What is the most versatile caliber?

[280shooter]

280
lots of bullet selections

 

[30-06 lover]

30-06

 

[Matt-J2]

Oh and as you can probably tell, I'm new here so will someone please tell me how to quote? I clicked the Quote message in reply? thing but it didnt work.

Additionally, if you'd like to include the name of the person you're quoting(an extremely useful feature), try this:
[ quote="username"] quoted text [/quote]
Remove the space after [ and before quote, like so:

quoted text

Now you're all set.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

30-06. Its availability in FMJ military loads for practice, M1 Garands for $500 you can shoot in competitions and the wide variety of loads commercially available that you can load into a bolt gun make it my choice for a go-to, versatile caliber.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

280
lots of bullet selections

Earlier in the thread I said .270 win or 6.5x55. But on 2nd thought, I'm also changing my vote to the .280 Remington, due to the massive bullet selection, and selection including many incredibly-high BC bullets (with .30 cal - e.g. .30-06 - lagging behind a bit in this stat). Those two factors related to bullet choices, and the large but not overly-large case size make the .280 Rem probably the most versatile caliber on the planet.

 

[Art Eatman]

So gimme a good squirrel load for a .280. For a .30 of some sort, a double-ought pellet and five grains of pistol or shotgun powder works great.

Art

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

There's a shot pellet that will fit 7mm, too! Same difference.

 

[plumberroy]

Yea.....but what would that slug do to a varmint??

It aint pretty H&R ultra slug guns are amazing

TY7940----30-30---180 grain bullet ??? Factory ?? Handload ?? Most 30-30 comes really in two factory flavors, 150 and 170...just curious if you are handloading, what is the bullet....

113 lee soupcan bullet and a little bit of unique makes one ragged hole at 40 yards does less damage than hyper velocity .22's on small game
As far as a 338 squirrel load I have though about it
As far as an all around rifle I think 308 as long as you don't included the big bears

 

[Colorado]

thirty-aught-six!!!!!! no doubt!! find some anywhere. take anything.

 

[Henry T]

If you disagree, you're just a slave to the corporatist gun magazines.

I am and I love it. Love to read all these opinions too.

Oh, I am a 280 shooter too. That's my favorite, but I do not believe in all round rifles. My .243 is my coyote gun. .260 and .280 are my scoped deer rifles; and .308 and .358 are my open sighted deer rifles. Still trying to decide on my elk gun; probably a .35 Whelan.

 

[Claude Clay]

.....so much for the copy feature.

 

[cliffy]

A .30/30 is a detuned .243 Winchester

A thuty-thuty lead lobber is no match for a hyper/velocity .243 Winchester beyond 200 yards. Modern bullets (Hornady Mush Points) have extended the range of .30/30s, but a slamming .243 Winnie Pooh still is super-effective 50 or more yards beyond for hunting purposes. No, I'm not truly argumentative, but ballistics will out this "lobby" scenario. At a 1000 yards, a .243 Weenie Maggot will accurately outshoot any .30/30, as proven in competition. A .243Winchester will outshoot MANY 6.5mm competition rounds. Try as one might, proper 6mm ammo is difficult, at best, to defeat. cliffy, if only I could aim better . . .

 

[Dutch1911]

K3 has a point...

However, .300 Win mag for me.
So many loading variations and bullets... mmm makes my mouth water.

 

[brandonc]

12 Gauge.

 

[Art Eatman]

Aw, heck, everybody here has a point. The thing to remember is that if you part your hair correctly, it won't show.

Sorry. Couldn't help it. Just a character defect...



Art

 

[homers]

old school 7x57

 

[whistler]

my 45 cal inline muzzle loader i can shoot 125gr. round balls up to 300 solids and i have taken squirrels, deer,and Buffalo with it

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

With all of that having been said, one could also make the case that the BIGGEST case-capacity round (among those with a good bullet selection) is the most versatile, because if you're a handloader, you can ALWAYS find downloaded loads from pipsqueak powerpuff loads on up to retina-detachers, and everything in between. So a good case could be made for rounds like:

-7mm Dakota
-7mm STW
-7mm RUM
-7mm Weatherby
-.300 RUM
-.300 Weatherby
etc.

If I followed this line of thinking, 7mm Dakota would be my choice.

But as mentioned, having just one "do-it-all" rifle is a poor choice of how to do things because (a) it spoils the fun of getting lots of rifles, and (b) who wants to fool with re-sighting your scope or sights with every single different load you make up? Not to mention the hassle of marking your rounds somehow to make sure you know which is which and don't get them mixed up.

 

[koja48]

In my youth when I could afford but few guns, I was delighted to have an old '06. It's just as versatile today, IMHO.

 

[Shawnee]

will add to Sauce's post - Yep, you can load your favorite thunderstick down - BUT that is no guarantee it will be accurate with the reduced loads.

Sauce - if these guys color-code all their imaginary special 30/06 rounds do they have to use pink for the "powderpuffs" ?

 

[Lambo119]

.300 win mag

My do it all choice would be a .300 win mag. But I would really miss all the others in my vault.

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

There's a well known pot-stirrer here, and you're just feeding his yen to be one. Internet babble is just that, don't take him so seriously & cramp yer fingers typin' at him.

900F

 

[kludge]

7mm-08

 

[firesafety3]

.308 gets my vote.

 

[Chuck Spears]

I use my .280 for practically everything. I love it. The .30-06 probably has a wider range of capabilities but I've never had to shoot anything that a .280 couldn't take care of.