Best "One Rifle" Caliber?

I love the 30-06, I completely understand its shortcomings but I like it anyways. Shooting it suppressed and with a limbsaver feels very manageable to me. I pretty much stick to 180g accubonds and partitions but if I was going to shoot copper bullets from it, my first stop would be the 150g ttsx.

I also have a 308 with an 18” barrel that gets around 3000fps with the 130g ttsx (handloads). Something like that would work for you.

6.5 creedmoor is also a great choice, I like mine and if I was going to shoot copper from it which o have in the past I’d look at that 127lrx or the 124g hammer hunter. My buddy used that 18” 6.5 creedmoor to kill a moose one winter from around 300 yards with the 124g hammer hunters I’d loaded up.

Like others have said, if you’re going to shoot copper go down on weight, again for 30-06, I’d start with the 150ttsx, 308 - 130g ttsx.
 
Having 223, 260 REM, 308 win , 270 win , 284 win, and 338 win. For me it would be a toss up between 270 win and 308 win. Both have abundant amounts of off shelf ammo and brass. You have a wide selection of bullets for every situation, the recoil although a bit more in the 270 win is acceptable in particular if muzzle brakes are used. You can get monos , bonded, target, bullets . If you use a fast twist 1-8 in the 270 you can shoot 170 Berger EOL’s , if you use. 1-10 308 win you are good to 220 gr bullets.
The 308 win will make for longer barrel life.

Just my two cents! Yes the 270 win in the Lords caliber
 
This thread spurred a memory from a long time ago when I decided to only shoot a 7 mag all year for hunting, practice, varmints, everything. I ended up not shooting as much waiting for the barrel to cool and it just wasn’t as much fun. Still, I shot enough to burn the barrel out enough accuracy started to peter out. That was also the last summer I ever used just one rifle - back to the good old trainer.

Based on that summer I’d pick something more fun to shoot. A 7mm-08 or creed is probably a much better one gun option or you simply won’t shoot as much.
 
Lock3 said:
I'm about to pull the trigger on one of the Bass exclusive threaded T3X Superlites in 30-06 but have been waffling on if that's the caliber to go with after digging through the forums. This will be my one hunting rifle for the next 2 years (roughly).

The more I read on Rokslide, it seems like the 30-06 just has a lot of negatives (esp if you don't reload) and I should maybe get a 6.5 PRC (or another modern caliber) since it does much of the same with much lower recoil and less wind drift / drop (i.e., more margin for error). I don't reload right now.

I currently use a CTR chambered in 308 but don't want to carry a heavy barrel around for no reason any more / wanted more flexibility in the cartridge.

My rationale for the 30-06 was primarily barrel life, ammo cost, and ammo availability. I know barrel life isn't typically something people consider on this forum, but I've been training a lot this year since I started late in life and swapping out a barrel is pretty close to the same price as a new rifle. Doing that every 1000-1500 rounds is pretty brutal (probably every 6 months for me at this point) but I can deal with it if 6.5 PRC or another cartridge really is that much better/more forgiving. I thought about .270 but barrel life is pretty much the same as 6.5 PRC with less performance.

Use case-wise, I've been primarily been hunting mule deer and boar but have a bear tag this year and am planning a cow elk hunt in NM this January as well. I weekend warrior so 5-8 mile hike-in and 1-2 nights per trip - fairly mountainous.

Would you buy a 30-06 over a 6.5 PRC (or other cartridge) as a do-it-all?
Click to expand...

The 6.5 PRC is the easy button. With factory ammo it has great ballistics Yes, it does have recoil but it’s still allows for seeing your bullet impact. There are several other cartridges that will do what you are looking for 22Creed(if legal),6 Creed, 6.5 Creed, 6.8 Western. With barrel life being a concern then 308 or 6.5 Creed would be my top choices.
 
Call me crazy but I vote .270. I used to be a big .30-06 guy. My main rifle is a .308. But, the .270 is ballistically equivalent to the 6.5 prc within hunting ranges and the ammo is still cheap unlike the 6.5 prc.
 
Ran the 6.5 PRC for a few years now. I like it. Does the job on Elk and everything else I hit with it. That said, I picked up a 280 AI. It's my new go to now, accurate and shoots really well and I like the 7mm bullet weights. JMHO
 
Why not just keep the 308 barrel on there? Its not that much heavier than factory, especially if you cut it to 18''. its thick enough to get threaded 5/8-24. virtually Unlimited barrel life. Good ballistics out of a short barrel. Easy to find. Cheapish bulk ammo.

I had a tikka varmint in 308 which has a heavier barrel than the CTR. Trimmed to 18" in a factory stock the rifle was still sub 10lbs with a heavy scope.
 
Cactus kid said:
Why not just keep the 308 barrel on there? Its not that much heavier than factory, especially if you cut it to 18''. its thick enough to get threaded 5/8-24. virtually Unlimited barrel life. Good ballistics out of a short barrel. Easy to find. Cheapish bulk ammo.

I had a tikka varmint in 308 which has a heavier barrel than the CTR. Trimmed to 18" in a factory stock the rifle was still sub 10lbs with a heavy scope.
Click to expand...
yeah that was my initial thought too, just get a lighter 308, I'm running that now and chose it over all else as the rifle I wanted most (sako 90 peak) and I'm not a .30 cal guy, have never liked any I've had, the vanilla of the chambering still gives me the ick but I kind of like that and makes me chuckle such a sweet grail rifle and the most ick inducing chambering lol, ran through a lot of fun stuff over the decades to ultimately land here, now just wish I could get one in 6.5 Grendel and pray they make XS length models for all the modern x39 case stuff, then I'd really have an issue on which 90 to grab as I have a lot of Grendel time and faith in it and there's no ick in that chambering for me, I bet the 308 would end up neglected if could have this rifle in Grendel
 
a 6.5 or 7 prc will cover you for most anything you'll ever shoot and keep your bullets in the proper speeds if you decide to shoot beyond 600 yards. Sure you can kill a Giraffe with a 6um but thats not a factory option unless you want to buy only from UM.
 
Since it is factory loads, I would pick either the 308 Win or the 6.5 Creedmoor.

On recoil factors: 2000fps bullet @ sea level, 7lb rifle

6.5 Creedmoor / 260 Remington - ammo availability great, High BC bullets, low recoil
127gr Barnes, 2825fps, 14.5lbs recoil, good barrel life, good out to 450yds at 2000fps

308 Win - Ammo selection great, barrel life 5000+ rounds
130gr barnes, 3100fps, 16lbs recoil, 400yd till 2000fps
150gr barnes - 2900fps = 18lbs recoil, good out to 450yds to 2000fps

6.5 PRC - 21lbs recoil, ammo not cheapest
127gr barnes, 3010fps , good out to 550yds to 2000fps, sea level

7mm PRC - Recoil 30lbs
160gr Barnes, 3050fps, 700yds till 2000fps

30-06 - Ammo selection great, Recoil 25lbs
150gr Barnes, 2970fps, 500yds till 2000fps
 
Diamondback said:
Since it is factory loads, I would pick either the 308 Win or the 6.5 Creedmoor.

On recoil factors: 2000fps bullet @ sea level, 7lb rifle

6.5 Creedmoor / 260 Remington - ammo availability great, High BC bullets, low recoil
127gr Barnes, 2825fps, 14.5lbs recoil, good barrel life, good out to 450yds at 2000fps

308 Win - Ammo selection great, barrel life 5000+ rounds
130gr barnes, 3100fps, 16lbs recoil, 400yd till 2000fps
150gr barnes - 2900fps = 18lbs recoil, good out to 450yds to 2000fps

6.5 PRC - 21lbs recoil, ammo not cheapest
127gr barnes, 3010fps , good out to 550yds to 2000fps, sea level

7mm PRC - Recoil 30lbs
160gr Barnes, 3050fps, 700yds till 2000fps

30-06 - Ammo selection great, Recoil 25lbs
150gr Barnes, 2970fps, 500yds till 2000fps
Click to expand...
Don’t forget the 25 cal.

25-06 recoil 19 lbs/19.8
80g ttsx 3550fps 525 yards to 2000 fps
100 tsx 3225 475 yards to 2000
 
Stinky Coyote said:
yeah that was my initial thought too, just get a lighter 308, I'm running that now and chose it over all else as the rifle I wanted most (sako 90 peak) and I'm not a .30 cal guy, have never liked any I've had, the vanilla of the chambering still gives me the ick but I kind of like that and makes me chuckle such a sweet grail rifle and the most ick inducing chambering lol, ran through a lot of fun stuff over the decades to ultimately land here, now just wish I could get one in 6.5 Grendel and pray they make XS length models for all the modern x39 case stuff, then I'd really have an issue on which 90 to grab as I have a lot of Grendel time and faith in it and there's no ick in that chambering for me, I bet the 308 would end up neglected if could have this rifle in Grendel
Click to expand...

Any interest in a CZ 527? I doubt we ever see a mini-Tikka action, but that would make me very happy.


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