Author Topic: Essential Calibers (Read 4367 times)

Bart Solo · « **on:** November 25, 2011, 03:53:00 AM »

If you were working for Field and Stream and your editor told you to write an article listing essential North American hunting calibers what whould you include?

I would list 22 long rifle, 223, 243 Winchester, 30-30, 30-06, and maybe 338-06 or 35 Whelen. Of course I am not in love with magnums, so I haven't listed several calibers most folks consider essential. By the way, an argument can be made that the 243 and 30-30 fill the same medium low recoil niche as far as deer are concerned but the 243 is far more flexible. I have listed the 30-30 because it is an iconic American cartridge. I know this is the bolt action forum so the 30-30 might not be appropriate, but millions of Winchester and Marlin lever guns have been sold over the last century.

A lot of my friends have 270 and 7MM rifles in some flavor or other. The 7MM-08 seems to be really popular right now. A few years ago everybody had to have a 7MM Remington Mag (just before their shoulder surgery.) Maybe the best hunter I know uses either a 30-30 or a 270 Winchester depending on the hunt. His real preference is for his Remington 700 in 270, but sometimes he hunts with a 30-30 just for grins.

I know a lot of people who think the 257 Roberts is the classic deer slayer and the 25-06 or 257 Weatherby are the ideal antelope rifles. They would list their favorites as essential. The 308 is very popular and if I was going to buy a black rifle it would be in 308. I just don't think it beats the 30-06 in any essential way. Years ago I told my son that if he was going to own only one high power rifle (his choice) it had to be a 30-06. I still think my advice is sound.

What would your list look like and why?

tacklebury · « **Reply #1 on:** November 25, 2011, 04:22:18 AM »

.22 LR
.223 Rem
.45 LC
.45-70 gov.
12 ga
With these I'm good to go for about anything.

jlwilliams · « **Reply #2 on:** November 25, 2011, 04:41:59 AM »

.223 is the most popular 22 cenerfire today. It's not in any wany the equal of 22-250, but I think that a .223 rifle is a must have. It does well enough and is easy to feed.

.308, same thing. It's close enough to the 30.06 but in a short action. It's widely available and has lots of load options. Really, if you prefer 30.06 that's fine. I see them as close enough that I'd say you should have one or the other and either is fine.

30-30, great round but not often considered as a bolt action round. You can get a 30-30 bolt gun, but the true strength of the round is (IMO) that it's at home in the quiniesential North American game gun. The light, handy lever gun. Just a great package, but not really the topic of the 'essential bolt action cartridges' conversation.

243 is widely seen as the go anwhere-kill anything round, but I've never wrapped my arms around it so I can't realy reccomend it myself. It's popular enough that it certainly merrits mention.

And of course, 22lr. You gotta have a 22. Just because.

no guns here · « **Reply #3 on:** November 25, 2011, 04:50:22 AM »

I guess I'd have to go with categories of chamberings not individual ones. If it were individual only... you can stop the list at .22LR, .223, .30-'06 and 12ga. No NEED for more. I'll probably get flamed for all this but this is a quick and dirty categorization based upon the way I see it.

Categories

Small game/light varmint - .22LR, .17M2, .17HMR, .22WMR

Varmint - close range .22WMR, .17HMR, .22 Hornet

- long range .222/223 class, various 6mm, up to about .243 Win/6mm Rem

Deer/large varmint combo - Starting at .243 Win through the .25's and up to the smaller cased 7mm's

Larger deer - starting at the .25's and through the .30's and as far up the scale as you can tolerate

Elk/Moose/Bear - starting at the 7mm's and moving up as far as you can tolerate

Coastal Brown/Kodiak - Starting at .338 and moving up

NGH

mannyrock · « **Reply #4 on:** November 25, 2011, 05:22:47 AM »

I would have to go back to the Editor and ask, "Essential for what?" Essential for hunting 99% of all game in the U.S.? Or, essential for hunting 100% of the game in the U.S.?

For 99% of all game, the answer is extremely clear and boring: .22 LR, .223 and .30-06.

For 100% of all game, which picks up large grizzlies, the answer is only slightly less than boring: .22 LR, .223, .30-06, and .338 Win. Mag.

In all honestly, I don't see much room for controversy here.

The question isn't, "What are your personal favorite essential calibers?" Accordingly, some good rounds like the .30-30 and the .45-70 etc. don't make the list.

Mannyrock

Bart Solo · « **Reply #5 on:** November 25, 2011, 06:22:03 AM »

Mannyrock, you are right. If the editor is talking about 99.95% of all game in North America, the list stops at .30-06, but if you are talking about the big Alaskan Bear you better buy that .338 Win Mag or bigger. I am not sure about moose, but I think that with the right bullet the .30-06 has proven effective on everything up to and including elk.

tacklebury · « **Reply #6 on:** November 25, 2011, 06:46:44 AM »

Quote from: mannyrock on November 25, 2011, 05:22:47 AM

I would have to go back to the Editor and ask, "Essential for what?" Essential for hunting 99% of all game in the U.S.? Or, essential for hunting 100% of the game in the U.S.?

For 99% of all game, the answer is extremely clear and boring: .22 LR, .223 and .30-06.

For 100% of all game, which picks up large grizzlies, the answer is only slightly less than boring: .22 LR, .223, .30-06, and .338 Win. Mag.

In all honestly, I don't see much room for controversy here.

The question isn't, "What are your personal favorite essential calibers?" Accordingly, some good rounds like the .30-30 and the .45-70 etc. don't make the list.

Mannyrock

Heh my .45-70 with modern loads has more energy at 150 yards than the 30-06 starts out with.

30-06 is a good ole cartridge, but it's not something I'd want to go up against the bigger bears or moose with..... Period.

Empty Quiver · « **Reply #7 on:** November 25, 2011, 07:10:16 AM »

I'll assume a person is pursuing the common American game animals here.

.22 long rifle, marksmanship, plinking, and small game, does it all. Rifle and handgun please.

.223 for varmint, predators, target work and even home defense look no further. Ammo is relatively inexpensive, and plentiful.

.243 replacement for the .223 if you are not a varmint shooter. Will work on deer as well as on coyotes.

7mm-08 As fine a whitetail cartridge as could be invented. Will travel out west for pronghorns, sheep, and muleys as well.

A .30 calibre... Might as well finish pee'ing off everybody. .300 Winchester Magnum, if you can see it you can kill it

. For not that much more recoil you have a 30-06 beat every way to sunday. Deer, Antelope, Bears, Sheep, Elk, Moose, it's the Honey Badger of hunting rounds... it don't give a ... care kills 'em all.

9mm cheap reliable fodder for both home defense and plinking.

.357 magnum, mo' better than a 9mm and comes in some of the finest handguns ever made. Feel free to sell the 9mm to finance a .357 mag.

.338 Winchester Magnum, 'cause sometimes a .300 WM don't kill stuff dead enough. That's all I got to say about that.

45-70 'cause this is still America and if you are an American you need a lever action rifle and what could be better than a levergun fed with a good ol' fashion black powder cartridge modernized to run on smokeless?

.50 sidelock blackpowder rifle. Easier to understand where you are when you know where you came from.

For those on a budget I can pare this down a bunch.

East of the Mississippi .22 LR and a 30-30, you southern boys will have to learn to walk and stalk.

West of the Mississippi .338 WM and a .44 mag. handgun. Elmer Keith chose those two and I sure ain't gonna go against his judgement on the subject.

mannyrock · « **Reply #8 on:** November 25, 2011, 08:24:49 AM »

Hmm Quiver, East of the Mississippi, you think the .30-30 is the answer?

I guess you have never had a chance to hunt in West Tennessee, Mississippi or Alabama. Three hundred yard shots across massive bean fields at huge whitetails are very common. The .270, .30-06 and 7 Mag are far more common than the .30-30. (Almost nobody uses one. They are viewed as a "West Virginia" type gun.) That's why I chose the .30-06 as the compromise round.

Best to you,

Mannyrock

Empty Quiver · « **Reply #9 on:** November 25, 2011, 08:52:19 AM »

Quote from: mannyrock on November 25, 2011, 08:24:49 AM

Hmm Quiver, East of the Mississippi, you think the .30-30 is the answer?

I guess you have never had a chance to hunt in West Tennessee, Mississippi or Alabama. Three hundred yard shots across massive bean fields at huge whitetails are very common. The .270, .30-06 and 7 Mag are far more common than the .30-30. (Almost nobody uses one. They are viewed as a "West Virginia" type gun.) That's why I chose the .30-06 as the compromise round.

Best to you,

Mannyrock

Now that was a bit tongue in cheek. But, walking and stalking are an option are they not? Trying to link a calibre to half a continent does require compromise on somones part and since I'm not down south...

Bart Solo · « **Reply #10 on:** November 25, 2011, 11:01:24 AM »

I didn't ask about handgun calibers, but in my opinion the 9MM is an obsolete European round. If you go out with a 9MM you better have a double stack magazine. With the 9MM you need it. The 45 ACP is an American man's caliber. If you really want to double stack do it with something more potent than 9MM. The 40 S&W comes to mind.

As to the .300 Winchester Mag, it is just another Mag that come and go while the 30-06 and 308 just chug along doing everything that a bullet needs to do.

The 45-70 is on my wish list, but I am thinking about it in a Sharps or a Browning High Wall, full of holy black just like God intended.

Flynmoose · « **Reply #11 on:** November 25, 2011, 11:03:35 AM »

My choices are plain vanilla...22LR, .223, 30-06. The centerfires can be loaded light or hot, alot of versatality there. Who could live without at least one 22LR?
FM

mjbgalt · « **Reply #12 on:** November 25, 2011, 11:05:07 AM »

i have a .22, a .243, and a .270. i also own a custom mauser in 6.5x55 but it doesn't see bad weather, thus the .270 ADL.

Empty Quiver · « **Reply #13 on:** November 25, 2011, 02:03:29 PM »

Quote from: Bart Solo on November 25, 2011, 11:01:24 AM

I didn't ask about handgun calibers, but in my opinion the 9MM is an obsolete European round. If you go out with a 9MM you better have a double stack magazine. With the 9MM you need it. The 45 ACP is an American man's caliber. If you really want to double stack do it with something more potent than 9MM. The 40 S&W comes to mind.

As to the .300 Winchester Mag, it is just another Mag that come and go while the 30-06 and 308 just chug along doing everything that a bullet needs to do.

The 45-70 is on my wish list, but I am thinking about it in a Sharps or a Browning High Wall, full of holy black just like God intended.

I carry a .40S&W and tend to agree with you about the 9mm. The 9mm is far from obsolete though. Modern bullet construction has resolved much of the criticism the 9mm once deserved. Matter of fact you might have to defend what exactly a .40S&W brings to the table when compared to a 9mm with a good defensive load.

If this were 1970 I could maybe be convinced of the passing fad thing. Fifty years just about eliminates the fad description though. If I already owned a 30-06 I'm not sure I could justify a new rifle in 300 WM. Kind of like saying there is no reason for a pick-up with a 350 cu inch engine when there are 327's available.

The 30-06, .308, .45, 5.56, 9mm, have all benefitted from military service. With some of the most impressive cheerleaders known to grown men (re., drill instructors ) they are hard to compete against.

This list could easily be completed without a single calibre I listed and still be correct.

Ranch13 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 25, 2011, 03:00:17 PM »

The meaning of essential can get somewhat broad and distorted.
But a 22 lr, and a 30-30 is all you need for anywhere on this continent, and with a bit of reloading equipment you could skip the 22.
Handgun not particularly essential, but this may be one place where a 357 might find use.

Cheesehead · « **Reply #15 on:** November 25, 2011, 03:36:06 PM »

The correct list is,

.22 Long Rifle

.223 Remington

.308 Wincester

.375 Mag

Might as well make a larger leap into the Magnum area.

Cheese

cwlongshot · « **Reply #16 on:** November 25, 2011, 03:46:59 PM »

My list would be shorter... More a minimalist list, two of my favorites made the list. As long as I had reloading equipment.

22LR Rifle

30/06 Bolt Rifle

12Ga shotgun 870 26" smooth barrel

40S&W Glock 23

With this list, There is little to nothing I could not do. I would also like to see a 5.5" 22 Ruger MK II or III, but could live without it.

CW

schoolmaster · « **Reply #17 on:** November 25, 2011, 03:54:50 PM »

Essential for me means a 12 ga.

drdougrx · « **Reply #18 on:** November 26, 2011, 03:22:46 AM »

Based on the hunting that I like to do, my essential calibers are the same as those listed by Cheesehead except for 2 caveats....I'd like to add something with more reach for big animals, so I'd add a 300win and a 30/06 for all around unting rather than the 308. That's just me....

mannyrock · « **Reply #19 on:** November 26, 2011, 04:56:17 AM »

Cheesehead, I think that powerwise, your list is correct, but as a practical matter the .375 is incorrect. Not one in a hundred good hunters can shoot a .375 well. (Lots of us only weigh 140 pounds or less.) So, I think that for the "shootability" factor, the big bore has to drop down to something like the .338 Mag.

For those guys who keep listing the .30-30 as the only large caliber, I am sorry that I cannot agree. An essential cartridge includes one that will easily take mountain goats, elk, and pronghorn at at 250 yards, as well as coyote size game at that distance. And the .30-30 falls far short here. The .30-06 does not.

Remember, the Editor did not ask, "What is the minimum rifle cartridge that will kill big game at short distances." The request for Essentail Hunting Cartridge encompasses what is needed for taking all game in the U.S. at normally encountered ranges.

For those folks who keep saying a .22 LR is the only small round needed, I would say that it won't work for taking groundhogs, fox or coyote at 200 yards, which is the normal range encountered on these popular game animals. The .223 does the job.

This has been a great set of posts. Hope I haven't offended anyone.

Mannyrock

Dave in WV · « **Reply #20 on:** November 26, 2011, 04:59:53 AM »

.22lr, 223, 243, 30-06, 300mag (take your choice), 338Win, 375H&H

kmittleman · « **Reply #21 on:** November 26, 2011, 05:17:20 AM »

For me, realistically in my area (Maryland) all I would ever need would be:

.22 lr
.30-30 win
.357 / .38
20 ga

But if I want to be complete and cover all of the possibilities, I think these would cover me for life:

.22 lr
.223
.30-06
.44 mag
12 ga

-Kevin

Ranch13 · « **Reply #22 on:** November 26, 2011, 06:09:59 AM »

Quote from: mannyrock on November 26, 2011, 04:56:17 AM

For those guys who keep listing the .30-30 as the only large caliber, I am sorry that I cannot agree. An essential cartridge includes one that will easily take mountain goats, elk, and pronghorn at at 250 yards, as well as coyote size game at that distance. And the .30-30 falls far short here. The .30-06 does not.

You may want to rethink that position just a tad, it may not be the best, or most glitzy, but it dang sure works. The neighbor kid in this picture will attest to the ability of the 30-30

woods · « **Reply #23 on:** November 26, 2011, 06:10:11 AM »

My answer will baffle alot of people then they will think it makes sense, a plinker ( rimfire), a light weight small caliber gun, a big game caliber, a shotgun in 12 ga pump ( sorrey guys I can hunt anything with a 12, even big game if it comes to it)., and one handgun for all around use short barreled around 4".

woods

Empty Quiver · « **Reply #24 on:** November 26, 2011, 06:46:21 AM »

Quote from: Ranch13 on November 26, 2011, 06:09:59 AM

Quote from: mannyrock on November 26, 2011, 04:56:17 AM

For those guys who keep listing the .30-30 as the only large caliber, I am sorry that I cannot agree. An essential cartridge includes one that will easily take mountain goats, elk, and pronghorn at at 250 yards, as well as coyote size game at that distance. And the .30-30 falls far short here. The .30-06 does not.

You may want to rethink that position just a tad, it may not be the best, or most glitzy, but it dang sure works. The neighbor kid in this picture will attest to the ability of the 30-30

Whoooh, you grow them deer big

. Good on your neighbor, deer that size will eat all your crops before harvest

.

max1138 · « **Reply #25 on:** November 26, 2011, 09:45:22 AM »

pretty simple,

22lr. plinking ,small game

25/06 whitetail.antelope mule deer.varmits

35 whelen , everything else that might need killing

the 22, just because, in a marlin model 60 or ruger 10/22 its classic small game getter

the 26/06 will do anything under 400 lbs from brush to beanfields in a savage 110 or rem 700

the whelen, the do it all round easy 300 yard range and enough power to take the largest game in this hemisphere. in a model 70 controlled round feed action preferably in stainless with laminate stock the all weather all game sledgehammer.

these all fit in a standard legenth action with loaded ammo and components easily available.
there are shorter versions of each but the long version gives flexibility to use heavier bullets and cover a wider spectrum of game

scootrd · « **Reply #26 on:** November 26, 2011, 10:14:13 AM »

This was an interesting read - Another mans personal opinion on what to pare down
Boddington , Jan 1, 2009
Cartridges We Can Live Without

http://www.rifleshootermag.com/2009/01/01/cartridges-we-can-live-without/

My Essential Choices
.22/410 O/U (never should have sold my old Stevens)
.223 Remington
7MM-08 (120 gr - 150 gr )
30-06 (150gr on up)
12 ga.

Essential for me would also be a paired lever action and revolver in either 357 Mag or 44 Mag

Ranch13 · « **Reply #27 on:** November 26, 2011, 10:26:57 AM »

Emptyquiver, yessir a 150 or so of them slipping into the fields after dark and staying all night for months on end will definetly crumple your sense of humor when it comes to wild game....
Having to rebale 150 small bales left out over night in the field really tends to put folks in a bad mood

Empty Quiver · « **Reply #28 on:** November 26, 2011, 12:14:22 PM »

I will humbly offer my services to guard those fields during elk season, at least.

Quote from: Ranch13 on November 26, 2011, 10:26:57 AM

Emptyquiver, yessir a 150 or so of them slipping into the fields after dark and staying all night for months on end will definetly crumple your sense of humor when it comes to wild game....
Having to rebale 150 small bales left out over night in the field really tends to put folks in a bad mood

His lordship. · « **Reply #29 on:** November 27, 2011, 09:14:14 AM »

With the increase in urban sprawl and growing human population, I noticed that no one mentioned the tried and true .22 caliber pellet, or even the .177! I have used them hunting for years as a pest control projectial, does the job. If I tried to shoot a 30-06 in my neighborhood, the cops would be here real soon, not to mention the risk of someone's car or house if I missed!

Most of us do not live in rural Montana, we live in cities and the suburbs. So I say, the .22 caliber pellet in a spring type or pump-up bolt action pellet rifle.