What is the most versatile caliber?

[Ty7940]

What is the most versitale caliber? By that I mean, what is your choice of a caliber that will take anything from whitetail to moose?

I personally prefer the 30-30 with a 180 gr. bullet because with precise bullet placement, it can take down anything, I am fully aware that can be said for most other guns too but I just love the accuracy of a nice lever action .30-30.....that's me just being biased though. My un-biased opinion is that a .30-06 is probably the most versatile caliber without worrying about bullet placement too much.

 

[ranger335v]

.338 Win. can take anything from a gound squirrel to a moose and, so far as that's possible, bullet placement is less critical than with an -06.

 

[GearHead_1]

.338 Win. can take anything from a gound squirrel to a moose and, so far as that's possible, bullet placement is less critical than with an -06.

Not when shooting the ground squirrel.

If I can only pick one, I vote for the .308.

 

[Ty7940]

Not to mention, a .338 would blow the squirrel to smithereens, not to say a .30-30 or .30-06 wouldnt, but I think the .338 does a lot of damage to the meat, regardless of the animal.

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.

 

[GearHead_1]

Copy the text you wish to quote and then use the quote icon in the quick reply box.

 

[Ty7940]

Copy the text you wish to quote and then use the quote icon in the quick reply box.

Ahhh...thanks

 

[mr.trooper]

6.5x55.

Coyotes to Moose, no problem.

 

[Savage Shooter]

Without a doubt the 30-06 been around over a hundred years has loads from everything from squirrel to bear they must have done something right .

 

[KeithCarter]

Gents, the reason one caliber is inappropriate for all game is so we can buy more guns. Let us be thankful. Truly, one stick of dynamite will kill any game animal, but what fun is that?

 

[Cowboy2]

.30-06

 

[Loomis]

8mm Mauser.

 

[MCgunner]

Depends on the game to be hunted. I wouldn't think of using a .338 for hunting squirrels. Whitetail to moose, well, depends on what ranges, too. I can do moose to a couple hundred yards with the .308, but I might want my 7 mag if I have to reach out there further. I really couldn't put a finger on "most versatile". There's a whole ten pages of calibers that can do the job, yet the rifle and ammunition companies come out with something new every other year. It's all been done already.

 

[dakotasin]

i think the 338 win mag is the best 'do-it-all-well' cartridge out there.

it doesn't recoil near as bad as most folks who have never shot one think it does, it is mighty flexible, and does fine work. i have used mine on prairie dogs, whitetails, mule deer... and guess what is going hunting w/ me in about 9 weeks - mule/elk combo? yep, 338 win mag. can't wait!

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Since you stopped at moose size game...I say 308.

 

[nitestocker]

cal 30 works for me

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

6.5x55. Or .270 Win.

 

[MCgunner]

it doesn't recoil near as bad as most folks who have never shot one think it does, it is mighty flexible, and does fine work. i have used mine on prairie dogs, whitetails, mule deer... and guess what is going hunting w/ me in about 9 weeks - mule/elk combo? yep, 338 win mag. can't wait!

Dang, and I was happy about dove season.... LOL GOOD LUCK! Don't forget the camera.

 

[highlander 5]

30'06 a myriad of bullet to chose from if you reload. Huge selection of powders,surplus ammo from where ever. Willing to bet there's not a gun shop,hardware store or mom and pop/stop and rob you couldn't find ammo at.

 

[Shawnee]

If I had to choose (which none of us does) it would be the 7mm/08.

A couple weeks ago I put up a poll asking how many different centerfire rifle calibers people used. Of about 60 responses, all but three said they used more than one and many said more than four or five.

More telling was the fact that ALL the people who listed the 30/06 ALSO listed several other calibers. That pretty much shows that the people claiming the '06 is the One and Only caliber don't even come close to practicing what they preach - they are just aping stuff they've read from the gun "experts" for years. Just goes to show that "Monkey See - Monkey Do" is alive and well in 30/06-Land.

 

[Art Eatman]

Well, my first dozen or so years of centerfire, the '06 was all I had. Me and my Lyman 310 Tong Tool cranked out everything from round lead ball for squirrels to games with a 220-grain hollow point that I drilled out to insert a .22 LR into (bullet cut off).

As my billfold got bigger, I diversified--but the Swifts and .243s were more for play than for serious hunting. Anytime I got serious, out came the '06.

Now that my legs have gotten too old for ten-mile jaunts in the rough country, I sit with my Ti in 7mm08. 6.5 pounds is easier to tote, even though it's less of a Ma Bell critter than Ol' Pet. And, if I shoot something close to the jeep trail, it's easier to load into the truck.

 

[TCB in TN]

Gents, the reason one caliber is inappropriate for all game is so we can buy more guns. Let us be thankful. Truly, one stick of dynamite will kill any game animal, but what fun is that?

Amen! Have to have LOTS of different guns!

That said if I could only have 1 center fire gun to use from yotes to moose I would probably stay with the ole 30-06. I have shot 125 grains up to 220s and the 06 just keeps kicking. It shoots them all well, is so wide spread as to always be available, has the widest variety of either stock loads and hand loading components, and while it may not shoot a certain weight as well as another cal it is IMHO at least among the most versatile of cals around.

 

[cjanak]

10.75 X 68 is probably the best all-around caliber. If you disagree, you're just a slave to the corporatist gun magazines.

Seriously though, like others have said it probably depends on the upper limit of game you seek and the max range. If deer at a few hundred yards is the limit, then 6 and 6.5mm calibers are probably great choices. If you're looking to take Elk and Moose at 350 yards you're going to want to go bigger of course... 7mm or to 8mm cartridges. If antelope at 100 yards is the toughest you'll face, 5.5mm might be perfect.

So I think the 6.5x55 Swede is a darn good as an all around, with the .260, 7x57, 7mm-08 and .308 other great choices. But if I wanted to take long shots at tough game, I might jump up to .270, .30-06 or even .338 Win Mag.

 

[K3]

A lot of folks think the .375H&H is the most versatile.

I wouldn't have a worry about meat damage to deer using a 300gr round nose, and that would certainly handle anything big in North America. I'm a little skeptical of it for varmints, but I can see it working for coyotes without too much pelt damage.

P-Dogs and squirrels?

A) The bullet is bigger'n the critter

B) While .375 isn't like shooting a .577 tyrannosaur, I can't see hammering away all day at rodents with one. There'd have to be a little discomfort after a while.

 

[Cowboy2]

A couple weeks ago I put up a poll asking how many different centerfire rifle calibers people used. Of about 60 responses, all but three said they used more than one and many said more than four or five.

More telling was the fact that ALL the people who listed the 30/06 ALSO listed several other calibers.

So what? That just indicates that members who answered the poll tend to own multiple guns, which tend to be in multiple calibers. That has nothing to the versatility of a given caliber. The question is what we think is most versatile, not which one caliber is perfect for all situations.

That pretty much shows that the people claiming the '06 is the One and Only caliber don't even come close to practicing what they preach - they are just aping stuff they've read from the gun "experts" for years.

Did anyone here actually make that claim? Having multiple guns, in multiple calibers, does not make you a hypocrite for believing one is a better all-around cartridge than the others. I have a hand saw and a circle saw in the garage. I think the hand saw is more versatile. That being the case, am I a fool or a hypocrite for owning the circle saw, too?

Just goes to show that "Monkey See - Monkey Do" is alive and well in 30/06-Land.

Is there really some rule that if you think a given caliber is the best all around one, that you should only use it to the exclusion of all other loadings? If that is the case, does it apply to the 7mm/08, too?

 

[K3]

It is my not so humble opinion that there is very little difference with regard to versatility in the popular calibers.

Seriously, is there really that much difference between a .270, .308, '.30-06, 7MM, .300Win, etc in the hands of a decent shooter when used for most North American hunting?

It would take a lot to convince me that one of those is head and shoulders above the others.