- Joined
- Nov 17, 1998
- Messages
- 3,317
What's the best all around centerfire cartridge for the wilderness? My vote goes to the .30-06.
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
Best all around wilderness cartridge(centerfire..sorry no .22LR)
- Thread starter K Williams
- Start date
I get the modern, pointed bullets along with the cool sound by carrying a Browning Lightning BLR on .308. Of course, the BLR is available in 30-06 too, along with other calibers. There is nothing wrong with 30-30 in a Winchester '94, though, and I have a Trapper carbine for those times I don't need to bring a rifle, but.....
- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
- Messages
- 1,774
To my way of thinking the good ole 12G is hard to beat as far as wilderness survival.. Its not a rifle cart. BUT it can put anything from birds to bears in the pot, with a good assortment of slugs, buck, and bird shot..
Cant beat an 06 or .308 for a rifle cartridge, you can find ammo in the most backward towns on the map..
Cant beat an 06 or .308 for a rifle cartridge, you can find ammo in the most backward towns on the map..
Plus, lever-action rifles are lefty-friendly. I shot from the right shoulder for years before I realized I was left-eye-dominant. Now, I can shoot MUCH better from my left shoulder. But, sometimes, it is more tactically wise to take a quick-and-dirty shot from from the "off" side, and having an ambidextrous rifle is the way to go, IMHO. Some say lever rifles don't work from the prone position. Well, it works for me, to tilt the rifle and work the lever. In the woods, or in an urban setting, I find myself with plenty of vertical cover, and and almost never using the prone position anyway. OK, so urban is not wilderness. But, you see, I hunt men much more often than any other animal.
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2001
- Messages
- 106
Another vote for the 12 ga. here. From 1.5 oz slugs, dirt cheap and accurate .75 to 1.0 oz foster slugs, various sabots that are accurate to 175 yards, copper, lead or even steel sabot solids that will penetrate a long way in, and of course all the various sizes and hardnesses of shot, and all the other various loadings, even including poppers and tracers -- it is the one-gun choice for me... if forced to choose only one center-fire cartridge.
We don't have anything large or dangerous here in Delaware so I take my little wire stock .223 Daewoo as it is small, light, accurate, dependable and the ammo is light, cheap and easy to pack. Also, it is so much fun that even when I don't need it for anything, I shoot it for the fun of it.
Note: when researching bear hunting, and from speaking with several guides and a cook who worked with several over the years... I found several, perhaps most, of the long term guides carried a 12 ga pump loaded with shot for the first round and slugs after that. The shot was for pot-meat and the slugs to save the lives of the clients if needed.
We don't have anything large or dangerous here in Delaware so I take my little wire stock .223 Daewoo as it is small, light, accurate, dependable and the ammo is light, cheap and easy to pack. Also, it is so much fun that even when I don't need it for anything, I shoot it for the fun of it.
Note: when researching bear hunting, and from speaking with several guides and a cook who worked with several over the years... I found several, perhaps most, of the long term guides carried a 12 ga pump loaded with shot for the first round and slugs after that. The shot was for pot-meat and the slugs to save the lives of the clients if needed.
If I didn't pick .22 Hornet in my M6, then I would go .30 caliber.
Which one? One of the midpowered .30's, so you can carry plenty of ammo, but still be able to knock down big game with one decent hit.
Many rounds will do, but my vote goes for 7.62x39 in an SKS. 240 rounds go around your waist in Chinese webgear, 10 more in the weapon, and you're ready to go. I would scarcely clean the weapon while "surviving."
Probably no pistol, though. If joined by someone else, I would prefer they had a lightweight scoped .22 rimfire boltaction, for the smaller stuff.
-------
Proper Prior Planning Prevents Pi$$-Poor Performance.
Which one? One of the midpowered .30's, so you can carry plenty of ammo, but still be able to knock down big game with one decent hit.
Many rounds will do, but my vote goes for 7.62x39 in an SKS. 240 rounds go around your waist in Chinese webgear, 10 more in the weapon, and you're ready to go. I would scarcely clean the weapon while "surviving."
Probably no pistol, though. If joined by someone else, I would prefer they had a lightweight scoped .22 rimfire boltaction, for the smaller stuff.
-------
Proper Prior Planning Prevents Pi$$-Poor Performance.
I'd say 30-30 if you are not going to go too big on the game scale. Anything bigger than the blacktail deer and it deserves the cleaner kill of a bigger gun.
Otherwise you can get 30-30 almost anywhere and its not thought of as a 'bad weapon.'
Gadget54
Otherwise you can get 30-30 almost anywhere and its not thought of as a 'bad weapon.'
Gadget54
I can't possibly imagine an all around more versatile, more practical wilderness round than a 7mm-08. It shoots flatter than a 30-06; has enough power for most North American game and, in the hands of a very good shot, all North American game; is small enough to not mutilate most small game; is a relatively lightweight rifle offering, and practically anyone can shoot one because of the very little recoil it generates. There is no better round.