Best all around caliber?

[hunting1]

Originally Posted by hunting1
7mm-08 is great if you are a hand loader, but if not another vote for the 06!




Why would you need to hand load to shoot 7-08 ? It's nearly as common as 308 around here. Maybe out west the stores don't stock it as much but back east in whitetail country it is everywhere.​

It has been a while since I have bought factory ammo and there are a bunch of quality loads now, so disregard. It is a light recoiling and if you load very easy to make accurate loads.​

 

[jls]

My brother in law lives in D.C. and is just getting into shooting and hunting. What would be a good caliber for him to start off with? He will most likely be hunting white tails but will also be coming out west to hunt elk and mulies. I've never hunted back east so I wasn't sure if a 7 mag is over kill or if he should look at the 270 /30-06 range.

Where will he be hunting whitetails? If he will be hunting the surrounding counties in nearby Maryland, then I would suggest a .50 cal. muzzleloader. Most all Maryland counties within 1 hr. drive of DC do not allow centerfire rifles for deer season, I am not familiar with the regulations in Virginia. Sure you could choose a 12 or 20 ga. slug gun, but the muzzleloader would also allow for hunting in many limited draw hunts in the western states also.

You have already gotten some excellent suggestions for centerfire rifles. Archery is another thing to consider, Maryland has VERY long archery seasons with VERY generous bag limits (especially for antlerless). Hope this helps

 

[Sea37]

I will pass on all the great info. I know he wants a center fire. I don't know where he will be hunting at over there. I am just thinking of getting into archery myself to extend my seasons. Haven't taken the plunge yet. Thanks everybody.

 

[slvrslngr]

New shooter? 7x57, mild recoil and report, kills way beyond it's paper ballistics. The 270 and 308 are more common/available and work just as well. I wouldn't even consider a 7 Rem mag for a new shooter.

 

[Creedshooter]

Gonna have to go w/ the ol" reliable 30-06 and its vast range of loads. from 150-220gr it'll cover everything in NA.

 

[arffdog875]

A 7-08, 270 win would be my choices for whitetail and hunts out west. Both do very well.

 

[TwoTikkas]

Tikka T3 308 Win.

 

[philw]

I'd second the .308, very versatile, easy on the pocketbook and the shoulder, pleasant to shoot for extended range sessions, easy to find ammo. Plenty for elk. It's hard to find a downside.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Tikka T3 .30-06 gets my vote.

 

[JasonWi]

30-06 would be my personal choice. The heavier bullet weights are the reason 06 gets the nod for me over say .270 or .284. Easy to shoot, accurate and very easy to find commercial ammo for it.

 

[wk93]

30-06 would be my pick. Best "all around caliber" which many would probably agree with.. You also can't go wrong with the .270 either. But there is a reason the 30-06 has been around since 1906.

 

[SURVIVORTYPE]

What is the budget like? If its a custom build or rebarrel maybe a muzzle break (wear ear pro!!) to help mitigate the recoil on a 7 mag. If factory I would have to agree with what most are suggesting, 270 or 30-06.

 

[T43]

I just picked up some more bullets for some 30-06 and 300 WSM rounds. If a person wanted to play at the press a 30-06 is hard to beat. 110 gr. plinkers for no recoil fun, 130 gr. spitzers for varmints and 150 to 220 gr. pills for every kind of big game on the continent.

 

[Snyd]

If he's new to shooting then he should start with a low recoil round. get a 22 for starters. For strictly deer hunting I'd go back my ol 243. easy flat shooter. killed lots of deer and antelope with it back in the day. Bigger critters and some with fangs and claws here in Alaska, now my go-to round now is the 325wsm.

 

[manbearpig]

270 can do it all for me.

 

[Shrek]

Sea37 , what did your brother in law get ? It would be interesting to know the what and why.

 

[Sea37]

He got a pregnant wife. Ha ha! He hasn't picked up a rifle yet.

 

[Coyote Commander]

Put me on the .308 band wagon.

Inherently accurate, "cheap" to shoot, capable of taking all but the biggest and baddest N.A. game at moderate distances, plethora of factory ammo choices (whats more, places will actually stock more than one or two factory ammo offerings), huge selction of factory rifles chambered in it, easy to reload for, lots of reloading components available, moderate recoil, the list goes on and on.

Lots of mention of 7-08. Great caliber, but you can run into serious issues acquiring ammo in some places if youre not reloading yourself. I see a lot of places stocking 7-08, but they only carry one or two choices. Whereas with .308, youre likely to have a dozen choices.

Theres four calibers you can find just about anywhere, 7mm mag, .270, .30-06, and .308. Hell, you can practically pick several of those up off the ground in places!

 

[bobhunts]

The .270 winchester is as good as it gets as far as a factory round you will find in any store. And it does not kick like a magnum cartridge. Look at the ballistic charts. It is the only one I have bought twice after giving my daughter her the Savage model 110 I bought her when she turned 12. Now she has a boyfriend that hunts and she has the rifle I thought (when I bought it) would be a good one for almost anything in north america. Since then I bought another .270 but this time a Winchester XL7. I hope it shoots as well as the Savage 110. Bob.

 

[Joee]

My vote goes to the 30-06