help deciding what caliber

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ellerja

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Im in the market for a new hunting rifle.I have owned the following cal.308,7mm rem mag,45/70,30/30.I am thinking of a 30/06,270,243.I want a gun for just about anything from deer to hogs.I will be hunting fields and woods.
 
A good 3006 is hard to beat as an overall good deer rifle but I guess it depends on how long the shots in the fields are. I have two Remington 700s; one is a 3006 and the other is a 270. When I hunt the woods of middle Tennessee the 3006 is perfect but every year I go to Alabama for the January rut and take the 270 because some of the shots are longer and around big fields.
 
That is a hard question to answer. Not knowing the kind of terrain you might face. I used a 30-06 for a long time, and then was talked into a 7mm mag. But the shots I made with the 7mm mag, I probably could have made with the 30-06.

Now a 270 is a nice caliber. Good for what you want to do. Also looking at ammo the other day, the 270 ammo was cheaper then the 30-06. And for long field shots, a 270 is a nice caliber. I guess the question is, would you ever think of hunting perhaps elk, moose, or large bear... then the 30-06 would be my pick.
 
Ditto to what Dave said. If you were to go for Elk or the like, then I would opt for the 300 Winchester Mag. Personally my favorite caliber is the .280 Remington. As once advertised by Remington. "The 280 Rem closes the gap between the 270 and 30-06 but outperforms them both". But if I had to go for big bears, I'd opt for the 30-06 shooting 200gr bullets over the 280.
 
I would say what is the main purpose of this rifle? I shoot a .243 but up until this year we could not use rifle on deer in this area of NY. My main use for the rifle was shooting woodchucks. I asked the very same question on a different forum and the answer I got was to get a 6.5mm. Bullets for the 6.5mm are extremely long for the caliber and that equates to a very good BC and excellent sectional density. I was told that a 120 gr. 6.5mm bullet would perform as well as a 160 gr. .30 cal bullet without the recoil and noise, and that benefit keeps going for the 140 and 160 grainers for the 6.5mm vs.the 180 and 200 gr. 30's. I'm not reccomending you go after bear of moose with one but if whitetail, mule deer and pronghorn are your targets then a 6.5mm fits the bill quite well. A 6.5mm is also a 26 cal. Lots of good factory chamberings out there, 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser, 6.5 Creedmore, 260 Rem and 264 Win Mag. Just to list a few, if you're into reloading and want a play around there are more like the 6.5-284 Norma, 6.5-06 and 6.5 BRM. I mean the list gos on as far as deer calibers, 25-06, 257 Roberts, 257 Weatherby Mag, 270 Win, 280 Rem, 7mm-08, 7mm Rem Mag. Good luck.
 
Im a big fan of the 6.5mm class. You would not believe how many moose and other big game have fallen to the lowly 6.5x55 in the Euro zone.
 
All very good responses. If you are setting the upper limit of deer and pigs, pretty much anything from the 243 Win through the 300 Win mag will kill the animal equally dead out to 300 yards. Pick the right bullet for the job and put the bullet where it needs to be, and the only thing left is to get ready to pack out the critter. The experts say 1000 lb/ft of energy is the cutoff for deer sized game. As you can see in the chart, all of the cartridges with popular bullets will do the deed out to 300 yards. Some may shoot slightly flatter but the drops are within 3" at 300 yards.

There is a benefit to choosing a lighter cartridge and that is in recoil. I am also a big fan of the 6.5mm cartridges. I have a couple 260 Rems and a 6.5-284 that is my long range deer gun. These will hold sub MOA to 600 yards when I do my part. I can't wait to draw a pronghorn tag.

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In VA & mostly deer down to hogs I'd lean 243. The next choice would be a 308. Be sure to use the right bullet for the job.
 
well I have heard a lot of fans for the 243.it just seems like an awfully small projectile. I really only hunt deer. I had hunted elk in Montana but don't see me ever going back there for an elk hunt. Thanks for the input.
 
A 243 with the new Hornady GMX bullet has gotten some great reviews on Dougs. Its similar to a Barnes bullet but slightly less expensive and not pure copper. It would not be my pick for long range but it should smack down a deer no problem under most conditions.
 
While I don't have one...Yet, I have always had a hankering for a 7mm08. It would be a good deer, hog and black bear round. I've seen a couple that shot real good and not to abusive to the shoulder. I also had a .270win and they are a great deer rifle and don't beat you up either. After that .270 I sort of got into some oddballs, 280AI, 358win, and the 250AI. See what I mean. :roll: Still got the .358win (real Black bear thumper and I would not hesitate to take it for elk) and the .250AI (custom model7) (built it for Deer and Antelope).
 
ShawnT said:
While I don't have one...Yet, I have always had a hankering for a 7mm08. ...........................Still got the .358win (real Black bear thumper and I would not hesitate to take it for elk) and the .250AI (custom model7) (built it for Deer and Antelope).
Well..............me too..................the 7mm-08 is kinda what i hanker.

Years ago i had a 358 built. Our son and i were elk hunting every chance we got in those years, and we hunted very very thick timber most all the time. The 358 seemed to me, to be perfect for the elk hunting we did, and it was. It was a Ruger ultra-light with a short action, and a custom 19" barrel. That rifle tagged more elk for me than any other rifle i ever hunted with. What a perfect elk rifle that was. Short, light, and it dropped elk real real good. That rifle killed elk most of the time at ranges less than 100 yard, sometimes far less, but once it got one near 400 yard out. That rifle, and 225g Nosler Partition, was a real elk killing combination.

An aside.......................my elk hunting began when we lived in Missoula, and for a few years anyway, the tags cost $1.00, and we purchased them over the counter, and we hunted from September 15 clear through November. How sweet it was.

These days not being able to purchase an elk tag over the counter where we live, my hunting is for deer and antelope. The 7mm-08 is calling me. Probably i will resist, but one never know.
 
ronlaughlin said:
ShawnT said:
That rifle, and 225g Nosler Partition, was a real elk killing combination.
The 7mm-08 is calling me. Probably i will resist, but one never know.


Ron,

Actually mine is also Ruger 77 but is still as from the factory. It is the older one with tang saftey and has a little pencil barrel without irons, thumps on Both ends! :lol: I was looking for an old Win88 but saw this one in the GunList for sale from a guy in Texas. I still remember the day I picked it up from my local dealer. When he pulled it out of the box muzzle first the hole in the bore looked huge in that skinny barrel. My first though was this is going to be real fun! :lol: 8) Never regretted getting it. This rifle also dearly loves that same Nosler 225 partition and a stiff charge of IMR4320. Not a real fast round but hits like Thors hammer! 8) It just amazes me how accurate that big 35 cal bullet can be. Shot my first black bear with it, an old dry sow that went 300lbs. At the shot I saw all 4 feet up in the air, shocked me! :shock: I'm not a big Ruger fan, but not too sure I could part with this one, unless I built one. I've been thinking that I would love to build a matching (to my .250AI) custom model 7 in 7-08. Remington sold quite a few model 7's in 7-08.
 
well I decided to go with the 270win.I got a 700 Remington in 270 win. I really like to input but decided if I ever go for something larger I have the option. Thanks for all the help.
 
That should be just fine. Now you can accessorize it to your liking. That would be a nice scope, maybe get the trigger where you like it, 3 lbs or so, then sight in with good ammo.
 
:D

If I had unlimited funds I would buy a 270 and a 30.06. The 270 for deer and hogs and the .06 for all other critters. I have found that an ALL AROUND hunting rifle would be a Remington 30.06. Reason being, there's many different cartridges for the .06 from varmints to moose. That's my " 1 gun for all " IMHO :!: :!: :!:

Ray........... :wink:
 
hawgslayer said:
:D

If I had unlimited funds I would buy a 270 and a 30.06. The 270 for deer and hogs and the .06 for all other critters. I have found that an ALL AROUND hunting rifle would be a Remington 30.06. Reason being, there's many different cartridges for the .06 from varmints to moose. That's my " 1 gun for all " IMHO :!: :!: :!:

Ray........... :wink:

X2 :yeah: I have a 1903A3 Springfield that I customized years ago.. The 30-06 is a universal cal that will never be outdated.
 
Lots of very good calibers offered here all of which will do the job. Some of these mentioned are certainly better suited for reloaders. If I were in your boots I would find the rifle that fit and felt right first and foremost. Ammo availability be it local or far away should be a consideration.
 

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