Caliber questions

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newms

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Hi, I'm currently waiting on my PAL app. so the best thing I can do is search the internet right now for what I will but when it comes through. I have run into some confusion regarding what Caliber of rifle to choose as I would like to mostly just shoot targets and and do some long range shooting of which I think a 223 would be best but I would also like to be able to hunt deer with the same rifle. so my question is would a 223 be enough for deerhunting? or is the a better caliber that i could shoot all day at the range and still hunt with. the gun I'm looking at is the savage 11/111 fcns but I would be open to other sugestions if anyone has them.
 
223

Greetings
I have hunted and shot now for over 50 years. For the last 5 years I have used a .223 for my deer hunting. It is a Tika T3 lite stainless , which I recommend to anyone , this is a fine rifle. I have found most hunting is all about shot placement , if you are a confident shot this is all the caliber you need for deer. Cheers, RJ
 
I would also consider 308. I would much prefer it for deer hunting over 223. Consider the merits of owning more than one rifle.
 
thanks for the info it is very helpfull. I am considering more than one rifle but for the time being I would like a higher quality duall rifle rather than two lower quality rifles for the same price. I live in Ontario I will have to check the laws thanks
 
Newbies beware of free internet advice! There is no single perfect rifle.

I have hunting rifles that are light and easy to carry. The calibre of choice is .30 calibre, but in a handful of different cartridges (ie 7.62x39, .308, .30-06, .300 Win Mag). The loads and bullets are chosen for animals. Always check the provincial hunting rules to make sure you will be legal, either minimum or maximum cartridges.

I also have target rifles for DCRA prone rifle shooting and "tactical" bipod shooting. Although I have shot ISU 300m, that is another discipline. Each rifle is different.
 
.223 is surely the most economical and some shooters are making it to a mile accurately(with proper equipment).For deer , use the correct bullet for proper expansion and penetration.

If you want a bit more guts then you can look at 6mm,6.5mm, and 7mm chamberings which allows a little more flexibility if you decide to step up in the game you want to hunt, but the price for components and ammunition will also increase.Anything in the parent case of .308 is somewhat economical to shoot(.243 Win,.260 Rem , 7mm-08 Rem)If you want to go exotic you can go with 7 x 57 or 6.5 x 55 type of chamberings.
 
In several jurisdictions, .223 is smaller than the minimum caliber for BG hunting. .243 will work for both deer and target, and varmints where allowed. The 6mm's also are suitable for hunting and extended shooting. Of course, the .260. 7-08 and the like work, but recoil does add up, and tend to take the fun out of a day popping targets. the .308 advocates will tell you it doesn't recoil, but clearly, avoiding recoil in long strings of fire is why the lesser calibers remain popular with silhouette competitors, for example. If .223 is legal for deer in your jurisdiction, then go for it.
 
I'd say go with a 308 as it will work great for target shooting and deer hunting plus if you decide to try later on for moose, elk or bear it will work great as well.
 
243 (6mm) is the smallest allowed for deer in my part of Ontario. Very low kick plus great for coyotes. Shells are cheep and widely available.
 
r.j.medals2 said:
Greetings
I have hunted and shot now for over 50 years. For the last 5 years I have used a .223 for my deer hunting. It is a Tika T3 lite stainless , which I recommend to anyone , this is a fine rifle. I have found most hunting is all about shot placement , if you are a confident shot this is all the caliber you need for deer. Cheers, RJ
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I agree shot placement is the key factor, but .223 is not something I would recommend for someone who has never hunted deer or has no experience with firearms.
 
hawk-i said:
I'd say go with a 308 as it will work great for target shooting and deer hunting plus if you decide to try later on for moose, elk or bear it will work great as well.
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X2 on what hawk said, I was in the same boat as you when I started out last year. I went with the 308 because its a great all around round, you can use it on anything from yotes to moose or elk or bears. Anything smaller and you aren't able to shoot the heavier rounds like the 180 grain you might want for bigger critters in the future. The ammo is cheap and available everywhere too and though some would disagree, you never need to go bigger than the 308 for anything we got in Canada. Another factor for me here in Alberta is the .223 is not legal to hunt big game with.
 
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