What is your idea of the most versatile hunting cartridge?  I do not mean to go to extremes as far as the smallest or the largest, just something in the middle if you had to have just one rifle/caliber.  I am talking about decent performance in all climates and flatest overall trajectory between 100-400 meters with the occasional 1000 meter shot just for fun. I was thinking about .300 win mag but am unsure of how it stacks up against the other choices.

Oh man I have been waiting for this topic. Hands down it is the 30.06 there is NONE that could even come close .55gr all the way to 220gr. Ammo is available everywhere. .308 would be my next choice though.........

I'll have to vote .30-'06 too.  Gimme a Garand and a box of 8-round clips and I'm happy all day.

.30-06 hands down.  plenty of choices of ammo, bullet weights/types.
i have 2 Rem 700's in 30-06 and they are, IMHO, the finest Whitetail deer rifles made, especially down here in the south where most shots made in the woods or maximum 300 yds...

Gotta agree... 30-06 or .308... select your action length.

300 win mag. Takes everything down, from coyotes to Moose and beyond.

Quoted: What is your idea of the most versatile hunting cartridge?  I do not mean to go to extremes as far as the smallest or the largest, just something in the middle if you had to have just one rifle/caliber.  I am talking about decent performance in all climates and flatest overall trajectory between 100-400 meters with the occasional 1000 meter shot just for fun. I was thinking about .300 win mag but am unsure of how it stacks up against the other choices.

To answer your question specifically:
.340 Weatherby Magnum.

JUST ONE RIFLE/CALIBER.
It's in the middle, alright.
.338 with afterburner.

Ross Seyfried said it "shoots flat like a 7mm Mag. and hits like a .375", or something like that.
I understand the recoil's a little stiff, though.

edited to say: The RIFLE would have to be a Remington 700 BDL SS.
Hogue stock with bedding block.
Leupold Mk3 10x in QR base/rings.
A bit of heft wouldn't hurt this unit!

For North America, 30-06.

Since you said versatile, I'd go with 308...   Not quite as powerful as the 30.06 but will do it all and ammo is much less expensive if ya want to "shoot it" a lot...


Big

I like .300 Win Mag because it has the power to take down large game and it's easy to find ammo for it, no matter where you are. 7mm Rem Mag is also nice.

For North America, it's the 30-06 hands down. It's unquestionably the most prolific. Any place in North America that sells ammo WILL have 30-06 on the shelf. It's also the most versatile. It may not truly excell in any specialized niches, but it'll be better suited to a wider variety of tasks than virtually any other caliber.

I have an affluent friend who has traveled the world as a big game hunter.  He can afford any rifle.  His personal rifle is a Purdey built on a Mauser action for which I shudder to think what he paid.  It's not his only rifle but from the frozen mountains of Tadjikistan to the plains of Africa it's taken everything up to buffalo.

He makes solid choices and in consultation with the folks in London had the rifle chambered in 30.06.

I have & shoot am 300WM and a 270 win. I love both & each has a specific use. The 270 will do anything I have asked of it including a 900 lb. bull elk.I doubt the 300 would have killed it any more dead. The difference is the 300 will do it out at 800 yards vs 500 for the 270.The price you will pay for the 300 is half again more weight and twice the recoil. The choice is yours...choose wisely.

338 Win Mag with a 375 H&H right behind it.

30-06 all the way. Some people just need to learn to shoot instead of using the biggest, loudest, magnum they can find.

I also have a .338 Win Mag and would still prefer My 30.06 as an all around perfect Cal. The only reason I have a .338 Mag is so I could add it to my collection of Brownings that I own and use it when I am going to W.Montana this year and take Bull Elk with it.......

Quoted: 300 win mag. Takes everything down, from coyotes to Moose and beyond.

I've got 7mm rem mag, these are pretty similar.

From what I have been taught a 7mmMag is a High power flat shooting .270cal rifle

Quoted: From what I have been taught a 7mmMag is a High power flat shooting .270cal rifle

7mm Mag is a hopped up 280 caliber rifle....284 in diameter

I like the 7mm rem mag.

12Gauge

Lead shot for small game. Steel shot for waterfowl. Buckshot for medium game. Slugs for big game.

Nothing else comes close to the versitile 12 gauge.

As far as I'm concerned you can't go wrong with the .308, 30-06 or 300 Win Mag.  All of them will do the job on just about anything in North America depending on shot placement and knowing the range limitations.  Personally I prefer the extra range and energy of the 300 Win Mag.  You can pretty much put the same bullets in any of them from light to heavy.

I would feel better about taking down bigger game with a 300 Win Mag over the other two though.  The 30-06 and 308 are not slouches, I just prefer more energy and a flatter shooting round.

Although I love the .30-06 and the .308, I believe they are not the ultimate one caliber for North America, or anywhere else.  Ya, if you don't reload, and rarely hunt anything big, they are probably a great choice.

For those who hunt everything, on this continent or the Dark one,

338 WINCHESTER MAG is the only way to go.

As flat as a .300 with the same weight bullets, but can handle the .250gr bullets with style and speed.  Load it down with 180gr for varmints(heheheh) or load it heavy for elk, lion, moose, bear, .....you name it.
My load for hunting antelope to elk is 250grSGK in front of 71gr. of  IMR4831. Out of a 24" barrel, I am getting an average of 2800fps. It is a max load, and also compressed, so load it down first to see how it handles in your rifle.

It doesn't kick anymore than a .300win, but has more punch for you game.  You can load it to duplicate the .300win; just as flat, just as fast, or you can make it a thumper, almost as fast, almost as flat, but with a lot more knock down power.

I also like the .270win, if you intend most of your game to be smaller than moose.  Maybe, focusing on the varmints(coyotes, fox, ect.), this would be the caliber for you.

You did ask what was the best all around HUNTING cartridge.  .338Winmag is the answer to that question, period.

The 30-06 is great. The 308 will pretty much do everything the 30-06 will. If you reload (I don't) there is a lot more loading data around (check sniper country)for the 308. Either way there is a wide variety of factory loads for both of these rounds that are available anywhere.

The 30-06 and 308 will do everything you need in North America (and most other continents). They also have the advantage of being cheaper and substantially easier on barrels than any of the belted magnums. And with less recoil and noise.

The next most versitile are probably the 270 Winchester (a 30-06 derivitive) and the 7mm-08.

Good luck with your choice.

i just purchased a remington 700 sendero sf in 7mm rem ultra mag from what i read this should be suitable for anything in usa. didnt get to shoot it yet. next year i will be getting a Weatherby accmark in 30-378.

Wow, there are some power junkies on this board.  I don't think there is an all around best caliber.  It would be best to choose something in the 5 popular hunting calibers.  These are: 270 Win, 7mm Rem Mag, 308 Win, 30-06 and 300 Win Mag.  

Unless you hunt lots of wide open terrain, you are better serve by a milder cartridge.  You save in rifle weight and recoil.  A light weight rifle in 270, 308 or 30-06 with a low mag scope is best for me people.  Testosterone gets the better of most people so they tote around 7mm or 300 mags.  I'd like something like a Remington mountain rifle with a 4x Leupold or perhaps even a steyr scout.

Quoted: 12Gauge Lead shot for small game. Steel shot for waterfowl. Buckshot for medium game. Slugs for big game. Nothing else comes close to the versitile 12 gauge.

he is right you know, hard to think of a game animal that cant be taken with a 12 gauge. i have heard that certain poor African authorities carry remington 870s with slugs cause its the cheapest thing that can take down large African animals

You should not hunt with a gun,there is no sport in that.
Real men use a knife,why do you think they call it a "BUCK KNIFE"?



BTW:.308