caliber suggestions

[Wgrobb]

Hi all.

flat lander here planning a western hunt.
Bear, Elk & Mule Deer

i know this has been beat to death I'm sure.
need a caliber suggestion that will do all 3. i am trying to stayaway from Long action magnums please.

thanks in advance

 

[Finn16]

Caliber 7mm, cartridge 280 AI.

 

[letrbuck]

30-06, 280, 280 AI, 270, 7MM-08, 308....etc etc

The list of cartridges that will work, is much longer than the list that wont.

Do you already have a rifle, or looking for something new? What ranges will you look to shoot?

 

[B23]

300 WSM

 

[KCMuley]

7mm and 30 diameter cartridges. You don't need magnums unless you want to. If you don't reload, find a great factory hunting round and you should be good. As for specific caliber.... Just pick one that you like and can handle the recoil.

 

[wyosam]

Moderate .284 (or .264, or .308...) something or another. Specific? How about the .284 win? It’s a not often mentioned good one.


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[EmperorMA]

Any 6.5 through .338 in a non-magnum version is great.

If you want a short action, it is hard to beat a 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Rem, 6.5x284, 7mm-08, .308 Win. or .338 Federal.

If a long-action, non-magnum is OK, then .270 Win, .280 Rem, .280 AI, .30-'06 and .338-'06 are great.

 

[bdg848]

I think the 280 Ackley would be fantastic choice but I don't handload so ammo options are slim and I could only find two rifles chambered for it for under 1k and I didn't like either of them. 280 Rem was my next choice but had the same problems as the ackley version. 270 Win was the next best thing with plenty of ammo choices and good rifles for my budget.

 

[elkguide]

You can never go wrong with a .30 caliber.

 

[ramsdude47]

7mm-08 if you’re trying to minimize recoil and/or go ultralight. 308 if not.

IMO there are not notable advantages to straying from what is tried and true, (usually) widely available, and offers lots of variety.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I use my 6.5 PRC for Elk, Mule Deer and Black Bears. Seriously tho - anything from 6.5 creedmoor to 30-06 will work awesome.

 

[Clarence]

30-06
About every model of rifle will be chambered in it.
Tons of ammo/ bullet options
It's not the sexy new, but it just plain works.

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[lyle_destroys]

270 or 30-06. I don't own either one of those currently but they are both fantastic.

 

[EmperorMA]

Something else occurred to me ..... if you roll your own or aren't afraid of having a cartridge for which factory ammo can be tough to come by, here are some more that make great Western rifles:

6.5x284 Norma - A great round for everything. One of my all-time favorites, I have 11 elk kills and many more deer and pronghorn with this round. Both of my longest shots on game ( a GIANT bull elk and a great trophy Pronghorn) were made using this cartridge and some excellent handloads.

6.5-'06 - About a twin of the above 6.5x284 but in a non-magnum long action.

6.5 PRC - Up and coming, this should become a Western staple as popularity grows. While close to the above two performance-wise, it handles long, heavy, sleek bullets better by design.

.270 WSM - A nearly perfect Western cartridge that sports better availability than the others on this list. Easy on the shoulder, as well.

7 SAUM - This cartridge is a fantastic all-around Western number. If it wasn't so difficult to get factory ammo (you never know when you might need it!), I'd own this.

.284 Win - Same as 7 SAUM.

7 WSM - Same as .284 Win.

The .270 WSM is probably the top choice for me on this list due to ammo availability (during normal times) but I wouldn't hesitate on the 6.5 PRC as I am certain that more offerings will become available for it in the coming months and years.

If you handload, the 7 SAUM deserves a good, hard look.

 

[Wgrobb]

Something else occurred to me ..... if you roll your own or aren't afraid of having a cartridge for which factory ammo can be tough to come by, here are some more that make great Western rifles:

6.5x284 Norma - A great round for everything. One of my all-time favorites, I have 11 elk kills and many more deer and pronghorn with this round. Both of my longest shots on game ( a GIANT bull elk and a great trophy Pronghorn) were made using this cartridge and some excellent handloads.

6.5-'06 - About a twin of the above 6.5x284 but in a non-magnum long action.

6.5 PRC - Up and coming, this should become a Western staple as popularity grows.

.270 WSM - A nearly perfect Western cartridge that sports better availability than the others on this list. Easy on the shoulder, as well.

7 SAUM - This cartridge is a fantastic all-around Western number. If it wasn't so difficult to get factory ammo (you never know when you might need it!), I'd own this.

.284 Win - Same as 7 SAUM.

7 WSM - Same as .284 Win.

The .270 WSM is probably the top choice for me on this list due to ammo availability (during normal times) but I wouldn't hesitate on the 6.5 PRC as I am certain that more offerings will become available for it in the coming months and years.

If you handload, the 7 SAUM deserves a good, hard look.

what's the recoil like on the 7mm Saum.
I'm a big guy and can take recoil. My son will be 17 and really don't want to pound his shoulder and make him fear the rifle.

 

[EmperorMA]

what's the recoil like on the 7mm Saum.
I'm a big guy and can take recoil. My son will be 17 and really don't want to pound his shoulder and make him fear the rifle.

Not much different than a .270 Win, in my experience.

 

[Wgrobb]

I honestly wish Tikka made a few more options hen thy do, Kind of wanna get tikka Supelrite. caliber options are limited though. However at that price I could get a different gun for my son and myself.

maybe a 6.5 CM and something in the 7mm - 30 cal range for myself.

I've previously shot 30/06 and 308 however i passed on those rifles on to nephews and nieces this year and will start fresh with my son. They were both Remington 742 and not really my thing.

 

[Sacrvrrat72]

I honestly wish Tikka made a few more options hen thy do, Kind of wanna get tikka Supelrite. caliber options are limited though. However at that price I could get a different gun for my son and myself.

maybe a 6.5 CM and something in the 7mm - 30 cal range for myself.

I've previously shot 30/06 and 308 however i passed on those rifles on to nephews and nieces this year and will start fresh with my son. They were both Remington 742 and not really my thing.

If you want to stick with Tikka switching out the barrel with a prefit is an option. Costs a bit more, but you can do it yourself, or pay a smith a few bucks.


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[Anello]

!. .280 Rem or .280 AI - The AI if you hand load. .280 Rem is my favorite cartridge, though. .
2. 30-06 - Most versatile and possible most effective, all time.
3. .270 - Only downside is less bullet options than all 7 mm cartridges.
4. .308 - Not my choice, but inherently effective and reasonable.

 

[Elkchaser24x7]

I have few flavors, 7mm mag, .300 RUM and .270.
I end up hunting 90% with my .270. With todays great bullet selections, and it versatility as flat shooter, its hard to beat for my needs.