Rifle caliber

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MattyT

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I have a strange question but it's something I've thought about lately and can't seem to find any related posts. I have been reloading for a couple years and I was wondering which rifle caliber bullets can be used across the most platforms, for the sake of buying safely in bulk? For example, for what little I know so far, .308" bullets can be used in 308 win, 30-06, 30-30 win, 300 wsm, 300 win mag, etc... Please let me know if I am wrong about this btw... I am not interested in 1000 yard shooting or super precision, just hunting and having fun. I have a 270 win that I like but would like to get another few rifles down the road. So is the .308" caliber bullet the most versatile bullet that can be used in the most rifle platforms? Or are there other versatile calibers too?

Thanks for your time!
 
There are several other .277 rifles out there. 6.8spc comes to mind. If you want to have component interchangeability you can go that route or you can do the .308/7.62 family of calibers. There are several 44 and 45 cal interchangeable guns (separate caliber families) but there are very few that you can bounce around from rifle to pistol with the same components. If the goal is to get a few rifles you should look at the families and figure out which caliber to use. If you want to go handgun/rifle interchangeable you need to look heavily at 44 cal and 38 cal as you can supposedly put 357 bullets through a .35Rem rifle.
 
Probably the 2 most versitile diameters are .308 and 7mm (.284). There are loads of cartridges in both diameters. To name a few: .308 - 30/40 Krag, 300 Sav, 308 Win, 30/06, 300 Win, 300 Wea, 300 WSM, 300 Rem UM, 30/378 Wea, 300 H&H, etc; 7mm (.284) 7mm -08, 7 x 57, 280 Rem, 284 Win, 7mm Rem Mag, 7 mm Wea Mag, 7mm WSM, 7mm STW, etc. Just be careful using any pointed .308 in the 30/30 as you can have detonation if you stack spitzers in a tubular magazine. If you have a box fed 30/30 or a single shot, then there is nothing wrong with pointed bullets, but if you have a Marlin or Win type lever action, tubular mag rifle, this is a big no-no.
 
Thanks for the great info guys! It seems to me that the .30 cal family has the widest and most commonly used range in calibers. Seems like I could eventually get 3-4 rifles of different power levels and uses if I wanted to. Plus as I was looking in my Lyman's manual, a few calibers like the 30-30, 308, and 30-06 mentioned that they had great results with cast bullets, and I like the idea of those as they are cheaper to shoot and practice with. Problems is that I want everything! For now I will try to figure out which 30 cal I want to start with.
 
Though .308 is a popular caliber, there is an almost endless variety of bullet styles and weights. Best thing to do is pick a bullet for the piece you are loading for and its intended use. The rifle is the big investment. Bullets are fairly easy to come by in comparison.

just hunting and having fun. I have a 270 win
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Great caliber there. You really don't need anything more for "just hunting and having fun." Fast shooting, flat trajectory, with the right bullet, adequate for any game up to elk size.
 
^^The .270 is adequate for more than elk. But that is another thread in itself. As states above the .308 calibre is probably going to give you the widest range of bullets selection and weight. 7mm is a close second.

However I would suggest (if you aren't going to get a .308 cal rifle) that you spend some time developing some accurate handloads for the .270. It's pretty impressive what can be accomplished (accuracy wise) with a factory rifle when you find the right load. Then possibly pick up another rifle and start over.
 
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