“6.8 western”

The editors of American Hunter have announced the recipients of our 2022 Golden Bullseye Awards.

What is it that makes a cartridge ideal for your hunting scenario? Perhaps it is ammo availability, or the individual connection with a particular cartridge. We take a closer look at the pros and cons of common and obscure loads.

Winchester introduces the 400 Legend, a new straight-walled cartridge that offers superior ballistics, deep penetration, excellent accuracy and quick knockdown.

Loosely based on a shortened .404 Jeffery case with the rim rebated to the .535-inch case head of the H&H family, the .270 WSM was the third commercial cartridge using the .277-inch bore diameter, and betters the velocity of the .270 Winchester by 200 to 250 fps.

Any of these five cartridges will set you up for a successful mule deer hunt anywhere they reside.

The X-Bolt Stalker LR was designed for long-range shooting with a high strength steel receiver, heavy sporter contour barrel, removable muzzle brake, removable magazine, top-tang thumb safety, extended bolt handle and composite stock with an adjustable comb.

Not all magnum cartridges bear the name, but still meet all the criteria for the title. Here’s a look at five of the best.

With respect to overall performance and ammunition availability, here are the five best all-around cartridges for North American big-game species.

The X-Bolt Pro McMillan is a beautiful rifle, perfectly suited to all-around Western hunting. Our test model was incredibly consistent and stable, and we would confidently carry it into the field anywhere from the moose swamps of Alaska to the Coues-deer deserts of Arizona.