"Normal" hunting rifles

jtoews80

jtoews80

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Bonnyville, Alberta
Over the past 19 years I have hunted every year at least for WT deer and usually more. Being a firearms enthusiast and reloader I have been afield with most common calibers and alot of overbore or high performamce rounds too.


The past few years life seems way to busy and my time is needed for everything else. Leaving little time to shoot, load or hunt properly. This years hunting was pretty much shooting whatever wandered onto my alfalfa field.

Since 05 I've uses a 257 wby, 264 win, 270wby, 7 STW, 30-378, 308, 300 RUM, 300 WSM, 338 LM and a 44 mag. The only common thread between them besides being mostly overbore and having HP to spare is that for the most part, you can't find ammo locally and if you do, I can't justify $5-7/rnd. So, that begs the question:"If you're into high performance gear and don't really think much of the performance of a 243 or 308, how many of you keep 1 normal vanilla caliber around, so you can get ammo locally if you don't have time to load"?? Something Cambodian Tire has ammo for?? Oddly enough, you end up shooting most game at 300 yds or less when you jave a howitzer dialed in to 800 yds.

I have a t3 tact 300 win, but am sorta wanting a 7 mm rem sporter or even a t3 lite 308. Am I the only one who thinks like this??
 
I've got a 30-06 and a 30/30 that will do whatever I ask of them, and can re-supply at almsot any store that sells ammo.

I don't have all the "unique" calibers ... YET :D But I plan on getting a few of the oddballs, but I'll be keeping these other two as my back-ups. Even taking an oddball hunting, I'd still pack one of them as well.
 
But now i think my Icon P.H. 6.5 Creedmoor and my 6.5X55 Swedish Mauser will see some action... JP
 
You are right that most game gets taken at very reasonable ranges and typical "meat hunting" can be done with the most mundane of hunting rigs.

I've got a couple of vanilla hunting rifles that will always be around and they see lots of "better grab a rifle just in case" kind of use.

Nothing wrong with vanilla calibers. Some of the most active and dedicated hunters I know only own one or two rifles in "wal-mart" calibers, and use them successfully for anyting they want to shoot.
 
My go to rifle is a 280 Rem but I have a 308, 300 Win mag,a 7-08, and of course the "all Canadian" 303 Brit. I haven't shot a big game animal with factory ammunition for 41 years so what Wally world sells doesn't matter to me.
 
Well,in your list of cals a 300wsm,and a 308 are available everywhere.That being said they should kill most anything on the planet...Maybe its your choice of guns,not cal...
 
After spending and building and testing and target practicing and developing ammunition I decided to buy a BLR with open sights for my main hunting rifle, when I use rifle.

I totally understand what you are feeling and it seems like a sense of back to basics.You are correct on the yardage typically seen when harvesting game animals IMO.

Something to be said for a reliable "regular" caliber hunting rifle that you have faith in.

I am trying to get closer to game these days and farther away from paper.Does that even make sense?
 
If you're shooting deer on the alfalfa field, and want to find ammo at Canadian Tire, you should be able to find 300WSM [they sell it at mine, but maybe they don't at yours]. But all you really need is a 270 win. It kills deer fine well past 300 yards. Trust me. I've done it on more than one occasion. A BDC reticle makes it easier, but isn't necessary.

That's what I'd recommend. If you can't get 300wsm at your local stores, then get a 270.
 
I use the 3 30 calibers - 308win, 30-06 and 300 win mag. I love the 30-06 and probably will always use one of those rounds.

I always know where ever I go, I can always get more ammo at any small mom and pop shop should i run out.
 
Huntin' Gun said:
But all you really need is a 270 win.

That's what I'd recommend. If you can't get 300wsm at your local stores, then get a 270.
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Kimber and Federal Power Shok are a match made in heaven for the dudes that want accuracy and deer thumping power in an "off the shelf" package :D

IMG_2629.jpg
 
gtrussell said:
Well,in your list of cals a 300wsm,and a 308 are available everywhere.That being said they should kill most anything on the planet...Maybe its your choice of guns,not cal...
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I was looking at getting a 300wsm but after checking the local box stores i found that none of them carry the ammo. This is on Vancouver Island, so it may be better elsewhere.
 
If your not impressed with the performance of the .308 then some thing is wrong. Your rifle, load, scope or you.
There's nothing magical about ballistics. Just an understanding of wind drift, bullet construction, bullet drop. It has the energy to harvest deer easily out to 500 yards. A ten mile per hour crosswind will give it a drift of about 18". Using Winchester Supreme 168 gr Ballistic Silver Tip. 1200 ft lb of energy on target. A zero at 200 yards would give you -50 in at 500 yards.

What rifle did you use in 308 and what load?
 
The .308 is probably the very best of all "normal" rounds as you call them. Ideal for all north american game that you will have ready access to. You will not need anything else unless you are serious about alaskan coastal brown bears. It's velocity virtually guarantees picture perfect bullet performance on any game with normal cup and core bullets. If there is such a thing as an accurate cartridge surely the .308 stands alone in the sporting world. At least Bob Nosler thinks so and he has the opportunity to shoot or witness many thousands of rounds from every cartridge concievable going downrange in controlled conditions. He states that at Nosler they use the .308 for thier accuracy testing on all their .30 cal bullets. There is nothing the 06 can do in the field that the 308 can not.
 
shredder0 said:
The .308 is probably the very best of all "normal" rounds as you call them. Ideal for all north american game that you will have ready access to. You will not need anything else unless you are serious about alaskan coastal brown bears. It's velocity virtually guarantees picture perfect bullet performance on any game with normal cup and core bullets. If there is such a thing as an accurate cartridge surely the .308 stands alone in the sporting world. At least Bob Nosler thinks so and he has the opportunity to shoot or witness many thousands of rounds from every cartridge concievable going downrange in controlled conditions. He states that at Nosler they use the .308 for thier accuracy testing on all their .30 cal bullets. There is nothing the 06 can do in the field that the 308 can not.
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Hahahahahha.... an older feller I worked with informed me he'd shoot nothing but a .30-06, as the 308 was a peashooter. I just smiled and nodded...

Never shoulda traded off my .308 Parker Hale, it was accurate with a cheap scope and no practice. I just found it unneccessary for the area I hunt deer, but I should have kept it anyway.
 
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