Whats the ideal Caliber for hunting medium to large game?

[ZKersh]

I'm thinking about getting a new rifle and i'm curious to see what in you guy's opinion, is consider to be the best caliber for hunting medium to large game in Australia? please feel free to recommend any specific rifle's as-well.
Cheers, Zade gun)

 

[MudRunner2005]

Never hunted Australia.......Yet! Hoping in the next few years to make a trip to visit TopShot to go Sambar hunting. If I do, I will be taking my 7mm STW with me, shooting the 180 Berger VLD's.

 

[royinidaho]

Caliber - 30
Cartridge - 300 Win

Simply can't go wrong with the cartridge. Can be loaded to be not too big for little animals or too small for large animals.

Yep, that's what I suggest.

 

[solitude]

Unless you're hunting dangerous game, the caliber choices for big game will be no different than what you'd encounter in North America. Most on this forum are going to suggest any of the 284's or 30's... standard load for under 800's and magnum for longer. For LR hunting you'll get recommendations for Sierra Game Kings, Berger VLD's, Hornady SST's and Accubond LR's. Rifles will range from custom builds, Rem action with a semi-custom, and off the rack guns that you'll need "accurizing".

IMO, if you already have a rig that you're competent using, then stick with it. Obviously, if you're just wanting a new gun, then disregard my last comment.

 

[Ghostmoney]

I'm thinking about getting a new rifle and i'm curious to see what in you guy's opinion, is consider to be the best caliber for hunting medium to large game in Australia? please feel free to recommend any specific rifle's as-well.
Cheers, Zade gun)

That would depend on:
- If you are reloading or not
- What ranges you are intending to shoot

I would vote for the 300 win

 

[HARPERC]

Are you based in Australia, or just wish to go there? The .300 Winchester Magnum as others have suggested covers a lot of hunting situations. Although it can be done with heavy bullets in 30 caliber, if I lived there, and buffalo, scrub bulls, and boars were available to me the .375 H&H is coming out of the safe. The 9.3's are also on that list, with the over .40 being a reasonable choice. Proper bullet choice again being important. If you're stateside the .300 magnums will work as close to perfect as any, and better than most until you make it to Australia.

 

[ZKersh]

I live in Australia.

 

[HARPERC]

Just curious, can you own more than one? What's available to you in rifles and ammo? What's common? What's hard to get?

 

[ZKersh]

Well i live on a cattle station in remote Australia. At the moment I personally have a .223 Remington which is pretty good, but i want to get something with a bit more stopping power for larger animals. I'm not exactly sure what the limit's on rifles are, I've got mates in my boarding house that have up to 30 rifles, but I'm not sure if that's on a standard licence. As far as what the largest caliber is i'm not exactly sure I know that you can't have a normal licence, but I know that a .338 is. personally I don't think you would need anything that big for any game over here and they are just too expensive to run. A lot of roo shooters like the .223 Remington with 55gr's, but the .243 Winchester with 80gr's are used by a lot of people too. Most of the shooting I do with my .223 I use Remington Core-Lokt, which I find I can head shoot roos 9 out of 10 times anywhere out to 200m. Apart form that I'll have to do a bit more research.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Have you checked out these threads by a couple of your mates shooting sambar? One is using a 338 RUM and the other a 7mm Rem mag

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/sambar-smack-down-119839/

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/sambar-stag-610-yard-shot-7mm-rem-mag-video-119546/

Your sambar are a lot like our elk and I prefer a 30 cal for elk but have shot them with a 7 RM. For long shots I prefer a magnum for greater velocities.

For smaller game the 6.5 cal has a lot of good chamberings available and lots of good bullets as well.

 

[HARPERC]

Just to be clear-this is a Long Range Hunting site, and the advice you're getting reflects that. Not a judgement at all, but it sounds like you're looking for more of a "working rifle" or what a lot over here refer to as a 'truck gun". Again not to offend, just to be clear what's the biggest animal you would shoot? What would the longest shot be at that animal? Is multiple shot capability important? Different parameters will get you different advice is all. Most of us own multiple rifles for different situations.

 

[trebark]

Just to be clear-this is a Long Range Hunting site, and the advice you're getting reflects that. Not a judgement at all, but it sounds like you're looking for more of a "working rifle" or what a lot over here refer to as a 'truck gun". Again not to offend, just to be clear what's the biggest animal you would shoot? What would the longest shot be at that animal? Is multiple shot capability important? Different parameters will get you different advice is all. Most of us own multiple rifles for different situations.

+1...the OP's original request is too broad. We need some parameter to narrow the responses. Personally, I have three rifles - 280rem carry-rifle, 260rem tactical rifle and a 300rum shoot-anything-at-virtually-any-distance rifle.

 

[coy long range 338lapua]

I'm thinking about getting a new rifle and i'm curious to see what in you guy's opinion, is consider to be the best caliber for hunting medium to large game in Australia? please feel free to recommend any specific rifle's as-well.
Cheers, Zade gun)

Give 300 Mag a look, I have had one since year 94 in Rem-BDL has McMillian stock-factory made. Has a little weight to it BUT this rifle has shot 4 inch groups at 400 yds that is 1 moa at 1000yds . I know this is short to long range. Read Bryan Litz,s 2nd edition on Ballistics, look at what going on with the 300 wm with 230gr berger bullets, 1200 yds look at the Energy. Ihave used 180 nosler partition on 33 Deer from 50yds to 374yds. I know that's not long range to a lot of readers here, BUT I have a 338 Lapua for Extreme long Range, The 180 gr partition leaves a small hole out which leaves no waste on the meat. Know what is on the far side of that BULLET.GOOD LUCK Hunting. Coy Long Range 338lapua

 

[texas]

9.3x62 would be a good choice for the normal rangers and should be easy to find down under, with a good choice of loads to cover almost everything you want to hunt.