“8mm remington magnum”

If you like to hunt North America’s biggest game, take a long look at the 33 Nosler; it puts an exclamation point at the end of the sentence.

The .348 Winchester gives a good balance of striking energy and moderate recoil, and among the rimmed lever-gun cartridges, possesses impressive terminal ballistics.

Metric cartridges have traditionally struggled in America, but even in the 1950s, the engineers at Winchester saw the benefits of the 6.5mm bore diameter. The 1958 release of the .264 Winchester Magnum in the Model 70 Westerner rifle saw a flat-shooting, hard-hitting voluminous case, perfect for medium-sized game.

If you’re attracted to .45-caliber cartridges for dangerous-game hunting, the .458 Lott is a serious contender for the top of the heap.

The .240 Weatherby Magnum is the fastest 6mm on the commercial market, exceeding the muzzle velocity of the .243 Win. and 6mm Rem. by 300 fps. If you’re the hunter who likes obscure cartridges, the .240 Wby. Mag. is a great choice for deer, pronghorn and similar-sized game.

If you want something a bit unique with a definite cool factor, give the .280 Ackley Improved a long look.

The .22 Hornet was the first commercial high-velocity centerfire cartridge designed for varmints, predators and small-game animals, driving a 45-grain bullet to just about 2650 fps. And with a wide selection of factory ammunition, your rifle will remain well-fed.

Some of the best bolt-actions aren’t new, they’re used. Here are five models you should pursue.

The .204 Ruger occupies the space between the .22 centerfires and the .17s, giving fantastic results on varmints and predators alike without the wind deflection issues of the .17s and less recoil than the .22 centerfires.