What is the most versatile caliber?

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K-3

K-3 ,I agree, with good placement they are all about equal along with many others in between. Such as 7mm08 & .25-06 however I would like a bit heavier bullet than your standard 120 gr. in .25.06
 
.223

pests, home defense, long range pests and small game, larger game like deer. In a pinch and with proper shot placement, I guess it could take a lot of game.
 
Psst... Cowboy2...


The "Monkey See - Monkey Do" comment is not a "rule". It's a reference to the people who don't bother to learn/assess their real hunting needs and just go buy a caliber like the 30/06 because they heard from some source of unknown validity that they should buy a 30/06.... and then turn around and recommend it to others using the same old apple sauce gun scribblers have been putting out for ages.

;)
 
.223

pests, home defense, long range pests and small game, larger game like deer. In a pinch and with proper shot placement, I guess it could take a lot of game.
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Nah, I won't, I won't get sucked into that one again. I was tempted to do the sarcasm thing in this thread again, but I passed.:scrutiny:

Just might think, would YOU take a .223 on a 6,000 dollar guided elk hunt? First of all, your guide would pop a gut laughing. Oh, well, probably not. I reckon the experienced ones have about seen it all. But, hey, if you can afford a 6,000 hunt, you can afford an appropriate rifle, right?

As I recall, the OP was deer and up game, think the big bears were excluded, best all around hunting rifle caliber. Okay, it was moose on the upper limit.

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?
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.223, uh?

No comment.
 
A 20 lb sledge hammer can drive everything from a wooden stake to a tiny finishing nail, but your liable to bend alot of nails and wear yourself out swinging it. And good luck driving a stake with a cute little brad hammer (.223) .If I could only have one "hammer" it would have to be a .30-30 or a .300 wby for long range. That said, I don't think I could trust a man w/ only one gun!
 
MCGunner said:
As I recall, the OP was deer and up game, think the big bears were excluded, best all around hunting rifle caliber. Okay, it was moose on the upper limit.
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Just trying to progress the conversation :D

Just might think, would YOU take a .223 on a 6,000 dollar guided elk hunt?
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TAKING it and USING it are different things :neener:

Seriously though, I thought the Home Defense thing should be mentioned and the .223 was what popped in my brain first. Had I to do it over again, I would have said 35 Remington... Being a great all around.
 
Well, hell, if we're going home defense, there is no better than the 12 gauge. Just leave your rifle in the rack. :neener: And for your .45-70 buffs, a 12 gauge Breneke slug is as good as a .45-70 if you can get close enough. I mean, get inside 100 yards from that caribou and he's dead, dead, dead with a good rifled barrel and accurate gun. If you can get within 150, you can close another 50 yards, right? :D
 
If I was pickin' the most versatile US round it would be the .30-06. I don't own one. Why not? Well I have a .45 Colt for game up to the size of WT Deer at closer ranges and a .38-55 for as long a range as I'm going to shoot. If I ever get to go hunting bigger North American game, I'll likely get myself a '76 or '86 clone in a bigger round. Just because I don't own one doesn't mean I don’t think they're are a good round. I don't have a redheaded girlfriend either but I do think highly of'm.
 
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....
 
I have several thoughts about this, the 06 would be my first choice.
My second would be the 8mm, my third would be a 35 Remington.
Or we could reverse that depending on where I am hunting...

Another that comes to mind for Hogs and animals that might attack is a nice sks with a bayonet:)

Three of the ones I mentioned all can have a bayonet attached:D The sks has a really good pig sticker though.

:uhoh:
 
Bayonet....right....:rolleyes: LOL I've killed hogs with a knife, but only while the dogs are holdin' 'em.

.30-06... 110gr. through 220gr. What can match it?
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Oh, say, .300 Win Mag, same bullet election only faster and more range. .300 H&H, same thing. I'll match it with my 7 mag, really. 175 grain 7mm bullet has a very high SD, will kill anything the naught six will kill and with a little more range potential, flatter shooting, more energy at all ranges.

I could continue. I mean, there's book full of good calibers for this sort of game and many are faster and more powerful than the naught six. No one's even mentioned any of Roy Weatherby's creations.

BTW, I'm a handloader. I don't buy store bought ammo. Too expensive and not as good as what I can load most times.
 
Well, hell, if we're going home defense, there is no better than the 12 gauge. Just leave your rifle in the rack. And for your .45-70 buffs, a 12 gauge Breneke slug is as good as a .45-70 if you can get close enough. I mean, get inside 100 yards from that caribou and he's dead, dead, dead with a good rifled barrel and accurate gun. If you can get within 150, you can close another 50 yards, right?

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


Yeah.....I have a friend who handloads em for me. I never have really been that into handloading. Just not my thing I guess.....
 
In my opinion, the most versatile is 9.3x62. With bullet weights from 230 gr to 286 gr, I can load it up or down to the application at hand.
 
I shoot single shot pistols and I would choose a 375 jdj. I would rather have too much gun for the small game than not enough gun for the MONSTERS!!!!!!!!!

Safe shooting
Doug
 
I love my Marlin 1895GS 45-70. You can get ammo from 300gr hollow point up to 500gr monsters. I seen where you said a 12 ga is as good as a 45-70 but a 12ga was never tested at over a mile and that was when they first came out during the civil war which was black powder trap doors. you should look up Garret Ammo they have some interresting story on the 45-70. Hope this helps. And the recoil on these gun are not as bad as you would think. My younger brother used mine three years ago and I had to sell my 1895 to he wouldn't give it back to me:scrutiny:. I did buy me another one and I'll never sell it!
http://[URL=http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2425879120103526723OwqsBc][/URL]
 
ALL YOU FOLKS ARE WRONG! :D

The most versatile caliber isn't a rifle, it's the 12 gauge shotgun. From squirrels to moose, #8 shot to 1.25 ounce slug, it will take both and all in between. True you might need a different barrel or two, but 12 gauge is it. (The original post didn't say it had to be a rifle, just that the original poster preferred a rifle caliber)

I like .30-06 for rifles, as well as .308, btw. ;)

LD
 
More and more I'm with Tred1956. My Contender has barrels for .22lr, .22 Hornet, and 30/30 - and its' partner is a .44 magnum SBH. :)

But I think "Loyalist Dave" makes a darned solid point about the 12 ga. scattergun. A couple barrels and you're set for anything as long as it's close (maybe too close for comfort in some cases).

:cool:
 
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