Your 3 favorite hunting cartridges of all time

[double rifle newbie]

22lr
30-06
375 H&H

couldnt the question have been for 5? lol

 

[HWL]

My actual favorites..... ready for Africa......458 Win-Mag, 9,3x62, 6,5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer

Sitting at home, because of a Chinese bat.....

HWL

 

[RETD16]

My three are:
6.5x55 Swede
338 Win. Mag.
416 Rigby

 

[TheSayHeyKid]

.257 Roberts
6.5x57 Mauser
.416 Rigby

 

[Dewald]

7x57
9,3x62
.450-400 3&1/4”

 

[HWL]

7x57
9,3x62
.450-400 3&1/4”

View attachment 401240
View attachment 401241
View attachment 401242

Perfect set....

HWL

 

[CBH Australia]

It's amazing how we don't read the question.
Probably like we don't read the instruction manuals.
I didn't scroll back to find my original post but I'm looking again the thread is 11 years old and and asked
"What are your 3 favourite hunting cartridges of all time"

There is no asking what are the 3 chamberings you can't live without or must have if restricted to 3.

I probably didn't read it properly either.

So based on preferencesvmore than experience I would now say

.280ai, .300wm and .375H&H purely as "Hunting" cartridges , I own 1 rifle in each and bought each one based on the "Cartridge" potential as a versatile hunting "Cartridge"

Mostly based on research and my preferences and possibly a preconceived ideas of what I wanted. It's just a matter of reading enough material to support our belief.

Based on experience I have shot more critters with either or any one of these .222, .223, 7mm-08, .308 than the other 3 collectively.

I shot a dozen animals in South Africa with a hired 7mmRm the only 7RM I've ever used

 

[CBH Australia]

Has anyone seen a Man-Bun or Latte cartridge even mentioned in the last 26 pages?

 

[Woodcarver]

It's amazing how we don't read the question.
Probably like we don't read the instruction manuals.
I didn't scroll back to find my original post but I'm looking again the thread is 11 years old and and asked
"What are your 3 favourite hunting cartridges of all time"

I chuckle, as I see this routinely in various threads. Often something like "Hey, found this rifle in XXX, should I buy it?" followed by a bunch of posts expounding on the virtues of every chambering besides the one in question. And maybe, eventually, someone says "yeah, that looks like a good deal, buy it".
Often these tangents can be fun, but don't answer the original post-much like this one so far....
And so, to answer the original op question, for me- the 45-70, 300WinMag, and a 20ga (double). Playing with a 9.3x74R right now that might make me modify that, but for now, those 3 would be the favorites.

 

[Woodcarver]

Has anyone seen a Man-Bun or Latte cartridge even mentioned in the last 26 pages?

You mean like a 243? That one that seems to get the Aussie all fired up?

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

6,5x57, 8x64S, 9,3x64.....



HWL

@HWL
Are you sure your not related to @bruce moulds, he thinks along similar lines.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

.22 LR... Thousands of cottontails, ptarmigan, spruce grouse and snowshoe hares would seem to indicate I like .22s. Also, all the furbearers dispatched over trapping a good portion of my life.

.300 WinMag... First rifle/caliber I bought when I moved to AK a long time ago. I didn't have a clue what I was doing; it was blind luck I got something that was so versatile when I got around to hand loading.

.338 Marlin Express... Yeah, it's dead now, and has been for several years. I bought mine in 2011. There is nothing I'd rather use for caribou and moose.

I don't own any big, big thumpers. My first Africa trip is a couple of months away; maybe some year after that on a subsequent trip I'll need something big.

@Tundra Tiger
I can't understand the 338 Federal and Marlin Express didn't gain more interest. Both are little power houses that pack a big punch for their size. The same with the 358 Winchester. All great cartridges that are capable if punching well above what paper balistics say.
Just my thoughts.
Bob

 

[Tundra Tiger]

@Tundra Tiger
I can't understand the 338 Federal and Marlin Express didn't gain more interest. Both are little power houses that pack a big punch for their size. The same with the 358 Winchester. All great cartridges that are capable if punching well above what paper balistics say.
Just my thoughts.
Bob

I agree Bob, though I admit to bias. My memory is that the ballistics on the .338ME is slightly better at 400 yards than a .30-06 pushing a 180 grain at the same distance. Bottom line: it's a right fine cartridge for whatever I hunt with a tube fed lever gun. I have high hopes for it in a little more than a week on plains game.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I agree Bob, though I admit to bias. My memory is that the ballistics on the .338ME is slightly better at 400 yards than a .30-06 pushing a 180 grain at the same distance. Bottom line: it's a right fine cartridge for whatever I hunt with a tube fed lever gun. I have high hopes for it in a little more than a week on plains game.

@Tundra Tiger
A good friend of mine used the 338 Federal on scrub bulls and water buffalo here in OZ with great success using a hand load of H4895 and the 185 grain Barnes TSX.
You will have no problems, listen to your PH, pull trigger and collect game.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I'm a little late to the party, but couldn't make up my mind.
#1 - 35 Whelen
#2 - 7mm 08 or a 6.5/06
#3 - .22
I know there are no "African" calibers here. Assuming I didn't own a .375 H and H and assuming that I was going to hunt DG in Africa I would have to rent a rifle. I'm not that guy that can go there every year...

@Rick Cox
You have the perfect African PG rifle there mate. The 35 Whelen won't let you down on any PG.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

22lr. Best rifle ever!!
300winmag awesome bovine rifle
375 h&h. Cape buffalo? Let you know this June

@Still alive
Aren't cape buff in the bovine genus.
So why 2 bovine rifles you can pick a mother now.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Mine are very close:
.257 Roberts
.300 H&H
.375 H&H

@Peter Radekevich
I like your choice better as I love the 25s and really dislike the 243.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Has anyone seen a Man-Bun or Latte cartridge even mentioned in the last 26 pages?

@CBH
Yes there's been a few 6.5 manbuns and some people actually had the idea the 243 was actually a hunting cartridge.
Also been quite a few 25/06s, 257 Roberts and a smattering of Whelen cartridges. You know the real cartridges not the pretend ones others use. There's even a few 7x64s which are close enough to the 280 and AI.
Bob.

 

[CBH Australia]

@CBH
Yes there's been a few 6.5 manbuns and some people actually had the idea the 243 was actually a hunting cartridge.
Also been quite a few 25/06s, 257 Roberts and a smattering of Whelen cartridges. You know the real cartridges not the pretend ones others use. There's even a few 7x64s which are close enough to the 280 and AI.
Bob.

A .243 is actually a hunting cartridge. They even make hunting rifles in .243
It must make someone s favourite list.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

A .243 is actually a hunting cartridge. They even make hunting rifles in .243
It must make someone s favourite list.

@CBH
The so called rifles they make for that cartridge just give a bigger area ( called the but) to hammer in as as tomato stake.
There is a mother forum started I'm going to be looking at called another useless survey. Bob