270 bullets you use now but with much higher velocity.

 

 

Using a 130 Grain Barnes TSX bullet, it will do 3250 FPS.  That bullet will retain about 95% of it's weight when recovered, but it will usually pass completely through what ever it hits.

 

 

Edited March 1, 2015 by Mr VJP

[wildcat junkie]

Here is what a 200gr 323 Hot Core bullet does to a mature buck at 100yds when it leaves the muzzle @ 2700fps.

 

 

 

The hit was straight on, high in the brisket.. The lungs came out in handful chunks & about 1/3 of the liver was destroyed. No blood trail due to pump failure, but the buck went less than 50yds.

 

I like 8mm cartridges. To me 30 cal is a jack of all trades, master of none. Too big to shoot flat W/O a lot of blast & recoil, too small to carry 200gr or more of bullet weight in short/medium length cartridges.

[Borngeechee]

Born, did you know there is a .270 WSM too! Uses the same .270 bullets you use now but with much higher velocity.

Using a 130 Grain Barnes TSX bullet, it will do 3250 FPS. That bullet will retain about 95% of it's weight when recovered, but it will usually pass completely through what ever it hits.

I do now. Sounds interesting. You guys are enablers I swear.

[wildcat junkie]

Born, did you know there is a .270 WSM too!  Uses the same .270 bullets you use now but with much higher velocity.

 

 

Using a 130 Grain Barnes TSX bullet, it will do 3250 FPS.  That bullet will retain about 95% of it's weight when recovered, but it will usually pass completely through what ever it hits.

 

 

I do now. Sounds interesting. You guys are enablers I swear.

There is also a 7mm WSM. If you reload, the 7mm WSM is a bit more versatile as .284 bullets are available in a much broader range  of weights  & construction than. 277. Some manufacturers (I think Sierra is an example) actually have a wider variety of .284 than .308 bullets.

 

If you buy a Savage bolt action, chambered in one of those calibers, you could switch barrels between 7mm WSM & 325 WSM. All you would need is a barrel nut wrench & head-space gauges. Just screw the barrel down on the appropriate head space gauge & lock down the barrel nut.

 

Of course, the same could be said for all of the WSM chamberings.

Edited March 1, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[Four Season Whitetail's]

One rifle for me .300Wby Mag. Take any game i will ever hunt with no need to own a pile of rifles. Shells are a tad bit on the high side so range shooting does not happen much but it will plant them at 400yds plus.

[Mr VJP]

It's a bit much for Whitetail at 50 yards though, wouldn't you say?

 

[Pygmy]

 

It's a bit much for Whitetail at 50 yards though, wouldn't you say?

 

More than necessary perhaps, but as long as proper bullets are used( stoutly constructed enough so they don't explode) what's the problem..?..Dead is dead..

That said, I am not a fan of the .30 magnums because I consider them a niche chambering, neither fish nor fowl, but I do have friends who use them as all around medium and big game cartridges and they do work just fine with appropriate bullets for the application at hand.

One of my best hunting buddies, whom I affectionately call Fungus Face, uses his .300 Win mag for everything, and it serves him well. He's a good shot and is as recoil proof as a tractor tire. For him it is a perfect all around chambering.

[noob52]

 

Don't be a puss... Go big or go home.