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minimum game calibers

nemesisenforcernemesisenforcer Member Posts: 10,513 ✭✭✭
edited April 2006 in General Discussion
What are everyone's thoughts on the minimum caliber to be used on the variety of North American game? Here's the minimum/optimum of what I would take if I were hunting the following creatures:

Whitetail: .243 Winchester
Mule deer: .30-30
Elk: .270 (though I vacillate between this and the .30-06 for elk)
Moose: .340 Weaherby just to make sure
Black bear: .308
Brown bear: .30-06 (at least, bigger if it was a true grizz or Kodiak)
Antelope: .223
Sasquatch: .30-06[:D][:D][:D]

Also, it's a common complaint of European shooters (yes, there are a few) that Americans "use too much gun" or overgun for their hunts. Euros see no problem in hunting elk with a 6.5 Swede for instance. Thoughts?
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Comments

  • shootlowshootlow Member Posts: 5,425
    edited November -1
    I hunt ever thing with a 7mm Rem Mag
    i just reload for what it is
    use i rifle and use it well [:D]
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  • WinM70WinM70 Member Posts: 1,667 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The old trusty do all 30-06, and ammo to match game I'm hunting.
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  • gogolengogolen Member Posts: 1,619 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    .22LR
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  • mondmond Member Posts: 6,458
    edited November -1
    .22 r/f small mammals(rabbit ,duck,pheasant)
    .22 hornet small mammals at distance(fox,hare,goose)
    .223 medium mammals at distance(roe/munjac,fox,linx,)
    .243 (red/roe deer)
    .308(wrong knock at the door !)[:D]
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  • HappyNanoqHappyNanoq Member Posts: 12,023
    edited November -1
    6.5x55 - 6.5Sweede for Moose and musk-ox is plenty.

    .222 for reindeer, deer, antelope.

    .22lr for anything smaller than that.
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  • beantownshootahbeantownshootah Member Posts: 12,776 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by HappyNanoq
    6.5x55 - 6.5Sweede for Moose and musk-ox is plenty.

    .222 for reindeer, deer, antelope.

    .22lr for anything smaller than that.

    Yeah, but what do you use for polar bears?

    [:p]
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  • use enough gunuse enough gun Member Posts: 1,485 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    [/quote]
    Yeah, but what do you use for polar bears?

    [:p]
    [/quote] 45-70 on up[:D]Dave
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  • FrancFFrancF Member Posts: 35,278 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    DO all- (not listed by order of preference )
    .270
    .25-06
    .308
    .30-06
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  • jnmiller75jnmiller75 Member Posts: 899 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:WinM70
    Junior Member



    375 Posts
    Posted - 03/31/2006 : 4:54:51 PM

    The old trusty do all 30-06, and ammo to match game I'm hunting.





    I agree 100%.
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  • dcinffxvadcinffxva Member Posts: 2,830 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    If I can't take them with a .25 auto, I ain't shootin'.

    Seriously, for deer, I hunt with a Winchester model 94 .44 mag. carbine or a Remington .308, for turkey, either a Remington 870, Browning Citori, or Winchester 1300. Never hunted bear, but seen a few in the woods, and figured on taking either an M-1 Garand, or 1903 Springfield for them.

    For blackpowder season, I either have my Thompson Hawken .50 cal., or an original Springfield Model 1861 in .58 cal. Just something nostalgic about taking game with a 140+ year old rifle-musket. The Thompson Hawken will put a 3" group at 100 yards though. I never got that out of the Springfield.
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  • sig232sig232 Member Posts: 8,018
    edited November -1
    I don't know for sure but my 356TSW will take out about anything!

    Sig232
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  • HappyNanoqHappyNanoq Member Posts: 12,023
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by beantownshootah
    quote:Originally posted by HappyNanoq
    6.5x55 - 6.5Sweede for Moose and musk-ox is plenty.

    .222 for reindeer, deer, antelope.

    .22lr for anything smaller than that.

    Yeah, but what do you use for polar bears?

    [:p]

    Calibers as low as .243 have been used - but 6.5*55 OR .308 will do.

    The key is still shot placement.

    However - .375H&H and up.. is recommended for unexperienced hunters.
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  • jabronij3jabronij3 Member Posts: 4,686
    edited November -1
    MY LAST THREE DEER HAVE EACH FALLEN WITH ONE SHOT FROM THE GOOD OLD .22-250 NO MEAT BLOWED OUT ON TREES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE PAN .22-250 FOR YOTES AND DEER AND BLACK BEAR OUT TO 100 YDS [IF YA KNOW YOUR WEAPON AND BULLETS] .308 FOR ALL ELSE IN N. AMERICA [ EXCEPT THE GREAT BEARS BE WISE AND JUST STAY AWAY FROM THEM!] 12 GA AND .45 ACP FOR DEFENSE PURPOSES
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  • FEENIXFEENIX Member Posts: 10,559 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I use 300 Win Mag from antelope size game to up to elk ... with min meat damage. I do not hunt predator game animals (at this time) but considers .338 as a min for the large bears.
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  • ladyhunterladyhunter Member Posts: 2,143 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    all i mainly hunt is white tails and hogs use anything from a 243 to 270 depending on where i hunt and the distant that i have to shoot
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  • surekillsurekill Member Posts: 1,926 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by shootlow
    I hunt ever thing with a 7mm Rem Mag
    i just reload for what it is
    use i rifle and use it well [:D]


    I would agree to this also.[^]
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