What Caliber ?

[Grumulkin]

That probably would be the cheapest option without much compromise , except single shot and the only time that I have needed a fast second shot has been with small game and birds .

The majority of the time, I've used a single shot for both varmint and big game hunting. Currently for raccoons, groundhogs and other nuisance stuff, I mostly use a Contender rifle in 17 HMR. I've used Encore rifles and handguns in various chambering for quite a bit of big game hunting. On those quite uncommon occasions when I needed a second shot, it has been quite unusual that I didn't get a second shot and a repeater wouldn't have given me a second chance.

The exception would be bird hunting where a quick second shot is frequently useful.

 

[ACES&8S]

Since everyone is bearing their faith in calibers.
In my opinion, a 243 is better than a 6.5 creedmoor .
The creedmoor is merely a marketing gimmick & so many of us, including myself,
are crackheads for anything that gathers a following or in this case gets lots of airtime.
In your case I don't know what calibers you have in rifles but if you have a 7mm Mag,
you can get a 7mm08 & you have a crossover caliber & so on with any other you have
since you reload.
That's how I run my stuff. But you do what you like, there are no 2 of us the same here
in many details.

 

[Dr T]

If you just really, really want to standardize on one, there is always the .375 H&H...

 

[WestKentucky]

I’m gonna buck the trend here. Yes rimfire is enough, yes rimfire is fun, yes AR is an option...but so is a 357 levergun, or a 9mm pcc. 9mm is marginal for deer but should be legal. 357 is plenty.

Edit: I missed the part about range. 357 and 9mm are good for varmints past that, but they aren't very easy to hit as bullet drop at ranges beyond 100 get interesting pretty quickly. Gophers and Yotes would get a 17hmr from me. I have seen songdogs absorb .17s like beestings, but I have seen them bangflop as well. I still would be looking at the 357 lever carbine though. Fun versatile gun.

 

[Hasaf]

You are right that my first answer was 5.56; however, you added the condition that:

If I go that large in caliber I would also like it to be legal to hunt deer with , so it has to be over .22 caliber

With that in mind, and that I get that budget can be an issue, I am going to throw out an odd couple. The first one is 22tcm. The next one is rarely seen in bolt action rifles; however, you mention reloading and you probably already reload 9mm; so, I will toss a 9mm bolt action into the ring.

 

[FL-NC]

Sounds like 243 would be the way to go, since 223 isn't an option. Coyotes and foxes CAN be killed with 22 mag, but they are tougher than you think.

 

[1948CJ2A]

Caliber is relative to the bullet diameter. For example, 243 is one of many "cartridges" in the 6mm/.244 "caliber" family.

So to the OP and everyone else not calling this out, the question should be "What cartridge".

 

[JeeperCreeper]

Toss me in the .243 Winchestuh camp as well.

Wildcard would be an AR chambered in 6.5 grendel.

 

[Mn Fats]

For me it would depend on if you reload or not.