Looking for a versatile cartridge

1. Availability - 308 top choice worldwide
2. Killing power - .30 calibres shine with tough game
3. Recoil - 308 with 150gr will be light on the shoulder
4. Meat saver - less meat damage with a 308 than a 270 Win - shoot a buck on the shoulder and you have bloody meat from nose to arse.
Federal Fusion 150 gr 308 MV 2820
Federal Fusion 150 gr 270 MV 2850
Pretty awesome that a 150 gr 270 at 30 fps faster can cause so much more damage.
 
I'd go with the .308 Win or the 30-06, leaning very much more to the 30-06. The .308 will easily launch a 180 grain bullet at 2550+/-, but the 30-06 will go up to 200gr+ at 2550fps, and is good for just about anything you could hunt in the Western hemisphere and most African game. Its even a good varmint round in heavy barreled rifles with a 125 grain or lighter bullet. The 270 is also extremely versitile, but a little light for the really big stuff. All three rounds are available nearly anywhere in the world, and available in several different bullet weights. Where do you hunt that allows you to use a 22-250 on deer? Just curious.
'Where do you hunt that allows you to use a .22-250 on deer." Don't know about the OP, but I'm one state above you and I do. Kills deer and prongies like lightning.
 
Ive hunted in NC a couple of times. Its a wonderful country to visit and the hunting is fantastic. The predominate Rusa deer are big and tough. .270 seemed to be the most common caliber used there and its what I would recommend.

As an aside, some the answers here are ridiculous given the context of the question asked.
 
Hello there.
To sum it up, I'm willing to replace my 22-250.
75% of the use or the rifle will be shooting at deer, at distances comprised between 80 and 150 yds. The rest will be shooting deer at 250-300yds, and hogs in the Woods at less than 50yds.
The 22-250 is nice for the first 75% because at those distances i Can confidently go for a neck/headshot. But I'm not good enough a shot to do that at longer distances, and a lung/heart shot won't do it with that cartridge. Also, close range shots at hogs are no good : bullet fragmentation leadind to no exit hole (and hard tracking of the animal) and lots of meat damage.
So what I'm looking for is a cartridge with good enough ballistics to shoot at up to 300 yards without too much thinking, and whose bullets won't fragment and will expand properly on a 30yards shot.

Criterias are :
- versatility
- light recoil
- moderate velocity (i think ?)
- ammo availability ( i don't reload cuz no Time)
- barrel lifespan.

The most serious contenders are probably 7mm08, .308, .270.., but I might be missing something.

Thanks in avance for tour advice.

Best regards


Most everything I've seen posted would work, but... I think... just because I can'..., I'd go with the .358 Win or perhaps the .338 Federal no special reason just two cartridges I know would get the job done on pretty much any North American big game out to your described distance. Have fun.
 
I'd go a 7mm08 first then 270 2nd and one you have omitted is the 243 it fits the bill quite well with 95gr ballistic tips or 85 to 100gr projectiles
 
I don't know if they allow you to reload on your island. If they do, the 7mm08 is not a bad choice. The .308 is a better choice, because you wouldn't have to neck it down and trim it. Both will give you considerable versitility in bullet weight and good killing power at 400 meters. If you can reload, you can neck down .308 brass for the 7mm bullet. Both cartridges will give you a low recoil round which will work for animals up to and beyond Red deer or feral hogs.
 
Hello there.
To sum it up, I'm willing to replace my 22-250.
75% of the use or the rifle will be shooting at deer, at distances comprised between 80 and 150 yds. The rest will be shooting deer at 250-300yds, and hogs in the Woods at less than 50yds.
The 22-250 is nice for the first 75% because at those distances i Can confidently go for a neck/headshot. But I'm not good enough a shot to do that at longer distances, and a lung/heart shot won't do it with that cartridge. Also, close range shots at hogs are no good : bullet fragmentation leadind to no exit hole (and hard tracking of the animal) and lots of meat damage.
So what I'm looking for is a cartridge with good enough ballistics to shoot at up to 300 yards without too much thinking, and whose bullets won't fragment and will expand properly on a 30yards shot.

Criterias are :
- versatility
- light recoil
- moderate velocity (i think ?)
- ammo availability ( i don't reload cuz no Time)
- barrel lifespan.

The most serious contenders are probably 7mm08, .308, .270.., but I might be missing something.

Thanks in avance for tour advice.

Best regards

Before you go and spend your hard earned money, do this...go MidwayUSA, and search for the Barnes VOR-TX factory ammo of 50g TSX HP and read the reviews.

Or because of the lack of available factory ammo, you decide to reload, then search out the Barnes TTSX (or TSX) bullets available for 22 caliber and read the reviews. You'll discover that Barnes has some excellent 50g/53g/55g deer bullets in TTSX (or TSX).

I'd try and use your 22-250 before spending for something different.
 
Thanks for the reply.
6.5 Creedmor isn't good because of the ammo availability criteria (most common here is 243, 270 and 7RM, then you have 308, 22-250, 7mm08 and 300wm, anything else Can be considered an exotic cartridge and will be really hard to find).
If your in the US order by mail and do the 6.5 creed. 143 ELD-x

sorry just noted your from New Caledonia
 
Top