Bored with .223 (.22 cal in general) for varmints/preadator hunting

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Since you already have the 270 WSM why not just start loading for it? You can come up with a load for all your purposes. It will be quite a bit cheaper and you dont have to depend on stores for the ammo you want. Depending on how much you shoot, loading rifle ammo doesnt take that much time. Just my .02.
 
My thoughts are as follows:

The marvelous 6.5mm cartridges (to include the .260Rem., 6.5mmCreedmoor, 6.5mmSwede, et cetera) shouldn't be considered because you don't reload.

The .243Win. (or better yet the 6mmRem.) is simply too light to be effective without very good placement on the large game that you describe. It also exhibits premature wear on barrels, which may be a deleterious aspect for target use (depending upon the frequency of use). Same goes for anything smaller.

I feel the best options for the several uses that you describe is the 7mm-08Rem. or perhaps the good 'ole .30-06Spd. I'd lean towards the former due to lesser recoil whilst maintaining a similar trajectory and good moderate range terminal performance on big game species; but the later affords greater ammunition availability (often can be found cheaper as well), and better terminal ballistics.

:)
 
i would also endorse the .243 win. but one might also consider the 6.5x55. that is also one excellent round with light to moderate recoil.
 
I'm kinda biased, cuz I have a 6mm Remington (think .243 then add 100 f.p.s.), but for your stated purpose and limiting yourself to a short action, you would be best served with a .243. If you're willing to go long action, then .25-06. For sheer ammo availability, both the number of stores that stock it, and the variety of loads you'll probably find, the .243 probably still wins. The .243 has been around for a long time for a very good reason!!
 
I think that you are one of the most honest people on the internet and that your answer deserves a real answer and not just a opinion.

Let me start off by saying that the 30-60 Springfield is the caliber by which all other calibers are measured. Good enough for just about anything that you want to shoot and cheap enough that you could afford to shoot it more then a couple of times a year without breaking the bank,
With all that said - I would go with what ever gun platform best suits your needs = be it a Remington or a Savage or a Winchester or what ever gun manufacturer.

My second choice would be a .300 Winchester Magnum.
My opinion is - if it is good enough to be a sniper rifle for the military - then it is good enough for me. I do not need the recoil of the .338 Winchester Magnum, nor the expense of the ammo, but I like the stopping power.

The ammo for the .300 Winchester Magnum rifle is just slightly more expensive then the 30-06 rounds and is available at most any store in any state - especially in those small country stores the day before hunting season.
 
Being in western Idaho, I would think you'd want to stay away from .22-250 and similar cartridges. I know you already said you wouldn't go for such a cartridge, but I'd just like to reinforce that notion. .22-250 won't zip through brush very well. The .270 WSM that you currently own seems like it would be just fine for mule deer and coyotes, just like jeepmor said. But if you're looking for an excuse to get another gun, I'd personally get something in .308 because I'm a penny-pincher. Also, I think .308 is mildly underrated.
 
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