The cartridge for the next 30 years….

[mtnkid85]

There are hundreds of discussions about this cartridge vs that cartridge. There are new cartridges coming out every year it seems. But if you were going to buy one heirloom type rifle for the rest of your hunting days, what would it be chambered in? This would be for elk, deer, maybe a moose or bear scattered in the mix.

30-06. It will do everything you ask of it.

 

[roosiebull]

If I could only have one, it would be an 8 twist 243. If future ammo availability isn’t a concern, 6 creed. It would do everything I would ever need a rifle to do, and pleasant to shoot

 

[307]

I’m surprised at all of the older cartridge choices.

Personally, I’ll choose the best tech (efficient, moderate recoil, high bc) available in modern times, which would be either 6.5 cm/prc or 7 prc.

I’ll take the middle of the 3, 6.5 PRC.

 

[Drenalin]

If I could only have one, it would be an 8 twist 243. If future ammo availability isn’t a concern, 6 creed. It would do everything I would ever need a rifle to do, and pleasant to shoot

This is where I’d land.

 

[OrangeMan73]

308

 

[Jsmalls273]

@PNWGATOR - curiously, it took 4 pages (I think?) for this to be mentioned……apparently not everyone has read the 60,000 page thread about the .223?

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[coloradodrifter]

.223

I have read the evidence on how effective the 223 can be on big game but I live and hunt primarily in Colorado so that eliminates the 223.

 

[sneaky]

Man, keep up - I was referring to what you were saying and making a satirical reference to how very ignorant you are in the fact that you honestly believe energy is irrelevant…. Now that I just to wasted time spelling it out to you. It’s called sarcasm.
This has devolved into a sling shot vs rifle energy debate- let’s agree to disagree. 308 all the way You win lol.

No, it devolved in to you don't want to hear anyone else's opinion, just your own. Go overcompensate somewhere else. If you don't want to buy a certain caliber, then don't. But don't try to argue against something that has proven to work all around the world. If it isn't your cup of tea, don't drink it.

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[BugleMeTimber]

.270 win would be my first choice followed by 7mm-08, .300 wm, 7mm rm and .308 win.

 

[ThunderJack49]

There is also a fallacy in this conversation that any of us can predict the future. The civilian and hunting market can/will move with some predictability but if there was a massive war, and subsequent arms race, that might very well change the landscape of what we shoot and what is cheap and widely available.

A few folks here are getting wrapped around the axle on small details that hardly matter to most hunters.

Everyone of these calibers has a successful track record, hence their mention. Nobody is mentioning .303 british or .220 swift or any of the other calibers that have fallen to history. To me, this signifies the fickle nature of the market and unpredicability of advancement.

I love a vigorous debate and it truly is a lost art in society, but it needs to be objective and polite.

Thirty years is a long time and there is a lot to consider.

 

[prm]

My one heirloom type rifle for the rest of my hunting days is a 6.5 CM. Seems to do everything I need. Basically elk and deer. It has proven to work just fine on both so far. I struggle to select any other rifle to hunt with. Forget all the energy bs, if the bullet will be above its min opening velocity at the range you want, its enough. If this rifle were a 308 I’d be equally satisfied.

 

[OrangeMan73]

There is also a fallacy in this conversation that any of us can predict the future. The civilian and hunting market can/will move with some predictability but if there was a massive war, and subsequent arms race, that might very well change the landscape of what we shoot and what is cheap and widely available.

A few folks here are getting wrapped around the axle on small details that hardly matter to most hunters.

Everyone of these calibers has a successful track record, hence their mention. Nobody is mentioning .303 british or .220 swift or any of the other calibers that have fallen to history. To me, this signifies the fickle nature of the market and unpredicability of advancement.

I love a vigorous debate and it truly is a lost art in society, but it needs to be objective and polite.

Thirty years is a long time and there is a lot to consider.

So what you're basically saying is...

308 is the answer.

 

[Mikey_B79]

Elk and moose (especially in bear country) would be a .300 Win Mag for me. It'll handle the worst shooting conditions/scenarios, even though it's a bit much for whitetails out of a tree stand. Find a good load in the 175-190gr range and shoot that at everything.

 

[bradmacmt]

I'm 62 - I own two 6.5 CM's, two 270 Win's, and two 308's. If I were 32 I wouldn't change anything.

Any of those would be fine for all the game I'm likely to take til I'm 92

 

[Wetwork]

Well I just picked up a Ruger made Marlin SBL in 45-70, I regret big time not picking one of these up years ago. You can use black powder and about a billion other powders from pistol powder to shotgun powder's. Casting bullets for it can be done over a campfire. Seriously you can make bullets for it over a campfire. Pretty sure this round has killled every big game animal on the planet. From elephants to grouse. You can load it angry, or load it up easy. There are hundreds of different bullets that work in this thing. I'm still in awe. -WW
ps. I"m a skinny tiny little guy and the recoil is nothing if you keep the bullets under 1600fps. I pretty much have all the rifles already mentioned in this thread. Im still choosing my new Marlin. Its been around since the 1800's and with as easy as it is to load for I'd imagine it can go on another 100 plus years.

 

[Thebigbaby]

.308, .300 wm, 30-06

 

[wyosam]

I don’t really understand all the votes for 280AI. I certainly get the ballistics, but has regular ammo availability become a thing? And will it still be 30 years from now with all that’s going on in the modern cartridge industry?

Hard to see what the 280AI offers over the much more popular 7mm Rem Mag.

Less powder and recoil for similar performance. No belt. Not much really. But in all reality there is very little effective difference in hunting cartridges across a very broad range for 90+% of uses. Yet here we are all in another cartridge debate thread. The 7 rem mag has had a good run and more than likely will continue to. In terms of separation from where the market and cartridge design has been been going for some time now though, the belted cartridges are the most antiquated.


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[Thebigbaby]

Less powder and recoil for similar performance. No belt. Not much really. But in all reality there is very little effective difference in hunting cartridges across a very broad range for 90+% of uses. Yet here we are all in another cartridge debate thread. The 7 rem mag has had a good run and more than likely will continue to. In terms of separation from where the market and cartridge design has been been going for some time now though, the belted cartridges are the most antiquated.


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Have always heard it mentioned but don’t know the details. Why is the belt bad?

 

[Archery22]

Buying a .308

 

[Amos Keeto]

Whatever caliber you're shooting, from .17 Rem to .700 NE, if bullet placement is off, you may as well be throwing rocks.
A .22LR and a pocket full of ammo is probably THE best survival weapon on the face of the earth.