what caliber would be best?

Which caliber

  • 22-250

    Votes: 11 16.4%

  • 220

    Votes: 1 1.5%

  • 243

    Votes: 26 38.8%

  • 25-06

    Votes: 12 17.9%

  • 270

    Votes: 17 25.4%
  • Total voters
    67
canadian hunter312

canadian hunter312

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im looking for a varmint gun to hunt with here in SW ontario in the thick stuff but as well as open fields. so shots could range from 10-1000 yards (farthest id shoot is 400)

what would be the best all around caliber for everything up to say 500 yards?

i do NOT reload so no fancy wildcats.

i was thinking 22-250, but its light bullet wouldnt do very well on breezy days and longer shots in the open fields. then i was thinking 25-06, but its not very common so theres probably not a wide selection close to home. then i was thinking 270 so i could also use it for moose and bear in the future, but then there has been rumors of the MNR lowering the caliber restriction around here to something smaller...

thinking of getting a stevens 200, good choice for a guy that tends to be rough on his guns? :redface: what kind of accuracy should i expect?
 
"i was thinking 270 so i could also use it for moose and bear in the future, but then there has been rumors of the MNR lowering the caliber restriction around here to something smaller..."

eeek...:eek:Where did you hear this one? Plz. some one tell me this is not true!!!
 
You mentioned varmint and bear in your post. You might need to ask yourself do you want a dedicated varmint rifle or some sort of quasi-varmint-big game rig.

How many varmints are you going to shoot in a day? If you get a big game caliber everytime you pull the trigger on a varmint it's like pouring a large double double on the ground, how many times are you going to want to do that in a day.
 
A 7mm Rem Mag in a 700 Sendero. :wave:

HairTrigger said:
"i was thinking 270 so i could also use it for moose and bear in the future, but then there has been rumors of the MNR lowering the caliber restriction around here to something smaller..."

eeek...:eek:Where did you hear this one? Plz. some one tell me this is not true!!!
Click to expand...

Why? Is a .270 not good enough for bear or moose?
 
"...Can you use a .22 cal to hunt big game in southern Ontario?..." As daft as it is, yes you can.
You won't be taking any 1,000 yard shots in Southern Ontario. There will be a building of some kind in the way. And certainly not with a .22 calibre or a .270. However, the .270 will let you hunt anywhere.
 
Seriously, I would get a .308. Great caliber, lots of different bullets available.
Overkill for gophers, but who cares. A little bit too much for coyotes, depending on the bullet your will most probably ruin the pelt.

Good for deer, black bear and moose.

So for the wide use range, and availability of different types of munitions on the market (even if you're not handloading), .308 would be my choice.

Is it your first rifle?
 
sunray said:
"...Can you use a .22 cal to hunt big game in southern Ontario?..." As daft as it is, yes you can.
You won't be taking any 1,000 yard shots in Southern Ontario. There will be a building of some kind in the way. And certainly not with a .22 calibre or a .270. However, the .270 will let you hunt anywhere.
Click to expand...

no? at the grandparents old place just west of brantford from their back porch my rangefinder would max out at 800 yards with at least another 500 to go before the next road. another place 5 minutes away where i hunt deer the most theres fields just as big, if not bigger. i believe that "concession" is 3-4 km long?

you people didnt even read my post:D it says i wont shoot past 400 yards and i cant use anything bigger than a 270!!! lol

ill be shooting coyote, fox, groundhog, jackrabbit, crows. id say i wont be shooting more than 10 times a day with an average day being 2-3 shots.

its not my first rifle, just the first one thats legal to hunt with around here...
 
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Just get a 270 and go! When I lived in S Ontario, that's all I used for everything from groundhogs to deer. When we moved to Kirkland Lake I was still all set to go bear and moose hunting. Killed a lot of both.

Ted
 
I have one of those with a nightforce. It is heavy heavy and the grip is awkward but a great shooter. .270 was a gun commonly used for moose and bear in saskatchewan for years. The most common calibers were .308, 30-06, .270 for 30 years.
pharaoh2 said:
A 7mm Rem Mag in a 700 Sendero. :wave:



Why? Is a .270 not good enough for bear or moose?
Click to expand...
 
Also ammo is very reasonable for .308
frzburn said:
Seriously, I would get a .308. Great caliber, lots of different bullets available.
Overkill for gophers, but who cares. A little bit too much for coyotes, depending on the bullet your will most probably ruin the pelt.

Good for deer, black bear and moose.

So for the wide use range, and availability of different types of munitions on the market (even if you're not handloading), .308 would be my choice.

Is it your first rifle?
Click to expand...
 
canadian hunter312 said:
no? at the grandparents old place just west of brantford from their back porch my rangefinder would max out at 800 yards with at least another 500 to go before the next road. another place 5 minutes away where i hunt deer the most theres fields just as big, if not bigger. i believe that "concession" is 3-4 km long?

you people didnt even read my post:D it says i wont shoot past 400 yards and i cant use anything bigger than a 270!!! lol

ill be shooting coyote, fox, groundhog, jackrabbit, crows. id say i wont be shooting more than 10 times a day with an average day being 2-3 shots.

its not my first rifle, just the first one thats legal to hunt with around here...
Click to expand...

If you are only averaging 2-3 shots a day, take your big game rifle and get some practice.
 
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