One caliber/gun...for North America?

[Wellborn Papa]

Am I crazy. 280

X2

[Wellborn Papa]

I prefer the .22 cal myself.
Here's one I developed for elephants

That's what I would call over bore.

[Still Hunter]

No doubt a 30-06. You can load it up or down. Manageable recoil. One shot kills on every elk I have harvested. I have never had to shoot anything more than once.

[Tom]

Having been up close and personal with a grizzly and killing a brown bear I’d have no issue with a .270 at all. Bears are soft

I have been there as well and I do agree bears are soft for the most part. Soft from the side when you are hunting them. A brown bear up close head on and maybe a .270 is not the best gun at that moment!

[tlh2865]

If you really want a caliber for everything, 300 win mag. But for myself, where 98% of everything I ever kill with it is gonna be deer or smaller, 270 short mag

[Raypo]

Wide spectrum. I cant imagine shooting a bobcat, or a coues deer type of animal with a large 30 caliber rifle. This would include even prairie dogs and so on. Conversely, I cant imaging shooting a big coastal, grizz, or moose with a 270. I could probably narrow it dow to 3: On the upper end 300PRC, middle of the road 6.5PRC, and 22/250 or 204 on the lower end.

Funny that every time I build a rifle, I think to myself, ok this one will do everything. The safe is full of these builds. This is even further complicated when looking a game and fish regs.

[catslayer]

300 win mag

[JONES45LC]

300 win mag

[MadHatter]

Wide spectrum. I cant imagine shooting a bobcat, or a coues deer type of animal with a large 30 caliber rifle. This would include even prairie dogs and so on. Conversely, I cant imaging shooting a big coastal, grizz, or moose with a 270. I could probably narrow it dow to 3: On the upper end 300PRC, middle of the road 6.5PRC, and 22/250 or 204 on the lower end.

Funny that every time I build a rifle, I think to myself, ok this one will do everything. The safe is full of these builds. This is even further complicated when looking a game and fish regs.

Capstick, Rourke and others used to shoot all kinds of small game with hardcast or solids out of those old big bores, and punch neat little holes in em as to not destroy them.

[Hardware]

Its all about shot placement and base of the ear with any NA animal DRT!!!

[RR 314]

Its all about shot placement and base of the ear with any NA animal DRT!!!

Try shooting a ticked off bear in thick alders at the base of the ear. Good luck to you. :-)

[dphillips62]

I am in the larger caliber group. I'm going 45-70 it don't shoot far but it will put down just about anything. And with 6 quick follow up shots in my Marlin I wouldn't be scared about hunting big bears with it.

[mrneil]

300 Win mag - hands down - can be loaded from 110gr to 220gr
never used more than 180 in mine but 2 elk, 6 mule deer, and many rooters later ................

[Big Lee]

.270 or 30-06 would be my two. Likely 30-06

[Hardware]

Try shooting a ticked off bear in thick alders at the base of the ear. Good luck to you. :-)

I'm the one hunting so wouldn't choose pursuing game in the alders.