Only Three Bolt-gun Hunting Calibers - Which Ones?
- Thread starter USAF Ret
- Start date
The Verminator
Moderator
LOL!
Jack O'Connor proved conclusively that all you need is a .22 LR and a .270 Winchester.
I'd choose my Remington 581 and my pre-64 Winchester Model 70.
I might add my Winchester Model 94 30-30 just for fun and brush hunting.
End of story.
Jack O'Connor proved conclusively that all you need is a .22 LR and a .270 Winchester.
I'd choose my Remington 581 and my pre-64 Winchester Model 70.
I might add my Winchester Model 94 30-30 just for fun and brush hunting.
End of story.
OK, so its a liability, but compared to what??
Consider looking at it the way we look at high performance race cars.
They are high performance machines, who deliver the top possible performance at the cost of pushing the machine to its limits in short order. To get the most out of them we push them hard, and they wear out soon. No different from race cars, who run one race and then completely rebuild the engine, and then replace it the next run.
So, maybe that tuned specialty racer will give you top performance for only a limited number of miles. Do you want to use them up in practice? OR in a 500 mile race for the big bucks??
Same with the hot magnum rifles, shooting them wears the barrels out. Sight in and then only shoot at big game, a few shots a year, they last decades of use. Shoot them all summer blowing away prairie dogs or paper targets looking for that magic "last 1/4", and you'll need a new barrel by deer season. Probably.....
There's no free lunch....
Most of the time we choose our hunting cartridges for completely irrational reasons. The truth is that a 26-caliber bullet weighing 140 gr or more will take any animal in North America. The only real differences are the ranges they are effective, how much recoil you're willing to tolerate, costs, and availability. Pick what you like.
Especially if we eliminate the big 1000+lb bear in Alaska and Canada and limit ranges to under 400 yards. If you want to hunt really big stuff that bites back or if you want to shoot stuff in the next county, then other choices might be comforting.
I hunted most of my life with a 30-06 because 50 years ago that is what I was told was the best choice. While it isn't a bad choice it wouldn't be on my list today. Although I have 2 with too much history to ever sell.
I think most people would be better served with something in the 6.5 CM, 7-08 or 308 class as an all-around rifle. Pick what you like, they all do the same thing. I choose 308 because of cost and availability.
I'd want a 223 for varmint shooting and cheap plinking.
I could probably do it all with just 2. But if I were inclined to have something bigger it would be a 375. Probably the 375 Ruger over 375 H&H simply because less expensive rifles are available in that chambering.
I don't plan to ever shoot at game farther than my 308 is capable so I don't need a long-range rifle, but if I did it would probably be 7mm Rem mag. Although 280 AI would get a look. Of course, I'd have to eliminate the 375 to keep it to 3 rifles.
Especially if we eliminate the big 1000+lb bear in Alaska and Canada and limit ranges to under 400 yards. If you want to hunt really big stuff that bites back or if you want to shoot stuff in the next county, then other choices might be comforting.
I hunted most of my life with a 30-06 because 50 years ago that is what I was told was the best choice. While it isn't a bad choice it wouldn't be on my list today. Although I have 2 with too much history to ever sell.
I think most people would be better served with something in the 6.5 CM, 7-08 or 308 class as an all-around rifle. Pick what you like, they all do the same thing. I choose 308 because of cost and availability.
I'd want a 223 for varmint shooting and cheap plinking.
I could probably do it all with just 2. But if I were inclined to have something bigger it would be a 375. Probably the 375 Ruger over 375 H&H simply because less expensive rifles are available in that chambering.
I don't plan to ever shoot at game farther than my 308 is capable so I don't need a long-range rifle, but if I did it would probably be 7mm Rem mag. Although 280 AI would get a look. Of course, I'd have to eliminate the 375 to keep it to 3 rifles.
stagpanther
New member
I've been shooting a number of weatherby's for a fairly long time--I know what the bargain is with them--they are first and foremost a hunter's knock em down rifle for which I think they are arguably unequalled for. Perhaps it's wishful thinking that there was a way get a user-friendly easily replaceable barrel Weatherby considering how they are manufactured--I for one would readily pay a premium for that.
Do consider that the entire idea of the user replacing a rifle barrel himself didn't even exist until relatively recently. Even the Savage barrel nut system wasn't created with that in mind.
From the earliest days of cartridge arms, replacing a barrel was "shop work", and one took the gun to a gunsmith to have the work done. That's what was required and what people came to expect to be required for well over a century plus....
Special tools, gauges, and often reamers were needed to do the job right. PLUS a degree of skill. These were things most people didn't have, and wouldn't get, it was easier, simpler, and even cheaper to have a gunsmith do it.
Even with military rifles, (until the M16), fitting a new barrel was only done at the very highest level of maintenance (Depot level in the Army), because fitting a barrel to the rifle receiver required FITTING, which the lower 4 levels of maint were not trained, equipped or authorized to do.
The M16 changed that, its design allowed for essentially "plug and play", and I replaced many barrels working at the Direct Support/General Support level (levels 3-4) as a Small Arms Repairman.
IF in Springfield, or a Garand, or M1 Carbine or M14 needed a barrel, it was sent to Depot maint (division level) it was not done at brigade level or lower.
Commercial rifles were generally made that way as well, needing work the hobbyist rarely was set up to do in order to fit a barrel correctly.
I don't think one should expect "plug and play" from guns designed back before it was considered something useful or desirable.
Today many people's expectations have changed a bit, and newer designs reflect that, to a greater or lesser degree.
Still, while you might be willing to "pay a premium" for an easy barrel swap in a Weatherby, I don't think most people would.
Most people who buy a high end "sports car" send it to the professionals when it needs work. The few that don't are generally enthusiasts who personally enjoy doing the work, and have their own home shop to do it with.
stagpanther
New member
That's fine--if you have one that lives within 1,000 miles and is not back-logged a year or two out.
Jack O'Conner
New member
.243 for very long shooting at pronghorn antelope
.308 for everything else except coastal brown bears
35 Whelen for big bears
I downed a big moose with my .308 while hunting in Saskatchewan. Not armor plated. - Jack
.308 for everything else except coastal brown bears
35 Whelen for big bears
I downed a big moose with my .308 while hunting in Saskatchewan. Not armor plated. - Jack
Outstanding list, especially since you reload. 25-06 and 7mm-08 were a couple hard to find over the last few years.
I love my 308. PSA had a sale on Norma Whitetail 150 grain a while back. $15.99 a box and that is the most accurate ammo I have shot through mine.
reynolds357
New member
Fully agree.
reynolds357
New member
I can do my own, but my machine equipment is dedicated to industrial process and not gunsmithing. There are three good Smiths around here that will do my rebarrel cheaper than I can. If I spend the amount of time a rebarrel will take doing other lathe work, I can pay the smith 4 times. Butttt, on occasion I do one.That's fine--if you have one that lives within 1,000 miles and is not back-logged a year or two out.
bamaranger
New member
deer/antelope
Take note the OP stated ......deer/antelope to moose. No mention of varmints, practice, or small game. We're not listing 3 rifles for everything, it's 3 rifles to take medium to large game. No need for a rimfire, and the need for a .22 centerfire is debatable (in responding to this thread) So my 3........
-.243
-.308(or'06)
-.338 mag
A moose is a heck of a big critter, I'd estimate one can run over 1000 lbs easily. Note that is a good bit more than a grizzly, and up into Kodiak bear weight range. Yeah, smaller calibers routinely take moose and bears, the 6.5 Swede comes to mind in the Scandi/Nordic countries. Here in the U.S. a heavy and/or premium bullet loaded '06 has taken moose and bear routinely.
But the big mag removes all doubt. Don't own one, never shot one, and won't ever get to hunt moose or bear.....but definitely enough gun.
I wouldn't care much about manufacturer. All my rifles are blue collar over the counter numbers except for one Frankenstein match rifle. I like the concept of a trigger with big rugged parts and not a lot of springs and pins.
The Ruger 77MkII trigger approaches this ideal, the M98 and M70 triggers likely epitomize it. That said, I own Savages and Rugers with bladed triggers and they have performed well. Push or controlled feed isn't really a deal breaker for me either.
Take note the OP stated ......deer/antelope to moose. No mention of varmints, practice, or small game. We're not listing 3 rifles for everything, it's 3 rifles to take medium to large game. No need for a rimfire, and the need for a .22 centerfire is debatable (in responding to this thread) So my 3........
-.243
-.308(or'06)
-.338 mag
A moose is a heck of a big critter, I'd estimate one can run over 1000 lbs easily. Note that is a good bit more than a grizzly, and up into Kodiak bear weight range. Yeah, smaller calibers routinely take moose and bears, the 6.5 Swede comes to mind in the Scandi/Nordic countries. Here in the U.S. a heavy and/or premium bullet loaded '06 has taken moose and bear routinely.
But the big mag removes all doubt. Don't own one, never shot one, and won't ever get to hunt moose or bear.....but definitely enough gun.
I wouldn't care much about manufacturer. All my rifles are blue collar over the counter numbers except for one Frankenstein match rifle. I like the concept of a trigger with big rugged parts and not a lot of springs and pins.
The Ruger 77MkII trigger approaches this ideal, the M98 and M70 triggers likely epitomize it. That said, I own Savages and Rugers with bladed triggers and they have performed well. Push or controlled feed isn't really a deal breaker for me either.
The Happy kaboomer
New member
Ain't gonna happen.......These "If you could have only threads......." are a waste. I/WE can have all we want for different applications.
Excellent post. Yeah, keeping varmints out of the mix. I am not a varmint hunter, unless it is by chance.
I had a Ruger M77 when I was stationed in CO chambered in 06. Can't remember why I got rid of it. I was in the Air Force at the time and was an E-6, so it probably had to do with needing money. It was the walnut and stainless. Beautiful rifle.
I owned a Ruger M77 when I was stationed in AK chambered in 300 Win Mag. It had the old cutout boat paddle stock. That thing would kick you, knock you down and beat the bushes looking for you. Made me flinch so bad I could not group worth a crap. Ended up selling it getting an 06 Browning X-Bolt for moose with 180 Nosler Partitions, I think. Never got a shot at a moose, but took a mule deer with it on my next assignment. It was a shooter.
Not a waste to me. I like hearing why people choose certain calibers and rifles. I am looking at trying to get my stash down to a few nice rifles and calibers and this has been very informative.