SAAMI lists at least 117 "chamberings" for commercially produced center-fire rifle cartridges. There are also various black powder cartridges and odd-ball foreign chamberings.
Complicating matters, there are many different kinds of rifle "actions" or mechanisms. Those actions move the cartridge from a magazine into the rear of the barrel, fire the round and then extract the spent casing. Various motions (lever action, twist bolt action, rolling block, break-action, pump action, semi-automatic) require varying amounts of skill from the shooter to ensure it cycles smoothly.
The bewildering array of choices came about as metallurgy and the mechanical arts progressed and because of the range of game from Prairie Dogs to African Elephants placed different demands on what was needed from the projectile.
No-brainer choices
I hate calling them that, but a lot of complexity can be boiled away if one simply focuses on throwing fast-balls down the center of the strike zone.
If I were primarily interested in putting meat in the pot with defense against two-legged predators and hogs as the secondary use, I would choose any one of these two firearms and never look back:
Tikka T3 stainless/synthetic in .308 Win or 6.5 Creedmoor
or
Ruger American Hunter in .308 Win or 6.5 Creedmoor
The Tikka has the advantage of being available in stainless steel. The Ruger has the advantage of accepting commonly available, detachable magazines in various capacities.
I would be happy topping the rifle with a Vortex Crossfire II scope (or better) scope in 3x9 or 4X12 magnification.
For the reloaders
As a point-of-fact, a 129gr or 130gr bullet out of the 6.5 with a muzzle velocity of 2400fps is still moving 2000fps at 200 yards which is well within the design profile of nearly all softpoint bullets for acceptable expansion on game. With a 170 yard zero, it has a mid-range rise of 1.9 inches and 31.5 grains of Varget will get you there.
A 165 grain .308 boat-tail bullet will perform exactly the same way and 42 grains of Varget will better that starting velocity by 150fps.
Neither of these cartridges need to be "hot-rodded" to perform well on game. In fact, more velocity means less penetration. If you hit a 1200 pound moose in the middle of the chest directly in line with his front leg with a 129 Hornady Interlock (for instance) at 2000 fps, it will pass-through and the moose will die in short order. Exactly the same thing can be said about the 165 grain Interlock (or Sierra Pro Hunter or Speer Hotcore or Nosler Anything or....)
On the other hand...
If I were primarily interested in defense
against two-legged predators and hogs with harvesting "deer" as the secondary use, I would
choose an AR-15 pattern rifle chambered in 5.56mm NATO. I think I would select a PSA model if money was tight. I would also opt for a Sig ROMEO 5 red dot sight or if I had more budget I would opt for an Aimpoint red dot and have flip-up aperture sights for backup.
While the purists will scoff about he 5.56mm NATO being "marginal" as a killer of deer, there are easily a million poachers who used .22LR to kill deer who are LTAO. For a frame of reference, a .22LR has less than 100 ft-lbs of energy at 100 yards while a 5.56 NATO still has over 900 ft-lbs at the same range.
It isn't that 5.56mm will not kill deer. There is now a solid understanding of the matching up the impact velocity (not muzzle velocity, goodness no!) and how stoutly the bullet must be constructed to consistently offer adequate penetration to the vitals.
The larger issue is finding the deer after it has been shot. A good tracking dog (not legal everywhere) can make a big difference. So can head and upper-neck shots.
Addendum
Hunters and shooters love to split hairs and argue about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. We will argue for hours over 7mm magnums versus .300 magnums or the HUGE difference between factory loaded .308 Winchester or 30-06 Springfield.
But when push-comes-to-shove, Great-Grandpappy killed a lot of animals with some pretty puny cartridges like the .32-40. There is a lot to be said for picking a cartridge/chambering where you can find ammo in every grocery store and brass at every shooting range. That 7.77mm Geewhizzenbangum is just a very, very expensive club if you don't have ammo.
A downside of all the rancor and arguing is that sometimes it hard for Aunt Maude to pick a gift for her favorite nephew. Sometimes she lucks out when she goes to the local emporium of noise and smoke and the guy or gal behind the counter asks questions and genuinely tries to help her select a firearm that will meet her needs. Sometimes she gets a hack.
These essays are intended to help Aunt Maude spend her wealth and be confident that she bought her favorite nephew a great tool. And, if she doesn't have a favorite nephew, I am available.
---Standard disclaimer: I receive no compensation or other considerations for any recommendations I make on this blog---
I'm a big proponent of using common widely available calibers, particularly ones that have stood the test of time.
ReplyDeleteI like.308 for it's combination of hitting power, range, and penetration. .223 can be stopped or deflected by light objects, including brush and car doors.
P.S. I've read that 6.5 Creedmore performs the same until 800 yards as 6.5 Swedish.
Jonathan
It was a happy accident that my 1st deer rifle was chambered in .308 Winchester. For our area, with very few big game opportunities (i.e. moose / elk / bear are non existent), the .308 is plenty for our big game animals if you keep your shots less than 400 yards (rather easy passing on shots that far in the field).
ReplyDeleteAnd in nearly 50 years of hunting, only have lost one hit animal (a shot I should have passed on) so that is on me.
Some aquaintences use the .22-250 on deer but limit themselves to neck shots on stationary deer. They say it is effective - I'm a little uneasy on that practice.
Practically speaking, a lever 30-30 has worked and still works well here.
I ran a lot of the same questions through my head the same way for the same reasons. One over-arching issue that kept surfacing was availability. For... reasons, .308/7.62 was the cartridge I decided was most likely to be available to me in the most situations. When reloading is factored in, well, likewise there's a ton of stuff for .308 out there. The chamber-compatibility with 7.62 you might find or pickup meant a lot to me. As we've seen in the last few years or so, the more common calibers are the ones re-stocked first, as they have the most potential customers. There are a LOT of .308-deer guns out in circulation. It's like buying an F-150, the junkyard will have some parts.
ReplyDeleteShot placement and terminal ballistics does a good job of defining the many possible outcomes from pulling the index finger rearward, but if you don't have the BB, what you've got is fancy a club.
In part b/c of this reason, I've taken to stocking powder and primers these days, got enough pre-rolled to last me a spell. The future is unknown, powder doesn't mind what brass you load it in.
The debate over which gun is best is irrelevant if you can't shoot well. Most young people I know do all of their shooting sitting at a bench at the range. They do little if any shooting in a standing or other position and can't really hit anything. My 79 year old wife can outshoot most of them on a 100 yard gong on our farm shooting off-hand. ---ken
ReplyDeleteTaking my nephews to an Appleseed event resulted in a 100% improvement in their offhand shooting. I STRONGLY recommend participating in one of these regardless of experience or skill level.
DeleteI too, stick with widely available calibers. I like and tend to stick with .308. Also 30-06, 5.56, 7.62x39, 45 ACP, 9mm, 40 S&W, 22LR, 12 gauge, and 20 gauge.
ReplyDeleteI have a few oddballs, but try to stay with things that I will be able to continue to feed long after those newer whizbang calibers will no longer be found if things get spicy.
Question Where does one find a range with a 170 yard target? I have used 50, 100 and 200 yard setups but never heard of the 170 yard set up.
ReplyDeleteObservation You certainly kill anything in North America with a 308. However if you shoot a moose thru both lungs it will find the nearest body of water to die in. Every stinking time. Packing out a wet moose while standing in water can not be recommended. I've done it several times, Mine did not only because he was above the tree line but he was headed that way.
Some of us are blessed to have enough property to do that.
DeleteOthers go to a ballistic calculator (Hornady has a pretty good one) and find out how "high" the bullet will be at 100 yards to be dialed in for a 170 yard zero.
Good question!
It’s ridiculous, really. How many times can you have the argument, “which is better, the 30-06 or the .308?” or “which is better, the 9mm or the .45?”
ReplyDeleteHow many times can you have that argument? Ya can’t kill ‘em any deader than dead! It’s not even an argument.
There is nothing “wrong” with the 223 cartridge if you accept it for what it is and hunt accordingly with it. The problem comes when Cletus and Bubba go down to Wally World and buy FMJ Ball range ammo on sale and then go hunting with it.
I might quibble about tracking game after the shot. Do your homework. Get in close, put them down with one and be done with it. Properly hit, no animal should get much beyond 100 yards from the point of impact. Long range marginal shots are for either slobs or people in life or death survival scenarios and that’s it.
The trouble with solving the world's problems with a beer in one hand is that nobody is taking notes. Consequently, the same discussion needs to be held again and again and again.
DeleteWith regard to tracking, there are some places where tracking 100 yards is not big deal nor is "sweeping" to find the body. There are other places like parts of Texas where cholla and thorn-bush makes a 100 yard square a huge area to search. There are also various swamps in the northeast that are the same way.
Don’t ever shoot a moose then… those things invariably find a swamp to die in…😂👍
DeleteIf I am hungry, I will risk it.
DeleteI’m with CoyoteKen45 regarding the value of gaining expertise. One inexpensive and enjoyable way to improve is by going to shooting competitions, building skills and confidence. Monthly three-gun type matches provide far more variety than merely shooting flat-footed or seated at a range. Reloading under time pressure, shoot-move-shoot, transitioning from shotgun or rifle to handgun, problem solving, and more. There are two dozen matches within an hour’s drive of my home and each offers different experiences. Watch the video in this link to see one example.
ReplyDeletehttps://desertmarksmen.com/disciplines/urban-tactical
First, it's what you HAVE, second, it's practicing enough to hit your target out to an 'acceptable' range (area dependant). Since I'm in Texas, and an old fart, I'm going with 30-06 or .308, as they are readily available calibers out here. Yes, I have an AR, but that is a fall back use, not a primary.
ReplyDeleteCurve ball. I've hunted primarily in VT and FL. Sight distances are remarkably similar. I prefer a pistol caliber carbine with a low power scope, and a side arm in the same caliber. I have AR's for other uses, and .30 for still others. I think limiting calibers has virtue, but ultimately you use what you have. H/T Old NFO.
ReplyDeleteFor handgun, I settled on 357, 9mm, 45 acp, 50 years ago. 308, 30.06, 30.30, 6.5 Swede, 5.56, 40 years ago. Dropped the 30.06 and 30.30 a few years ago. Anything the 30.30 can do, the 6.5x55 will do much better, faster, flatter and with about the same recoil, maybe less. I know, boring, I can live with that.
ReplyDeleteI'm old enough to start thinning the herd. Usually for fun and exciting things like car, truck repairs. It is what it is.
Doesn't matter what caliber/cartridge you are using or what the intended purpose is if you can't hit the target. Inexpensive ammo allows more practice. Practice leads to better results.
ReplyDeleteI’ve shot several deer with a .243 but traded for a 7mm mag when I moved to Alaska, a friend tried a close neck shot with a .243 and the moose just shook his head, fortunately his partner backed him up with a .300mag. I’ve shot moose behind the shoulder with a 7mm mag and a .444marlin and they all died right there! I once shot two caribou with one shot with my .44mag Marlin lever gun, luckily I had two tags. An old timer I knew who came to Alaska in 1929 said a .22 long rifle worked fine for moose if you sneak up on one bedded down and put one in the lungs and wait. The world record brown bear was shot by a native lady in the Yukon with .22 longs with a head shot followed by the five or six rounds she had with her! It was documented by the local trading post trader.
ReplyDeletethe largest white tail in America was killed with a 25-20 and then there is this - https://www.ammoland.com/2017/06/bella-twin-the-22-used-to-take-the-1953-world-record-grizzly-and-more/
ReplyDelete