Caliber Comparisons

[kinger]

Hi,

Appreciate your patience with me...I'm new to the forum and to the TC handguns. Is there a site anyone can recommend that lists caliber comparisons for hunting? I'm looking for practical recommendations as well as the scientific information.

Thanks!

Pete

[clodbuster]

Kinger   Welcome to contender world.  It is a fascinating place.  I don't know the site name you are looking for but someone will soon be on here with it.  Just a suggestion to look at.  7-30 Waters for deer,  223 for varmits, 22lr  small game.  Everything else is just gravy.

[Graybeard]

Perhaps this page right here on GBO is what you're looking for:

http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/handguns.shtml


I wrote it long ago and haven't updated it in years but it has a pretty fair discussion of a bunch of them.

[kinger]

Bill,

That's exactly what I'm looking for! Since you don't have the .308 on there, can you give me your "run-down" on it? I'm already sold on the 7-30 Waters (I'll be ordering one for my encore in 14" once I figure out the best place to get it). What of the .308?

Thanks again, and by the way, this is a wonderful site!

Pete

[KYODE]

the 7-30 is a better contender chambering, imo. the 7-08 would be a better choice in the encore. if you handload, you can load it down slightly to near 7-30 balistics, if ya want.

[kinger]

Why would you prefer the 7-08?

Pete

[Graybeard]

I agree with the comment above. If you go with the Contender then the .309 JDJ and 7-30 are my choices in the caliber. BUT if you go with an Encore then the 7-08 and .308 are the way to go. The .308 and .309 JDJ are basically ballistic twins. The .308 has maybe a 100 fps edge which is of no consequence in the real world. So what I said about the .309 JDJ applies to it as well.

[xphunter]

Hard to beat the 7-08 & the 308.
Another option for the Encore would be the 260 Remington.
If you wanted to bump up in performance the 6.5-284 & the 284 Win are great cartridges also.  Depends on what you want and what you want it for.

[**oneshot**]

I have an Encore 308.  The load I'm shooting is 43.5gr H4895 over a 150gr HornadySST.  Recoil is modest, comparable to a 44magnum without the kick over the wrist.  Bullet performance was very good in test material, 78% weight retention with a very good mushroom.  43.5 is at the lower end of the Hogdon manual but gave me the best  groups.

[xphunter]

My two kids and myself have used the 7-08 & the 260 in specialty handguns with 14 inch barrels to take PD's, Turkey, coyotes, bobcat, whitetail, mulies, antelope, and elk.  FWIW the ranges were under 100 yards on the elk.

[kinger]

Thanks for all the replies. Now you've got me thinking the 7-08 and 308 are better choices, as I'm using an encore. I live in Central NY and plan on using this barrel primarily for whitetail hunting. I doubt very much I'd ever get a shot at more than 150 yards, but who knows? If I have the tool to do it, I might look for a longer shot. I plan on purchasing in a 14" barrel.

Can someone give me a comparison between the 7-08 and 308? If you were going to own only one, which would it be and why?

Thank you all for your help.

Pete

[B_Koes]

Here's about all the comparison you need... .284" vs. .308"  They're the same base case so ballistics will be very equivalent.

Okay, so that's not much of an answer but there's really not spit worth of difference between the two.  Especially when your criteria is whitetails <200 yards (would hold true at all moderate ranges).  I wouldn't feel handicapped by either round.  You might consider if you have equipment or components for one round as a determining factor.  If you are starting from a clean slate then just pick the one that you think is the "coolest" and don't give it another thought.  Another thing...I doubt you'd ever have trouble locating .308 rounds if you ever found yourself without your favorite ammo.