To choose a new caliber.

[vmf]

Hi everybody.

I will buy a new rifle and I would like your recommendations to choose the caliber. I am almost sure the rifle will be a Tikka T3 lite or a Tikka T3 Varmint. I will use it for target shooting and for hunting, so I need a good balance between roud price, precision, recoil and stopping power. I need a cartridge capable of:
1) Target shooting at least 1000-1100 yards.
2) Kill deer at least 800 yards away.
3) Enough stopping power to stop a angry hog at 200 yard.

The candidates are 308 win, .270 win, 6.5x55 and 6.5 creedmoor. I must say in my country the last one is almost 50% more expensive than the other ones. ¿Which is the best for that?

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

Sounds like you might want to step it up to something alittle more powerful like a 7mm rem mag or a 300 win mag

 

[stwcattle]

I think you describing a 6.5x284

 

[B23]

The 6.5x55 Swede has been around for over 100 years for good reason, of the three you have narrowed it down to, that would be my pick.

 

[Canhunter35]

I believe tikkas are all long actions even 308s and 1:10 twists. If you reload you would have the magazine length to load high bc 200+gr bullets in the 308. That would be the way I would go. There are guys on here who do so and the performance at 1k including energy are quite impressive

 

[stwcattle]

I see Tikka offers a 300wsm that certainly would fit your criteria but of the three you listed, 6.5x55 would be my choice.

 

[djfriesen]

I'm partial to the 7mm RM.

 

[vmf]

I think 300 WSM and 7mm RM have too recoil and the ammo is too expensive for target shooting. If it is needed I can upgrade, but don't you see the listed calibers capable of doing the job?

 

[lancetkenyon]

My opinion:
For the target shooting:
1. 6.5 CM
2. 6.5x55 Swede
3. .308 Win
4. .270 Win

For deer out to 800 yards:
1. 270 Win
2. .308 Win
3. (tie) 6.5 CM & 6.5x55 Swede (I think with bullet weight and velocity, these are at the limit for deer sized game @ 800 yards. My daughter shot her big muley buck last year at 637 with my 6.5 SLR and deer dropped on the spot. But 800 was our max I would let her shoot that rifle.)

For Hog @ 200 yards:
1. .270 Win
2. .308 Win
3. Same tie as above. Either should work fine with proper bullet and shot placement.

 

[dfanonymous]

Yeah the .308 is probably the most well rounded option on your list. However i agree you should consider a magnum for killing at that range. Terminal effects for some of the smaller cartridges, just arent all that great for those distances on live tissue (soft targets)

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

I think 300 WSM and 7mm RM have too recoil and the ammo is too expensive for target shooting. If it is needed I can upgrade, but don't you see the listed calibers capable of doing the job?

Sure, any of the ones you listed are perfectly capable of the job with correct bullet placement. Only reason I suggested to step it up is your wanting to shoot deer atleast to 800 yards. Not saying none if these can do it but your really pushing the limits of them. If you reload, then out of those the 6.5x55 is, in my opinion, your best bet.

 

[Canhunter35]

I think 300 WSM and 7mm RM have too recoil and the ammo is too expensive for target shooting. If it is needed I can upgrade, but don't you see the listed calibers capable of doing the job?

Yes your listed cartridges will work but not optimally at everything. Target shooting sounds like top priority. 277 cal bullets typically have low bc. 6.5 dominate there. Creedmoor is expensive for you that really leaves the 308 and 6.5x55. If your shooting 165-175 high bc bullets in the 308, 800yds is asking a lot for terminal performance but 650-700 is very doable. There the 6.5x55 is better but that's dependent on available factory ammo. Other than sako ammo I don't know what other high quality 6.5x55 ammo there is. A 308 has the best options for factory ammo of any cartridge. If you reload, heavier bullets are available, increasing long range terminal performance. And 308s are still the best practice round. They are easily made accurate, barrels last forever, and cheap to send thousands of rounds down range practicing. If you're looking at the varmint also look at the tikka ctr with 24" barrel.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Of your list, the .308 Win, or even a 7mm-08 Rem, are great choices for an all-around short-to-mid range hunting cartridge, or target cartridge at your specified distances.

But I have to agree with others...For effective killing of large game at 800+ yards, and hogs at 200+, the 7mm RemMag or .300 WinMag would be a better option.

That being said, if you are wanting an excellent rifle for all-around usage, and long-range target shooting, the Remington 700 5R Milspec rifles are near-impossible to beat for the money and their "out-of-the-box" accuracy. I have 2 of them.

 

[WildRose]

Hi everybody.

I will buy a new rifle and I would like your recommendations to choose the caliber. I am almost sure the rifle will be a Tikka T3 lite or a Tikka T3 Varmint. I will use it for target shooting and for hunting, so I need a good balance between roud price, precision, recoil and stopping power. I need a cartridge capable of:
1) Target shooting at least 1000-1100 yards.
2) Kill deer at least 800 yards away.
3) Enough stopping power to stop a angry hog at 200 yard.

The candidates are 308 win, .270 win, 6.5x55 and 6.5 creedmoor. I must say in my country the last one is almost 50% more expensive than the other ones. ¿Which is the best for that?

"kill a deer at least 800 yards away and "Enough stopping power to stop an angry hog at 200yds".

If you want to stick with the 6.5's you probably need to stay with the .260 Rem, 6.5cm or .264wm.

Personally I think you'd be far better off stepping up to the 7mm STW, 28 Nosler, 300wm or other .30 cal magnums with that list of criteria.

Big hogs are tough to bring down quickly with anything other than a head/spine shot and the heavier, larger diameter bullets give you a measure of margin of error smaller bullets do not.