Pick 3 rifle calibers.

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.223 - cheap and plentiful
.338 win mag - can be loaded to match the 30-06 recoil or the .300 win mag trajectory
9.3x74R - it's the most accurate gun I have plus 285grs of smacksion
 
Some surprising developments here I think!

I have tallied the results as of post #102 and I am kind of surprised by a couple of things. I will start by posting the top five pick in each of the 3 categories.

Small/Varmint category:
1) 22LR with 37 votes
2) 223 with 37 votes
3) 22-250 and 204 R with 4 votes each
4) 22mag and 243 with 3 votes each
5) 17HMR with 2
The only other caliber in this category so far is 17Mach 2 with 1

Medium/Deer Sized Game:
1) 308 with 22 votes
2) 30-06 with 18 votes
3) 223 with 10 votes
4) 243, 7.62x39, 270Win and, 30-30 with 5 votes each
5) 6.5 Swede with 4 votes

Large/ Elk Moose Bear
1) 45-70 with 21 votes
2) 308 and 30-06 tied with 13 votes
3) 338 Win mag with 8 votes
4) 375 H&H with 7 votes
5) 300 Win mag with 6 votes

My observations and what I find surprising;

1) Probably the biggest surpise to me is the tie for 1st place between th 22LR and the 223.
2) 308 in first place in the mid sized category, WOW, I did not see that coming.
3) 45-70 in first place in the 3rd category, again, really didn't see that coming although I am glad to see that the old timer still has a great following.:D
4) The 30-06 has more support as medium bore than it does as a large caliber.:what:
5) The 223 in a pretty strong 3rd place in the Mid bore cattegory.
All of the above are surpising to me.

General observations:
1) Close to half of the respondants see the 22 as a must have
2) Right now the 223 has the lead as the most popular cartridge with 37 votes in small and 10 votes in the medium ctegory for a total of 47 Votes.
3) The 22 is currently the second most popular cartridge with 37 votes.:what:
4) The 308 is in a fairly strong third place with a total of 35 votes.
5) The 30-06 comes in with 31 votes total.
6) The 45-70 currently has the 5th place position as most popular, go figure.:D
 
What is not so surpising.

First off let me state that this not a contest and I would appreciate people not trying to bump the numbers for any cartridge. Thank you.:)

If you look at my last post under General observations I think it is becoming pretty obvious what the 5 most popular cartidges would end up being. There is only one exception to that BECAUSE of the way that I asked the question. If I had simply asked people to pick 3 or 5 favorite Rifle cartridges I dont think the 45-70 would be in the top 5. I think that another cartidge like the 7.62x39 would probably garner more support as a favorite cartidge than the 45-70. Since this is not a popularity contest and I find it very interesting as is I would appreciate people sticking to the original premise. I really do find the results very interesting and I hope you do too.:) It has made my choice of a 45-70 for my Large bore even easier.
 
223
260 Rem
338 Federal (duplicates the 338 win mag in a short action)

This trio is good for anything in North America while staying in short action rifles.
 
Are we leaving out the .22 LR?


If not leaving it out, then .22 LR

30-06

45-70



If we can still have a .22 LR and the 3 guns,

30-30,

30-06 or 338

45-70



These work for my area and what I shoot.


I can use the '06 for smaller stuff, even down to bunnies and grouse with the right loads.
A small gun is always a small gun. I don't need one other than a .22.


30-30 is a good daily carry gun for the hills here. Coyotes, mt lions, feral dogs, and other canines, with perhaps a lost black bear. Not for hunting, but a have it if you need it gun. Sighted properly, it gives 250 to 300 yards usable range depending on your need. I use mine for grouse and bunnies with very light loads. (kills rattlesnakes well too)


'06 or 338 for an actual hunting gun, tho not very handy to carry on a daily basis. The scoped bolt gun could be a daily carry gun with the scope removed (and receiver sighted) for ease of carry in off season if needed, tho the Winchester carbine is so much easier to carry.


45-70 for carry gun up on the mountain. Grizzly country. I've also used the 45-70 for grouse and small game with round ball or plain cast loads at moderate velocity. Doesn't tear up the meat when so used.
 
regarding my earlier post, if we include rimfire and still limit the list to three mine would be

.22 LR
.30-06
.375 H&H

the only reason I would leave out the .22 LR is if the list were limited to centerfires
 
CZ223 wrote:
If you had to limit your rifles to 3 calibers, small, medium and, large, what 3 would you pick.

Small= Varmint caliber up to coyote size animals. Let's keep the upper limit at 6mm/243 caliber

Medium= Deer sized game, coyotes etc. I think 308 should be the upper limit here.

Large= Animals up to and including Elk and Moose and Bear. Lets stick to calibers for animals in the US/canada. Not looking for elephant guns here.
Click to expand...

and:
I have tallied the results as of post #102 and I am kind of surprised by a couple of things. I will start by posting the top five pick in each of the 3 categories.

Small/Varmint category:
1) 22LR with 37 votes
2) 223 with 37 votes
3) 22-250 and 204 R with 4 votes each
4) 22mag and 243 with 3 votes each
5) 17HMR with 2
The only other caliber in this category so far is 17Mach 2 with 1

Medium/Deer Sized Game:
1) 308 with 22 votes
2) 30-06 with 18 votes
3) 223 with 10 votes
4) 243, 7.62x39, 270Win and, 30-30 with 5 votes each
5) 6.5 Swede with 4 votes

Large/ Elk Moose Bear
1) 45-70 with 21 votes
2) 308 and 30-06 tied with 13 votes
3) 338 Win mag with 8 votes
4) 375 H&H with 7 votes
5) 300 Win mag with 6 votes

My observations and what I find surprising;

1) Probably the biggest surpise to me is the tie for 1st place between th 22LR and the 223.
2) 308 in first place in the mid sized category, WOW, I did not see that coming.
3) 45-70 in first place in the 3rd category, again, really didn't see that coming although I am glad to see that the old timer still has a great following.
4) The 30-06 has more support as medium bore than it does as a large caliber.
5) The 223 in a pretty strong 3rd place in the Mid bore cattegory.
All of the above are surpising to me.
Click to expand...


What surprises me is that the .22lr was picked as a varmint cartridge!
Although, I would tie the dynamite little cartridge with the .223 as being first for a small caliber cartridge. Period.

As for the .45/70, I'm glad to see that there are so many that still find the cartridge viable in North America.
That big 'ole cartridge just has so much going for it.

4) The 30-06 has more support as medium bore than it does as a large caliber.
Click to expand...

The .30-'06 should (in my not-so-humble opinion) be considered as a medium bore. It's the same diameter as the .308 Win. (Although, many elk sized game animals have fallen to the .30-'06!)
I'd classify anything smaller than .338 as mid-bore, and the .338 could be considered borderline, either mid-bore or big-bore, I suppose, with the .375 and up as big-bore.
 
I kind of wish I had said 3 centerfire rifle calibers

and I did consider it but I wanted to put as few restrictions on the discussion as possible. The problem that this has created is that it has all but eliminated any real discussion of truly viable "varmint" cartidges in the first category. It may also have skewed the 2nd category a little by pushing the 223 into the medium bore category. I am not saying that the 223 does not belong in the deer sized game category because it certainly can be effective in the right hands. It has been fun and informative to say the least.:)
 
If by varmint you mean coyote then yes, the 223 and others are more appropriate than 22lr. But if you count critters smaller than coyote, especially critters (rabbits, squirrels, grouse) you might hunt for food then the 22lr is a very viable and effective choice. Couple that with the HUGE variety of excellent platforms that shoot 22lr and its excellent economy it becomes the easy choice.

I couldn't (wouldn't) put 223 in as a medium bore as it is not even legal for deer in this state (WA).
 
There there anything that could not be hunted with one of these?

.22LR
.300 Win
.50 BMG

If you are talking purely for sport hunting,

.22LR
.308 Win
.300 Win
 
.22LR Because it is so darned useful, accurate at short range, cheap to feed

.223 because I live in Florida and we can hunt deer with it and it does OK AND because it makes a pretty good SHTF/ HD cartridge when teamed with an AR or AK of that caliber, with some of the rifles such as that enexpensive Savage single shot bolt gun (forgot number) this can be an astoundly accurate cartridge at ranges I might hunt at and a good bit beyound. Also I can use .22LR in .223 rifles either with a single shell shrinker or in the case of the ARs conversion devices.

.30-06 because I live in Florida and except for animals in game parks and tourist attractions there is nothing here .30-06 won't do for and truth be told very little in the lower 48 it won't do for. Also I need it to feed my Garand. As has been noted previously I can also hand load for my .30-06 to meet most needs if I have powder and bullets and primers to go with my shell casings.

-Bob Hollingsworth
 
New tallies

Small/Varmint:
1) 22LR-45 votes
2) 223-41 votes
3) 22-250-6 votes
4) 204R and 22mag-4 votes
5) 17HMR

Medium/Deer sized game:
1) 308-25 votes
2) 30-06- 21 votes
3) 223- 12 votes
4) 243- 8 votes
5) 7.62x39 and 270- 6 votes each

Large/Elk Moose Bear
1) 45-70-24 votes
2) 30-06-15 votes
3) 308-13 votes
4) 375 H&H- 10 votes
5) 300 Win mag-9 votes

Most popular overall:
1) 223 with 53 votes
2) 22LR with 45 votes
3) 308 with 38 votes
4) 30-06 with 36 votes
5) 45-70 with 24 votes
 
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