From Fishing to Hunting.

Top 5 calibers to hunt

  • Total voters
    40
skudo

skudo

Member
Joined
May 7, 2025
Messages
6
Hello everyone,

My name is Skudo, my knowledge of firearms is somewhat limited. It never really piqued my curiosity until recently. My goal is have 3 to 5 rifles to shoot at the range and be able to hunt anything from rabbit to elk and maybe a brown bear one day. I have never hunted before nor own any guns, I'm more of an angler myself having caught from Crappies to 8 feet Sharks but I want to try hunting/shooting I think it's a great sport and something new to me.

In my research I've seen a lot of overlapping calibers just like fishing rods, I own more than 50 rods and reels, but I over the years I've come to use only 5 combos for all my fishing (15lb, 25lb 50lb, 100lb, 300lb) so it seems that hunting is no different. I'd like the right tool for the job but it's impossible for me to get all the tools for every animal out there so I've chosen to stay with 5 calibers but I need your help to choose the right ones.

Please vote on the pole your 5 choices and if a caliber it's not there comment what are your top 5 calibers and guns for said calibers you recommend. Keep in mind ammo prices and availability.

Thanks!
 
I like where you are going with this, but the poll feature of the forum won't get you there. You will end up with a popular vote of all available calibers, not a spread of tools for different jobs. BTW, it will end up .22lr, .223/5.56, 6.5 Creedmoor, in that order, with everything else tying for fourth place.

Personally, I think:

.22lr for pest-sized

.223 for home defense and predators

.300 Blackout for short range but heavy hitting i.e. brush gun (plus can be an upper swap if .223 is an AR15)

.308 for general hunting

.338 Weatherby (or something else big and powerful) for your elk/brown bear/elephant. True, you don't need anything that big for North America, but you don't need 5 guns, either 😜

BUT, if it were me wanting to be able to hunt ANYTHING, I would swap either the .300 Blackout or the .338 with a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun (though you didn't mention shotguns, and I don't own any, myself)
 
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This is not an insult, but the format of the question itself reveals your naivete. No problem there, when I started shooting in the early sixties , I knew nothing about guns. But by now I know absolutely everything about guns. ;)

I figured I'd better put the winkicon in there before somebody thought I actually knew everything about guns.

The point here really is that you have specific fishing equipment for specific "game," with the implication that you live or have lived near salt water (sharks).

So we would have to tailor our suggestions to your locale and possible shooting interests.. Are you in grizzly country? Seacoasts? Looking for deer? Looking to clear your pasture of prairie dogs? Gonging at 1000 yards?

("Gonging" is making a steel plate ring from your bullet's impact.)

Shooting nuisance wild hogs from a helicopter?

In other words, tell us more about yourself. and since I know absolutely everything there is to know about guns, I'll try to help you out.

Terry, 230RN
 
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230RN said:
This is not an insult, but the format of the question itself reveals your naivete. No problem there, when I started shooting in the early sixties , I knew nothing about guns. But by now I know absolutely everything about guns. ;)

I figured I'd better put the winkicon in there before somebody thought I actually knew everything about guns.

The point here really is that you have specific fishing equipment for specific "game," with the implication that you live or have lived near salt water (sharks).

So we would have to tailor our suggestions to your locale and possible shooting interests.. Are you in grizzly country? Seacoasts? Looking for deer? Looking to clear your pasture of prairie dogs? Gonging at 1000 yards?

("Gonging" is making a steel plate ring from your bullet's impact.)

Shooting nuisance wild hogs from a helicopter?

In other words, tell us more about yourself. and since I know absolutely everything there is to know about guns, I'll try to help you out.

Terry, 230RN
Click to expand...
Good morning Terry,

I live in RedLand, an area southwest of Miami next to the Everglades in Florida. Bear country is not really an issue however we do get 12 feet Alligators, deers, hogs rabits, iguanas, raccoons... whoever my sister lives in Tennessee and i herd they have a lot of things out there. I have a few shooting ranges available, 100y 500y nearby and access to a 1000 yards range about an hours away. Hunting from a helicopter is something I want to do but that's down the line.
 
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Five is too many, unless you just want them. (I only really "need" two fly rods, but that hasn't stopped me from owning...more than that.)

The .22 should be the first one, and you shouldn't cheap out on it. It will be a lifelong friend and teacher - not just how to shoot, but also how to hunt - and you really should begin your hunting career with small game. Cleaning and butchering animals isn't completely different from managing a fish, but it's different enough. Learning how to do it for the first time is a lot easier with a rabbit than a deer, and the inevitable mistakes won't be quite as annoying.

The next - the centerfire for non-dangerous game - can be almost anything. I personally dislike things smaller than .25 caliber, but lots of people make them work. Along the same lines, you really don't need anything larger than a .30 caliber, but lots of people like those too. The .30-'06 is pretty much the standard by which all others are judged, but you have to stray pretty far from that path before you get into things which really aren't appropriate.

The .30-'06 is also reasonable for big bears, with the right bullet, and people who say they can get by just fine with a .22 and a .30-'06 are more-or-less right. I personally prefer something bigger for critters which can fight back, but also don't like recoil very much. The .338 Weatherby, for example, is just about perfect ballistically, but I simply can't shoot the damn things. The .338 Winchester is much friendlier, and the .338-'06 even more so. Even the .375 H&H is more manageable - it still hits, but not as fast and harsh as the Weatherby - and is an ideal companion to the .30-'06.

Short version: buy a good .22 bolt action for $500 to $1500, and a brick of good quality - meaning not in a cardboard carton - ammunition. Practice your shooting from field positions, using either books or the internet for instruction. When the 500 rounds has been used up, get yourself another bolt rifle in a medium power cartridge like the .30-'06. Practice with it, again from field positions, until you are confident of hitting a standard paper plate out to 200 yards. You are then set for the rest of your hunting life, unless you turn into a rifle looney and have to try out every rifle and cartridge in existence just to prove to yourself that the '06 was actually all you needed. And, if somewhere in there you decide to kill a big bear, either load some 220 RNs for the '06, or get yourself something like a .338 Winchester.

Have fun, and keep us posted!
 
I agree with Speedo66, though .308 or .270 Winchester would also be appropriate choices. I've never hunted big game, but I do know these three cartridges are popular and widely available

I personally would start with a .22 rifle and spend lots of time getting to know it before moving on to a second rifle. Spend some quality time at the range first, then consider squirrels or rabbits as an initial quarry.

Do you have a big game hunting mentor? If not, maybe look into a guided hunt to start? FWIW, guntuber Ian McCallum gave this program a try to get his feet wet at big game hunting. Seems like a good idea if you can swing it.

youtu.be

Field to Table: Elk Hunt (with a $10,000 muzzleloader)

https://fromfieldtotable.comWhen I decided that I wanted to try out hunting as a way to source my own meat and enjoy the outdoors in a new way, I really didn...
youtu.be youtu.be

Take your time and enjoy the journey!
 
It make sense to start with the 22lr, I had a ruger 10/22 in mind but most of you who recommended the 22 also recommended a bolt action. Is that so the skills and mechanics carry over?
 
I could do everything I want with a 12ga shotgun and a 30-06 or near equivalent. I don't see the need to own a rifle in the event I one day draw a tag for a brown bear or other dangerous game. If that day comes I'll buy one then.
 
Everyone needs a 22. Get a good one.

For now forget about brown bear. The last time I checked a guided brown bear hunt started at about $20,000. That's for the hunt. Getting there and buying the tags are on top of that. If you can afford to pay for the hunt you can afford a bigger rifle later.

For every other game animal in North America any cartridge 26 caliber or larger will get the job done. Some will reach out farther than others but with of more recoil and cost. Few people have the gear nor skills for shots past 300 yards and most would be better off at 1/2 that range.

50 years ago I chose 30-06 and there is nothing wrong with it. But it's right at the upper limits on recoil that most people can learn to tolerate. Modern 308 loads are actually more powerful than 30-06 loads from 50 years ago and do it with less cost and recoil. It's easily a 400 yard elk cartridge which is farther than most shooters need to shoot.

I still have my old 30-06, but I moved to 308 about 20 years ago and would hunt anything in North America with it. It would be about the minimum for brown bear, but I'd use it. That's the only other cartridge I NEED for big game hunting. Ammo is everywhere, reasonably priced, recoil is about 25% less than 30-06, they tend to be very accurate, and it kills just as well.

I did buy a 6.5 Creedmoor just to see what the hype was about. It doesn't disappoint. I wouldn't hunt brown bear with it on purpose, and I consider it the minimum for elk. But it might just be ideal for deer. It's also extremely accurate and remains stable at much longer ranges than most other cartridges with recoil significantly less than 308. It's a great dual purpose big game cartridge that will also work for long range target shooting.

I have others just because I like and want them. I have a few AR's in 5.56/223 and one in 6.5 Grendel and a really accurate 223 bolt rifle for varmints and range shooting.
 
skudo said:
It make sense to start with the 22lr, I had a ruger 10/22 in mind but most of you who recommended the 22 also recommended a bolt action. Is that so the skills and mechanics carry over?
Click to expand...

My first .22 was a Browning SA, it's different than everything I own except other SA's now. Doesn't seem to hurt me. I'm not sure there is a right or wrong answer.

I have lots of .22's I enjoy shooting. I use Savage 24's a lot hunting. .22 lr on the top and a 20 ga shotgun on the bottom, makes it pretty versatile. It's only a single shot of each but a 20 ga on a running target can be worth a mags worth of .22's

This one is regulated well enough that I keep slugs with it too, making it usable on much larger stuff too. Makes it good choice for when you are not sure what you are going to need it for.

DEC48F90-A7EC-4217-80AC-0BF3AA7130C9.jpeg
 
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skudo said:
It make sense to start with the 22lr, I had a ruger 10/22 in mind but most of you who recommended the 22 also recommended a bolt action. Is that so the skills and mechanics carry over?
Click to expand...
For me, it is two things: yes, bolt manipulation is a worthwhile skill to practice, but it also is important to get into the habit of making each shot perfectly. Things like the 10/22 are great, fun guns, but it is too easy to start mindlessly pulling the trigger. I am sure that folks will disagree - and I'm sure that there are folks with the discipline to use a semi-auto "mindfully", but I do believe that the new shooter is better off with a gun that encourages him to treat each shot as a process.
 
Honestly 5 rifles is a bit overkill for the full spectrum of hunting unless you include the biggest and baddest Africa has to offer.

22lr is the standard cheap and plentiful round. Good for things up to about 15 pounds or
So. High velocity or heavy bullet ammo ammo is available which can carry the round a bit higher up the size scale but realistically it’s for small game. It can do more, but ethically and reliably you’re limited to about bobcat/coyote size at best.

223/5.56 is the next step up but it’s an unnecessary step. You get a rifle that’s good from where 22lr leaves off all the way up to
Deer. Unless you are hunting coyotes specifically there’s not much need for this one because it’s going to be too much for most things and too little for the rest with very few exceptions. My vote is to skip this one at first. Come back to it later but if your buying into the sport then it’s probably a bit spendy and if you can skip an expensive piece of kit without causing problems then that’s great.

243 7-08 308 or whatever else you might like in a short action cartridge fits in nicely here. It’s not going to be shot much because ammo is kinda expensive. This is the medium/light game rifle. Good up to deer for sure. Arguable on elk, but for sake of argument let’s just say that elk is a stretch not worth risking. Also good on predators that typically don’t feel frisky enough to eat a human. Rule grizzly and polar bears out, elk and moose can be taken but your realistically under gunned. If you want to split hairs and go slightly bigger then go 30-06 or 270 and skip short action. Your not going to miss it if you choose wisely.

Long action… just skip it unless you already skipped short action. You get 99% of the performance in a short action cartridge similarly loaded. 308 is very much the little bro of 30-06. 7-08 much the same as .270win. 243 is a lot like 25-06. Again, your looking at an extreme amount of overlap and a lot of expense for something that’s questionable as a need. Go long action for a little more versatility, short action for slightly reduced recoil and carried weight. The critter realistically won’t know what you shot it with.

Big heavy rifle… not an actual need unless you’re chasing the great big critters regularly, or the frisky people eaters. Magnums are not generally fun rifles. They are typically heavy and obnoxious. Obnoxious in recoil and in report. I would tend to go with one starting with a 3 in North America and if going to Africa I would buy a dedicated dangerous game gun in one of the bigger magnums starting with a 4. Skip this one until close to time to use it, you will likely never need this category.

Bonus category here is a pistol caliber carbine. Great for fun and cheap to shoot. Great way to not be over gunned between 22lr and centerfire hunting rifle rounds. 357 or 44 mag lever action rifles are very useful and are fun.

So buy… a 22lr, a 357 mag carbine, and a .270win for now. Then a 300 winmag for moose, and a big bore double for Africa.
 
A lot of good advice already, imo

What's your preferred fishing? That may give a clue as to what type of guns and shooting yiu may gravitate to.

I tend to like crappie bass trout etc with some catfishing which is much slower and not much interest in trolling or ocean.

And my shooting preferences kinda match.


I'd start with a 22lr and see where your interests take you.

You may get interested in pistols... you may not want to hunt anything with a big carcass to deal with.


I also think 5 isnt needed but you may end up with 10 😉



I'd look at 22 1st then probably .223 and then depending on your next step look at 350L or 30/30, .243, 308 or 30-06 (I grew up on 30-06 and think it's a great cartridge but I'd go 308 for reasons above)

3 gets you well into what you asked about.

If you wanted 5, from there, I'd look at a pistol caliber rifle such as 9mm 357 or maybe 44 and a shotgun with smooth &/or rifled barrel.


Tons of versatility. Most are lower cost rounds for their performance as compared to others. The newest most at risk cartridge is the 350L but thats looking good to stay around.
 
WestKentucky said:
243 7-08 308 or whatever else you might like in a short action cartridge fits in nicely here. It’s not going to be shot much because ammo is kinda expensive. This is the medium/light game rifle. Good up to deer for sure. Arguable on elk, but for sake of argument let’s just say that elk is a stretch not worth risking. Also good on predators that typically don’t feel frisky enough to eat a human. Rule grizzly and polar bears out, elk and moose can be taken but your realistically under gunned. If you want to split hairs and go slightly bigger then go 30-06 or 270 and skip short action. Your not going to miss it if you choose wisely.
Click to expand...
.308 (and other, similar sized short action cartridges) are plenty for elk. I'd venture to guess that most of the elk that are killed in my area are killed with short actions. I've killed 4 with a .308 myself. None ran further than 50 yards. The .308 will do 95% of what the 30-06 will and be more versatile while it's at it.
 
skudo said:
It make sense to start with the 22lr, I had a ruger 10/22 in mind but most of you who recommended the 22 also recommended a bolt action. Is that so the skills and mechanics carry over?
Click to expand...
A bolt action is safer for someone who is new to guns. That said, 10/22's are widely available and cheaper than most equivalent quality bolt actions. I would highly recommend you seek out some good firearms training. Your state hunter's safety course would be a good start, then a CCW class and then some "tactical" carbine classes. In my opinion, most American gun owners are long on hardware (the guns) and short on software (training and experience). Most would do well to sell half of their guns and use the money to pay for some good training.
 
danez71 said:
A lot of good advice already, imo

What's your preferred fishing? That may give a clue as to what type of guns and shooting yiu may gravitate to.

I tend to like crappie bass trout etc with some catfishing which is much slower and not much interest in trolling or ocean.

And my shooting preferences kinda match.


I'd start with a 22lr and see where your interests take you.

You may get interested in pistols... you may not want to hunt anything with a big carcass to deal with.


I also think 5 isnt needed but you may end up with 10 😉



I'd look at 22 1st then probably .223 and then depending on your next step look at 350L or 30/30, .243, 308 or 30-06 (I grew up on 30-06 and think it's a great cartridge but I'd go 308 for reasons above)

3 gets you well into what you asked about.

If you wanted 5, from there, I'd look at a pistol caliber rifle such as 9mm 357 or maybe 44 and a shotgun with smooth &/or rifled barrel.


Tons of versatility. Most are lower cost rounds for their performance as compared to others. The newest most at risk cartridge is the 350L but thats looking good to stay around.
Click to expand...
Good afternoon Danez71,
My favorite style of fishing is where I fight the fish sometimes for up to 30 mins with sharks, Barracudas bring a lot of action too and they are very hard to catch and super fast, you need a wire leader or they will cut your line like nothing.

Spanish mackerel, Pompanos and Yellow Jacks, also give a good fight but they give up somewhat faster. When it come to fresh water, nothing like a Peacock Bass, the action in the water is amazing. I like to give the fish a fighting chance by using the correct line or a little under for type of fish because I like the challenge. I don't like to bring a strong line and rod for light fish because you just reel those in without much of a fight and don't feel anythings.

Example: 30-50lb heavy action rod with a 45lb line and a Penn Spinfisher 5000 for bass fishing is way too much and you won't feel a thing, but if you go with a 12-20lb light action rod, 15lb line in a 2500 size reel the same bass feels like a monster.
 
5? Thats about it with self defense included.

.22LR, .308 and a 12 gauge shotgun will meet all your North American Hunting needs. They are just what I use to make a good living.

I'd throw down a 9mm pistol and an AK/AR in .556 for your home/self defense needs.

Get lots of practice, magazines, slings and cleaning equipment, and have a lifetime of fun and safety.
 
I would add a shotgun to the mix, Can hunt just about everything. Minus the big critters.

Eveytime I go out in the wood, I have a 5.56 or a 12 gauge. I can kill any animal in my state except for a Moose.

Deer, I use 5.56
coyote, I use 5.56 or 12 gauge turkey loads
black bear, I use 5.56
rabbit, I use 12 gauge
squirrel, I use light 12 gauge loads
grouse, I use light 12 gauge loads
turkey, I use stout turkey loads for 12 gauge.
 
Big game to small, these are my picks. Some are not the same as your list

30-06 for brown bear, elk, moose. The big game animals of North America. There are even 30-06 rifles in service with the Sirius dog patrol in Greenland for polar bear defense. I have hunted nearly all of them. And 30-06 would be my pick because you can find it damn near anywhere.

308 for what is largely considered medium game. Black bear, antelope, Rams, Deer etc. I don't have a 308 currently but it is on my short list for a build. Miss all the rifles I had but sold for various reasons. One of the most versatile cartridges out there. And still easy to find at common stores.

5.56 is my pick for your varmint and pest animals. Hogs, coyotes, Deer. Down to ground hogs, rabbits, prairie dogs etc. And a very useful self and home defense cartridge as well.

I prefer 22 magnum over 22LR for the smallest pests. Squirrels, birds, anything that can get away from you before you know it is there. I always found 22 Magnum to be more accurate from one brand to another compared to 22LR.

Wild card is 12ga. With different loads you can hunt everything I have mentioned above. Off the top of my head I probably have 25-30 different 12ga loads from the smallest birdshot to slugs that will probably mortally wound a brown bear.
 
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