This has all the makings to become a heated debate. Gun/calibre choices always do....

Guns are like beer, we all have a brand we like best but at the end of the day they will all get you drunk.

I wont get long winded, rather I will simply say that if you stick to the tried and tested calibres you will not go wrong.

I stick to what history has proven effective and I stick to the theory that if it isn't broke then don't fix it.

for a rifle a .270 or a .308 are excellent on large game, and widely available. IMHO nothing beats the good old .30-06, They will drop any game on this continent, regardless about what the high calibre nuts will try to tell you. You can go from a 65 gr sabot round for varmit hunting up to a 250 gr monster for polar bear all with the same gun. They are cheaper and widely available.(some calibers are impossible to find) EVERY single new fancy gun I can think of right now has a model chambered for one of these calibers. For a good reason too, they work. And my .30-06 has dropped more game than my friends .300 win mag. The performance between the two cartridges may become a factor at 500 + meter shots, but I usually don't shoot that far while hunting anyway because the risk of wounding game at those ranges is too great. Even so, WW II snipers had no problems dropping enemy troops at 1000 meters with an 06. The .30-06 has been the standard by which every other hunting cartridge invented since has been judged, and after 100+ years it is still the most popular hunting cartridge worldwide. Do a quick Google search an do some reading and you will be amazed at the history of this round.

The same applies to the good old .45 ACP, the .357 mag and the 12 gauge, all have been proven effective in combat, or the field by police, military and hunter alike.

This is not to knock the other calibres out there, as there are some fine ones indeed.

Its best to fire a few and pick what you like most and work from there. But depending on your choices there may be problems. I sold my .338-06 because I just cannot find ammo for it anywhere, nor can I find the reloading dies to reload the rounds myself. As with any gun purchase, there are certain aspects of logistics that need consideration. I can walk in to ANY gun store in Canada and find .30-06, .308, .270, .22 LR, .45 ACP, .357 mag, .38 spec OR 12 GA. Re-loading components are cheap and brass/hulls can be found at any gun range for free.

Popular calibers are cheaper to by factory made as well. A box of .410 bore will actually cost more than twice the amount of 12 ga ammo.

just MHO. Happy shopping