What caliber to the "only one rifle" big game hunting in Ontario?

I ran two polls recently - The Optimal Deer Round and The Optimal Moose/Elk Round.

The most favoured round for deer is .308, .270 and 30-06

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=310223

The most favoured round for moose/elk is .338, 30-06 and .308

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=312074

If you can only have one gun it should be a .308 or 30-06. There has been tons of discussions on these two rounds.

I don’t believe in the one gun theory. The “one gun” is your first gun and not you last gun. You will continue to buy more and more…. Ask any member here.

By the way, the Ontario regulation restricts firearms bigger than .275 calibre for small game hunting in the specific counties. Technically, a .270 is .277 and therefore not allowed according to the small game regulation.

I've read repeatedly on here that the .270 is legal for small game in Ontario.
 
By the way, the Ontario regulation restricts firearms bigger than .275 calibre for small game hunting in the specific counties. Technically, a .270 is .277 and therefore not allowed according to the small game regulation.
This is not correct. From the regs.

78. The holder of a small game licence shall not carry or use a rifle of greater calibre than the rifle known as a .275-calibre rifle, except a flint-lock or percussion cap muzzle-loading rifle, in the counties of Brant, Elgin, Essex, Huron, Kent, Lambton, Middlesex, Northumberland, Oxford, Perth and Wellington, the regional municipalities of Durham, Haldimand-Norfolk, Halton, Hamilton-Wentworth, Niagara, Peel, Waterloo and York and the City of Toronto. O. Reg. 665/98, s. 78.
While the .270 bullet is .277 the regulation is based on the calibre of the rifle measured land to land not the diameter of the bullet. The .270 Winchester and other rifles of the same calibre are permitted.

And yes I've confirmed this with MNR. I live in one of the counties and use the .270 Winchester.
 
This is not correct. From the regs.


While the .270 bullet is .277 the regulation is based on the calibre of the rifle measured land to land not the diameter of the bullet. The .270 Winchester and other rifles of the same calibre are permitted.

And yes I've confirmed this with MNR. I live in one of the counties and use the .270 Winchester.

Same here
 
.270 win hands down for pretty much anything and everything in Canada... except big Griz, Big Foot and T-Rex.....

Also, the 6.5x55 might also be worth looking at or doing a search on CGN for more info on...
 
This is not correct. From the regs.


While the .270 bullet is .277 the regulation is based on the caliber of the rifle measured land to land not the diameter of the bullet. The .270 Winchester and other rifles of the same caliber are permitted.

And yes I've confirmed this with MNR. I live in one of the counties and use the .270 Winchester.

Clay Buster is right.
The .270 Win cal is legal for use in Southern Ontario.

I also called and confirmed with the MNR a few months ago about a different issue.(280 legal ?) 280's are not legal by the way.

" We wont argue two thou of an inch".... Still the 270 is not the wisest choice for small game, or coyote for southern Ontario, the caliber is rather loud and you may get complaint's for so much noise, and is over kill on smaller game.

I would avoid the 270.

Because of the caliber restrictions, we can get caught in the 270 trap. Although it is a fine caliber, I'd get two rifles.

One smaller, respectable cal like 223, for small game(coyote, fox, ground hog,and .30 to .338 Win for big game when the budget allows, and depending on the big game in the future.

Best of luck in you're choice, just don't forget as previously mentioned, you're first gun will not be you're last....:D
 
There are NO caliber restrictions in Ontario for BIG GAME. Period.

So, get a .308, .30-06, or .270 and give 'em hell! They'll all do the job well, it comes down to which caliber is available in the rifle you want.
 
There are NO caliber restrictions in Ontario for BIG GAME. Period.

So, get a .308, .30-06, or .270 and give 'em hell! They'll all do the job well, it comes down to which caliber is available in the rifle you want.

You are correct...but that statement is misleading (somewhat). :redface:

Deer hunting.+.southern parts of Ont.= NO rifle hunting for deer.

So you are correct in one sense...but there are firearm restrictions, technically not caliber based though. ;)
 
That is 100% correct, you can not hunt big game with a rifle in most southern regions, your restricted to .277 and under for Varmint hunting.

I guess if the question was worded different.

But caliber restricions are a real fact in Ontario, too many areas to mention! but if you drove from Cornwall to Windsor (700 km) approx, you would not go through many areas that you were allowed to use any caliber bigger than .277, and BLARGON is right 100% not for big game, so the answers technicaly correct that you gave.

However if you lived in southern Ontario and wanted a big game rifle for hunting everything, a .277 270 in anything win, wby, stw, wsm... would be a good starting point!
 
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Still the 270 is not the wisest choice for small game, or coyote for southern Ontario, the caliber is rather loud and you may get complaint's for so much noise, and is over kill on smaller game.

I would avoid the 270.

Because of the caliber restrictions, we can get caught in the 270 trap. Although it is a fine caliber, I'd get two rifles.
I never thought of the .270 as a "trap" just a fine all round rifle cartridge. ;)

No question it is loud but so too is the .223. I don't agree that any calibre is "overkill" when dealing with predator animals although the .223 does get the job done.

I agree with two rifles however. Mine are a .223 and a .270 both of which I can legally use on my own property. There is also a Marlin 1894C that I use when I need a quieter rifle but only in circumstances where I can't be deemed to be "hunting."
 
This is unexpected piece of news for me actually.

and I have looked in Ontario hunting regulations for 2008 - 2009 one more time. Nothing like this in there.
So I was wondering if you could, please, point me to material where that restriction is writen. I want to read up on this .270 BS.

the calibers I was actualy having in mind when starting this thread were like
30-06,.308, 300WM , 300 WSM and similar. but that .270 issue got me in surprise.

Yea go with the 300 WSM for your first gun.
 
If this is only going to be used for big game hunting, I'd look more into the .30 cals..sorry to the .270 boys, but if all you want is big game, get something in the .30 cal family.
 
Not many places you'd hunt big game in Ont that will actually fall under the 270 rule, it's mostly a varmint type restriction. If I were the original poster I'd watch the exchange here for a nice used Tikka 308 or 30-06 & be good to go!
 
Not many places you'd hunt big game in Ont that will actually fall under the 270 rule, it's mostly a varmint type restriction. If I were the original poster I'd watch the exchange here for a nice used Tikka 308 or 30-06 & be good to go!

LOL! dont tell me a northen boy loves those tikkas lol!!

I have 7 myself :eek:
 
If you only have the resources for one centerfire rifle and you want to be able to hunt, coyote, deer, moose and black bear in ontario(northern and southern) then a 270 winchester is the gun that you should buy.

1)Ammo availability
2)more than enough power for all the game animals listed (with proper bullet selection and a competent shooter)
3)silly laws in southern ontario (where you would potentially hunt coyotes with it)

If coyote hunting in southern Ontario is in your future you basically only have one choice (under the 'one rifle' stipulation). However, if you want one rifle for big game and one for varmits then I would lean towards a .30 caliber of sorts (.308, 30/06, .300 win mag, .300 atomic warlord death ray.....)

End of thread.
 
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I've never been to ontario, but I'm preety sure you guys have a black bear population there. They can be tough to drop when their adrenalin is pumping through their veins. I would recommend .308 / 30-06 as a good calibre to go with, but you should shoot whatever calibre you are most comfortable with.
 
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