“6.5x55”

If you want a cartridge that will handle deer and bear at woods distances in any state while providing the capability of being a rock-solid defensive cartridge, the .450 Bushmaster should have a place near the top of the list.

Fitting the niche between the 6.5 PRC and .300 PRC, Hornady’s brand-new 7mm PRC cartridge delivers long, high-BC bullets in a long-action receiver, and temperature-stable, magnum speed propellants for consistent velocity and extended barrel life.

The .275 Rigby remains a fantastic choice for the big-game hunter, and has done it all over the course of its 130-year history.

If the .338 Winchester Magnum puts an exclamation point on the end of the hunting sentence, the .340 Weatherby Magnum highlights and italicizes the paragraph. After all, that’s what the Weatherby cartridges were designed to do, and the .340 Weatherby does it well.

Be it a bucket list hunt in a land of giants, an anniversary escape with a loved one, a quick scouting trip turned big-buck showdown or the culmination of a trophy slam, American Hunter readers searched for and found opportunity near and far this past year.

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.

Contributor Barb Melloni gives readers an overview on the favored cartridges of our hunting cousins across the pond.

Nosler took the venerable .270 caliber to a new level with the introduction of the 27 Nosler. Conceived as a 21^st century upgrade, the cartridge delivers previously unobtainable downrange ballistics by pairing the ultimate combination of case capacity with modern long-for-caliber bullets.

Between the 6.5 Creedmoor and the 6.5 PRC, which is the better choice for the hunter? Contributor Philip Massaro examines the pros and cons of each.