Caliber Preferences?

[mark1945]

I really cant say that I have a favorite caliber. I have been collecting guns for many years and have a wide variety of calibers . I just pick one I havent shot in awhile and thats my go to for that day. Also depends on if Im shooting or hunting as to what I choose. In my muzzleloaders i do actually have a favorite its the 58 cal.

 

[Hanshi]

Except for small game with .22 RF I started off deer hunting with a .45 percussion. Years later my wife bought me a box of 30/30 ammo for a Win 94 and insisted I start using that. I killed a very nice buck with it and then went back to black powder. If I had to spend a year in Alaska in a remote camp, my Trapper 30/30 is what I'd take with me. I've owned three 30/06 and at least 2 .308 rifles and killed deer with both calibers. I don't shoot factory ammo; I load everything I shoot and hunt with. I've been (and still do) reloading for about 50 years now. For the 30/30 I prefer the 170 grain bullets and they do a bit better in my 94 than the 150.

With the .350 Rem mag I reload the 200 grain Hornady. I've killed deer with the 250 grain but the 200 grn accuracy is spectacular. So far only the 100 grain bullet has been reloaded and used on deer with both the .250 and .257R. I do have some 115 grn, 117 grn and 120 grn Noslers which were meant to be loaded for the .257R; sadly I HAD to sell that fine rifle for our move. Used in my Ruger M77 .250 the 117 grn showed velocity not much below 100 grn velocity.

 

[user 23626]

I'm sure this discussion could go on forever around the campfire with a cold one but here's my 2 cents worth. I've also been loading for 50 yrs, I think Mike 1945 and I have something in common. I own 11 Ruger #1s and always have been a fan of the sgl shot except with todays high coyote prices, when there is lead in the air there is hope! My "hope" rifle is a 77 tang safety in 220 AI, one in 8 twist Douglas premium med sporter 24" 12X AO Leupold. My go to big game rifle is my 1A rechambered from 7X57 to 284 Win and a Leupold 7.5 AO. This is the only #1 with an appreciable amount of bluing worn off. My 243, 220 and 25-06 #1s are AIs also, hate trimming cases. In the past my go to long lead slinger was a 77 bbld to 6.5/06. I bought both of my sons 721 Rems in 270 upon graduation and told them it would kill anything in NA they might hunt, still gottum. Fav hand gun? Ruger wheel guns with the 45 Colt on top. Just starting BP PRB perc to put more "sport" into the sport and have trapped full time winters here in S/C Wy for 14 yrs.

 

[JMG1894]

Always been a fan of 30-06. Good all round North American caliber.
I started my days of hunting with a surplus Carl Gustav 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser. Now there’s a cartridge with defeating purposes!
And you can’t forget the good old .303 British.
As a matter of fact the only Lee Enfield I am shooting to this day is a US Property stamped No4 MK2.
Lately I’ve been happy with my TC Encore in 25/06. Moose, elk and deer with this one.
And of course the good old 30-30 lever gun. These Mettalic cartridge guns always seem to get in the way of my muzzle loaders. I tend to favour the Hawken style muzzle loaders and my favourite is always an original TC Hawken.54 with a Green Mountain.58 barrel.

 

[user 23626]

Mark I hope I didn't make you mad by referring to you as Mike, well close. I just got home from a permission for trapping razu. The Savage HB in 6.5 Creed is not a fur friendly cal but put down a dog an hour ago for it's first @ 125 yds. Big hole but I learned how to sew years ago. Time for the Swift in the truck. I think my moniker should be Windy yes?

 

[mark1945]

Mossie Not a problem .It sounds like we do have a similar problem ,love of many guns. Its an addiction but I like it. I have only 3 no 1s so far but several 77s and several hand guns.

 

[Marty1]

...
And you can’t forget the good old .303 British.
As a matter of fact the only Lee Enfield I am shooting to this day is a US Property stamped No4 MK2.
...

You don't hear much mention now-a-days about the ol' .303 British. I was surprised that it was once offered in the Ruger No. 1 Rifle. Interesting caliber having started-out with blackpowder before it went smokeless.

 

[LR]

Another great caliber is the plain old .270. I love that caliber too. I like the older calibers for some reason.

Never really got into the single shot rifles much as I am a bolt action fan. I personally am not a fan of semi-autos either....unless it's an M1 Garand.

The 303 British has an outstanding reputation for taking moose and large bears. Plenty of knockdown power.

 

[LR]

You don't hear much mention now-a-days about the ol' .303 British. I was surprised that it was once offered in the Ruger No. 1 Rifle. Interesting caliber having started-out with blackpowder before it went smokeless.

Much like the 45-70. It was a black powder cartridge before it went smokeless.

 

[msellers]

Seem to recall somewhere that the .303 British was a favorite round for poachers in Africa also. Lots of knockdown and available cheap and easy from all the former colonies there.

 

[elkeater]

In 1985 I bought a used Ruger#1b in 270 win.. The older man I bought it from said it is a good young man's rifle, and it was. Made a lot of meat with it. When Barnes came out with the X bullet I loaded the 130gr and felt like I had a magnum cartridge. They never come apart.
More recently have gotten #1s in 204 Ruger, 375 Ruger and a #1a in 270 win., my old man's rifle.

 

[gemihur]

I like big bullets.
They don't have to go fast to get the job done.
375JDJ

 

[Marty1]

I like big bullets.
They don't have to go fast to get the job done.
375JDJ

I'm with you on that one. It's one reason I got into blackpowder. You can tolerate shoulding heavier bullets with the bigger bores.

 

[JIMYJAC]

I enjoy the .308 accurate, soft shooter ,does the job on deer and bear for me. 150gr soft point for deer. 165gr nosler accubond for bear. I like the .243 savage i have also,fits me so well. Real nice with a 85gr barnes bullet. Have a good day.

 

[JMG1894]

These are my latest reloads for my 303;
210gr cast boolit with gascheck.
IMR 4198
These aren’t travelling too fast but still thump enough to drop a deer.

 

[Winter Hawk]

The 30-06 cartridge case is an excellent choice for making other calibers that are capable of hitting targets well beyond the 300-yard range. Personal I have shot most of the various knock off's and settled on the 165 grain .308 bullet with a velocity of 2,820 FPS. Have shot this round and bullet weight on everything in North America since it first came available in a Winchester 88 in 1953. Ordered the gun and waited 6 month's for my dealer to get delivery.

The .308 Winchester is a rimless, bottlenecked rifle cartridge and is the commercial cartridge from which the 7.62×51mm NATO round was derived. The .308 Winchester was introduced in 1952, two years prior to the NATO adoption of the 7.62×51mm NATO T65. Winchester branded the cartridge and introduced it to the commercial hunting market as the .308 Winchester. Winchester's Model 70, Model 100 and Model 88 rifles were subsequently chambered for the new cartridge.

Got a little confused here, since you were talking about the .30-06, which also can be loaded with the 165 grain .308 bullet. Especially when you then mentioned the Winchester 88. But with the additional information I figured out that you were talking about the .308 Winchester cartridge.

A slight correction if I may; the Winchester 88 first came out in 1955, not '53. I have owned 3 of them over the years; my first one was from the first year of issue. All were exceedingly accurate giving me MOA groups (off the bench) with a Lyman Foolproof rear sight using the smallest hole aperture available and a Redfield Sourdough Patridge up front. Unfortunately my eyes don't work that well anymore to shoot that well. But I kept the family in meat all the time I was in Alaska.

My CF rifles now are a Marlin 336 I bought a while back and had bored out to .38-55 by JES Reboring, and a H&R 058 in .30-30. I just picked up another barrel for it with plans to send it to Jesse to have him make me another .38-55, as I just don't feel comfortable with the new Marlin and love the H&R.

 

[Hanshi]

I've owned two 30/06, .308 and .270s. I took many deer with those. I especially liked what my .270 did with my handload giving a 130 grain bullet over 3200 fps. I have a friend who hunted with a .303 and swore by it; he may still have it although we did our hunting together well over 50 years ago.

 

[trapperCVA]

I always use the Weatherby Vanguard in the 300 Weatherby Magnum with a handload I developed with the Ramshot MAGNUM Powder & it was a awesome deer/Bear load

 

[user 23626]

Got a little confused here, since you were talking about the .30-06, which also can be loaded with the 165 grain .308 bullet. Especially when you then mentioned the Winchester 88. But with the additional information I figured out that you were talking about the .308 Winchester cartridge.

A slight correction if I may; the Winchester 88 first came out in 1955, not '53. I have owned 3 of them over the years; my first one was from the first year of issue. All were exceedingly accurate giving me MOA groups (off the bench) with a Lyman Foolproof rear sight using the smallest hole aperture available and a Redfield Sourdough Patridge up front. Unfortunately my eyes don't work that well anymore to shoot that well. But I kept the family in meat all the time I was in Alaska.

My CF rifles now are a Marlin 336 I bought a while back and had bored out to .38-55 by JES Reboring, and a H&R 058 in .30-30. I just picked up another barrel for it with plans to send it to Jesse to have him make me another .38-55, as I just don't feel comfortable with the new Marlin and love the H&R.

Winter hawk though I'm a sgl shot fan (had enough rat-a-tat tat in '66 and '67) I also own a few old Marlin levers one a shot out 93 carbine I had JES rebore to 35/30, another he did for me a 36 to 38-55 absolutely my best lever "lead spitter" in true .375" cut rifling, 1" @ 75 yd open sighted with my old peepers. Also have a 93 in 30/30, 32/40, sold many old levers to finance my Oldsmerado money pit pickup. LOL

 

[Buck Conner1]

A slight correction if I may; the Winchester 88 first came out in 1955, not '53. I have owned 3 of them over the years; my first one was from the first year of issue. All were exceedingly accurate giving me MOA groups (off the bench) with a Lyman Foolproof rear sight using the smallest hole aperture available and a Redfield Sourdough Patridge up front. Unfortunately my eyes don't work that well anymore to shoot that well. But I kept the family in meat all the time I was in Alaska.

"The Winchester 88 first came out in 1955, not '53." - that was when released to the general public. New model guns were always tested by small groups in those days before going to the general public. A small group of guys in Eastern Pennsylavnia (testers) - (several writers for the magazines we all read at the time) and known shooters, collectors, etc. did testing for Remington and Winchester. My father and several friends were in one of these groups. We received ordered guns for testing and suggestions in Sept. 1952, of those guns ordered there was a Winchester 88 and a 100. My father got a Winchester 88 and a Remington 721 in the fall of 1953 for testing. The Winchester 88 had some serious issues with not being able to work the lever from the shoulder like their ad would claim. I had to put the butt stock on my hip to be able to charge the next round. The Remington had issues with feeding the next round and a few other little things. It took both companies months to make the needed corrections at the factory before being released. We had to sent back our test models and I ordered a corrected Win 88, received it in the fall of 1954 and it was still stiff for working the action?

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Over the years we see ads for firearms 6 - 8 months before any dealer has that model.

Strum Ruger was famous for that 30 years ago, don't remember how many times that happened. I have had (3) low serial numbered (unfired) Ruger Collections (30) or more per collection. It took years to assemble each of the collections. Was on Strum Ruger's collector's list through one of their select programs where you agreed to take what ever they produced. Boy talk about some odd ball calibers in select models. A good example was the Ruger Model SP101 in .455 caliber (old Webley caliber used for British Troops in India).
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