What is the best all around rifle caliber!!!
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Ironicaintit
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that newfangled 250-3000
redneck2
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While considered one of the early experts, O’Conner wrote the same story about hunting in the Sonora desert about seventy bazillion Times.
As for the .270, I suppose it’s marginally adequate for a medium caliber. It would probably be much better if it were sized up to .30 caliber.
Actually, the perfect cartridge would be a .270 necked up, say maybe .007 to .284. Far better bullet selection and higher and better B.C. Additional case capacity of about 12-15 grains of powder, then add a super performance and accuracy enhancing belt. Perfection!
If someone would come out with that....wow.
Varminterror
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I’m sitting here wondering which of these two things is true:
1) do this many folks really think the .30-03 is that much better than the .270?
or...
2) do this many folks really mistakenly think the .30-06 is the parent cartridge of the .270?
1) do this many folks really think the .30-03 is that much better than the .270?
or...
2) do this many folks really mistakenly think the .30-06 is the parent cartridge of the .270?
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redneck2
Member
Some do. You see endless debates about .308 vs 30-06 or .300 Win Mag vs. .300 WSM. Guys get into verbal fist fights over something as trivial 1/2 degree of shoulder angle
If people were actually practical, there would be about 1/10th of the cartridges we have.
Most guys here couldn’t relate to a .30-03 but they can to a .30-06, which is virtually identical (but shortly, someone will come along and argue about that)
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shootstraight57
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I have been hunting white tail deer here in Pa. for many years with my Marlin .35. This year I wanted to go with a more conventional caliber, so I bought a .308 bolt action. The .308 has been around for many years as well as the 30-06. If I saw a 30-06 for a good price I would have bought that. The .35 rem. has been a good gun for me but the ammo has went up in price significantly!
Steve Milbocker
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These days I could kill anything I need to with a 22LR. For those of you that grimace at that statement I'll use the 30-30 then if it will make you feel better
Back in my youth when Jack O Connor was my idol I thought I could do no better than the 270.I quoted Jack so much I think I caused my dad to hate the man! I couldn't swing a pre 64 model 70 back then but I could afford a brand new Ruger 77. I still have it today. It's been from Alabama to the Arctic and killed crows to caribou I never wanted to hunt grizzly but as a kid reading Jack's tales,I had no doubt I could kill damn near anything on the planet with the 270
Back in my youth when Jack O Connor was my idol I thought I could do no better than the 270.I quoted Jack so much I think I caused my dad to hate the man! I couldn't swing a pre 64 model 70 back then but I could afford a brand new Ruger 77. I still have it today. It's been from Alabama to the Arctic and killed crows to caribou I never wanted to hunt grizzly but as a kid reading Jack's tales,I had no doubt I could kill damn near anything on the planet with the 270
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marksman13
Member
If I could only have one rifle for everything I do, it would be an AR-15 in 6.8 SPC. It will kill any deer, pig or two-legged creature I might need to kill. I have no need to worry about bears.
TexasPatriot.308
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I usually take 2 rifles out of my safe every day. depends on what time of year and what I may face as far as coyotes, hogs, snakes etc. There is no 1 particular caliber. You want to shoot coyotes or rabbits with a 30 06? Unless you can only afford one rifle, you get what you have. Anything from .17hmr up to 30 06, I just reach in my safe. I am outdoors every day running cattle so I need several calibers.
Vern Humphrey
Member
As Townsend Whelen used to say, "The .30-06 is never a mistake."I'm partial to the 30-06 myself. Old but still kicking it. And so is the 06.
illinoisburt
Member
30-03 and 303 Brit are not the same. 30-03 was US made to replace the 30 US (also called 30 Krag). The 303 Brit has been around a long time, but it's a rimmed cartridge and has nothing to do with the 270 Winchester.
Any-hoo-n-such, Mr. O'Connor's complaint about the 30-06 was it was too powerful and standard 180-220 grain bullets were too stout for most game animals. His beloved 270 was better performer with more fragile 130 grain bullets. If I recall correctly he was a fan of 4x fixed scopes and recommended a 2-1/2 inch high zero, too.
For your area that would be good. Especially 180s in a 20" barrel.
For out west, I would have to choose a 300 WM, WSM, or H&H.
Wind does terrible things to 357s.
cdb1
Member
I think that was a typo on his part. He definitely knows the difference.
cdb1
Member
But since the question is caliber, for me it would be .264, .277 or .284. Take your pick.
illinoisburt
Member
All of talking about hunting stuff. Are we sure that was the original question? We were asked for best all arount rifle caliber, not best cartridges for getting dinner. Maybe need to rethink answers as best hunting rounds are not necessarily the best for military/police roles or long range or short range bullseye. Dang it, guess I to have more than a few best ones!
mustanger98
Member
My understanding is .303British and U.S..30-40Krag are very similar. The .30Krag round, along with .30-03 and .30-06... those are three steps fairly close together in the American evolution.
IMO, the .30-06... loaded with 150gr jacketed soft points to run 2500-2700fps...is not too stout for most game animals. Hot-loaded 180-220gr may be more recoil than is desirable while tearing up too much meat.
JBradley500
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If 280AI ammo was available at Wal Mart for 20 or 25 bucks a box, I would bet that cartridge would become the next big thing for a do-it-all. I wanna say 6.5CM or 7mm08 now but I don't know if the power is there for moose or bears bigger than the black bears around here.
Varminterror
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A slip of the keys on my part, have had an Enfield on my bench far too long which needs to go out the door.
But the fact remains, a half dozen or so respondents here rang the “I like the 270’s parent better” bell... so my questions remain, do these folks not realize the .30-06 isn’t the 270’s parent, or do they really think the .30-03 is a better choice than the .270?
But the fact remains, a half dozen or so respondents here rang the “I like the 270’s parent better” bell... so my questions remain, do these folks not realize the .30-06 isn’t the 270’s parent, or do they really think the .30-03 is a better choice than the .270?
illinoisburt
Member
Back in O'Connor's day the 30-06 more often than not was a round nose 220 grain at 2400. * hunting bullets*
cdb1
Member
Well since no one wants to answer, the parent of the 30-06 and .270 is the 30-03. The .270 case is longer than the 30-06 case.
mustanger98
Member
However, by the time "The Hunting Rifle" was published in 1970, he said about the only people recommending 220's were the professional tiger hunters in India. He also noted that 180grSP's would zip through the Alaskan bears. This is in contrast to my observation of 150grSP's in deer.
Gordon
Member
The .308 Winchester. #1 because it is a current military round and unlikely to change from that in my lfe time. #2 because I used it as my go to hunting round for 3 decades as I developed lightweight "Mountain guns" and also "assault rifles I used in early practical rifle competition. #3 I cranked out tons of it on my Dillon 1000 , and bought and hoarded thousands of military surplus rounds. #3 I goy some great .308 rifles of all sorts #4 i like 150- 168 grain bullets in .308 but it works well with 110 grain right thru 220 grain sierras depending on the rifle and uses. #5 I killed more things with it then any thing else #6 it can be stunningly accurate and can take smaller actions if needed..
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