Trying to figure out what caliber to start with. Opinions?

Sqr said:
Due to its availability of bulk and precision cartridges the venerable .308 is ideal. Yes the 30-06 is a superior round however it is larger which requires a larger firearm and no bulk supply like the .308.

You will and can not go wrong with the .308 as a starting cartridge.
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^ This. Recommend getting a pretty one. You will be more likely to hang on to it for the long run - just like a pretty woman. :p
 
DjRags604 said:
Thanks all. Looks like 30-06 is the majority choice. I was looking at a Henry lever action but people keep saying bolt is the way to go for accuracy so I'll be taking a look at some Remington and Winchesters shortly. Friend also suggested a Savage as a good entry point. I usually like to buy a more expensive item once so I don't have to replace quickly but I hear good things about Savages out of the.box.
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The only thing that might dissuade me from a 30-06 is recoil. While it's not a huge magnum or anything, it is pushing the upper limit of what most people consider comfortable. If the recoil is borderline too much, then you will develop a flinch and thats a bad thing.

Go 308 if you want a 30cal. There is nothing a 30-06 will kill that a 308 won't.
 
thepolinator said:
308 isn't bad, its easy to find ammo, but you would be better served by 7mm-08
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Not if he needs to buy factory ammo. Walmart/Canadian Tire around here don't carry any, and even the lgs have limited options, and its all $35-40/box instead of $25. Plus you can't get a Lee Loader in 7mm08 (not an issue for many, but its why i went 270)
 
I vote .308 as well...ammo at walmart and canadian tire, cheap, kill anything in north america, can reach out when you want it to, lots of reloading supplies and projectile choices that are always in stock, can shoot it repeatedly without a sore shoulder, breaking the bank or shooting out the barrel....pretty damn solid choice I would say. 30-06 and 270 are good choices as well. But everyone should have a .308.

Duff
 
One of the finer points when considering the .308 is barrel twist rate which is typically the standard 1:12. For bullets over 180gr (or long bullets like the 180gr Accubond) a 1:10 twist is usually needed for proper bullet stabilization to get decent accuracy.
 
There are any number of chambering's from 6.5x55 up to and including the 338 Win Mag that would fill the bill.

Go to a gun store and shoulder as many rifles as you can until you find one that fits you best. Then buy it.
 
Slamfire said:
One of the finer points when considering the .308 is barrel twist rate which is typically the standard 1:12. For bullets over 180gr (or long bullets like the 180gr Accubond) a 1:10 twist is usually needed for proper bullet stabilization to get decent accuracy.
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Im pretty sure most 308s come in 1:10 twist these days. A quick look on Cabelas.ca yielded no rifles that are 1:12 (Although some dont list the twist at all) most were 1:10, and Sako is using a 1:11 apparently... Regardless, if hunting is the plan, I generally feel the 165/168 grain bullets are the best combination of velocity and weight for the 308.
 
Davot said:
I don't know much but I do know this.....the most fun I ever had while hunting was pushing bush with a Marlin Lever in 30-30.
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You got that - hunting in bush, walking, nothing like a nice, light, fast-handling toy. Life doesn't get much better than that. Hunting from a stand, over corn fields, a longer range scoped gun is better.
 
Davot said:
I don't know much but I do know this.....the most fun I ever had while hunting was pushing bush with a Marlin Lever in 30-30.
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You got that - hunting in bush, walking, nothing like a nice, light, fast-handling toy. Life doesn't get much better than that. Hunting from a stand, over corn fields, a longer range scoped gun is better.
 
Suther said:
Im pretty sure most 308s come in 1:10 twist these days. A quick look on Cabelas.ca yielded no rifles that are 1:12 (Although some dont list the twist at all) most were 1:10, and Sako is using a 1:11 apparently... Regardless, if hunting is the plan, I generally feel the 165/168 grain bullets are the best combination of velocity and weight for the 308.
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I think the police model rem is 1:11.25 Close to 10 but not there.
 
doc25 said:
I own a 308 and 300 win mag. So 30-06 would have saved me one rifle.
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Unless you really like the big bullets (180 and over), I could never really justify an '06. Even the WM, on hunting grounds, won't do much a good 308 in capable hands can't. But that's all a question of druthers. No right and wrong here. If I were starting over, and still hunting with a rifle, I think I'd go for a higher-end 7-08 or 6.5 X 55, with a 308 and 223 for paper punching. For brush work, my 92 in 44 mag is a dream (although I would probably upgrade to a genuine Winchester if I could). For more stubborn critters, my 45-70 would do the trick.
 
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