.30 cal opinions

blargon said:
You missed the classics, the .30-30 and the .300 Savage...:D:p
Click to expand...

I was just going for the magnums, but we can take those and throw in the 303 Savage (actually a 30 cal), the 7.62 Russians, short, long, and shorter, (no, the Lazzeroni cartridges aren't Russian), 30 BR, 30x1.5, etc, etc, etc. T'were me, and for a hunting rifle, it would be the 308 Win. Just easier. Having said that, I have and use most of the others, just because I enjoy it. - dan
 
Short 300 mag VS. reg. 300 reg. win. mag. Any animal will Not feel the differance! The short mag syndrom is for people who buy short mags because it's a rage!! The chosen is the answer not Short Mags.
 
As you already have a .338 I'd skip any of the magnums. You can emulate a 30 cal magnum with your .338 very, very well if you want to. Nosler's reloading data; your .338 can push a 180gr Accubond at 3260 fps with 75.0 gr of IMR 4350 - that's 300 Weatherby performance, so no need to duplicate.

I'd say get yourself a 308. Fits very nicely between your .243 and .338 win mag, short action, proven game killer, commonly available ammo, uses 10% less powder than the 30-06 for similar performance. The '06 does have a slight power advantage, but then, you're not shopping for maximum power as you've got that base already covered.
 
Winterkrieg said:
I'd go for a .30-06. It's a very versatile cartridge because you can shoot bullets ranging from 110-220 Grains and your barrel will last longer than the magnums. If you reload using bullets of the same weight, the .30-06 near max. load is a medium load in a .300 Win. Mag. or .300 WSM. You also might not like the exponential increase in recoil of the .30 magnums for the meager gain over the .30-06.
Click to expand...

You really nailed it with this one.
 
BoydLaing said:
I'm currently looking for a new mid sized .30 cal. I have a .243 in a BLR I use regularly for the smaller game and rely heavily on a .338 Win Mag for everything else. I am looking for a mid ranged gun. I know the benefits of the .30-06 as I have owned one in a BLR and had issues with it but it shot straight. I also know the benefits of the .300 Win Mag and .300 WSM.

Any insight on the TC .30 cal or any of the .28 cals etc.

Thanks
Click to expand...

If you're already using a .338 Win Mag on everything else, I'd say you may as well keep at it. I've shot critters ranging from coyotes to a grizzly with mine, and have to say that it's a dramatic step above performance-wise over the standard .30 calibres. If you're comfortable with your .338, why step backwards?
 
Neo said:
If you're already using a .338 Win Mag on everything else, I'd say you may as well keep at it. I've shot critters ranging from coyotes to a grizzly with mine, and have to say that it's a dramatic step above performance-wise over the standard .30 calibres. If you're comfortable with your .338, why step backwards?
Click to expand...



Whoa there! What the hell? A post that makes sense... on this forum... :eek:
 
I just shot the .30TC (ICON) side by side with a 30-06 (700 ADL)and my trusty .308 (BRNO) and was really impressed. About 250 fps faster (with 150gr's) than the 30-06 with about 1/2 the recoil. Real comfortable shooter and a solidly built gun that ICON is. But IMHO, any of the above would suit your needs just fine.
 
The more I tinker around with different cartridges and loads, the more I think that the chambering is not as important as the handling and fit of a rifle.

If you like the way a gun handles and it fits you well, you will shoot it well.

A few inches more or less bullet drop, or a couple hundred pounds of energy one way or the other usually doesn't amount to much in the field.

I think that there is less of a difference in performance on game between say, a .270 win and a .300 mag of your choice, than many will admit to. Given that appropriate bullets are used.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom