Kachok's Caliber Guide

Hunting ranges are out to about 500yd, long range target shooting 600 to 1,000yd.

 

Well done Kachok, that is a well thought out and written "basic guide".

 

Very good, but I think it needs the .45; which is not entirely about big game hunters.

 

While there are some people who use .458 cal for North American game (45-70) I thought it would be silly of me to try and cover the rest of the spectrum that I know nothing of other then their trajectory tables. The only thing I really know about a .458 cal is that a 460 Wby will knock you off your feet if you are not ready for it. A friend of mine kept one as a practical joke. That is why I defer to people with more experience on the matter of .416 and .458 cals

 

Nice CALIBER guide, Well done. If it covered cartridges it would be pages and still some would disagree.

 

great job !! that should be a sticky for Newbies!!

 

Kachok - Did you by any chance read the Craig Boddington article in this month's RifleShooter magazine? He essentially did the same thing you did breaking down each caliber into a section and discussing various bullet weights and cartridges within. Of course you have to weed through a little Boddington spin and his dislike for the quarter-bores. Still... hard to argue with the math.

 

No I did not catch that article, now I guess I should look it up and see how my expert opinion contrasts with his. I won't badmouth the quarterbores, while they lack the ballistic efficiency of the 6mm or 6.5mm they are capable of .400+ BC in 100gr bullets which can be pushed to some very impressive speeds and make the lowly 25-06 into a lazer beam shooting very nearly as fast and flat as my max load 270 WSM.

 

nicely done

 

500 yards is a realm that few rifle hunters, regardless of their self-estimation and equipment, ought to consider "hunting range."

 

Yea check it out - think you'll like it. Quarter-bores are my favorite and while I can't argue that there are other better "ballistic" options, they sure are fun to shoot! Especially my little 250 Savage.

 

I think 500 yards is within the realm of ethical kills given the best equipment and a hunter who can easily shoot those ranges. I have never shot a deer that far out, but I don't get the chance to practice at 500 yards very often either. Normal hunting ranges run everywhere from 15 to 200 yards the vast majority of deer and elk are taken inside this range.

 

Great write-up. Definitely something for a rookie to look into when getting into shooting. You definintely left A LOT of inbetweens and odd-balls out, but I like that about the write up. If you're aware of the calibers that Kachok missed, you're probably past the point where you'd need this information.

Nicely done, sir. Thank you for putting the time in. The only thing I'd suggest is a "Useful For:" at the end of each category. That, or something listing the common rounds for each caliber segregated into their "normal" uses. Might be helpful for those who are learning this information instead of those who are already aware of it.

 

That'd be tough. Consider the usefulness of .338 Federal vs .338 Lapua. Same caliber, vastly different cartridges.

 

Great write-up, great how you focused this guide on each caliber's benefits and strong points.
After all, we choose our rifles for what they will do.

 

Great write-up, covered the bases pretty well without getting lost in the details.

 

the only nitpick I have is the invention of the "speed vs ballistics" spectrum. do you mean terminal ballistics, ballistic coefficient, sectional density? none of those mean anything when stripped from speed.

 

External ballistics, SD alone does not make good BC and terminal ballistics has more to do with that bullets construction then anything.
The lesser twist on some calibers make them more suited to the lighter end of the spectrum meaning less ballistic efficiency, and generally less penetration but higher speeds and flatter trajectory. Tighter twist calibers are ideal for long heavy projectiles that penetrate deep, resist the wind, and retain energy at range, but the often lack the speed and trajectory of a speedking caliber such as the .257 or .17.

 

Great writeup! This would be especially useful for novice shooters. I know I was bewildered by the sheer amount of cartridges/calibers when I first got into guns. You captured the strengths of each caliber well without resorting to hyperbole or cartridge-bashing.

In addition to including big-bore dangerous game cartridges, some bits on the shorter-range North American "thumpers" - .45-70, .444, .450 Marlin, .458 SOCOM, etc - would be handy. Since you included long-range shooting applications in your piece, it's also worth including the extreme-range crowd - .50BMG, .408 CheyTac, .416 Barrett, etc.

 

excellent, well thought out. (obviously, you'd spend a lifetime doing everyone's 'pet' caliber, and never completely satisfy everyone with you write-ups, BUT) I didn't notice .30-30. In the backwoods and hills countries all over North America, it' stil commonly one of the first centerfire hunting rifles a young man picks up... and I didn't see it. For novice shooters, it might be a VERY helpful addition.

 

Good job!

W-M

 

??? I did mention the 30-30 under 30 cal in the recommended section. Great little gun, it has a real unique nitch in the market that nothing else can touch. While I cannot cover ever single round out there I would be crazy to pass up on the classics like that, I would never hear the end of it

 

I have heard that every animal in north america has been taken with the 22 rimfire, up to and including grizzly bears. Some of this may have been at night with a light at incredibly short distances. Heard that poachers usually use the short shooting directly into the eye.

 

I am thinking about doing a list of all currently chambered rifle cartrages and giving a breakdown of each. I think that will be more informative then this general caliber guide giving the tendencies of each, but that will take me a while to wright since there is so much ground to cover. I might cheat a little and lump ballistic twins together because in the real world there is no real difference in flight or on target between a 260 Rem and 6.5 Creedmore or a 7mm-08 and 7x57.

 

I once calculated that if the most common cartridge for elk is 30-06, then scaling off the size of the cartridge and the size of the animal, the .223 would be too big for any deer.

But this is not how we play the game.
If we get out of the truck with a 12 pound rifle-scope-sling, the rifle will not feel heavy at first, but by the end of a 10 mile walk, that rifle will be switching from the right side to the left side or vice versa, every 5 minutes.

We carry something bigger than a .223 because we can.
Heavy rifles with light bullets are more accurate than light rifles with heavy bullets, because the rifle moves less distance in recoil before the bullet escapes.

So in choosing a rifle, we have an [accuracy - recoil - weight - range - power] trade off.

That is a 5 variable trade off.
Just because you change the game, and thus the terminal power requirement, does not mean the other 4 variables changed, so the rifle often stays the same.

The exception to this would be the law in Africa, requiring at least a 375 H&H. That is why they have rifle bearers.

I have rifles in 17, 19, 223, 224, 243, 257, 6.5, 270, 7mm, 308, 311, 8mm, 338, 358, 458, and 50.

But I shoot prairie dogs and ground squirrels with a 223.
I shoot antelope and deer with a 7mm.

The same thing goes for shotguns. They are heavy and they kick too.
I have 410, 20 ga, 16 ga, 12 ga, and 10 ga.
I shoot everything with a 12 ga.... even little tiny doves.

The same trade off for handguns has no good answers.
I have 17, 22, 25, 30, 35, 40, 44, and 45.
I am almost always carrying a 35 caliber, as I am right now.
It is so light, I have to feel the lump to know its there.