Best All Around Bolt Rifle Cartridge

[HoosierQ]

My thread about the best all around rifle has produced great info and really narrowed things down. So, in that same spirit...

So, let's say you had some sort of scout rifle or handy semiauto carbine, what would be the best all around center-fire cartridge?

 

[R.W.Dale]

Need more info!

How light and handy, what kind of critter are goin to be shot with it and how much recoil can you handle.

It's long been said that a man who has a good shooting 30-06 doesn't need another rifle

 

[transformerguru]

30-06 or .308. I hunt elk and deer with both.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

270 Win.

 

[Baba Louie]

It seems that several military boards over the years looked long and hard at calibers ranging from 6.5 up to 7.62mm in diameter, 130 - 175 gr in weight and depending on the amount of velocity, will pretty much take care of most things of which one needs to take care.

Just for grins and snickers, I'll nominate the 6.5x55, tho' I wonder how well it'd do in a smaller case (.260 Rem?)

Not that I'd want to take it out looking for big brown bears or African Cape Buffalo, but that's a specific, not a best all around (maybe).

 

[GunTech]

7x57 would probably get my vote, as it's killed every creature that walks on the earth. Personally, I like 6.5x55, or its modern incarnation as 260 Rem, 6.5x47, etc.

 

[Acheron]

I would recommend a Mauser action in 7x57 or 8x57. The Mauser action and those two cartridges have taken down just about every game animal on the planet.

Can't go wrong with a Mauser.

 

[Walkalong]

I prefer .308, but there are many outstanding calibers.

 

[HoosierQ]

Interesting. I see two endorsements for 7x57. I have one of those in an old Spanish Guardia, small-ring Mauser...model 93 I believe. FN Herstal markings.

I do like that cartridge a lot.

How do folks feel about .243?

 

[tinygnat219]

I vote for .30-06 too. There's nothing that can't be done with this cartridge.

 

[esq_stu]

My 2 bolt actions are in 7.62 NATO - '50s vintage Israeli Mauser, '60s vintage Ishapore Enfield . I go with military whenever possible.

 

[skinewmexico]

I would be torn between the 30-06, and the 6.5X55.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Well, if I could only have one gun, it'd be my Armalite AR-10, so I guess that means I vote for the .308.

But for cartridge alone, the .30-06 has an edge over .308 that makes it just a bit more versatile.

 

[Firepower!]

.308 Winchester

Takes care of pretty much all the needs.

Second choice would be 7x57
Third choice would be .243

 

[rangerruck]

right now, I can only think of the 308, i would say 260 , but that is too expensive. Since the carcano and the jap round is not in a modern rifle, I cannot recommend either of those. The 6.5 swede is a bit too big still.
I would say, a bolt action or semi auto, done in 6.5 grendel, or even 6.8 spc, would be as close as possible. Ammo for both is available, rifles are available for both. they are about 120 grains, short fat case, hard hitting for both , excellent range for both...

 

[armoredman]

30-06, takes care of everything. Having said that, the only bolt I own right now is an Enfield No4Mk1* 303, which was known for taking large game in Africa, as well. Not as a first choice, but being what was available. Fast, slick bolt, too.

 

[El Tejon]

You said Scout Rifle so that implies a weight limitation thus you want/prefer a short action weapon. .308 has the advantage of being in a short action, many different bullets available, widespread availability of ammo and reloading components, the ballistics charts on it are well-defined, inter alia.

Lots of good cartridges, but I do not see why, unless some speciality is needed (and then you defeat your "general purpose" objective), .308 would not be an excellent choice for your parameters. Anywho, cartridge choice is a secondary, if not lower, concern with a rifle.

As Jeff Cooper said, it is very odd that people fixate on the cartridge in rifles when most centerfire cartridges will work but give hardly any thought to the set up of the weapon. Go figure.

 

[aka108]

30-06 is a survivor over a 100 yr plus period. Good for all N. American game. If it was not in the excellent realm it would have died long ag.

 

[skinewmexico]

As Jeff Cooper said, it is very odd that people fixate on the cartridge in rifles when most centerfire cartridges will work but give hardly any thought to the set up of the weapon.

Like always fixating on a short action, when they're what? 1/4# heavier or less?

 

[jkingrph]

I have shot bullet weights from 125 to 220 gr in my 30-06 and it does everything adequately, not as good as cartridges on varmite end for varmites or bigger cartridges for much larger game. That said Dad got me a Win 70 featherweight in 63 when I finished high school and that was my first centerfire rifle so I learned to shoot it well.

As I am getting older now, I might trend to the 7x57 or 6.5.55 mostly due to much lesser recoil.

I think if you stick with these late 1800's early 1900's type cartridges you will find fairly mild recoil in a cartridge that has wide applications. The long tapered case functions very smooth through a bolt action, thats what they were designed for, reliability. Most factory ammo is loaded on the mild end in consideration of all the older guns they are used in, but if you reload they can approach or match many of the newer cartridges. There is also something to be said for using a classic.

 

[El Tejon]

skin, with the Scout Rifle concept you have to "make weight". Like wrestling in high school, every bit helps.

 

[doubleg]

.30-30

 

[oilburner350]

.30 Newton

 

[GunTech]

HoosierQ

I have been thinking about the light carbine for a long time. If you really want to go light, a full sized short action is even too big. Since someone brought up the 6.5 Grendel, I'll mention the CZ-527 in that caliber. It's a simple conversion from the 7.62x39mm carbine. With a 20 inch barrel, it will still deliver adequate velocity in a rifle that weigh about 6.5 pounds with a walnut stock!

Now if I could get a carbon fiber stock, and a forward mount for a EER scope, I'd have a darn fine rifle that would be easy to pack, wouldn't beat you up and still be capable of taking most game in CONUS in the hands of a fair shot.

 

[Float Pilot]

So, let's say you had some sort of scout rifle or handy semiauto carbine, what would be the best all around center-fire cartridge?

Wait a minute! Your title said best all around bolt rifle cartridge.

For what purpose is this to be used? And in what part of the world?
Will you need to rely on finding ammo or will you magically have a supply of whatever you get to choose?

A 6.5 x 55mm Swede, 7x57mm Mauser or 308 Winchester may be very well and good for a lone rifle in some (many) places. But there are places in the world where they would not be enough for all situations.