Ideal/preferred cartridge on species

[Nhoro]

30-06 for everything up to Kudu and a 458 Lott for the rest. Only other rifle I have is a 22 lr. I would say a 375 h&h is probably ideal for the Eland but I couldn't be bothered with another rifle so close to the 458

 

[mark-hunter]

Now that I have settled on my Blaser R8 setup with a 7x64 and .375h&h combo with z8i 2,3-18x56 and 1-8x24, respectively, I thought it would be interesting to make a thread of people’s ideal or preferred cartridges for different species as listed below:

I will put like this, first caliber is what I would use based on what I have, and in brackets I will put my theoretically ideal cartridge

- roe (buck): 223 rem, 30-06 (6.5x55, 243 win)
- fallow (stag): 30-06 (7x57, 6.5x55)
- red deer (stag): 9.3x62 or 375 HH (8x68, 338 win mag)
- wild boar: 9.3x62 (8x68)
- moose: 9.3x62, 375 H&H (338 wm)
- brown bear, 9.3x62, 375 H&H (8x68)
- black bear 30-06, 9.3x62, 375 H&H
- grizzly: 9.3x62, 375 H&H (8x68)
- sable: 9.3x62, 375 H&H (8x68, 338 win mag)
- kudu: 9.3x62, 375 H&H (8x68, 338 win mag)
- eland: 9.3x62, 375 H&H (8x68, 338 win mag)
- buffalo: 375 H&H (416 Rigby)

Caliber to do it all: 375 H&H

 

[MS 9x56]

-roe (buck): 7x57mm Mauser
- fallow (stag): 7x57mm Mauser
- red deer (stag): 7x57mm Mauser
- wild boar: 7x57mm Mauser or 12 gauge
- moose: 7x57mm Mauser
- brown bear: .375 Holland & Holland Magnum
- black bear: 7x57mm Mauser
- grizzly: .375 Holland & Holland Magnum
- sable: 7x57mm Mauser
- kudu: 7x57mm Mauser
- eland: .375 Holland & Holland Magnum
- buffalo: .375 Holland & Holland Magnum

Now here is the expert opinion we have been waiting to hear from!

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Now here is the expert opinion we have been waiting to hear from!

I assure you. I’m hardly an expert at anything. But that you so much for your kind words.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

The lever action perspective...

.45-70 -> buffalo
.338 Marlin Express -> everything else

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Buffalo - 416 Rigby
Brown Bear - 375 H&H
Grizzly - 374 H&H
Everything else - 35 Whelen

@Art Lambart II
Buffalo, Brown bear, Grizzly and everything else,
PROPERLY LOADED 35 WHELEN.
Why complicate things. A nice 310 RNSP teamed up with a flat point Woodleigh solid at 2,455fps. More than enough.
And clean underpants incase something goes wrong.
Bob

 

[Ndczerwinski]

-roe (buck) - 6.5 PRC
- fallow (stag) - 6.5 PRC
- red deer (stag) - 7 PRC
- wild boar. - 7 PRC
- moose - 300 PRC
- brown bear - 375 Ruger
- black bear - 7 PRC
- grizzly - 375 Ruger
- sable - 375 Ruger
- kudu - 375 Ruger or 300 PRC
- eland - 375 Ruger
- buffalo - 470 NE

 

[CoElkHunter]

@Art Lambart II
Buffalo, Brown bear, Grizzly and everything else,
PROPERLY LOADED 35 WHELEN.
Why complicate things. A nice 310 RNSP teamed up with a flat point Woodleigh solid at 2,455fps. More than enough.
And clean underpants incase something goes wrong.
Bob

What if it’s just factory loaded ammo? Good for prairie dogs? LOL

 

[Beck]

@Art Lambart II
Buffalo, Brown bear, Grizzly and everything else,
PROPERLY LOADED 35 WHELEN.
Why complicate things. A nice 310 RNSP teamed up with a flat point Woodleigh solid at 2,455fps. More than enough.
And clean underpants incase something goes wrong.
Bob

You gotta love Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

What if it’s just factory loaded ammo? Good for prairie dogs? LOL

@CoElkHunter
Same answer mate. The Whelen will still get the job done.
Bob

 

[Rumrunner]

-roe (buck) .270
- fallow (stag) - 7mm Mag
- red deer (stag) - 7mm Mag
- wild boar. - 7mm Mag
- moose - 416 Rem Mag
- brown bear - 416 Rem Mag
- black bear - 7mm Mag
- grizzly - 416 Rem Mag
- sable - 416 Rem Mag
- kudu - 7mm Mag
- eland - 416 Rem Mag
- buffalo - 416 Rem Mag

 

[Nevada Mike]

I would say that if equiped with a 30-'06 and a 375 H&H you could do the whole list without problems.

Probably not what I would do. Just sayin'.

 

[Scandihunter]

I would say that if equiped with a 30-'06 and a 375 H&H you could do the whole list without problems.

Probably not what I would do. Just sayin'.

And the same goes for the 7x64 and 9,3x62 I guess.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I would say that if equiped with a 30-'06 and a 375 H&H you could do the whole list without problems.

Probably not what I would do. Just sayin'.

@Nevada Mike
Just sayin'
Y'all could probably leave both at home and just take a 35 Whelen.
Just sayin'
Bob

 

[Olivier]

For those on a tight budget, the philosophy of ‘two rifles of different calibres and three bullets per calibre allows you to cover everything properly without any noticeable change in PoI:

My favourite pair is the 308Win/375H&H, but I could also have chosen the 30-06/375Ruger or the 7X57/9.3x62... Personally, I'm not attracted to fast magnums because they make noise and wear out the barrel prematurely, or big bore due to significant recoil (or a heavy weapon, whichever you prefer!) and limited range.

In detail:

1. Small game < 100 kg 308 Win 168 gr TTSX (0-300 m), 170 gr TipStrike (0-400 m), ELD-X (0-500 m) Roe deer/Small antelopes/ Wild boar/Chamois/ Ibex / Mouflon...
2. Medium game < 200 kg 375 H&H Interlock 270 gr (0-300 m): Sus Crofa Attila / red deer / medium antelopes / leopard / black bear
3. Heavy game > 200 kg 375 H&H DGX 300 gr (0-100 m): Elk / Wapiti / Brown bear / Zebra / Large antelopes (eland/kudu/sable/roan) / Lion
4. Cattle > 500 kg 375 H&H DGX 300 gr side shot + DGS 300 gr frontal shot (0-100 m): Buffalo / Bison / Gaur / Banteng
5. Pachyderms >1000 kg 375 H&H DGS 300gr (CNS shot 0-100 m): Elephant / Hippopotamus / Rhinoceros

Of course, there is some overlap between each category...

 

[BeeMaa]

30-06 for everything up to Kudu and a 458 Lott for the rest. Only other rifle I have is a 22 lr. I would say a 375 h&h is probably ideal for the Eland but I couldn't be bothered with another rifle so close to the 458

Exactly. Less "stuff" and more adventure.

Years ago, we consolidated our rifle collection from more than 15 down to less than five. More of an emphasis on quality over quantity. Yeah, it's boring. Boringly accurate, reliable and nearly ubiquitous when it comes to ammo. Never looking back.

 

[UpNorthMI]

My thoughts, more and more it's about my Blazer R8 calibers for travel hunts:

- roe (buck) - .308 / .243
- fallow (stag) - .308
- red deer (stag) - .338 Win Mag / .308
- wild boar - 9.3 x 62 / 30-06
- moose - .416 Rem / .375 H&H
- brown bear - .416 Rem / .375 H&H
- black bear - 9.3 x 62 / 300 Win Mag
- grizzly - .416 Rem / .375 H&H
- sable - 9.3 x 62 / .338 Win Mag
- kudu - 9.3 x 62 / .338 Win Mag
- eland - 9.3 x 62 / .375 H&H
- buffalo - .416 Rem / .500/.416NE / .375 H&H

I need to slim down my collection and focus on using the guns that I have. It's hard to sell off those old friends that you have hunted with in the past and kept them in the safe!