Help me pick a caliber for my next rifle

What Caliber?

  • 300 PRC

    Votes: 28 25.7%
  • 300 Sherman Magnum

    Votes: 11 10.1%
  • 300 Win Mag

    Votes: 42 38.5%
  • Other

    Votes: 28 25.7%

  • Total voters
    109
30 Sherm mag with N565, N568 or N570. H1000, retumbo and RL26 will work too.

I am at 2950 FPS, with a 24" Proof, N570 and a 245 Berger..... HAMMER!!!
That's fast!!! I've got a normal prc and can barely get 2900 with a 24" bartlein with 225's lapua brass n568 or retumbo.

That's impressive.
 
If you didn't want to fireform and could use factory ammo in a pinch, then a properly throated 30 Nosler is the ticket. It offers a good performance jump over the 300 Win Mag and 300 PRC.

I almost went that route but ended up going with a 300 NMI.
 
few winters ago did a lil rock n roll .Avoiding head on.Insurance wanted to total and give me $15000.Had over 50 K in.Took 3 months and went threw two adjusters to get fixed,$18000 R&R
IMG_0636.JPG
 
I am happy with my Mark V in 300 Weatherby Mag. An Accurate Old School LR Hunting Round, , Brass can be re loaded many times, and I can back off the load to make it shoot like a 300 Win mag, if I feel like doing that. My old 1970's factory 26 inch barrel, Mag na Ported, could be up graded to a Accumark 26 inch Bbl., with a Factory Muzzle break. That would be an improvement. I'm confident this rifle. with its Leupold 4.5X to 14X VX3 would be just fine for Elk, or Fun shooting at the Long-Range Shooting School, loaded with the Nosler 190 grn ABLR bullets. For that application, I would swap the scope for my 8.5X to 25X Leupold Windplex Scope.
 
Someday, unless you shoot it out, that rifle will have to be sold unless you gift it to a relative, we all get old too fast. Based on that alone and your criteria for what you wanna do with it the 300 win mag is the obvious choice, when you're done with it you won't have a problem selling it, everybody and their uncle can shoot it, brass is readily available as it is loaded ammunition and I don't see that changing in the foreseeable future. While it may not be the hippest ,newest, coolest ,caliper /cartridge choice it still has an awful lot going for it
I've never been part of the crowd that jumps on "the flavor of the week". A lesson everyone should have learned since "The Big Guy" moved into the White House is that ammunition and loading components can disappear quickly.
The only alternative choices to the 'new and improved' are those calibers that have been around forever and can be expected to be around till the end of time. The next alternative is to pick a caliber which can be made/reformed from a parent cartridge that has been around forever. I don't understand why an extra 200fps can make all that much difference in all the perameters that are expected of a cartridge~????
 
I've never been part of the crowd that jumps on "the flavor of the week". A lesson everyone should have learned since "The Big Guy" moved into the White House is that ammunition and loading components can disappear quickly.
The only alternative choices to the 'new and improved' are those calibers that have been around forever and can be expected to be around till the end of time. The next alternative is to pick a caliber which can be made/reformed from a parent cartridge that has been around forever. I don't understand why an extra 200fps can make all that much difference in all the perameters that are expected of a cartridge~????
That is why it is called "personal" choice/preference.
 
I am happy with my Mark V in 300 Weatherby Mag. An Accurate Old School LR Hunting Round, , Brass can be re loaded many times, and I can back off the load to make it shoot like a 300 Win mag, if I feel like doing that. My old 1970's factory 26 inch barrel, Mag na Ported, could be up graded to a Accumark 26 inch Bbl., with a Factory Muzzle break. That would be an improvement. I'm confident this rifle. with its Leupold 4.5X to 14X VX3 would be just fine for Elk, or Fun shooting at the Long-Range Shooting School, loaded with the Nosler 190 grn ABLR bullets. For that application, I would swap the scope for my 8.5X to 25X Leupold Windplex Scope.
My favorite 30 cal round. When I bought my first one used, the first owner gave me 6 boxes of ammo. One box was factory loaded 110 grain bullets. So you can load down to 110 and up over 200.
 
Looking to build a long action 30 caliber hunting rifle. Planning on doing this on a Defiance AnTi action. I already have a 7mm Sherman Short and a 338 Sherman Short for hunting rifles but just sold a few unused rifles to give me a $3500 budget for the rifle sans glass. What cartridges should I be considering? Should I be considering something smaller than 7mm and in a short action? I know I don't NEED another hunting rifle but I WANT one. I enjoy the process of tinkering. I know it seems like there are 1,000 "what caliber threads" but here is another one tailored to fit a "gap" in my other rifles.
Some question! No lack of opinions here.
I believe that ALL, repeat ALL rifle calibers represent compromises. That is what keeps gun writers in jobs and rifle manufacturers in business.
The biggest unknown for all of us is what do you intend to hunt, and at what is the maximum range that you are honestly comfortable killing your intended species.
If you mostly hunt deer or elk at ranges under 250 yards, then a .308 win or 30-06 should be great. If you are going on regular elk hunts, then the 30-06, on the other hand if it is aspirational "Someday I am going to go on an elk hunt". Then a .308 is great. Almost the same ballistics and less recoil. I have seen them kill elk.
My personal preference for deer hunting is the .308 Win., but I also have a 30-06. I just have not seen a practical difference for use on deer.
Good luck. There is no such thing as a magic caliber, each is a compromise.
 
Seeing that you already run some of Rich's rounds I will vote for 300 mega. I haven't built on yet but about to start on an old 721, just seems perfect for North American game to me
 

Recent Posts

Top