Need multi-purpose caliber suggestions.

[.308 garand]

I am having to downsize my rifles due to an unexpected addition to my family. I am looking for a replacement for my .223 and .308 hunting rifles. I am needing a caliber that shoots flat enough to kill a coyote at 300 to 400 yds. and at the same time be able to kill a hog at 100 to 150 yds. Ammo selection isn't that big of deal because I reload. I have been looking at the following calibers and wanted to know what what ya'll think of these or if there are others I should look into?

.243
.25-06
7mm 08
.270

TIA,
.308

 

[Davo]

Id think the .308 would do, but .243 is supposed to perform well in both roles as well.

 

[JesseL]

Any of the cartridges listed should meet your requirements. I'd toss in the .260 and 6.5x55 too.

I think your choice is just going to come down to which way your preferences lean, heavier bullets for hogs or flatter trajectory for 'yotes?

 

[Hutch]

Keep the .308, lose the .223. You can kill coyotes hammer-dead with the .308, but you'd look foolish, up in a tree, after shooting a pig with a .223. I don't have my Hornady book in front of me right now, but with a hot 130 grain bullet from a .308, sighted in at 200yds or so, will be within a couple of inches of the 130 grain bullet out of a 270 at 300 yards. The li'l dog will never know the difference.

 

[Walkalong]

Yep. Keep the .308 for sure. If you don't, opt for the .270.

 

[RiverwinoIA]

since you reload, i would recommend you check out the .260 remington.

 

[Shawnee]

Since you already have a .308, it makes cents/sense to simply keep it.

If you had no rifle - the .243 would get my vote. I've used them a LOT and they can be magic.

 

[Risasi]

+1 to Davo, Hutch, Walkalong and Shawnee.

You already have the .308. Unless something is wrong with your rifle I wouldn't feel under gunned for taking almost any kind of game in the lower 48.

 

[Grendelizer]

Others you should look into? Yes: 6.5 Grendel in an AR15-style rifle. It's based, roughly, on the Russian combat 7.62x39 case with a 6.5mm bullet, which is exactly smack dab between 5.56 and .308. How's that for splitting the difference?

The 6.5 Grendel uses any of the standard 6.5mm bullets the .260 Rem uses. Try a 90gr Speer TNT for varmints, a 123gr Sierra MatchKing for 600-yard target shooting, or a 140gr Swift A-Frame for moose. (Although the guy that most recently took an Alaska bull moose with his 6.5 Grendel did it with a 120 Barnes TSX.) It is definitely the multi-purpose caliber par excellence!

Below are some ballistic charts I recently made. Keep in mind that the 6.5 Grendel can darn near hold its own (given certain loadings) with .308 at half the recoil and blast and in a much handier weapon.

John

 

[627PCFan]

Any above will work. 7mm Rem will do anything you need with the right bullet selection in North America with the exception of big brown bears.

 

[Legionnaire]

Keep the .308. You already have it, and it will accomplish your stated purposes. My opinion, of course, is worth what you paid for it.

 

[Wolfgang2000]

I agree stay with the .308. Bottom line is that it works, on everything you have mentioned.

 

[Zach S]

I am having to downsize my rifles...

Sorry.

due to an unexpected addition to my family.

Uh, congrats, maybe? I dont know the story, and I'm runnin on assumptions...

And to keep my post relevant to the subject at hand, since you roll your own, I'd stick with the .308. If you've got that perfect handload I dont see a reason to move away from it.

 

[Twud]

Gotta' agree, stick with the 308. You can always change bullets to suit a particular purpose. Are congrats in order for your new addition? If so, congrats.

 

[.308 garand]

Thanks for all the suggestions and yes congratulations are in order. My wife and I currently have a 13 month old and just found out she is pregnant again. Nothing wrong with that just unexpected.

I do have to get rid of the .308 but could always get a cheaper gun in the same caliber. The other side to that is if I am going to have to get a new gun why not a different caliber. All the rifles I have owned have been in .223 and .308. Wouldn't mind trying something new. I am not giving up .308s completely though. I still have a Savage 10FP with McMillan stock and Leupold Mk4 glass. It's a tack driver just not idea for a hunting rifle.

The rifle I am looking at is the Stevens 200 by Savage. So the .260 is pretty much out of the question. I think it is going to come down to another .308 or 7mm-08.

I already have the reloading equipment for the .308 but it wouldn't take much to get up and running for 7mm-08.

As far as ballistics I can't ignore the advantages of the 7mm-08.

Sorry for the long post. But what do you guys think. Should I stick with a .308 or branch out and try something new 7mm-08?

Thanks,
Justin

 

[Risasi]

Well, in that case....

The 7mm-08 gives you a slight edge, but IMO not enough to bother with. And resizing .308 brass can be a pain, or so I've heard. I also believe .243 can be resized for 7mm-08 use? (can anybody verify).

I was looking into doing the same thing. I've been trying to get down to two rifle calibers for about 9 months now. So far I'm not having much luck. Right now I'm holding firm with 5.56, .308 and my 50 Beowulf.

I think you are on the right track though, a slug that is 6.5-7mm is probably the way to go, especially if you want to do some long range target shooting that won't break the bank. What size are these hogs you're shooting? That would be my only concern.

BTW: What is the .308 rifle you would be selling? I think you'll lose money in the long run if you decide to get rid of it.

 

[Oohrah]

Of those calibers listed, I would think about keeping the 308, but
the 25-06 with the right bullets and weights would cover all of your
long range needs. I have owned a custom 25-06 before it was adopted
by Remington and considered a wildcat cartridge with no loading data,
forming cases with either 270 or 30-06 cases. With a higher end scope
power, it will do most anything you want it to.

 

[Davo]

A take off savage sporter .308 barrel can be had for well under 100 bux, you could swap it onto your fp when you do go out hunting-you could also swap other calibers like 243 and 260 with no changes except the barrel.

 

[Buzztail]

I vote for the quarter bore.

 

[Shawnee]

All the calibers you listed will "git 'er done" - with style - but if you simply want a different cartridge to play with, I'd vote solidly for the .243.
Below is my son with a Texas hog that dressed at 190lbs. and was dropped by one shot with the 243 Hornady 87gr. BTHP from about 175 yds.

 

[Markbo]

From your choices, I would say:
.308
.25-06
.270
.243
.7mm-08

The .25 is my favorite all time whitetail caliber. I have never - ever - shot a deer than took more than 4 or 5 steps. It can reach out to 600 yards with a variety of bullet weights. It can knock down anything in North America under Elk and big bears. My personal experience and noting the experience of others I have hunted with have shown me that the vaunted .270 and the 7mm's are just not quite up to what the .25 can do.

All that said, it is just personal preference that holds my heart to the .25. It is hard to argue against the .308 as one of the very best 'all around' rounds.