Which rifle caliber to buy next

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If you just want to punch paper,look at the 6mm ppc,or the 22 ppc.A short action savage and an aftermarket barrel could make for a very accurate and fun shooter.
 
Why not get an M44 or M38? Since it sounds like the OP has no particular purpose in mind other to add to his collection, it might be a good choice due to low cost. Also, historically significant.
 
Either .243/.223, or .45-70/.458 Win/Lott.

You've got the .30 cal range covered well. Moving up to .45 or down to .223/.243 would give you some flexibility. I personally am a big fan of .243.

5.45 or 7.62x39 wouldn't be bad either.
 
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257 Roberts. Light recoil, great accuracy, does everything the 243 does at lower pressures.
 
aah.. i wouldnt recommend one, theyre cheap, sure, but ammo isnt unless you want to use really old surplus crap, and with reloadable brass not so easy to find and .311 bullets its not the best candidate for handloading either.. id avoid the mosin nagants and the 7.62x54R cartridge entirely

a fun cartridge that you can shoot, easy to find, and easy to reload for is 44 magnum.. get a lever action in that and you can even use black powder in a 44 special case and load it up like an old .44-40 cartridge
 
Personally I'm doing the opposite. I'm consolidating calibers so I only have to stock up on a few. If you have your heart set on a new caliber though I've wanted a .243 for a while. I thought it would be cool to have a rifle with light recoil that's still plenty strong. I'm sick of getting my shoulder beat to crap. I've also thought about getting a .223 bolt action but it seems pointless when you already have semi auto .223s. Lastly I've wanted a Mosin for a long time as well. They have power similar to a 30-06, they have historical value, they're cheap, and you can get a can of 400 rounds of ammo for like $90.Good luck with whatever you choose.

edit: also the Marlin Guide Guns in .45-70 seemed really cool. The recoil is supposed to be pretty stout unless you reload, but you could easily hunt brown bears with it if you're ever in the woods. At least it would serve a purpose.
 
TheGoldenSaber said:
Personally I'm doing the opposite. I'm consolidating calibers so I only have to stock up on a few. If you have your heart set on a new caliber though I've wanted a .243 for a while. I thought it would be cool to have a rifle with light recoil that's still plenty strong. I'm sick of getting my shoulder beat to crap. I've also thought about getting a .223 bolt action but it seems pointless when you already have semi auto .223s. Lastly I've wanted a Mosin for a long time as well. They have power similar to a 30-06, they have historical value, they're cheap, and you can get a can of 400 rounds of ammo for like $90.Good luck with whatever you choose.

edit: also the Marlin Guide Guns in .45-70 seemed really cool. The recoil is supposed to be pretty stout unless you reload, but you could easily hunt brown bears with it if you're ever in the woods. At least it would serve a purpose.
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im actually going with this statement, im consolidating as well, im trying to pick a caliber for any given class of firearm and stick with it.. at this point im holding off on major purchases until ive decided what thatll be.. long action rifles will be 8mm mauser, short action rifles.. maybe 308, maybe 6.5xx47 or 6.5 creedmor, i dont know yet, and for the shorter actions, i thought i was going to go 5.56mm and that would probably be the best choice but i may go 5.45x39 instead, i dont know yet... but for all my pistol caliber 19th century stuff, and revolvers im going 44 special.. its a good replacement for 44-40, easier to handload, more common, and i also have the option of buying 44 mag rifles and revolvers

consolidation saves a lot of money, maybe you have a category you havent decided on a caliber yet that you could pick a cartridge for to narrow down your choice?
 
I must be very careful with my funds right now but... soon an AR in .223/5.56, then a .458 SOCOM complete, then a .300 Blackout upper. Once I have the .223 AR then I "might" sell my .223 bolt rifle.
 
You need either a Rem 700 223 or a 375 H&H. :)

The 47-70 is also a good choice.

Anyway, step away from the 'center' and go one direction or the other.
Having said that, the .30-06 is a pretty good gun to have...
Greg
 
If you reload then get something less common. It makes for a more interesting conversation around the camp fire.

My recommendations would include: 224 Wby Mag, 220 Swift, 240 Wby Mag, 6mm Rem, 250-3000 Savage, 257 Wby Mag, 6.5x55 Swedish, 6.5x284, 7x57 Mauser, 7mm WBY Mag, 8mm Rem Mag, 338 Federal, 338-06, 358 Winchester, 35 Whelen.

That should get you headed in the direction of something cool.
 
3212 said:
I took one recently that was running toward me.It lifted the buck off his feet and pushed him back.
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I have no wish to make a personal criticism (especially on Christmas Eve), so please don't take it this way :)

But the idea that rifle/pistol bullets lift animals (or humans) off their feet and somehow "push them back" is pure hollywood. It simply does not (and cannot) happen, especially with something as light as a ,243. The buck might have appeared to be lifted off its feet and pushed back, but it was more likely a jump reaction to being shot. Happy Christmas :)
 
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260 rem has gotten my attention lately. Holds it's own at 1000 yards as a target caliber with considerable less recoil than a 300 win mag. If you question it's ability as a hunting round, it is basically a modern 6.5 x 55, which has been around in use in Europe forever.
 
If you want to keep it in the same family, go for a .25-06. Otherwise, my standard vote is always the 6.5x55 if you have the .30 caliber covered.
 
You need something aerodynamic for long range!

This:
7mm-08, 260 Rem, maybe a classic 7X57? Or a 6.5X55 Swede. Or a 300 Savage. Or a 250 Savage AI. - Abel
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The 7mm-08 has really caught my eye lately. It has more punch than the 243 Win and 260 Rem and is nearly as long-range capable as the 260 (Supersonic out to ~1500 yards with 168gr VLDs).

Another option is the 280 Remington, since you are already equipped to reload for 30-06 cases this is an easy choice (280 Rem is a 30-06 necked-down to 7mm). The benefit of the 280 is the super aerodynamic bullets available.

I'd go with a 7mm-08, 260 Rem, 6.5x55, or 280 Rem. Get a cheap-o Stevens 200 and rebarrel it yourself (tools are cheap, and its easy according to my research!) in one of these calibers. Then go shoot small things from large distances :D
 
If you want "different" for the sake of novelty you may want to consider military surplus rifles. The choice is nearly infinite and the history, oh the history! I started collecting about 25 years ago and what a fun ride it has been and continues to be. .
 
Awesome choice! The Encore platform allows you to change calibers for a few hundred bucks, keeping stock and fire control consistent across all. I don't have a 6.5 Creedmoor yet, but it's on my list. My favorite Encore barrel is a 26" MGM .257 Roberts. It's downright amazingly accurate and FUN to shoot. Cheers!
 
If you go small a 223 or 22-250 are great for varmits. If you reload, then you will have centerfire power for not much over rimfire prices and one hell of a lot more bang for your buck.
 
How about a CZ 527 in 7.62x39? I hear these guns are quite accurate, even with the cheapo eastern bloc steel ammo. And, @ .25-30 cents a round, you can plink all day long!
 
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