I mean he’s really quite good, holds an exceptional monologue… However “national treasure”??? You may need to reevaluate your standards??? Or maybe Ron needs a restraining order???
@@danielcurtis1434 Yes, a bit of hyperbole, but his wealth of knowledge shared on youtube, his prolific writing, and his ambassadorship of hunting, fishing, and conservation I think does make him a treasure.
My grandpa went on a once and a lifetime Safari, he was trying to pick out rifles to bring. He had a 375 H&H and a .458 Lott picked out. He called the outfitter and the laughed at him and told him to bring his 30-06. He harvested over 12 animals that trip and all with a 30-06. When a caliber is suggested by African outfitters and it's also one of the most popular North American hunting cartridges for 100 years it's pretty safe to say in my opinion that 30-06 is the best and most versatile cartridge ever made
Thats true and I 100% agree that the .30-06 is the best rifle cartridge overall, but I assume there was no Dangerous Game (Buffalo, Hippo, Elephant, etc.) on that hunt. If there is DG, then it immediately becomes .375 H&H as the top pick.
@@tim7052 I personally couldn't say whether or not thats true, but I've heard it many times that it really doesn't have much to do with power, but rather where you hit it when you're being charged. But of course, bigger gun means you'll feel better carrying it in the case that happens.
@Marc Moore The larger calibres are ther for a very good reason: they'r designed for use in extreme situations. PH Ian Gibson and his client put 22 rounds of 470 NE and 458 into a buff, and in the end it still gored Ian. A 375HH has less kinetic energy than these heavier calibres, and in a situation like that - with a buff not going down as being pumped up on adrenaline - IMHO it would be little more than an annoyance.
@@marcmoore4115 normal 6.5x55SE loaded in a actual Rifle with good Brass like Lapua, Norma or RWS (i use Norma cause i had plenty of it) loading Barnes 127gn LRX over Reload Swiss RS60 i get around 3025ft/s loaded to around 60500 PSI out of a 22 inch Barrel without destroying Brass or something else that is enough for me for Hunting. Dont do this in a old Rifle with extensive Headspace or something like that
@@lenzadlberger 3025fps with a 127gr is pretty hefty! Load data only really goes to ~2700fps for the Swede. The 6.5 PRCs data goes to around 3100fps, so that is a seriously good load you've got there. Assuming one gains ~100fps from an AI, I guess the 6.5x55 AI would be pretty similar, potentially even faster than the 6.5 PRC, which is pretty damn cool. Edit* according to Nosler the 6.5 PRC can fire a 130gr at 3300fps... thats insane...
I dunno..... I remember after one of the Jurassic Park movies that Marlin claimed the 45-70 was good enough for a T-Rex. Please don't tell me that they would lie to us!😢
My 280 uses 10 grains less powder than my 7 mag for almost the same velocity. My 7 starts to shine with 160 & 175. I built my 280 back in the early 1980’s. I had no clue what I was getting. Love the 280!
Although a great round , if I use it in my state I'll be breaking hunting regs and lose my hunting rights... The perfect caliber should be legal in all 50 states and capable of taking small and large game. Unpopular opinion but that's where the straight walls shine above all others ..
Rom I'm the fellow that asked you to do a piece on the 3006 family now would you do a episode on the 308 family 😮 that would be great and sure many would like that😊
100% agreed - 7mm is the goldilocks bullet size and 7prc gives all the performance of 7mm mag in a modern non-belted cartridge with ultra high BC's and manageable recoil levels. Now if Bergara would just start making some rifles! lol
When I was a teenager and I reloaded a lot and studied every ballistic chart I could get my hands on I decided that my 300 Weatherby w 180 grain Nosler partition could be the one gun to do it all.
The .350 Rem. Mag. is one of the cartridges I carry in the Adirondacks, where game is scarce, and shots are close range. It’s buck and bear, so heavy bullets with close range energy are appreciated. My Remington 673 carries easily. When I bought it in 2006, I bought 350 rounds of unprimed brass, as I thought the cartridge might not last. Few manufacturers consider hunting in the NE (PA to Newfoundland).
Ron, I have found your content to be awesome... I was always a 30.06 man until I listened to a bunch of your stuff and now I'm diving into other calibers and finding out how much fun range shooting is. Its point was always to zero a rifle then go hunting... that was the only reason for me to visit the range... that is until I picked up a 223. And realized, hey... this is fun. Now I'm on the hunt for a 308. And looking forward to more time just burning some ammo
I wish that the 5mm Remington Magnum rimfire would make a comeback. Dad had one back in the 70's and that was a great rifle for small game out to around 200+ yrds. It was a lot more powerful than the 22 mag with a flatter trajectory. There's one company, I think it's Aguila (wrong spelling I'm sure) that has started making the round again but I don't know of any rifles being chambered for it. It's the best rimfire cartridge that I've ever shot, surpassing even the 17 calibers. I really hope that more people will research the performance of the 5mm and ask rifle manufacturers to start making rifles chambered for it. Besides groundhogs, Prarie dogs and similar critters, it would make an excellent coyote round out to 200 yrds or so.
Id go with .257 Weatherby Mag, 300 Weatherby Mag or even 6.5 PRC now as well. Some great mentions here and definitely by others. Really appreciate your videos Ron!
Mr. Ron, I just wanted to give you a small correction on the introduction of the Nosler Ballistic Tip, it was actually introduced to the public in the mid 80's around 1984 if my memory serves me correctly. I really enjoy watching your podcast on TH-cam. Thank you for the much valued information, and your honest opinions on the various subjects brought forth. Shoot straight and enjoy.
Hey Ron, I had the same issue with my Remington 700 243 in a 9.25 twist. I ended up trying out the limbsaver you put on the barrel, ended up going from a 2 moa to sub. I started from .75 inches from the end of the stock because of it being not floated as some 700. Anyway I kept moving the limbsaver 1/2 inch between groupings until I found a tight group hitting a dime size group from the second shot. I ended up shooting over a half box of ammo until finding the sweet spot. When doing this procedure, you have to be patient and let your barrel cool down between shots. Once you find it, it is so rewarding. I believe the limbsaver is best for someone who doesn’t hand load, only buys factory ammunition. Thanks for the videos, always seem to learn something new every time I watch.
I'm not sure what year(s), maybe late 90's, but Remington did bring out a 700 in 350 Remington Magnum. It had at least a 22" if not 24" barrel. It may have been one of the 700 Classics. The extra weight definitely would have improved the shootability but it was still no better than a 35 Whelen. There was a beautiful one in a local gun store. I told myself i didn't want or need it because I already had Whelen. I'm not a big 700 fan but now I'm having non-buyers remorse. I think one of the old Remington 722's would be a good rifle to rebarrel to 350 Remington Magnum. Then all you would have to do is find brass for it. 358 Winchester and 35 Whelen still better options if you like the 35's. For heavier game at longer distances step up to the 358 Norma Magnum. The Hornady SuperFormance 200 grain 35 Whelen load duplicates the 358 Norma with the same bullet weight. On both ends of the rifle! Happy hunting boys and girls!😊
Yes there is a perfect cartridge. It is the 7x57 Mauser. good for wood chucks to elephant (a bit of a stretch for elephant but it has been done) and the perfect balance for deer, stronger and flatter shooting then a 30-30 and not over kill like 270s or 30-06s.
The 7x57 and everything else "can" take elephant, but nowadays it's not about whether it physically "can"... it just straight up isn't legal to do so in most places - usually you're required by law to have a minimum caliber or energy for Dangerous Game and most often that ends up pointing you at the .375 H&H, which is the true perfect cartridge lol. Of course it's beyond popular for Buffalo and all the other Dangerous Game. It's also a very effective plains game (deer and elk sized) cartridge when loaded with 270gr bullets designed to expand - it will be great for everything from Springbuck to Eland, effectively killing without much damage. It obviously can be used for wood chucks, but more impressive is that it's a popular choice for the Tiny 10 - load some light load with a 300gr solid and it kicks less, but also does so little damage to the animals hide, that it only leaves behind two perfect .375" holes! Even a 7x57 would be overkill there, unless you load it down to around 2000fps or less and find solids for it. For reference as to why I say it's impressive - one of the popular options for the Tiny 10 is the .17 HMR! But with all that said - man the x57 case is just so awesome. I'd love a 9.3x57 one day. The 7x57 is awesome, the 8x57 is great (a little confusing with the .318 and .323 though), the 6.5x57 is also cool, but the 9.3x57 intrigues me.
Great podcast video Ron! I always learn something watching your videos and am thankful for your willingness to share your knowledge and wisdom with your fellow riflemen. Grace & Peace
There are many great hunting bullets available today. Older offerings like the venerable Nosler Partition to the latest in monolithic copper bullets all get the job done if the shot placement is adequate. 35 years ago I started reloading and was advised to choose one and stick with it. I have pet hunting loads for cartridges from .222 Rem. up to .375 H&H, all using (mostly) Nosler Partitions. I've had excellent accuracy and very good terminal performance. From smaller whitetails to the largest of Yukon moose, Partitions just get the job done. If I was going to southern Africa for cape buffalo, I'd likely work up a .375 H&H load using a modern copper monolithic. But for big game in northern BC, Partitions are great.
I’m a Canuck… omg it’s nice to see that old CIL Dominion ammo box!! I remember looking in the cupboard above our washer and dryer when I was a kid… is take down the ought 6 and 30-30 round sown and just study them. Going on imagined hunts taking down grizzlies with one shot!! Yup! We invented the plastic tip!!
Ron, great video buddy. I swear you're reading my mind. Just 2 days ago I was thinking about the Remington "Bronze Point", Winchester "Silver Tip" and a Norma round from the '70's. The "Bronze Point " was a sleek racey bullet that nolonger exists. The "Silver Tip" is also gone. As a young kid I always knew were dad had some "Silver Tips", just incase a lycanthrope showed up. But I do remember Norma had a plastic capped bullet in the mid '70's. It wasn't a very sharp cap, more rounded. They all basically did what the plastic caps of today do, start expansion. Also the other night I was looking through a 1963 Herter's catalog. Now George Herter was a true marketer of note. But boy did they have some interesting bullet designs back then. Wish I had a few boxes to test and not just the marketing in the catalog. All the best to you. Keep up the good work. Cheers, Jeff
For the guy with the 243 issues I’d suggest Sierra 85gr Game King Hollow Point. Reloading it I get 3300fps with H414 (now you have to use Win 760). I always run CCI 250 magnum primers with ball powders. The velocity AND energy is better with the 85’s out to 400.
If you can handle the recoil then get the 375 Remington ultra mag 300 grains at the velocity of your 270 3,000 feet per second. Mine are load a little hot. I can get 3300 feet per second out of my 270 grain there it is all around bullet but god the recoils massive
I thought WSM was Winchester Short Magnum. Where there was a series of cartridges using the belted H&H case to get 30 Springfield case capacity for the said derivatives.
Michael had a question about 243 accuracy. I have a 243 for deer hunting. Michael was using 100 grain loads. I find my rifle likes the 90 grain loads best...and have successfully harvested deer with them. I've tried a lot of brands, and believe it or not, mine likes the 90 grain PPU best. They work for me and my 243.
Hands down the 300 H&H here. 4 in the magazine and one in the chamber for total of 5. Only belted Mag that can do that. Will also feed empty casings in the M70 Winchester, loaded round nearly chamber themselves lol. Most efficient 300 magnum of all of them. Do the math and find this out.
It is obvious that there is no one cartridge that is perfect for everything but some are very versatile. I've pointed out, probably on this Utube channel and others, that in his Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns, Jack O'Connor wrote that if he could have only one rifle to hunt the world over it would be the 375 H&H Magnum. Of course he went on to say that if he could have two, his second would be the 270 Winchester. Jack and others also opined that the 257 Roberts was a perfect deer cartridge. An example of a perfect cartridge but definitely not as versatile as the 375 H&H. Happy hunting boys and girls!😊
Bullet tip deformation, Was shooting at a moving Deer and the 3rd round lead tip got hung up with the front of the magazine,(Did get get deer with that third round), Welded a polished strip of metal on each inner side of the magazine as a shoulder stop. Some magazines have it stamped from the factory. Gunsmith might do it on metal or a custom plastic/polymer or custom printed magazine with shoulder rails will solve the problem
I heard Savage is making a 400 ledgen equal to a 416 when are they going to be in production?? I want one I've got the Savage 110ba in 338LM MDT CHASSE LSS XL gen 1 and a suppressor on it i love it so if you can would you do a show on the 400 ledgen??
A few comments. I have a .243 that HATES boat tail bullets. I can get sub MOA with flat base but it just will not shoot boat tail. I agree with the .375 HH Mag. It is a great all around medium to large game cartridge. The recoil from the bench is annoying, but the recoil when standing is not bad at all.
For all game in this beautiful country, I will always pick the 338 winchester magnum. It doesn't matter if it's a Buffalo, Any kind of bear, moose on down. The deer that I have bagged with this round have been dead before they hit the ground and you can eat right up to the bullet holes. Very little ruined venison.
OK Ron This is one area I have a bit a passion for. That I love the .35 WHELEN! Now over the years I have seen factory. 35 caliber in 1 in 12,14, and 16" rate of twist. For example a Remington M700 has a 1 in 16" twist. The Rugers come with a 1 in 14". Now in my experience with. 35 whelen builds a 1 in 16" do very well a 180 up to 225 grain bullet's and for me it really loves the 225 gr Barnes X bullet, and it's a wonder bullet. My Ruger is Ackley improved it really came into its own at 250 grains, and heavier. Now my two experiences with a 1 in 12" twist is only limited in a .358 win in a 99 Savage, and a .358 Norma Magnum. Will obviously handle heavier bullets if you consider the space consumed by the longer bullets. Not an issue in the Norma Magnum. My average velocities out of my 700 225 grain Barnes average 2805 fps Mountain man
350 rem mag, 2003 Remington came out with a model 673. The number 6 was modeling for the model 600. The number 7 was because they used the model 7 action. And the 3 was because it came out in 2003. They only made it a couple of years. It had a ventilated rib 22" barrel and a laminated stock.i have one and it has a little shoulder punch, pretty gun
The excessive twist can cause accelerated barrel wear, and coupled with high velocities also induce a very high spin rate which can cause projectile jacket ruptures causing high velocity spin stabilized projectiles to disintegrate in flight.
The main reason that people go for faster twist is to use heavy-for-caliber bullets that will go slow enough that jacket failure is not an issue. US hunting cartridges have historically tended to run slower twists that European ones anyway. That is largely because until about 20 years ago when laser rangefinders became affordable, the goal was flat trajectory with light bullets to minimize range estimation issues. A good example is the 6.5mm Swede with is 1 in 8" twist, compared to the US 308's 1 in 12" and 243's 1in 10".
@@dannypinyan3949 I have not seen that as an issue. Do you have any references? Barrel wear usually has more to do with the amount of powder used in comparison to the bore diameter. Ie, overbore cartridges.
Danny, don't worry about fast rifling twist wearing out faster than slow twist. It is not bullet friction that is "wearing out" a barrel. It is the intense heat/flame from the burning powder. The greater the powder supply and narrower the bore, the faster the throat/leade and start of the rifling break down.
While the jacket ruptures are an issue, they are far less likely to happen with something like a monolithic bullet, bonded bullets or even cup and core with thick copper jackets... but no, faster twist doesn't increase barrel wear.
This is kind of a crazy question. I have realized that uncommon or calibers that are no longer being produced by manufacturers. Why are they always going to the plastic tips on the bullets? I have just acquired a 348 I have a couple Grendel‘s I have a 6.8 SPC, and as these calibers are less being produced by manufacturers, the only bullets being produced are plastic tipped and not with standard bullets
Once I was at the. Loading bench and necked a 30-06 down to 6mm and thought wow that's a spiffy looking cartridge a course I had no gun to shoot it. So that was the end of that
I bought my first American gun comic ( Guns &Ammo ?!) back in the sixties, and yes I have been aware of plastic tipped ammo for that long ! To my shame I don’t remember the fantasies justifying them back then !
You took a comment in this one about increasing spin rate of a .270 from 1-10 to say 1-8 and the effects it might have on wind drift. You said the increase in spin won't effect the wind drift, only the spin drift. Coming from an external ballistics podcast from Hornady, the wind it's self has little effect on the bullet, the overall drift of the bullet is mostly a result of the nose of the bullet yawing into the wind which creates a draft effect on the bullet which pulls the bullet off it's trajectory in the same direction as the wind. In theory, if you increased the rotational stability of the bullet giving it more capability to resist nosing into the wind, the bullet would remain nose forward longer and would not angle as much into the wind and thus not drift as much with the wind. Of course it's only a theory until someone puts it to the test. Maybe I'll try it.
I wish someone made a high long bullet but only weighs 100 grains.... I miss the old 22 callsabout round from Remington. That said my go to over 50 years with my 30-06700 BDL has been 165=168 grain. These days I load the 165 grain Hornady hunting bullet and the 168 grain matcvh bullet for long range shots on big game. past 500m the "hunting bullet" doesn't expand much and the match bullet groups better at longer ranges and the thin jacket allows for more expansion without blowing up. I've developed loads that shoot to the same point of aim so switching cartridges based on the circumstances is simple.
There are lots of perfect cartridges. It all depends on what you plan to do with the cartridge. The 22/250 is a perfict varmint cartridge. The 375 H&H is a perfict Elk cartridge. It's all a matter of what's expected. Then again beauty is in the eye of the beholder. With that in mind the 50 BMG might just be the perfict all around cartridge. I can't think of anything that it will not cleanly take. It's really a matter of outlook.
(Title) .308 Win/7.62x51Nato- 1000 yard performance, cheap to reload, cheapest brass cartridge with over 2500ft-lbs energy, brass and steel cased options, semi auto-bolt-lever-pump options, vast factory ammo options, vast reloading options and cheapest in class to reload, find it anywhere. (Edit) Adequate for African dangerous game with correct bullet selection...
I agree, except for the Dangerous Game... I don't know anyone stupid enough to try to hunt buffalo, hippo, elephant, etc. with a .308... of course, it can be done and yes the 7x57 has taken how many elephants, but it can be difficult to even find a PH comfortable with a hunter using a .22 or .24 cal on plains game, let alone a medium .30 for DG.
@@marcmoore4115 I said adequate, not ideal. But honestly, given the fact that it can be had in a semi automatic platform with 20+ round magazines, I'd say that would actually be pretty effective in stopping a charge from most of those animals with the right bullets. People carry 10mm pistols to effectively stop brown bear/grizzly bear attacks, and a .308 is a hell of a lot more power than that. Hell, even a .44 magnum pistol was and still is considered the golden standard for protection against such bears, and .308 is 3x the power of a .44 mag pistol. Regardless, I said adequate, not ideal...
@@BuckeyeBallistics Well, you might be right, but one thing the .44 has is bullet weight for penetration. Although I don't know what I'd trust in a situation like that. You make a good point that a Semi Auto with 20 rounds has a lot of firepower... but you're failing to remember that you would probably not even get that into Africa and even if you do, if you're caught trying to hunt with it, you'd be in massive trouble. In my opinion, to find a truly perfect cartridge, it'd have to be legally viable, since you can't really call it perfect if you have to say "it's perfect IF you ignore the law" lol. I love my .308 and like I said, everything else you said I agree on. It's just going to be tough to justify Dangerous Game.
What ever you hunt with if it works best for you and good for what your doing then go for it. One mans treasure is another mans trash. It don't matter if you have a $200 pawnshop rifle or shotgun or even a $5,000 rifle . You just go out practice, hunt and enjoy your self. Happy hunting everyone . Some of those old rifles can work well.
Not recommending it, but the 30-06 has been used to take all species of big game world wide. Eleanor O'connor had a model 70 30-06, that was her "heavy" rifle, with which she used to take her elephant and tiger, as she felt her beloved 7x57 wasn't quite enough. I think it was Aaguard that used the 30-06 on a cape buffalo, because he had recently had shoulder surgery and that was as much recoil as he could handle. Didn't Hemingway stop a rhino with a 30-06? I think I read that he also liked the 06 for cape buffalo. I hear of a PH that used the 06 on game up to and including cape buffalo. He had used the 06 extensively in cape buffalo cull hunts, he said it was very effective with 180 gr partitions for that use. I believe that 06 has been used extensively to take polar, brown and grizzly bear. Is it the best for such useage? No, but that doesn't mean it can't do it, and in an ethical manner too. Personally, if you have a choice, I think a person should pick the best tool for the job, that you can handle ethically and effectively. Besides it is so much fun to use the different "toys" available.
When it comes to stability of bullets relative to spin rate, it's canon that longer bullets require a faster twist, and that shorter bullets can live with slow twist. What's not discussed is the degree to which an inadequate twist - and its corollary, stability - affect accuracy. Not necessarily target accuracy, but hunting accuracy. For example, does a long bullet wobbling and nutating drop in accuracy from 1.5 MOA to 2 MOA, or to 5 MOA? What is the rate that accuracy (i.e. dependable repeatability of coincidence of POA and POI) falls off at as a function of that lack of stability? Would, for example, a bullet with NO spin exhibit 10 MOA? 20? Or 3-4? I've never seen any systematic study that quantified or attempted to address the math or practical consequence of a mismatched twist. The 6mm Remington, originally the .244, was hammered in the marketplace owing to its slower twist compared to the .243; the word was it would "stabilize 90 grain bullets, but not 100 grain, which was deer weight." Really? 10 grains makes THAT much difference - especially since the .244 had higher velocity than the .243? And what happened - did the 100 grain bullets leave for Sandusky as soon as they exited the barrel, or was it just that when targeting the gun in at the range, the groups "looked" bad? Was it a practical, or an emotional issue that led to the demise of the .244, and later re-release as the 6mm? Rules of thumb are all well and good, but it is seldom in dynamic systems that a minor change produces an enormous effect unless you've hit some threshold; is the "stabilization point" that threshold? That is, a 1:10 stabilizes, but juuuusstt barely, so that a 1:10.5 goes haywire? Seems like it might be interesting just to jaw about for perspective. I much enjoy your very practical, entertaining, and informative videos - you are to be congratulated on their effectiveness and utility to the shooting community. Thanks for the great work.
Good points and questions, sir. I can tell you that stability is not yea or nay. It is a matter of degrees. You can have a poorly stabilized bullet that is wildly inaccurate, one that is marginally stable, perfectly stable and all points between. What sort of MOA each delivers would likely be highly variable, but academic in the hunting world because virtually no one will settle for 2 MOA precision. The other sacrifice with a poorly stabilized bullet is trajectory. Because the imbalanced bullet will expose more surface area to oncoming atmosphere, drag will increase. More drop, more wind deflection, less energy on target.
@@ronspomer4366 Yes - no question that any aerodynamic retardation of velocity has an effect on trajectory; of course, if you've characterized that trajectory, that doesn't automatically exclude the load from consideration - if you know where it hits at each range point, you know where it hits. However, your comment that "virtually no one will settle for 2 MOA precision" is curious; a Model 94 with open sights is probably in that range, and certainly handgun hunting is. I'd never heard it said before that a hunter - except maybe a mountain hunter or a pronghorn hunter (i.e. long range) - would require that degree of precision from a hunting rifle. Target shooters, of course - but hunting whitetail deer in New England woods? It's the rare hunter, I'd wager, who could maintain such accuracy offhand in any case. Of course, we all want the best we can get, and to eliminate any source of variation that we can. Lots of interesting things to think about, aren't there?
Arguably the .375H&H is the perfect hunting cartridge. It'll take everything... literally... and it does so very effectively as long as you choose the right bullet. A 300gr solid would leave nothing but 2 perfect holes in small game, hence it's extensively used for the Tiny 10. A 270gr bullet is perfect for all plains game out to 300 yards. Recently a friend took a Sable at 210m with a 270gr Barnes TTSX. A tough 300gr bullet can be used for all Dangerous Game including Elephant. And it does all that without having crazy recoil - it's a lot, of course but any seasoned shooter should be able to handle it with practice. It also has rifles and ammo available nearly everywhere. So for a true "one size fits all", there is no match to the good old .375 H&H.
Depends on application... that being said I believe a cartridge that can flex into military, home/farm defense, and hunting is ideal. Depending on local availability and local hunting laws 308 and 5.56 can be used however guided by the previously mentioned parameters the perfect cartridge would be one you can carry alot of, maximum point blank range of 350 yards with a wind deflection to match under 10mph full value winds on an 8inch, human head, sized target... so it doesn't exist yet but the innovation by sig with their hybrid case and high pressures makes me believe that we may see a cartridge that has a fast enough muzzle velocity, high enough b.c., think .6 or higher, and sufficient enough sectional density to get adequate penetration. This maybe a pipe dream but just remember that in most instances, shot placement rules the day. So don't scoff at a 22 creedmoor with Sig's hybrid case and pressures moving a 95gr lead core or 85gr monolithic bullet at over 3500 fps in a fairly short, 18-20 inch, barrel. Something like that may be the do all cartridge of the future, but sadly a perfect cartridge doesn't exist. For now.
Ron I think People would like a pod cast of what would be a good 2 Rifle Centerfire Battery for North America. Then one on a 3 Rifle Battery for North America. Why just North America because 99.9 percent of Hunters here will never get to go to Africa. For Me in a 2 Rifle Battery it is 6mm Rem & 300 H&H Mag. Now for a 3 Rifle I would say .223 Rem .264 Win Mag and 300 H&H Mag. Which about covers Varmints, Deer & Antelope and Elk & Moose & Bears of any size. Now another Podcast on a 1 Rifle battery for North America and for Me I would pick a .280 Rem or 7mm PRC. I would like to see your picks Ron then we need a Podcast on Rifles selection and Optics for your Rifles Thanks Ron
I find it entertaining that so many people answered the "perfect cartridge" issue before listening to the actual question that included dangerous game in Africa.
If you're talking worldwide hunting, it has to be .375 H&H... a slow moving solid will leave 2 clean holes in small game, it's regularly used for all plains game species and it's legal for everything up to Elephant... now the same can be said for all the cartridges above the .375 H&H as well, but the .375 H&H is the most widely available - it's popular pretty much everywhere. It also doesn't have insane recoil like a .458 does for instance.
As much as I know, yes. The skin/hair grows up from the surface (nose) and modifies into hard keratin. Pretty much the same material as are hooves. But I don't know if the rhino has a bony horn core like the pronghorn does. Pretty sure it does not. And it certainly doesn't shed any part of its horn.
Yes, rhino horn and pronghorn horn is very similar, in that start as hair. The big difference is that rhino do not shed it's horn. Also the rhino does not have a bone core. In really a pronghorn's horn is a sheath over the core. Unique to the animal kingdom, the pronghorn is the only "horned" animal who's horn "branches". What we call the "prongs" or "cutters". A very unique animal on many levels. Cheers, Jeff
This is in response to what bullet for .300 Win Mag. It is going on 45 years ago now since this happened. I used to shoot every week at the range and as would often happen the same shooter would be next to me shooting a .300 Win. Mag getting ready for elk season. I don't know what load he was using but I was working on loads for my .30-40 Krag. Two weeks into elk season I found him in the parking lot at the rang asking if I had a rifle he could borrow. I only had two with me, one was the Krag and the other my 7x57. He had already borrowed a Wicchester 94 with 150 .30-30 rounds. My 7x57 rounds were 130 gr. hollow points, not good for elk. He ask for the Krag which was loaded with Sierra 180 gr. round nose bullets, he needed to borrow a rifle because he had leaned his rifle against the trucks tailgate and broke it at the pistol grip. He took a bull elk that weekend, so he said, at 300 yards. I would say a good bullet would be any well made heavy enough .308 caliber for range and game you are hunting. By the way a .30-40 Krag is about equal to a low .308 Win load.
Ron Spomer is a national treasure
I mean he’s really quite good, holds an exceptional monologue… However “national treasure”??? You may need to reevaluate your standards??? Or maybe Ron needs a restraining order???
Wait'll I show my wife this comment. Thanks Greensanwich. I'm not, of course, but I sure appreciate your enthusiasm.
@@danielcurtis1434 Yes, a bit of hyperbole, but his wealth of knowledge shared on youtube, his prolific writing, and his ambassadorship of hunting, fishing, and conservation I think does make him a treasure.
@@BG-Freedom I got you I just had too!!! I apologize!!!
Good catch on the prong horn Ron. I was mouth Agape on that one to.
Ron Spoomer talking about keratine horn hairs and antlers with enthusiasm is enjoyable. I love his imprevisible do-you-know hunting facts
My grandpa went on a once and a lifetime Safari, he was trying to pick out rifles to bring. He had a 375 H&H and a .458 Lott picked out. He called the outfitter and the laughed at him and told him to bring his 30-06. He harvested over 12 animals that trip and all with a 30-06. When a caliber is suggested by African outfitters and it's also one of the most popular North American hunting cartridges for 100 years it's pretty safe to say in my opinion that 30-06 is the best and most versatile cartridge ever made
Well said!! 👍
Thats true and I 100% agree that the .30-06 is the best rifle cartridge overall, but I assume there was no Dangerous Game (Buffalo, Hippo, Elephant, etc.) on that hunt. If there is DG, then it immediately becomes .375 H&H as the top pick.
@@marcmoore4115 I prefer to the 458 - as the 375HH lacks the power to stop a charge.
@@tim7052 I personally couldn't say whether or not thats true, but I've heard it many times that it really doesn't have much to do with power, but rather where you hit it when you're being charged. But of course, bigger gun means you'll feel better carrying it in the case that happens.
@Marc Moore The larger calibres are ther for a very good reason: they'r designed for use in extreme situations. PH Ian Gibson and his client put 22 rounds of 470 NE and 458 into a buff, and in the end it still gored Ian. A 375HH has less kinetic energy than these heavier calibres, and in a situation like that - with a buff not going down as being pumped up on adrenaline - IMHO it would be little more than an annoyance.
I always thought that the 6.5x55 was unfortunately overlooked, but is very capable for a lot of critters with appropriate bullets.
6.5 creed doesn't do anything there 6.5x55 doesn't do it shouldn't get overlooked
@@daporter84 yup. I mean same goes for .260 Rem and 6.5x47 Lapua. I wonder how fast a 6.5x55 AI can go... potentially near that of the PRC.
@@marcmoore4115 normal 6.5x55SE loaded in a actual Rifle with good Brass like Lapua, Norma or RWS (i use Norma cause i had plenty of it) loading Barnes 127gn LRX over Reload Swiss RS60 i get around 3025ft/s loaded to around 60500 PSI out of a 22 inch Barrel without destroying Brass or something else that is enough for me for Hunting.
Dont do this in a old Rifle with extensive Headspace or something like that
@@lenzadlberger 3025fps with a 127gr is pretty hefty! Load data only really goes to ~2700fps for the Swede. The 6.5 PRCs data goes to around 3100fps, so that is a seriously good load you've got there.
Assuming one gains ~100fps from an AI, I guess the 6.5x55 AI would be pretty similar, potentially even faster than the 6.5 PRC, which is pretty damn cool.
Edit* according to Nosler the 6.5 PRC can fire a 130gr at 3300fps... thats insane...
Not by me! It's ONE of my favorites!
I'll stick to my 270 win.
Yes…the .950 JDJ. Perfect for anything from prairie dogs to blue whales.
I keep 2 on me at all times... as side arms. 😂
I carry one in my boot as a backup. Kinda rubs when I go on long hikes…
Impressive when used on field mice.
Is a 7mm-08 with 150 gr. TTSX or 145 gr. LRX suitable for Moose on down through Pronghorn?
I dunno..... I remember after one of the Jurassic Park movies that Marlin claimed the 45-70 was good enough for a T-Rex. Please don't tell me that they would lie to us!😢
280 ai is one of the best all around options not too much kick lots of load options and fairly fast.
My 280 uses 10 grains less powder than my 7 mag for almost the same velocity. My 7 starts to shine with 160 & 175. I built my 280 back in the early 1980’s. I had no clue what I was getting. Love the 280!
Although a great round , if I use it in my state I'll be breaking hunting regs and lose my hunting rights...
The perfect caliber should be legal in all 50 states and capable of taking small and large game.
Unpopular opinion but that's where the straight walls shine above all others ..
Rom I'm the fellow that asked you to do a piece on the 3006 family now would you do a episode on the 308 family 😮 that would be great and sure many would like that😊
The only new cartridge that had me excited is the 7mm prc.
100% agreed - 7mm is the goldilocks bullet size and 7prc gives all the performance of 7mm mag in a modern non-belted cartridge with ultra high BC's and manageable recoil levels. Now if Bergara would just start making some rifles! lol
@@PUcmw11 and Tikka. I’ve also considered the 280 AI.
@@mr.mr.3301 No doubt! Tikka/Bergara and then give me a 7prc, 280ai, 6.8 western, or even 7mm-08.
@@PUcmw11 yep. I’m a 7mm and 30 cal fan. Someone needs to make a 7mm in the AR platform. Like a 7mm Grendel.
@@mr.mr.3301 That would be sick! Go ahead and toss in that 7mm creedmoor as an AR-10 platform option and we're in business.
When I was a teenager and I reloaded a lot and studied every ballistic chart I could get my hands on I decided that my 300 Weatherby w 180 grain Nosler partition could be the one gun to do it all.
The .350 Rem. Mag. is one of the cartridges I carry in the Adirondacks, where game is scarce, and shots are close range. It’s buck and bear, so heavy bullets with close range energy are appreciated. My Remington 673 carries easily. When I bought it in 2006, I bought 350 rounds of unprimed brass, as I thought the cartridge might not last. Few manufacturers consider hunting in the NE (PA to Newfoundland).
I can answer that, 270 Winchester, It's been perfect for me.
Very, very good cartridge.
Especially with the newer bullets!
@@dr.froghopper6711 I mostly hunt with Nosler. I load my own though.
The best bullet bar none is the 30-06. You can custom tailor it to outdo about anything in any application.
Ron, I have found your content to be awesome... I was always a 30.06 man until I listened to a bunch of your stuff and now I'm diving into other calibers and finding out how much fun range shooting is. Its point was always to zero a rifle then go hunting... that was the only reason for me to visit the range... that is until I picked up a 223. And realized, hey... this is fun. Now I'm on the hunt for a 308. And looking forward to more time just burning some ammo
Sounds as if you're enjoying it! Excellent.
I wish that the 5mm Remington Magnum rimfire would make a comeback. Dad had one back in the 70's and that was a great rifle for small game out to around 200+ yrds. It was a lot more powerful than the 22 mag with a flatter trajectory. There's one company, I think it's Aguila (wrong spelling I'm sure) that has started making the round again but I don't know of any rifles being chambered for it. It's the best rimfire cartridge that I've ever shot, surpassing even the 17 calibers. I really hope that more people will research the performance of the 5mm and ask rifle manufacturers to start making rifles chambered for it. Besides groundhogs, Prarie dogs and similar critters, it would make an excellent coyote round out to 200 yrds or so.
That was a good one, gary, but the 17 WSM surpasses it in ballistic performance. Neither is all that accessible, alas.
They could have stopped over 100 years ago with the 7x57....6.5x55 and 9.3x62 Mausers. I'm glad they didnt tho 😂
Next buy is the best one… at least that’s what I tell my wife 😂
Please keep the content coming Ron.
Id go with .257 Weatherby Mag, 300 Weatherby Mag or even 6.5 PRC now as well. Some great mentions here and definitely by others. Really appreciate your videos Ron!
Question: regarding LACY ACT, when you tag an animal, and separate meat, cape, antlersl, where does the tag go with
Mr. Ron, I just wanted to give you a small correction on the introduction of the Nosler Ballistic Tip, it was actually introduced to the public in the mid 80's around 1984 if my memory serves me correctly. I really enjoy watching your podcast on TH-cam. Thank you for the much valued information, and your honest opinions on the various subjects brought forth. Shoot straight and enjoy.
.358 Winchester!!!
Amen!!!
The old 7x57 mauser is hard to beat !
Hey Ron, I had the same issue with my Remington 700 243 in a 9.25 twist. I ended up trying out the limbsaver you put on the barrel, ended up going from a 2 moa to sub. I started from .75 inches from the end of the stock because of it being not floated as some 700. Anyway I kept moving the limbsaver 1/2 inch between groupings until I found a tight group hitting a dime size group from the second shot. I ended up shooting over a half box of ammo until finding the sweet spot. When doing this procedure, you have to be patient and let your barrel cool down between shots. Once you find it, it is so rewarding. I believe the limbsaver is best for someone who doesn’t hand load, only buys factory ammunition. Thanks for the videos, always seem to learn something new every time I watch.
Glad that Limbsaver harmonic dampener worked for you!
Perhaps the real perfect cartridge was the friends we made along the way.
"Perfect" is the enemy of "good enough."
Omg 😹😹😹 best comment EVER!!!!!!
I'm not sure what year(s), maybe late 90's, but Remington did bring out a 700 in 350 Remington Magnum. It had at least a 22" if not 24" barrel. It may have been one of the 700 Classics. The extra weight definitely would have improved the shootability but it was still no better than a 35 Whelen. There was a beautiful one in a local gun store. I told myself i didn't want or need it because I already had Whelen. I'm not a big 700 fan but now I'm having non-buyers remorse. I think one of the old Remington 722's would be a good rifle to rebarrel to 350 Remington Magnum. Then all you would have to do is find brass for it. 358 Winchester and 35 Whelen still better options if you like the 35's. For heavier game at longer distances step up to the 358 Norma Magnum. The Hornady SuperFormance 200 grain 35 Whelen load duplicates the 358 Norma with the same bullet weight. On both ends of the rifle! Happy hunting boys and girls!😊
Yes there is a perfect cartridge. It is the 7x57 Mauser. good for wood chucks to elephant (a bit of a stretch for elephant but it has been done) and the perfect balance for deer, stronger and flatter shooting then a 30-30 and not over kill like 270s or 30-06s.
The 7x57 and everything else "can" take elephant, but nowadays it's not about whether it physically "can"... it just straight up isn't legal to do so in most places - usually you're required by law to have a minimum caliber or energy for Dangerous Game and most often that ends up pointing you at the .375 H&H, which is the true perfect cartridge lol.
Of course it's beyond popular for Buffalo and all the other Dangerous Game. It's also a very effective plains game (deer and elk sized) cartridge when loaded with 270gr bullets designed to expand - it will be great for everything from Springbuck to Eland, effectively killing without much damage. It obviously can be used for wood chucks, but more impressive is that it's a popular choice for the Tiny 10 - load some light load with a 300gr solid and it kicks less, but also does so little damage to the animals hide, that it only leaves behind two perfect .375" holes! Even a 7x57 would be overkill there, unless you load it down to around 2000fps or less and find solids for it. For reference as to why I say it's impressive - one of the popular options for the Tiny 10 is the .17 HMR!
But with all that said - man the x57 case is just so awesome. I'd love a 9.3x57 one day. The 7x57 is awesome, the 8x57 is great (a little confusing with the .318 and .323 though), the 6.5x57 is also cool, but the 9.3x57 intrigues me.
Great podcast video Ron! I always learn something watching your videos and am thankful for your willingness to share your knowledge and wisdom with your fellow riflemen. Grace & Peace
There are many great hunting bullets available today. Older offerings like the venerable Nosler Partition to the latest in monolithic copper bullets all get the job done if the shot placement is adequate. 35 years ago I started reloading and was advised to choose one and stick with it. I have pet hunting loads for cartridges from .222 Rem. up to .375 H&H, all using (mostly) Nosler Partitions. I've had excellent accuracy and very good terminal performance. From smaller whitetails to the largest of Yukon moose, Partitions just get the job done.
If I was going to southern Africa for cape buffalo, I'd likely work up a .375 H&H load using a modern copper monolithic. But for big game in northern BC, Partitions are great.
I’m a 7mag guy if I had to have just one. 6.5 Swede is a very close second.
257 weatherby.
I loved the old silver tip Winchester ammo ! Hunting in the woods of Mississippi!
6.8 Western
It's definitely a great all around cartridge just no support seems winchester and browning are giving up on it I don't see any ammo for it any more
45-70. Can load for cowboy shooting or for Alaska Grizzly's.
I’m a Canuck… omg it’s nice to see that old CIL Dominion ammo box!! I remember looking in the cupboard above our washer and dryer when I was a kid… is take down the ought 6 and 30-30 round sown and just study them. Going on imagined hunts taking down grizzlies with one shot!!
Yup! We invented the plastic tip!!
Ron, great video buddy. I swear you're reading my mind. Just 2 days ago I was thinking about the Remington "Bronze Point", Winchester "Silver Tip" and a Norma round from the '70's. The "Bronze Point " was a sleek racey bullet that nolonger exists. The "Silver Tip" is also gone. As a young kid I always knew were dad had some "Silver Tips", just incase a lycanthrope showed up. But I do remember Norma had a plastic capped bullet in the mid '70's. It wasn't a very sharp cap, more rounded. They all basically did what the plastic caps of today do, start expansion.
Also the other night I was looking through a 1963 Herter's catalog. Now George Herter was a true marketer of note. But boy did they have some interesting bullet designs back then. Wish I had a few boxes to test and not just the marketing in the catalog.
All the best to you. Keep up the good work.
Cheers, Jeff
.30-06 SPRG
30-06 - or in other words 308 in long action
For the guy with the 243 issues I’d suggest Sierra 85gr Game King Hollow Point. Reloading it I get 3300fps with H414 (now you have to use Win 760). I always run CCI 250 magnum primers with ball powders. The velocity AND energy is better with the 85’s out to 400.
I run the Sierras in my 6mm Rem. Running around 3200 fps. Deadly on deer even at close range. Always get an exit and most are drt.
If you can handle the recoil then get the 375 Remington ultra mag 300 grains at the velocity of your 270 3,000 feet per second. Mine are load a little hot. I can get 3300 feet per second out of my 270 grain there it is all around bullet but god the recoils massive
Berger VLD Hunting bullets work very well for hunting.
I thought WSM was Winchester Short Magnum. Where there was a series of cartridges using the belted H&H case to get 30 Springfield case capacity for the said derivatives.
Yeah it does.... whatever cartridge that you enjoy hunting with!
THAT'S the perfect cartridge!
A .68 cal. Minie Ball bullet makes a good 12 gauge shotgun slug. You need a rifled choke or barrel and load it in shot cup.
13:56
Polymer tips certainly hold up better than exposed lead.
I remember the Dominion Cartridges too. Canadian made, I believe.
Love your show nice job!
Michael had a question about 243 accuracy. I have a 243 for deer hunting. Michael was using 100 grain loads. I find my rifle likes the 90 grain loads best...and have successfully harvested deer with them. I've tried a lot of brands, and believe it or not, mine likes the 90 grain PPU best. They work for me and my 243.
Hands down the 300 H&H here. 4 in the magazine and one in the chamber for total of 5. Only belted Mag that can do that. Will also feed empty casings in the M70 Winchester, loaded round nearly
chamber themselves lol. Most efficient 300 magnum of all of them. Do the math and find this out.
It is obvious that there is no one cartridge that is perfect for everything but some are very versatile. I've pointed out, probably on this Utube channel and others, that in his Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns, Jack O'Connor wrote that if he could have only one rifle to hunt the world over it would be the 375 H&H Magnum. Of course he went on to say that if he could have two, his second would be the 270 Winchester. Jack and others also opined that the 257 Roberts was a perfect deer cartridge. An example of a perfect cartridge but definitely not as versatile as the 375 H&H. Happy hunting boys and girls!😊
Tuner Muzzle Brakes work really great.
Comment to the discussion about .375 H&H alternatives. The German 9.3 is 9.3x62, 9.3x66 Sako is much newer, also known as .370 Sako Magnum.
Bullet tip deformation, Was shooting at a moving Deer and the 3rd round lead tip got hung up with the front of the magazine,(Did get get deer with that third round), Welded a polished strip of metal on each inner side of the magazine as a shoulder stop. Some magazines have it stamped from the factory. Gunsmith might do it on metal or a custom plastic/polymer or custom printed magazine with shoulder rails will solve the problem
The original Mauser 98 had the shoulder stop in the magazines. Wish more manufacturers offered it.
I heard Savage is making a 400 ledgen equal to a 416 when are they going to be in production?? I want one I've got the Savage 110ba in 338LM MDT CHASSE LSS XL gen 1 and a suppressor on it i love it so if you can would you do a show on the 400 ledgen??
The mohawk was the economy version of the 600 Remington. It didn't have the vented rib on the barrel.
A few comments. I have a .243 that HATES boat tail bullets. I can get sub MOA with flat base but it just will not shoot boat tail. I agree with the .375 HH Mag. It is a great all around medium to large game cartridge. The recoil from the bench is annoying, but the recoil when standing is not bad at all.
300 wsm for me followed closely by the 6.5prc
375 ruger with different bullets if I had to have 1 one round.
For all game in this beautiful country, I will always pick the 338 winchester magnum. It doesn't matter if it's a Buffalo, Any kind of bear, moose on down. The deer that I have bagged with this round have been dead before they hit the ground and you can eat right up to the bullet holes.
Very little ruined venison.
OK Ron
This is one area I have a bit a passion for. That I love the .35 WHELEN! Now over the years I have seen factory. 35 caliber in 1 in 12,14, and 16" rate of twist. For example a Remington M700 has a 1 in 16" twist. The Rugers come with a 1 in 14". Now in my experience with. 35 whelen builds a 1 in 16" do very well a 180 up to 225 grain bullet's and for me it really loves the 225 gr Barnes X bullet, and it's a wonder bullet. My Ruger is Ackley improved it really came into its own at 250 grains, and heavier. Now my two experiences with a 1 in 12" twist is only limited in a .358 win in a 99 Savage, and a .358 Norma Magnum. Will obviously handle heavier bullets if you consider the space consumed by the longer bullets. Not an issue in the Norma Magnum. My average velocities out of my 700 225 grain Barnes average 2805 fps
Mountain man
Can you show me what the 400 ledgen looks like
308 or 300wm depending on range.
350 rem mag, 2003 Remington came out with a model 673. The number 6 was modeling for the model 600. The number 7 was because they used the model 7 action. And the 3 was because it came out in 2003. They only made it a couple of years. It had a ventilated rib 22" barrel and a laminated stock.i have one and it has a little shoulder punch, pretty gun
Spot on, Jeff. I remember the release. Got to hunt with one in WY.
Easy one! 6.5 Creedmoor
The excessive twist can cause accelerated barrel wear, and coupled with high velocities also induce a very high spin rate which can cause projectile jacket ruptures causing high velocity spin stabilized projectiles to disintegrate in flight.
The main reason that people go for faster twist is to use heavy-for-caliber bullets that will go slow enough that jacket failure is not an issue. US hunting cartridges have historically tended to run slower twists that European ones anyway. That is largely because until about 20 years ago when laser rangefinders became affordable, the goal was flat trajectory with light bullets to minimize range estimation issues. A good example is the 6.5mm Swede with is 1 in 8" twist, compared to the US 308's 1 in 12" and 243's 1in 10".
@@jfess1911 Still where's the barrel out.
@@dannypinyan3949 I have not seen that as an issue. Do you have any references? Barrel wear usually has more to do with the amount of powder used in comparison to the bore diameter. Ie, overbore cartridges.
Danny, don't worry about fast rifling twist wearing out faster than slow twist. It is not bullet friction that is "wearing out" a barrel. It is the intense heat/flame from the burning powder. The greater the powder supply and narrower the bore, the faster the throat/leade and start of the rifling break down.
While the jacket ruptures are an issue, they are far less likely to happen with something like a monolithic bullet, bonded bullets or even cup and core with thick copper jackets... but no, faster twist doesn't increase barrel wear.
This is kind of a crazy question. I have realized that uncommon or calibers that are no longer being produced by manufacturers. Why are they always going to the plastic tips on the bullets? I have just acquired a 348 I have a couple Grendel‘s I have a 6.8 SPC, and as these calibers are less being produced by manufacturers, the only bullets being produced are plastic tipped and not with standard bullets
I've found the rubber tip from hornady ftx bullets in gut piles.
Funny ammunition availability is the reason I am doing my first ar-10 build in .308
For hunting, my favorite cartridge is still the venerable 35 Remington. For straight up procurement, I don't know what I would choose
I regret not getting my Marlin 336 in 35 Rem until I was 60+ years old. Little recoil but it hit's hard.
Once I was at the. Loading bench and necked a 30-06 down to 6mm and thought wow that's a spiffy looking cartridge a course I had no gun to shoot it. So that was the end of that
Thanks
Hornady makes a 145gr ELD-X in .277 diameter that recommends a 1/10” twist or faster. They even load it in the precision hunter for .270Win
I bought my first American gun comic ( Guns &Ammo ?!) back in the sixties, and yes I have been aware of plastic tipped ammo for that long ! To my shame I don’t remember the fantasies justifying them back then !
You took a comment in this one about increasing spin rate of a .270 from 1-10 to say 1-8 and the effects it might have on wind drift. You said the increase in spin won't effect the wind drift, only the spin drift. Coming from an external ballistics podcast from Hornady, the wind it's self has little effect on the bullet, the overall drift of the bullet is mostly a result of the nose of the bullet yawing into the wind which creates a draft effect on the bullet which pulls the bullet off it's trajectory in the same direction as the wind.
In theory, if you increased the rotational stability of the bullet giving it more capability to resist nosing into the wind, the bullet would remain nose forward longer and would not angle as much into the wind and thus not drift as much with the wind. Of course it's only a theory until someone puts it to the test. Maybe I'll try it.
The best all around CAL I like is the 30-378 .
My choice is the 300 Weatherby
Remington had a bronz tip in 64.same as plastic, just bronze
I wish someone made a high long bullet but only weighs 100 grains.... I miss the old 22 callsabout round from Remington. That said my go to over 50 years with my 30-06700 BDL has been 165=168 grain. These days I load the 165 grain Hornady hunting bullet and the 168 grain matcvh bullet for long range shots on big game. past 500m the "hunting bullet" doesn't expand much and the match bullet groups better at longer ranges and the thin jacket allows for more expansion without blowing up. I've developed loads that shoot to the same point of aim so switching cartridges based on the circumstances is simple.
It's possible to make an 80 grain 223 round at 3000 fps. But it's not gonna fit in an assault rifle. It's been done for decades.
There are lots of perfect cartridges. It all depends on what you plan to do with the cartridge. The 22/250 is a perfict varmint cartridge. The 375 H&H is a perfict Elk cartridge. It's all a matter of what's expected. Then again beauty is in the eye of the beholder. With that in mind the 50 BMG might just be the perfict all around cartridge.
I can't think of anything that it will not cleanly take. It's really a matter of outlook.
Why would u need a 375h&h for elk
If not the 30-06 then surely the all but forgotten 35 whelen.
17 WSM at S3 Weaponworks in Sanford ME
Id feel comfortable shooting anything with a 130 gr ttsx in 270 i use the 130gr tsx in 6.5 prc and it whacks white tail
Don't forget the old Norma plastic tips.
(Title) .308 Win/7.62x51Nato- 1000 yard performance, cheap to reload, cheapest brass cartridge with over 2500ft-lbs energy, brass and steel cased options, semi auto-bolt-lever-pump options, vast factory ammo options, vast reloading options and cheapest in class to reload, find it anywhere. (Edit) Adequate for African dangerous game with correct bullet selection...
I agree, except for the Dangerous Game... I don't know anyone stupid enough to try to hunt buffalo, hippo, elephant, etc. with a .308... of course, it can be done and yes the 7x57 has taken how many elephants, but it can be difficult to even find a PH comfortable with a hunter using a .22 or .24 cal on plains game, let alone a medium .30 for DG.
@@marcmoore4115 I said adequate, not ideal. But honestly, given the fact that it can be had in a semi automatic platform with 20+ round magazines, I'd say that would actually be pretty effective in stopping a charge from most of those animals with the right bullets. People carry 10mm pistols to effectively stop brown bear/grizzly bear attacks, and a .308 is a hell of a lot more power than that. Hell, even a .44 magnum pistol was and still is considered the golden standard for protection against such bears, and .308 is 3x the power of a .44 mag pistol. Regardless, I said adequate, not ideal...
@@BuckeyeBallistics Well, you might be right, but one thing the .44 has is bullet weight for penetration. Although I don't know what I'd trust in a situation like that.
You make a good point that a Semi Auto with 20 rounds has a lot of firepower... but you're failing to remember that you would probably not even get that into Africa and even if you do, if you're caught trying to hunt with it, you'd be in massive trouble.
In my opinion, to find a truly perfect cartridge, it'd have to be legally viable, since you can't really call it perfect if you have to say "it's perfect IF you ignore the law" lol.
I love my .308 and like I said, everything else you said I agree on. It's just going to be tough to justify Dangerous Game.
What ever you hunt with if it works best for you and good for what your doing then go for it. One mans treasure is another mans trash. It don't matter if you have a $200 pawnshop rifle or shotgun or even a $5,000 rifle . You just go out practice, hunt and enjoy your self. Happy hunting everyone . Some of those old rifles can work well.
Ron, are all copper bullets harder on your barrel?
Mr. Spomer, for slugs use Brenneke Classic Magnum, Green Lightning Short Magnum, and black magic slugs for your tests.
Not recommending it, but the 30-06 has been used to take all species of big game world wide. Eleanor O'connor had a model 70 30-06, that was her "heavy" rifle, with which she used to take her elephant and tiger, as she felt her beloved 7x57 wasn't quite enough. I think it was Aaguard that used the 30-06 on a cape buffalo, because he had recently had shoulder surgery and that was as much recoil as he could handle. Didn't Hemingway stop a rhino with a 30-06? I think I read that he also liked the 06 for cape buffalo. I hear of a PH that used the 06 on game up to and including cape buffalo. He had used the 06 extensively in cape buffalo cull hunts, he said it was very effective with 180 gr partitions for that use. I believe that 06 has been used extensively to take polar, brown and grizzly bear. Is it the best for such useage? No, but that doesn't mean it can't do it, and in an ethical manner too. Personally, if you have a choice, I think a person should pick the best tool for the job, that you can handle ethically and effectively. Besides it is so much fun to use the different "toys" available.
Great round 3.06 and 45-70. Ammo for all reasons.👍
hate when i miss these
Here is one a100 gr 30 cal at real hi velocity might desintergrate but a6 mm will not. Right or wrong ??
When it comes to stability of bullets relative to spin rate, it's canon that longer bullets require a faster twist, and that shorter bullets can live with slow twist. What's not discussed is the degree to which an inadequate twist - and its corollary, stability - affect accuracy. Not necessarily target accuracy, but hunting accuracy.
For example, does a long bullet wobbling and nutating drop in accuracy from 1.5 MOA to 2 MOA, or to 5 MOA? What is the rate that accuracy (i.e. dependable repeatability of coincidence of POA and POI) falls off at as a function of that lack of stability? Would, for example, a bullet with NO spin exhibit 10 MOA? 20? Or 3-4?
I've never seen any systematic study that quantified or attempted to address the math or practical consequence of a mismatched twist. The 6mm Remington, originally the .244, was hammered in the marketplace owing to its slower twist compared to the .243; the word was it would "stabilize 90 grain bullets, but not 100 grain, which was deer weight." Really? 10 grains makes THAT much difference - especially since the .244 had higher velocity than the .243?
And what happened - did the 100 grain bullets leave for Sandusky as soon as they exited the barrel, or was it just that when targeting the gun in at the range, the groups "looked" bad? Was it a practical, or an emotional issue that led to the demise of the .244, and later re-release as the 6mm?
Rules of thumb are all well and good, but it is seldom in dynamic systems that a minor change produces an enormous effect unless you've hit some threshold; is the "stabilization point" that threshold? That is, a 1:10 stabilizes, but juuuusstt barely, so that a 1:10.5 goes haywire? Seems like it might be interesting just to jaw about for perspective.
I much enjoy your very practical, entertaining, and informative videos - you are to be congratulated on their effectiveness and utility to the shooting community. Thanks for the great work.
Good points and questions, sir. I can tell you that stability is not yea or nay. It is a matter of degrees. You can have a poorly stabilized bullet that is wildly inaccurate, one that is marginally stable, perfectly stable and all points between. What sort of MOA each delivers would likely be highly variable, but academic in the hunting world because virtually no one will settle for 2 MOA precision. The other sacrifice with a poorly stabilized bullet is trajectory. Because the imbalanced bullet will expose more surface area to oncoming atmosphere, drag will increase. More drop, more wind deflection, less energy on target.
@@ronspomer4366 Yes - no question that any aerodynamic retardation of velocity has an effect on trajectory; of course, if you've characterized that trajectory, that doesn't automatically exclude the load from consideration - if you know where it hits at each range point, you know where it hits. However, your comment that "virtually no one will settle for 2 MOA precision" is curious; a Model 94 with open sights is probably in that range, and certainly handgun hunting is. I'd never heard it said before that a hunter - except maybe a mountain hunter or a pronghorn hunter (i.e. long range) - would require that degree of precision from a hunting rifle. Target shooters, of course - but hunting whitetail deer in New England woods? It's the rare hunter, I'd wager, who could maintain such accuracy offhand in any case. Of course, we all want the best we can get, and to eliminate any source of variation that we can. Lots of interesting things to think about, aren't there?
Arguably the .375H&H is the perfect hunting cartridge. It'll take everything... literally... and it does so very effectively as long as you choose the right bullet.
A 300gr solid would leave nothing but 2 perfect holes in small game, hence it's extensively used for the Tiny 10.
A 270gr bullet is perfect for all plains game out to 300 yards. Recently a friend took a Sable at 210m with a 270gr Barnes TTSX.
A tough 300gr bullet can be used for all Dangerous Game including Elephant.
And it does all that without having crazy recoil - it's a lot, of course but any seasoned shooter should be able to handle it with practice. It also has rifles and ammo available nearly everywhere.
So for a true "one size fits all", there is no match to the good old .375 H&H.
Depends on application... that being said I believe a cartridge that can flex into military, home/farm defense, and hunting is ideal. Depending on local availability and local hunting laws 308 and 5.56 can be used however guided by the previously mentioned parameters the perfect cartridge would be one you can carry alot of, maximum point blank range of 350 yards with a wind deflection to match under 10mph full value winds on an 8inch, human head, sized target... so it doesn't exist yet but the innovation by sig with their hybrid case and high pressures makes me believe that we may see a cartridge that has a fast enough muzzle velocity, high enough b.c., think .6 or higher, and sufficient enough sectional density to get adequate penetration.
This maybe a pipe dream but just remember that in most instances, shot placement rules the day. So don't scoff at a 22 creedmoor with Sig's hybrid case and pressures moving a 95gr lead core or 85gr monolithic bullet at over 3500 fps in a fairly short, 18-20 inch, barrel. Something like that may be the do all cartridge of the future, but sadly a perfect cartridge doesn't exist. For now.
All the Fudd lore here😂
Ron I think People would like a pod cast of what would be a good 2 Rifle Centerfire Battery for North America. Then one on a 3 Rifle Battery for North America. Why just North America because 99.9 percent of Hunters here will never get to go to Africa.
For Me in a 2 Rifle Battery it is 6mm Rem & 300 H&H Mag. Now for a 3 Rifle I would say .223 Rem .264 Win Mag and 300 H&H Mag. Which about covers Varmints, Deer & Antelope and Elk & Moose & Bears of any size.
Now another Podcast on a 1 Rifle battery for North America and for Me I would pick a .280 Rem or 7mm PRC. I would like to see your picks Ron then we need a Podcast on Rifles selection and Optics for your Rifles Thanks Ron
.308 win ftw
I’m pretty sure you did test the ‘high performance’ .38 S&W, lol
I find it entertaining that so many people answered the "perfect cartridge" issue before listening to the actual question that included dangerous game in Africa.
If you're talking worldwide hunting, it has to be .375 H&H... a slow moving solid will leave 2 clean holes in small game, it's regularly used for all plains game species and it's legal for everything up to Elephant... now the same can be said for all the cartridges above the .375 H&H as well, but the .375 H&H is the most widely available - it's popular pretty much everywhere. It also doesn't have insane recoil like a .458 does for instance.
@@marcmoore4115 "Honey! Those squirrels are eating all the birdseed again! Can you get rid of them?"
"No problem! "
@@jfess1911 at least it'll just leave two perfect squirrel sized holes on the squirrel! 😂
@@marcmoore4115 "OK, I found my tweezers, let's recover the game.
That is like saying one screw driver for all your needs
Doesn't a rhinoceros grow their horns the same way as the Pronghorn antelope? From hair?
As much as I know, yes. The skin/hair grows up from the surface (nose) and modifies into hard keratin. Pretty much the same material as are hooves. But I don't know if the rhino has a bony horn core like the pronghorn does. Pretty sure it does not. And it certainly doesn't shed any part of its horn.
Yes, rhino horn and pronghorn horn is very similar, in that start as hair. The big difference is that rhino do not shed it's horn. Also the rhino does not have a bone core. In really a pronghorn's horn is a sheath over the core. Unique to the animal kingdom, the pronghorn is the only "horned" animal who's horn "branches". What we call the "prongs" or "cutters". A very unique animal on many levels.
Cheers, Jeff
I believe so.... I'll ask the next one I "bump" into...!
This is in response to what bullet for .300 Win Mag. It is going on 45 years ago now since this happened. I used to shoot every week at the range and as would often happen the same shooter would be next to me shooting a .300 Win. Mag getting ready for elk season. I don't know what load he was using but I was working on loads for my .30-40 Krag. Two weeks into elk season I found him in the parking lot at the rang asking if I had a rifle he could borrow. I only had two with me, one was the Krag and the other my 7x57. He had already borrowed a Wicchester 94 with 150 .30-30 rounds. My 7x57 rounds were 130 gr. hollow points, not good for elk. He ask for the Krag which was loaded with Sierra 180 gr. round nose bullets, he needed to borrow a rifle because he had leaned his rifle against the trucks tailgate and broke it at the pistol grip. He took a bull elk that weekend, so he said, at 300 yards. I would say a good bullet would be any well made heavy enough .308 caliber for range and game you are hunting. By the way a .30-40 Krag is about equal to a low .308 Win load.