The Truth About the Best All-Around Hunting Cartridge

What is the best all-around cartridge/caliber for hunting?
This is a question that I get at least once a week. It’s a common topic for gun writers, with countless articles on the subject. It’s heavily debated by hunters on the internet. So, what is the answer to this common question?

The answer is that there is no such thing, for several reasons. Everyone is different in their recoil sensitivity, requirements, financial situation, and personal likes. There is also the fact that the case doesn’t dictate performance — the bullet does. Now I’ll break down each of these topics and explain.

Recoil sensitivity is a very real thing — and important. As an instructor, or simply helping shooters and hunters, one of the biggest issues I see is too much gun. They have heard that they need a big cartridge. The problem is that it’s too much recoil for them. This causes a number of problems, which ultimately the animal pays for.

The more recoil, the harder it is to maintain the fundamentals of marksmanship. Too much recoil leads to flinching, closing eyes, not shooting enough, and terrible accuracy. Simply going with a smaller cartridge prevents those issues. This leads to more time on the range and better shot placement on animals.

Now, what we each require is different. Some are looking for easily available factory ammunition with factory rifles. Some are looking to only hand load in custom rifles. Some are looking at a combination. Some are looking to only shoot 50 yards, while others are looking to shoot 2,000 yards.

Now, financial is actually a bigger factor than people realize. When the difference between a box of ammunition can be $20 to cartridges like the 700 Nitro Express at around $100 a round — are you shooting a box a year or thousands of rounds a year? With the increase in cost, huge demand for components, and availability, the financial situation is something to consider.

People have their own preferences, based on many factors. Some people like wildcats, and some people like common cartridges. Some people are brand specific — like Weatherby, Lapua, Hornady, etc. This part is generally what people use to determine “the best” option, based off their likes and opinions rather than factual information.

Ultimately, the whole argument about best cartridge/caliber is pointless. It’s used to generate conversation by writers. The case is nothing more than a vessel for velocity. The actual performance is from the bullet — both external and terminally. People should focus on the bullet and pick what is going to give them the best results for their requirements.

External ballistics is what happens as the bullet travels through the air between the muzzle and the target. The bullet’s design will dictate how it cuts through the air. High BC bullets will give you less drop and less wind drift. This cuts down on flight time as well, which allows for higher impact velocities.

Terminal ballistics is hands down the most important part of hunting. The bullet will dictate performance based on the construction and design. You can completely change the performance of a cartridge by using two different bullets. One can pencil through, causing minimal trauma, while the other causes massive trauma.

So, instead of getting swept up in pointless arguments about cartridges and calibers, find a bullet that fits your individual needs, then pick the cartridge that fits your requirements. If you need different requirements, then pick a different bullet that will fill those requirements. The best cartridge/caliber is the one that you pick for your needs and wants.

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