“458 winchester magnum”

Contributor Philip Massaro shares some of his favorite rifles and loads for different bear hunting scenarios.

Both cartridges are fully capable of taking the full range of North American game, and are a solid choice for a light rifle on safari. Therefore, which is the better choice for the hunter looking for a .300 magnum? 

The modern trend in cartridge design is to shun the belted magnum case to avoid the stretching associated with it, and embrace the beltless, rimless designs. If you agree with that sentiment, the 28 Nosler will appeal to you.

Introduced in 2008, the .416 Ruger is the only commercially produced cartridge in that .416-inch bore diameter designed to fit in a long-action receiver, making it an ideal choice for dangerous game.

If you’re in the market for a cartridge that will do double duty in both the hunting fields and on the target range, with a bit more horsepower than the Creedmoor provides, the 6.5 PRC is worth a hard look.

While there may be a shine on some of the modern releases in the 6.5mm bore diameter, the 6.5x55 Swedish still makes a sound choice for the practical hunter due to its combination of terminal ballistics, flat trajectory and minimal recoil.

Undoubtedly one of our nation’s favorite cartridges, the .223 Remington is capable of hair-splitting accuracy in a properly built rifle, has enough velocity for a respectable trajectory, and with the heavier bullets with a higher BC, can resist wind deflection rather well.

Winchester and Browning have collaborated to produce the 6.8 Western—a new take on the concept of the .270 WSM, using heavier bullets and a faster twist rate than previous iterations of the Winchester cartridges have used. Essentially, the 6.8 Western picks up where the .270 WSM leaves off, and delivers a whole lot more.

Just about every case shape imaginable has been modified to hold both 7mm and .30-caliber bullets, but it was gunwriter Layne Simpson who saw a gap in the lineup: there was no 7mm cartridge based on a full-length .375 H&H case. In 1979, Simpson took the excellent 8mm Remington Magnum and necked it down to hold 7mm bullets, giving his wildcat the name “Shooting Times Westerner.”