What's the ".357 Magnum" of rifle calibers?

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VanGoghComplex

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The credibility of the .357 Mag is ubiquitous. About as powerful as you want to get practically, with time-tested and proven ballistics.

That's why my first handgun was a .357.

If I'm looking for a similar "all around performer" in a rifle caliber, what do I want to look at?

Disclaimer: I have never owned a long gun, so I'm looking for my first, here. Assume I know nothing, because... well, I know nothing. =)
 
The dominant answer here is going to be .30-06. Best balance of capability/flexibility without being overkill. Any cartridge with similar ballistics and bullet availability would also be a contender, but the availability and popularity of .30-06 make it the obvious choice in North America. If you were in Europe, the answer would be some metric deisgnated equivalent, such as the 7x64 Brenneke, 7.62x54 Soviet, 8x57 Mauser, etc.
 
probably the 308, though 30-06 has a bit more of the old timey nostalgia factor the 357 has. I suppose you could even call the 30-30 the 357 of rifles. Classic, powerful, knocks stuff over real well.
 
A couple questions.
Where will you be hunting?
What will you be hunting?
And how far will your average shot likely be?

As a general answer 308 and 30-06 will cover a broad swath of practical use over many different applications.

If you will be presented with many shot over 500 yards, you might want a flatter shooting cartridge with plenty of practice and plenty more practice.

If you will be hunting in timber or hardwood type setting then most of your shots will be limited to 150 yards or less depending on how open the terrain and shooting lanes are. In this situation the 30-30 would be more than sufficient for that setting.

There are so many variables to hunting and that is why most people choose the common hunting rifle calibers because they cover a wide range of uses from 0-350 yards (without a great deal of skill besides practice and more practice) When bullet trajectory gets greater than 24" of drop at any given distance, the skill of the shooter has to be at a higher level than simply holding on target, The proper knowledge of using MILS / MIL DOT / MOA on a very good quality scope are key in applications were bullet drop is significant.
 
As the late, great Colonel Townsend Whelen used to say, "The .30-06 is never a mistake" in North America.

In factory loads, the .308 pretty much duplicates .30-06 ballistics, but for handloaders the .30-06 has more potential.
 
As for hunting, I do not. Nor, at the moment, do I plan to. I've got nothing against it, but it's not something I have the time or money to invest in fully right now.

I just spent an inordinate amount of time as a kid looking down the scope of an air rifle, knocking bottlecaps off my back fence at about 15-20 yards.

My 6" stainless .357 mag and range membership have rekindled my love of marksmanship as a hobby, and I miss firing a long gun.

I just figure if I'm going to buy one, even if it is only for the range, it may as well be a useful gun. I'd like to handload for it too, eventually.
 
I'll agree with the 308. Easy to load for. Cheap bullets and surplus ammo can often be found. If you do take up hunting it will cover a wide range of game. Varmints to moose and even large bear if used correctly. Like the 357 it does a lot of things well.

If you are not going to hunt a 223 may be a good choice. Still easy to load for,mild recoil, cheap surplus ammo available. It does top out at deer sized critters and then only with proper bullets. Not as all around as a 308, but, loads of fun.
 
For a new rifle shooter 308 is as big as you need to go. I've been a 30-06 shooter and lover for 40 years, but a 308 does 95+% of what a 30-06 does with a lot less recoil and in a more compact package. If you need more power you need more than a 30-06. I have several 30-06 rifles that have too much history to part with, but I'd no longer recommend the round to a new shooter. There are better options in 2015. Todays better bullets and loads have turned the smaller rounds into much more efficient game killers.

Actually one of the 6.5's is a real option if you rule out big bears. It is more than adequate up to moose and elk. That caliber has never been popular here and has little history in the USA, but has been quite popular in Europe. But that is changing.
 
.30-06 Springfield first comes to mind, it is a classic; but for target shooting and other uses excluding big game hunting, the .223 Remington is a very popular and affordable choice, producing much less recoil.

I am not much of a handgun person (seen them on TV and police officers, shot some twice at the range thanks to fellow shooters), but I think the .223 is maybe more like the 9 mm of rifles, someone please correct me if I am wrong there, it might not be the right analogy.

If you think you are going for only one rifle in your whole life, :( maybe a bolt action chambered in .308 Winchester would be a good choice due to its ammo price when buying surplus, its wide selection of bullets when you will be reloading, its recoil a little less powerful then the .30-06 when you shoot it many times and its adequate potency for big game hunting in North America should you ever try it.

Bolt action rifles are thought by many to be inherently more accurate then other actions.

Fun can also be had with a .22 LR, but it is not, I am quite certain on that one, the .357 of rifles!
 
As rifle ammo is quite expensive, I would consider getting a .22 rifle and a larger caliber. That, or just expect to start reloading early with a .308. The nice thing about .308 is you can usually get the brass for free by picking up someone else's. Personally I've found that harder to do with .30-06.

Another thing to consider is the noise level. I hate indoor ranges because rifles are so loud, and even outside, especially with muzzle brakes, rifles can be a real annoyance and ruin some of the fun. If you're used to shooting real .357 loads you're probably not noise sensitive, but if it's a concern, I'm a big fan of the .45-70. Extremely versatile in hand loading, allows you to shoot relatively cheaply (because the cast lead bullets are about as cheap as bulk jacketed .308 bullets) and even the slow-moving stuff still smacks targets hard. You'll end up with either a Marlin or similar lever action or a single shot like the H&R Buffalo Classic, which is one of my all-time favorite guns. If you go with the BC, get on that train quick, because I'm pretty sure they're not making them any more.
 
Thanks for all the feedback, guys! Sounds like it's down to the.308 or the 30-06, for me. I'm a big fan of bolt-action rifles, having shot a few, so I'll probably lean in that direction. Given the notion that the .308 and 30-06 are so similar on practicality, I will do some research and see if I can find economical advantage with one over the other.

As for recoil, I don't predict that will be an issue. The last time I reupped my .357 reloading supplies, I moved gradually from a target .38 load to a nearly full-house magnum load because I'm finding that I actually like recoil.
 
Who'd a thunk we could pretty much agree an a cartridge (or cartridges)? My first thought was .30-06 but, if you're not going to Alaska, a .308 will do. I've got a .308.

In factory loads, the .308 pretty much duplicates .30-06 ballistics, but for handloaders the .30-06 has more potential.
Click to expand...

This
 
I vote .308. Not the biggest, not the smallest, but ammo is anywhere that sells ammo, it's easy to load for down the road with lots of bullet choices, and will do most anything a rifle needs to do. I also have a .22 Hornet and a .458 Win Mag, but those aren't the answer to the question.

Some will say .30-06, and they aren't wrong either.

Assume I know nothing, because... well, I know nothing. =)
Click to expand...
And actually, that's a fun place to be, with lots of cool things to discover and enjoy for the first time.
 
Why not a rifle in .38/.357?
You say you want an all around rifle. But basically want to use it for the range as marksmanship, not hunting. Since you reload already, you are half way there.

You mention investigating the economics of the .308 and .30-06. The .38/.357 is a lot cheaper to reload I bet, especially since you already reload .357... Nothing wrong in having a paper puncher in both rifle and handgun form, in the same caliber. It is an option...

You can always buy a .308 or .30-06 or .45-70 etc. in the future.
 
The .357 makes it's biggest mark as a good defensive round, enough power to be effective without being overwhelming for most folks. It's also adequate mostly for small to medium game to deer size, though old schoolers will consider it to "small" a cartridge for deer. A very versatile all around cartridge that can cover most needs for many shooters, fairly affordable to shoot and capable of punching above it's weight, especially with the use of premium ammo.

Going off this definition, I'll argue that the .223/5.56 is the ".357 of rifles". Similar strengths, weaknesses & capabilities. Again the strength is defensive use, and again it excels at small to medium, able to stretch to handling deer, especially with premium ammo. Affordable & versatile, a great all around choice capable of punching above it's weight.
 
For north american game, cartridge development could have stopped at the 30-06 and all large game hunting applications would have still gotten done.
 
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