What is your "nearly perfect" cartridge?

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The 8mm Remington Magnum.

-Plenty of power for any terrestrial species on the planet, but recoil isn't so excessive as to make the rifle unpleasant to fire.

-Very flat trajectory with virtually all loads.

-More efficient than the larger cased magnums, including the .300 RUM, which burns 15% more powder to give the same performance as the 8 mag.

-Though it never caught on, it wasn't for lack of merit. It outclasses both of the other two magnums that were it's primary competitors in the late 70s when it was introduced; the .300 & .338 Win Mag.

-A little bit of exclusivity:D
 
swampcrawler said:
...rather curious as to whether anyone else has found one near perfect cartridge for nearly all aplications...
Click to expand...

Relative to rifle cartridges (since this is the Rifle Country forum) my near perfect cartridge is the .243Win ... but, ironically, I haven't owned a .243Win firearm since I sold my Ruger M77 in the early '80s.
 
For my neck of the woods the 308 winchester can do everything I would ever need and with little recoil and sub moa groupings.
 
Having used a .300 Savage since 1959 and one of several .308s for the last 20 years as all purpose rounds either gets my vote for the deer and hog upper end game. I'd go with a .30/06 or something bigger(.338) in Alaska or somewhere the elk, moose, and big bears roam.
 
I'd pick the .30/06 - although, from a pure ballistic sense, there are a number of other rounds in the same general category (.308/7.62 NATO, 7mm R Mag, .300 Win Mag, 7x57, etc.) that would also fit.

First, it was the standard military round when the USA was still in the habit of decisively winning wars.

Second, in hunting guise, it is a good choice for all thin-skinned, non-dangerous big game worldwide, with the possible exceptions of eland and giraffe. (And it is acceptable, if not ideal, there. Same for big bears.) And though I really wouldn't want to take it against lion or pachyderms, it can be made to work.

Third, it does all it does with very moderate recoil and muzzle blast.

Fourth, it's very, very common . . . and so are components.
 
I agree with everything HankB says. I would also like that if I do my part, my Remington will group 3/4 inch with my handloads. That's at 100 yds.
 
I'd pick the .30/06 - although, from a pure ballistic sense, there are a number of other rounds in the same general category (.308/7.62 NATO, 7mm R Mag, .300 Win Mag, 7x57, etc.) that would also fit.

First, it was the standard military round when the USA was still in the habit of decisively winning wars.

Second, in hunting guise, it is a good choice for all thin-skinned, non-dangerous big game worldwide, with the possible exceptions of eland and giraffe. (And it is acceptable, if not ideal, there. Same for big bears.) And though I really wouldn't want to take it against lion or pachyderms, it can be made to work.

Third, it does all it does with very moderate recoil and muzzle blast.

Fourth, it's very, very common . . . and so are components.
Click to expand...

Fifth, while it was an excellent cartridge from the get-go, with modern powders and bullets, it's much better.
 
I'd honestly go with the 300 WinMag. I had never fired one prior to last year but after we got the XM2010 for deployment and then got to shoot the German army's sniper rifle (an Accuracy International AWP) I fell in love with the cartridge. My favorite rifle is currently my Rem 700 SPS in 308 though.
 
6.5

I throw in a new wote for 6.5×55. You can do everything with that rifle. I have used 6.5 for 10 years in hunting. System rifle and just change the barrel if you need any other calibre. I got 6.5 and 8×57.
Good luck.
 
First is 30-06, loads to fit every need, 2nd 6.5 Grendel, I just finished a 6.5 Grendel AR build and I am definitely impressed with the accuracy. It has a 24 inch barrel and definitely a tack driver. The Grendel sends a 123 grain bullet accurately downrange with just a little bit more powder than a 5.56x45 round, that is hard to beat!!
 
I've been pleased with 270 winchester. I've shot mulies, pronghorn, whitetails, black bears, and elk with it at both close and moderate distances (50-300 yards). I have not had to track an animal in seven years of using it...yet

140 grain bullets for bear and elk. 130 for everything else. I don't hunt varmints, so I don't need anything lighter. There are no grizzlies around here, so I don't need anything bigger.

The one thing I dislike is that the only match/competition bullet for 270 that I know of is the 135 grain sierra matchking, which is apparently made of unobtanium.

I'd probably be just as happy with a 30-06.
 
my .02 would be a .243 for what you've listed, but i concur w/ previous statements that a .308 can do anything if you ever go for larger game.
 
For me it has been .308 Win, which I consider a .30-06 Kurz. I like the '06 just fine (everybody should have at least one rifle in that cartridge), but the .308 does great in my neck of the woods.

That said, I'm seriously considering a build in .260 Rem. Although primarily intended to be a precision rifle, it would be adequate on all game I'm likely to run across in the PA hardwoods.

Won't give up my .308s, though, and honorable mention to the .243.
 
As long as I'm loading my own #1 is the 280 Rem, #2 is the 25-06...If I had to depend on store bought ammo I'd have the 30-06 then the 308
 
My favorite cartridge is the .280 Rem but if I had to say the nearly perfect one, I'd go with .30-06 all day long. The range of bullet weights it will handle really gives it the edge IMO.
 
the 6.5 creedmoor with a 120gr nosler ballistic tips, it can take a deer down like no one else. tc encore with a 16 1/4" mgm heavy factory barrel.

also i would like to say the 444 marlin and the 338 federal(encore 23" heavy factory barrels), i don't have them, yet!!!
 
For me the one rifle I'll never be without is my 7rem mag. I load mine for deer with a 140gr pill. Steel I use a 162 amax. Have a load for 160gr Barnes and 168 berger for ell and above. I've loaded 100-120gr pill that straight out flatten a coyote. I think it's the best all around cartridge you can have for the south west. Hard hitting, flat shooting lots of factory ammo available. 25-06 is a close second for me
 
For accuracy my favorite has to be .222 it is the most accurate that I have ever built or fired. The .223 was chosen as the round for the the U.S. government over the .222 for several political reasons. However my favorite round for function is probably the 30/30 for its effective use as a hunting round, it will break brush and still take its target at a decent range and has been the first whitetail kill for so many of my age, takes us back to our childhood.
 
Used to be 7 mag or 300win mag. I am older and wiser and my lightwt 308's do everything the magnums did for me in the past. Or maybe I am just learning how to shoot. ha.
 
Ideal rifle round.....

I'm not much into rifles but if I were to pick a current "ideal" rifle round, Id say the .300AAC Blackout or whisper.
For AR/M4 platforms it seems to meet all the requirements for a solid, robust, powerful bullet.
The caliber lends itself to suppressed rifles too. :cool:
I used to think the larger 6.8x40mm or 6.8SPCII load was "tops" but for my $ the .300AAC Blackout is well worth it.

Note; this choice/selection is based on a all-around milspec/defense/tactical rifle.
For general hunting/target/outdoor use, Id opt for a .308/7.62x54mm. It's powerful & accurate for most sport uses.
 
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