“eld-x”

Contributor Aram von Benedikt details the critical characteristics necessary for an effective deer, elk or moose round, and lists his own personal favorites.

Our man returns to the rugged stretch of Idaho that his hunting party narrowly escaped last season in search of success on a mountain muley.

Is the new 6.8 Western as good as it sounds? Here’s a closer look at its accuracy, velocity, aerodynamics and maximum lethal range compared to four popular, proven cartridges.

Released in 1980, the 7mm-08 Remington would go on to be considered one of the best deer cartridges ever conceived, and the gamut of 7mm bullets available make it extremely flexible.

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.

A beltless non-rebated .30-caliber magnum rifle cartridge designed for extreme performance at long range, the .300 PRC is the product of years of tinkering by Hornady. It will handle almost any game in North America and is fully capable of doing double duty as a long-range target choice.

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.”

The Tikka T3x Lite is a wonderful balance of portability, accuracy and dependability. It’s available in time-proven varmint and big-game calibers, has a user-adjustable trigger, the action is nicely bedded and it carries like a dream.

Despite an array of competitors being introduced since its 1944 debut, Weatherby’s original .30-caliber magnum cartridge is arguably still the best in class.