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Post by tcmech on May 23, 2010 20:02:22 GMT -5
I know this is a a matter personal opinion but here goes.
What rifle caliber is your most practical rifle?
I have two center fire rifles that I deer hunt with. One is my 243, which is my most practical rifle. It will take down a whitetail at any reasonable distance. It is a pleasure to shoot with minimal recoil and excellent accuracy.
When I hand load a lighter bullet for it, it turns into a great varmint gun.
The other rifle I use is a 300 wm. It is enough rifle to take down anything in North America that I might run across in my dream hunts, I have not used this gun for deer hunting much since it weighs more than my 243 and I have not yet gotten it to shoot as well as I would like.
I have been working with a hand load of hodgdon hybrid 100V that is showing some very good potential, but the truth is I live in Southeastern Virginia, and to say that a 300 wm is overkill for anything I might use it on is an understatement.
I know that some live where the deer are larger, or the ranges are longer. Some may hunt elk or moose more routinely than deer. I know the 243 is a bit light for those animals.
Some may not hunt but target shoot and find a different caliber works best for them.
So what is the most practical rifle caliber that you own, and why?
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Post by wilmsmeyer on May 24, 2010 5:16:28 GMT -5
We may go rifle for deer in my county this year. I have a .243 and reload for it. I have been wondering if I should buy a new centerfire but I can only find 1 reason to do do.....size and weight. My .243 is a 26" bull barrel with a lami stock and it's heavy. It also has a 6.5 X 20 Leupold scope that I really want to leave on it.
So If I get a new rifle it will be smaller in terms of size. Calibers I've thought of are .243....or maybe a .243. If I don't get one of these, I may use my current .243 from stands where shots are long and then carry a ML or slug gun in the woods or on drives.
If I ever want a do-it-all gun for heading out west or north west I would love to get a 7mm Mag one day or a .338-06.
I think tcmech and I have the same thought, this is a great round and being a reloader
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Post by mountainam on May 24, 2010 7:20:54 GMT -5
TCMECH, You are on the right track. More people need to think like you. For a guy that's a whitetail deer hunter to buy a large magnum because in the future he "MAY" go elk hunting out West is goofy. The .243 Win is one of the most perfect rifles along with the .257 Roberts and 6mm Rem for deer. They shoot smoother, they're more efficient and cost effective. Bought any bullets lately? Once you go larger than .243" prices jump exponentially. The fact that you're using Hybrid 100V will put your .243Win on par with the 6mm Rem. It is capable of 3100 fps loads with 100gr bullets. I shouldered up a new Remington XHR in .243 Win and I think that the stock profile and balance is perfection. I never thought I'd ever admit that about a rifle with a synthetic stock. Wilms, you need one. As for your .300WM, you should consider some of the new Winchester 780 Supreme powder. I just finished working up loads for my buddy's "Alaska" rifle and the 780 Supreme performed the best using 168 and 180gr Win/Nos Combined Technology bullets. Both loads met or exceeded factory velocities which is difficult to do in a .300WM. By the way, my buddy does live in Alaska. If you treat your whitetail rifle hunting as you do bowhunting and only take a clear shot, you'll have absolutely no problem with a .243Win. But if you're the type of guy making the "Hail Marys" from the hind quarters running, then you may need something bigger. You'll shoot more with a .243 and when you shoot more you'll shoot better and build more confidence. Then your rifle will do the rest. Long live the 6mm's!
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Post by deadon on May 24, 2010 8:03:06 GMT -5
I have owned waaaaaaay too many rifles to become an expert shot under all hunting senarios , From 22s to 6.5 X 284. I sold all of them due to financial problems except a Rem target master 22LR that I had bored out to 22 mag., I use it squirrel hunting, and a mod 70 win in ,you guest it 243 cal. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Both of these rifles are great shooters and,with a rest, I have never missed with either one. My 22 mag likes the win 34 gr HP and my load for the 243 is the nosler 95 gr Bal tip over 40.5 grs of 4350 and CCI BR primers. I can now spend the rest of my days becoming a better shot There is an old saying and I quote it often "Beware of the man with one rifle"
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Post by dans on May 24, 2010 8:13:53 GMT -5
I would take a 30-06. Can't go wrong there. If I had only only one it would be a custom.
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Post by cfvickers on May 24, 2010 16:49:08 GMT -5
My oppinion. 6.5-284. It will take down all but dangerous game in North America. And is reliable and swift in doing so with the right bullet application for the game chosen. It is an excellent caliber for anything from coyotes to moose and can be used for small varmints if you want. the best part about it is that anything up to an elk can be taken at even otherwise unreasonable ranges out to 8-900 yards. very little recoil, about like a 25-06 and gets great penetration at long range due to the long bullet.
For my own deer stand most practical I have found is a 45/70 encore with 300 gr. remington coreloct hollow point. it hits them and they are dead right now right there. You don't want to trail one in a white river bottoms cane thicket. But this is not a great all around choice due to range limitations and excessive recoil in a 6.5lbs gun. Not for the faint of heart.
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Post by deadon on May 24, 2010 17:15:53 GMT -5
I agree with CF as far as what the 6.5X284 will do. In the right hands it will everything he said and even more. The problem with mine was it weighted 19lbs with the scope. I hunted with it and got too old to carry it Also you had to hand load because at that time only Black Hills made ammo for it and they only ran one batch a year and It was 45.00 for a box of 20. My 243, I firmly believe, will do everything the 6.5 will do out to 300 yrs which is my longest possible shot where I hunt and it only weighs 8.5 lbs including the scope OH, CF, with that 45 70, You are a better man than I am Gunga Dein.
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Post by pposey on May 24, 2010 18:42:04 GMT -5
Deer, black bear, hogs and down 7mm-08,,,, bigger than that 300wm
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Post by cfvickers on May 24, 2010 21:14:07 GMT -5
Deadon, the 45/70 is not a light clothing summer time gun that is fun to shoot any time. You need a heavy jacket at the very least and after working up loads for it last year I had shoulder pain for 4 months. Even with a 300 grain bullet pushed to 2150 fps, it is down right brutal. The encore is synthetic stocked so that doesn't help much.
On another note, My Savage 111 Long Rage Hunter in 6.5-284 just came in yesterday. I have been waiting on it since I ordered it in January. A friend of my dad with a shop in OK ordered it for me and I should have it in two weeks. I am quite excited. At present I have one 6.5-284 that is a rechambered Husqvarna Crown Grade. It is a great shooting gun but I fear that if I use it to target shoot with much I may wear out the throat and I want to keep the original barrel on it. Nice gun but not an everyday shooter. It isn't match grade by any means but will shoot any bullet I want to at worst 1 inch at 100 yards from a bench. But it will not do anything under .6" at 100. great fair weather hunting rifle none the less though. I am looking forward to the longer barrel on the LRH.
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Post by boarhog on May 25, 2010 0:19:20 GMT -5
As far as light weight, handy to hunt with rifles go, I really loved my Rem 700 Mountain Rifle in 257 Roberts. It had better energy out past 250 yards than does a 243, but otherwise, the two compare very well. After the MR was stolen, I stumbled upon a Savage Mod 10 in 7mm-08. Not quite as light as the MR, or as pretty, but still very handy, accurate, and effective. I tend to grab it almost every time, unless I plan to hunt on a power line. Then I grab my Mark X Mauser in 7mm Rem Mag. If I plan to hunt some of my "Thicket" stands, I grab the Ruger 44 Carbine. If I win the Lotto and have the $$ to buy a new rifle, it would be another 700 MR definitely, and I think it would be in 260 Rem caliber.
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Post by northny on May 25, 2010 8:27:32 GMT -5
Practical?
Three criteria I see
1. get ammo anywhere at reasonable price ( $20 for box of remington core lokt at Walmart).
2. Handle a wide range of big game (more than deer, both larger and smaller) without hand loading.
3. Moderate recoil. Majority of shooters could handle the recoil comfortably.
Three calibers quickly meet the above. .270 Win, 30 -06, and .308 win. The .270 ammo not as prevelant as '06 and .308. The .270 may also not handle as wide a range of larger game. So I would elim the .270 (hard for me to say, as it is my favorite caliber, I have three).
The '06 has the edge for larger game, but the recoil is a step up from .308 to a point where I think more are affected by recoil of the '06.
So for practical shooting on targets or game, handle a wide range of "chores" with moderate recoil, with wide spread ammo available at non premium prices, I think the .308 is the winner.
For woods hunting, I like the old round nose bullet. Leaves a nice blood trial. For longer range work, the spire points kill well, but the skin tends to close up on entrance hole and blood trail not as large as round nose. But dead is dead.
JMHO.
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Post by cfvickers on May 25, 2010 9:49:12 GMT -5
Northny, for the non reloader I guess you are right. However for those of us that reload practical has a different meaning. I can buy 50 rounds of brass and reload them 8-10 times, and for that a box of ammo costs me about 12.00 if using standard bullets, and I can get the most accuracy out of the rifle on top of that.
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Post by DHinMN on May 25, 2010 12:57:27 GMT -5
The 270 Win was my choice way back when and served me well for my big game hunting years. It accounted for many mule deer and antelope. Also one moose and one black bear. The other rifle was a 222 and then a 223 for fox and jack rabbits. Yotes too if I get the chance. Also a very accurate 22 rimfire for the small stuff. Local deer hunting is with the "Savage".
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Post by northny on May 25, 2010 20:05:11 GMT -5
cfvickers, I agree. I have hand loaded for 30+ years. If you hand load, a lot more things can become achievable with any given caliber.
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Post by dannoboone on May 25, 2010 20:39:02 GMT -5
As long as it's just a matter of personal opinion......for me it would have to be the .25-06. They can be tuned to blow the head off a rabbit or squirrel beyond 100yds, and easily take down a deer or antelope at 400, let alone ol' Wile E.
With some of the newer "equalizer" bullets, I wouldn't be afraid to take a 200yd elk with it, either. And yes I do wait just as a bow hunter for that perfect shot. That did cost me a 6-pointer last year. On the other hand, not to take that shot may have saved both of us a lot of pain.
I wouldn't know about availability of ammo out there in stores. Haven't bought any since the mid 70's. Loading/reloading gets ya more precisely what ya need.
Not knockin' the .243 though. It's just that I've been shooting the .25-06's since the mid 70's, and have been playing with the .243 for less than a year. Opinions CAN change!
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Post by youp50 on May 26, 2010 5:25:10 GMT -5
What does your Dad or Uncle shoot? Or the most of whatever comes to camp. Practically speaking you should be able to shoot deer for free by bumming ammo.
I find it ironic that members that routinely launch 300 grain bullets from a ML at velocities exceeding 2300 fps also use a marginal round like a 243 Win for deer.
Going to ruffle feathers, but I have been there and seen what happens when a "practical" round like a 6mm, 100 grain cup and core bullet hits the shoulder of a big buck. Long frustrating miles of tracking a suffering animal. The same animal would have been dead in less than 200 yards when hit with a 300 Savage.
Too be sure, I hunt where an animal can travel that far with out getting in front of somebody who will finish what someone else started. I also hunt where 200 pound dressed whitetails are running around.
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Post by cfvickers on May 26, 2010 8:47:48 GMT -5
25-06 would definitely be my second choice, Great all around deer/antelope/muly/coyote round. Having other more suitable guns I would not use it for elk but would not be afraid to shoot one with a 115 partition or accubond if it was what I had.
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Post by mountainam on May 26, 2010 10:15:27 GMT -5
Youp, I once made a shot on a groundhog at 120 yards with a 6mm Rem. using an 80 gr Rem. cup and core bullet. He was climbing up the opposite side of a Black Locust tree that was 6" in dia. All I could see was his four paws climbing. I shot between the paws and that little bullet killed him dead and he had splinters, slivers and chunks of wood sticking out of the exit hole in his back. To date my longest kill with my 6mm Rem on a high shoulder or neck shot deer is 325 yards- lasered. The day a 100 gr core-lokt won't penetrate a broadside shoulder shot buck at 350 yds is the day that the bullet hit something else first before striking the intended target. If I was scared I might step up to a 7mm/08. If you recall, it was born out of necessity in the Metallic Silhouette game. It was more accurate, had less recoil, more energy at 600 meters and shot flatter than the .308 by far. The .243Win. is only marginal for a guy that lacks cofidence in his skills at the moment of truth. To clarify, The largest animal I hunt is whitetail deer. It's not marginal for that.
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Post by sw on May 26, 2010 21:43:23 GMT -5
If I could only have 1 rifle for all hunting it would either be a 25-06 or a 6MM Rem. Since I custom handload using benchrest techniques, I would go ahead an get either in AK IMP with a shoulder bump/nk die made from a fire formed case. If I didn't hand load, I get a 25-06 or a 6mm Rem as is. This does not take into account the many excellent cartridges such as the short mags or short-short mags which may well be better overall cartridges, esp in 257 and 243 cals.
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Post by youp50 on May 27, 2010 14:35:13 GMT -5
Mountainam,
Could be the bullet had struck something, I am not a medical examiner. The shooter aimed for the heart and got a the upper leg bone. Bone was busted and bullet deflected off course. It did not appear to me the bullet was tumbling or upset prior to hitting the buck. It was all I needed to know I would not have one. Perhaps with a premium bullet.
I do own a 25-06 that has piled up a bunch of deer, using Barnes X 100 grain bullets. I won't use a 100 gr .257" common cup and core bullet at 3000+ fps mv either. Been there and done that.
To me a caliber is not 'practical' until I can use it at any and all angles of shot offered on the game hunted. IME the 243 is not a practical caliber for whitetail with out a bonded/partition/monolithic bullet.
I have heard black locust is a very tough wood, it has better sense than to grow around here.
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Post by jims on May 27, 2010 17:59:07 GMT -5
I have liked my 25-06 since 1962. I use it more overall than my .270, .300 Win, 30-06 and .375 H&H Imp.
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Post by ozark on May 27, 2010 19:35:11 GMT -5
Many fine calibers suggested above. All are practical provided the right bullet for the intended purpose is selected. Naturally, all are inferior if using an inferior bullet or load. The 25.06, .243, 6MM Rem, and all the others can be ill suited for a specific kill if loaded with the wrong bullet at a wrong speed. If we restrict the question to making over the counter ammo mandantory nothing mentioned on this thread is a cull. My personal prefference today is a .243, but it has been a .256 Newton, 25.06, 270, 250/3000 savage and the 30-06. I would feel comfortable shooting any of the above and expect good results if the right bullet was used. I don't know, maybe if I had to load them all with one bullet it would be the Remington Core Lokt. Maybe I am to easy satisfied. Just My 2 cents worth.
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Post by Tarheel on Jun 4, 2010 23:44:06 GMT -5
I'd say anything on an '06 case would be practical. A 270 or 30.06 would probably be the most practical if you didn't handload.
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