Top 5 favorite rifle cartridges

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wyobohunter

New member
I'd like to hear your picks for top five rifle cartridges and a brief description of why you picked them. I'm not starting this so we can argue about what is better as the reasons for favorite are likely subjective; in fact "I like it because my Dad liked it" is sound enough reasoning to me.

1.30-06 Springfield-Because of its versatility (within reason). Because my Dad liked it and for the nostalgia and American history.

2.338 Super-Magnums-I didn't list a particular here although I shoot the RUM, but they are all so close ballistically that I couldn't say which is my favorite. Although the wby 338-378 is the most super of the super 338's. Rambling, I like them for the extremely high B.C./S.D. bullets and long range power/accuracy potential.

3.45-70 Govt.-Great close range thumpin' gun (I like the Marlin lever guns). Also for the western nostalgia it brings to me.

4.444 Marlin-Although it's flatter shooting than the 45-70 I don't believe it will outpenetrate it and the medium-big bore lever guns I've owned/currently own are for close in work. Still, the 444 is powerfull medicine.

5.243 win.-Flat shooting, cheap to shoot for the reloader and can triple act as a varmint gun, deer gun, and plinker.
 
Just three here...

1) .22lr - cheap, plentiful, almost indispensable on a rural property; easy for beginners to master

2) .30-06 - handles just about any thing on the North American continent. Easy to source, wide variety of commercial loadings available

3) .44 Remington Magnum - for all the in-between jobs requiring more power than a .22lr, but less than a .30-06
 
.22 LR - Great learning tool as well as small game getter.

.223 Rem - Varmint and Coyote rifle, plus very cheap to shoot.

.270 Win - Flat shooting hits hard and suitable for everything that walks the lower 48.

.30-30 WCF - Enough power to get things done, and it still looks cool sitting in a scabbard on the side of my horse.

.375 Ruger - For anything that I don't feel the above four cartridges are not capable of handling. Plus if I ever get the chance to chase big bears in AK or Dangerous Game in Africa I've got it covered.

I own all of these and it was very hard to just pick 5 but if I had to sell every thing these are the ones I'd keep with the exception of the M94 .30-30. I'd have to pick my Savage 99 in .358 Win for the lever I'd keep.
 
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In no particular order:

1. .308, I think it is the most versatile of the .30 caliber lineup. Availiability of commercially loaded ammo is a big +

2. .22 LR - Cheapest thing to shoot, good accuracy, low noise, and easy to find.

3. 45-70 - I love big bore straight wall cartridges and this is just about the best one there is.

The jury is still out on the other 2.
 
1. 260 Rem My dad turned me onto this caliber. Great BC and SD numbers, low wind drift, and low recoil make this an absolute dream of a whitetail caliber. There's a reason why many, many of the long range 1000yd guys are now using this caliber.

2. 358 Win Highly underrated and underappreciated. Great caliber. Big hole, nice power. Bang, flop.

3. 204 Ruger Fun to shoot, lazer like trajectory, and inherently accurate it seems from a wide variety of guns.

4. 17 HMR The best accurate tinker/plinker around. Inherently accurate as well, where else can you spend around $200 on a cheapo gun and have around 1"-1.5" five shot groups at 100yds?

5. 44 Mag A great utility gun for just about any reason. My all-time favorite deer rifle for thick brush, fast shooting, and all-day easy carrying is still my Ruger 96/44 Lever. I'll never part with it.
 
1. 45-70(or 90, 100, 110, 120) - a nice short range hammer, and a long range thumper for those who know how to shoot.
2. 32Win Special - virtually the same as a 30-30, just that its "special". :D
3. 225Win - Something different to explode varmints with...
4. 22lr - you can shoot for days - for cheap - without wearing out a gun
5. 32-20Win - great spunky cartridge. 44mag level muzzle energies out of an itty-bitty 32cal cartridge.
 
.22lr - Reasons already posted.

.30-06 - THE most versatile round of all time

.308 - Excellent mid/long range caliber based off of short action rifle. Plus it can be found surplus cheap

.223 - Excellent Assault Rifle cartridge. It does what the the suits wanted it to do... enable us to carry a bunch of rounds that are pretty effective.

.45-70 government - There is no such thing as cover :D
 
My thots, in order of significance:

1) .30-06: versatility of uses, loads; historical impact for WWI, WWII, Korea and very early Vietnam, in '03, '03A3, M1 Garand, BAR; passes the BFE test (at least one load can be found in BFE and all other locations)

2) .308 Win/7.62x51: inherent accuracy; widespread use for competition, LE, hunting; historical impact for NATO and Vietnam

3) .243 Win: widest range of applications from varmint to medium game/target

4) .223 Rem/5.56x45: target use and 3 gun competition, varmint hunting and easier on barrels than other varmint rounds; historical impact for NATO and Vietnam

5) .45/70: general purpose backwoods load in utilitarian rifle; target load for LR CAS shooting; historical impact as early US Military cartridge, 19th century civilan cartridge

FH
 
7 MM Mag - versatile enough for about any game around here
.308 Win - in case I don't feel like shooting the 7 MM that day, it's also versatile
30-30 - just because it's handy
45-70 - just in case I have to shoot a rampaging buffalo
22 lr - for those times when I'm too broke to shoot the others
 
7.5 Swiss because of the inherent accuracy right out to 1,000 yards. (and I own a zfk55)
.45 because of the stopping power and I have a Micro-Compact
.41 Magnum because of the STOPPING POWER! and I have an Astra snubby
.223 because I have a very acfurate pre-ban Armalite Hbar Carbine among others
30-30 because I have two very fun lever actions.

SP
 
.22 lr - cheap fun shooting

30-06 - no explanation needed

375 ruger - good for the big stuff near and far

223 - good on the small stuff

45-70 - big and fun
 
1. 7mm Rem Mag - it'll handle damn near every thing in North America.
2. 45-70 Gov't - a shorter range hammer than can be hot loaded to near .458 Winchester levels.
3. .308 - can handle just about every thing in North America with a little less recoil than a 7mm Rem Mag.
4. .22lr - a cartridge that everyone should own a rifle for.
5. 7.5x55 - I can't attest to its hunting ability, but I love shooting my K31 more than any other of my mil-surplus rifles.
 
1-.22 cheap ,great for small varmits and plinking
2-.223-versatile,accurate great for larger predators
3-.243-6mm very versatile, accurate
4-.308- accurate, enough power for most situations without excessive recoil
5-30-06- probably the best overall cartridge ever developed. power and versatility unmatched by any other
 
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