Most universal caliber

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theboyscout

theboyscout

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What is your choice of the lost universal caliber for hunting medium to big game. I have been thinking of getting another rifle but I want to be able to hunt everything from fox, bobcat, wolverine, deer, and more.

Recently I'm leaning to the 223/.556 round. What do you think. They are low cost and come in a vativar of weights and velocity.
 
theboyscout said:
Why?
Click to expand...
the 243 is often put of by most hunter as a womens or childrens cartridge. you can load 50 to 115 bullets but most only think the 100 sp it the only load out there. the 243 has the power for elk but or some reason guy think its barley addiqit for small does a under 100 yards. for long range shooting the 243 is excellent beating even the most hyped target/long range round out today.
 
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243 AI, .256 winmag, 327 federal, and 7-30 waters.
but the big question is... are you a reloader? Because if you aren’t thenyour walking away from a plethora of stuff in that very realm including the ones I just mentioned. If you don’t reload then 223 or 243 with honorable mention to a .357 lever rifle and a 9mm carbine.
 
Not really a fan of the 308 Winchester, but it's very versatile. Load it with 110 grs for predators, and with 175 grs VLD for elk. Plenty of brass and loaded ammo. Virtually every rifle on the planet is chambered for it.

If not 308 Winchester, then another cartridge I'm not in love with: 6.5 Creedmoor. Same reasons.

243 won't do for anything bigger than deer, but it's bloody handy for everything else.

223/5.56 is fine for shooting people and small dogs. Otherwise, it's utterly and completely overblown.
 
I cast my vote for the 243 as well. While some say it would work on Elk I tend to think it a bit on the small side, but I haven't hunted Elk either.
I load my rifle up with an 87 Vmax pushed very fast and have found it to be a very optimal bullet out to 400 yards on Antelope and 530 yards on a coyote, for a mid weight bullet it bucks the wind well. If I could use it to deer hunt here in the Communist Madigan-istan (the state formerly known as Illinois and ruled by Mike Madigan) I would not hesitate one bit to do so.
 
I’m leaning towards 30-06. 110gr vmax for varmints and all the way to 220gr woodleighs for anything that walks this earth. (The SD is .331!). The best part is if you don’t roll your own both of these are available in factory ammunition.

I can’t say I agree with 5.56 for big game

If big game for you stops at non-dangerous or thin skinned game then I say go to .270 and it will be even more versatile for you
 
I hunt critters up to deer/hogs with the 223 and 243, but I wouldn't try it on anything bigger, and certainly not beyond 300. To push further, and for larger critters like elk/moose, my 6.5 CM would be my go-to. What is neat is that the same 6.5 CM with a match grade round (not a SP) would do fine on coyote and smaller varmint without destroying a pelt, if the pelt is even a concern. And all that in an accurate low recoil cartridge, now available at wally world.
 
Go old's cool with a Swedish 6.5x55. Low recoil and probably the most used caliber in Sweden for game up to and including Swedish älg (elk), which are actually moose. Has good penetrating ability and long range accuracy. Surplus rifles and ammo used to be cheap. lol
 
theboyscout said:
What is your choice of the lost universal caliber for hunting medium to big game.
Click to expand...

IS there such a choice? :D You're going to need one of them "Venn diagrams thingies
" to figure this one out...
Especially for the non-hand-loader, which restricts the shooter to factory ammunition, and ask any experienced hand-loader and you will find that the spectrum for what a cartridge may actually be depended upon to harvest widens a lot when you hand-load.

So...., If you mean to be technical, the choice for one and only one bore size to "hunt it all" from quail to moose is 12 gauge. :confused:

But the OP is asking about a rifle cartridge, so let's stop being "technical" eh? ...,
I first thought of the .243 Win, which is more and more becoming recognized as a well kept secret. ;) A tad light for stuff larger than a mule deer though, perhaps? OK perhaps good for Elk, but for Moose? For Grizzly? o_O

Fifty years ago it would be a debate between the .30-06, .308 Win, and the .270 Win (maybe throw in a .25-06 advocate too)..., but for bobcat, fox, coyote, a little hard on the pelts to day the least.....

Today, the 6.5 CM or the .260 Remington drop the bullet weight down, so good on deer, and on pelts, again though Moose, and/or Grizzly? (Again leave handloading out of it :D) What about the vintage 6.5x55mm Swede, grandad of the 6.5 CM and the .260 Rem ??

So how about the 7mm-08 Remington? Factory loads of 120 grains for medium game, 140's for deer, and 165's for elk and moose?
THEN toss in hand-loading and you get as heavy as 175 grains at a respectable speed, and as light as 100 grains.

And you get pretty much the same depth of bullet selection with a wider range of options, and even up to heavier slugs.... with the .308 Win.... :thumbup:

Actually I think you need to have at least two rifles of different calibers...


LD
 
At this day and age I would say a 6.5 of your choice, Grendel, Swede, Remington, Creedmore, take your pick

In a previous day and age Mr. O'Connor made quite a case for the .270 Win.
 
Does big game include angry moose during the rut and bears eyeing you up at their favorite fishing hole?
 
I remember watching a hunting show a few years ago and an 11 year old lass dropped a 400” bull at over 300 yards with a 243. Not shot it and the bull ran off and eventually expired. She shot, bull hunched, stood there for about 3-4 seconds and fell deader than a doornail. That stuck with me.

Were I choosing an all around caliber for your specifics, I’d probably go with a 243, 25-06 or 7mm-08. Might even throw in the 308 or 30-06 but that’s a big ole bullet for a Fox. Even a match bullet is going to do some serious damage. But truthfully, I’m not even sure what I’d hunt fox with. Probably a 22 Mag or 410. They’re tiny and thin skinned.
 
Loyalist Dave said:
IS there such a choice? :D You're going to need one of them "Venn diagrams thingies
" to figure this one out...
Especially for the non-hand-loader, which restricts the shooter to factory ammunition, and ask any experienced hand-loader and you will find that the spectrum for what a cartridge may actually be depended upon to harvest widens a lot when you hand-load.

So...., If you mean to be technical, the choice for one and only one bore size to "hunt it all" from quail to moose is 12 gauge. :confused:

But the OP is asking about a rifle cartridge, so let's stop being "technical" eh? ...,
I first thought of the .243 Win, which is more and more becoming recognized as a well kept secret. ;) A tad light for stuff larger than a mule deer though, perhaps? OK perhaps good for Elk, but for Moose? For Grizzly? o_O

Fifty years ago it would be a debate between the .30-06, .308 Win, and the .270 Win (maybe throw in a .25-06 advocate too)..., but for bobcat, fox, coyote, a little hard on the pelts to day the least.....

Today, the 6.5 CM or the .260 Remington drop the bullet weight down, so good on deer, and on pelts, again though Moose, and/or Grizzly? (Again leave handloading out of it :D) What about the vintage 6.5x55mm Swede, grandad of the 6.5 CM and the .260 Rem ??

So how about the 7mm-08 Remington? Factory loads of 120 grains for medium game, 140's for deer, and 165's for elk and moose?
THEN toss in hand-loading and you get as heavy as 175 grains at a respectable speed, and as light as 100 grains.

And you get pretty much the same depth of bullet selection with a wider range of options, and even up to heavier slugs.... with the .308 Win.... :thumbup:

Actually I think you need to have at least two rifles of different calibers...


LD
Click to expand...


Jeez, I figured you'd say 54 caliber PRB. :D
 
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