Best caliber for small to medium-small game and for Target.

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ziegler44

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Alright, so I'm looking to invest in my first, higher end, longer range rifle. I have a .22 and mosin. I've been talking to the guys at these 2 local gun shops, and each one tells me different. One guy is telling me to go with a .308 or .30-06. The other guy is telling me to go smaller with a .223 or a .270 and other similar rounds. I am by no means an expert on the different calibers, bullet trajectories, weights, ect.. I guess you can call me a newbie.

What I'm getting at is: What do you think the best calibers are for those purposes? What are the differences between the calibers? Any good links that go into detail with this info? I love shooting, I just dont know everything about it.
 
I'd mostly be shooting targets up to 500 yards. I might go hunting thus summer. Probably deer or hog.
 
Am I the only one who read this and the first thing that came to mind was this:

target.jpg

Yeah, probably the .00 caliber is what I'd suggest. ;)

Anyways, I think .270 might be a real good suggestion for target shooting and small/medium. Might be a hair too big for the small stuff, though.
 
About 15 years ago, I was trying to decide on which caliber I wanted.
I had narrowed it down to, 25-06, 7mm-08, or 280.
It's a difficult decision.
Then the decision was made for me, when some people I'd helped out
presented me with a Weatherby Vanguard in 7mm Rem Mag as a thank-you gift.
I've taken 9 deer with since then and wouldn't trade it for bars of gold.
 
Forgot to mention the 260 Rem.
It's similar to the 6.5 x 55 swedish.
Either of these would fit the bill nicely!
Good luck with your decision!
 
I think a .243 sounds like the size you need for small to medium game, including deer.

If you are serious about shooting out to 500 yards, then that would most likely eliminate the .243.

You will need a rifle with a lot more "poop" behind the bullet for accurate shots at 500 yards. A light bullet will blow around in any wind. Shooting at 500 yards kind of defeats the purpose of a rifle suitable for small and medium game, IMO.

Something like a 7MM Rem Magnum would be great at long distances (that is if the rifle is set up properly), however it will be quite a lot for something like woodchuck hunting (small game).
 
Get 243 win or 6mmbr or 260 Rem, or 6.5x55 or 6.5 creedmoor this are great target rounds
 
Missed the Target deal, I was locked up on "whats best cartridge for this purpose", kept reading it over and over. Couldn't find purpose. Shoulda went to bed hours ago....


Absolutely, .250 Savage, .257 Roberts, .25-06
 
Generally, if target shooting to 500 yards is a priority, "small game" is kinda out of the deal. A handy package for smallish critters on up to deer is commonly not very good for target shooting beyond 300 to 400 yards. The general type of scope is different, also, IMO.

Sort of a mutually-exclusive deal.

I have had good luck with a bolt-action .223 to 300 yards on prairie dogs and on coyotes, although the coyote shots were commonly out around 100 yards.

55-grain bullets in a .243 ruin both prairie dogs and coyotes. I use 85-grain bullets on deer, but I'm picky about my shots; most folks use 95- or 100-grain bullets for deer--and they'd do quite well on coyotes.

Serious work on targets at 500? I'd set up a target-type rig, probably in .308. It's not the only choice, but it works.
 
Now when i say UP TO 500 yards, thats for target practice at the range. My local range is only 200, but i know some ranges that go to what i believe to be 500. Shooting game wouldnt be that far away.
 
It sounds like you don't reload, which makes a big difference. Personally, I'd look at how much you hunt and if it's legal to hunt with a .223. With a 1:7 or 1:8" twist you should be able to spin 80gr bullets fine. The heavy stuff works well at 500 yards or in. If you load your own, I think a .260 Rem would be about perfect for both hunting and target work though a .243 with proper bullets works very well too. A .308 is another good choice as there are many factory loads available. It may be a little more than you need for both the hunting and distance picked, but it certainly has a lot of factory ammo available. .30-06 is similar to the .308. As long as you aren't shooting the very heavy options they are extremely similar rounds. The .30-06 really stretches its legs with the higher weights. It also comes with a little more recoil. For what you are doing, I wouldn't pick it over a .308 unless the price was a bit better. .270 is a decent round with a great following. The bullet selection is a little more limited than either a 6.5 or 7mm bullet, but still there are enough bullets out there to get most of what you could ask done.

In the end, I would look at two things. Are you willing to reload, and if not, what ammo is available locally. You really won't find cheap ammo in much other than .223 or .308 or .30-06. Most of the others are hunting loads only. If you want to shoot factory ammo on the cheap, I'd get one of those. If you are willing to reload, rounds like the .260 and 6.5x55 etc become available in a WIDE selection of bullets at budget prices.
 
First of all, what do you mean by "target shooting?" Do you mean simply an occasional trip to the range, or do you mean competition in formal matches? If the former, just about any reasonable centerfire cartridge will do. If the latter, look at the rule book for your particular game, and look at what the winners are using.

Second, how important is hunting to you? Do you plan to hunt every season, and perhaps travel to other states to hunt? If so, you might want to emphasize the hunting aspect and use the rifle for informal shooting (not actual match competition.)
 
After everything I have read, I say go .308. This is coming from someone who loves the round though. The .308 can most certainly be used for 500yd shooting and can take any animal, within a decent range, in North America. You say you are probably going deer or hog, which would be well suited to take long range shots at with a .308. I vote .308! But all of these other guys have a lot more experience with a lot more rounds then I, so they may be the ones to listen to!
 
If I wanted a "do-anything" rifle, I'd choose either a .308 or a .30-06.

Now everyone should handload, and with either of those rifles, you can work up loads for everything from ground squirrels to moose.
 
7MM-08 (.308 case necked to 7mm)
Ammo can be purchased at Wal-mart, Sportsman's WH, etc. Very high ballistic coefficient makes it a good long range cartridge. Light recoiling short action that will easily kill elk out to 300 yds. Great deer and antelope gun. For the hanloader it is a supremely efficient cartridge but not too exotic for an off-the-shelf kinda guy.
My 18" Remington Model 7 goes 6.5 pounds scoped and throws factory 140gr Rem Core-lokts downrange @2850 and into cloverleaf groups@100yds.
Savage makes several very affordable/accurate guns in 7mm-08 as do most of the popular manufacturers.
 
Tikka makes rifles chambered in 6.5x55 it has modern chamber design so you can use hot loads, which are impossible in swede mauser and Tikka has MOA guaranty, also you can try 260 remington Savage now making number of long range models chambered in 260. If you reload and have any brass from 308 family like 243, 7-08, 308 you can resize brass for 260, or you can buy ready brass from Remington, Lapua or Nosler
 
Im not sure what "small to medium small game" means. Are you asking about a dual purpose varmint / deer cartridge?

Most centerfire cartridges are going to be prety terrible for what is traditionally considered "small game".

If you are concerned with targets first, and deer or hogs second, then your first priority should be low round cost, and your second should be adequate power. I would recommend a .243 for that, because ammo can be had very cheaply (Privi / S&B / Wolf Gold) and its got just enough power to be reliable on big game animals at range.
 
Alright everyone. I made my choice. I just went out and bought The Marlin XL7 in a .30-06.
 
Roughly in order of preference:

.260Rem. (Excellent medium/small game and target; but only if you handload...if not skip this one)
7mm-08Rem. (well-rounded short action capable of most tasks in NA, also good for target)
6.5x55mmSwede (outstanding cartridge that outperforms the .260Rem. in many ways, but at the expense of a medium action length whilst still being mostly a handloader option)
.243Win. (a little smaller than the above, but good for all your requirements if you pick your shots well)

Seems my post came about 5min. too late. Good choice...absolutely nothing wrong with a good old '06, and the Marlin X series is an outstanding rifle for the money.

:)
 
To murf: nothing right now. I'm going to buy one where I go to pick up the rifle. all I have now is a lame little 4x scope from an old airsoft rifle.
 
That being the case, I strongly suggest spending a bit more that you probably plan to and get a good scope that you can rely on (both mechanically and optically). Something like a Vortex Viper, Sightron S-II, Nikon Monarch, Bushnell Elite in something like a 4.5-14x42mm, 4-16x44mm, or the like should work well for all the tasks stated in the OP. If you must, I strongly suggest sacrificing a bit of magnification, preferred reticle, or desired feature for a better quality scope (the cheapest I would buy ATM is a Vortex Viper 2-7x32mm).

:)
 
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