Is there any cartridge that can't "do it all"?

[El Chivo]

I read the part of article about the 30-06, it was a good article, but couldn't it have been written about the 30-30 or just about any other cartridge?

This is just out for discussion, but is there any cartridge that can't "do it all"?

[AJMD429]

The .22 Velo Dog isn't much for boar hunting, and if you try the .30-06 on squirrels, it makes a mess.

OTOH, if you shoot a stray cat with a .416 Rigby, it WILL field dress it for you, in case you want to make mittens out of the fur...

[TedH]

I guess there are many that "can" do it all, but may not be ideal for everything from mice to elephants. It's fun to debate and besides needing different calibers gives good reason to have many different rifles.

[Old Ironsights]

Aquila Super Colibri.

I doubt you could reliably kill any animal over 20lbs with it at point blank range..

[Blaine]

Any of the big bores can be "critter loaded" and then taken to Africa. The 30WCF, tho a favorite, cannot or should not go to Africa for DG. With a good guide, I'd take it to Alaska, though......... (This is NOT the voice of experience, but I believe that)

[WCF3030]

Between dropping whitetail and hogs with a 30-30 I've enough confidence for black bear and close range elk and moose.
Hopefully I'll have a chance at a black bear next year and maybe a cow elk.
With my reduced loads around 1100fps and 173rg cast rounds I've cleaned up on the tree rats and around dozen and half rabbits in the last 2 years. That round puts a clean .308 hole thru with no meat loss, I'm sure if loaded the same in an 06 the results would be the same.
There is a good feeling using the same rifle for all your hunting.
I've put off buying a more powerful hunting rifle for a long time because I had no real reason for one. I hope to start hunting outside of my state for bigger critters, some in more open terrain. So I settled on the 30-06 and I can't see myself "needing" anything else unless I hit the lotto and go for cape buff or rhino.
Not sure if I will bother loading reduced rounds for the 06 as I intend to stay in the 220-240gr range. I've the 30-30 for lighter stuff, but it nice to know I could easily do it.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I'll be happy to loan my Remmington 592 to anyone who'd like to try 5mm RRM on brown bear.

[AJMD429]

There is a good feeling using the same rifle for all your hunting.

"Beware of the man with but one gun...for he KNOWS how to use it...!"

[tman]

for a bad shot, the .458wcf. is too puny and ineffective for whitetail. a good shot can take elephant with the 30-06, 308, 7 mauser. more of africas big 5 are killed with these rounds in the hands of poachers and farmers, because it's what they have. they can shoot and the don't read gun magazines. those class of catridges can take all the worlds game. a bad shot will look to a bigger, more powerfull STOPPING ROUND, except no such thing exists. no matter what you have you got to place the bullet in the vitals. it needs to have enough velocity to expand and penetrate, reach and destroy vital organs. put all these things together and you can use whatever you got to hunt what ever you want. when the 30wcf. first came out, winchester advertized it as a grizzy cartridge. the 30wcf. has gotten better over the years as far as velocity and bullet construction. oh the other hand bears havent evolved to the point of readind gun magazines, yet.

[marlinman93]

Any little cartridge can't take really big game, and any really big cartridge wont work well on small critters!

[El Chivo]

Any little cartridge can't take really big game, and any really big cartridge wont work well on small critters!

Well the 30-06 article mentions its use for anything from mice to moose, I wouldn't choose it for either. I would try to use a 20 something caliber for small game, a 30 caliber for deer-sized game, then a 35-45 caliber for bigger/dangerous game.

[kemosabi45]

A 12ga Shotgun 21" smooth bore barrel with rifle sites. There are so many selctions for 12ga ammo that you should be able to find what ammo you will need for the specfic challenge you will have. The 12ga 3" sabot slug matches a 454 casull in power. Yes it will be limited in range but..............
The problem with a shotgun is that it is not as romantic as a Lever Gun. Of course Tom Knapp might disagree...

[TomD]

"a bad shot will look to a bigger, more powerfull STOPPING ROUND, except no such thing exists."

There is a big difference between shooting animals that are undisturbed or moving in the opposite direction, and shooting animals that are trying to kill someone. In average, competant hands, as near as I can tell from reading books from the early smokeless period, the reason we have a dangerous game myth is because of all the people that tried to shoot the largest game with 7-57, etc... A goodly number of these folk were on horseback and happy for it.

[moxgrove]

I do just have to add that a 30-06 loaded with cast bullets and unique really is a very good squirrel round. I think any cartridge can do most things if you are willing to really get to know it and use a little imagination. I have hunted bunnnies with my 444 just had to be really sure about taking headshots.