What cartridge?

[rharfo]

Wanting a 16.1 inch light bolt deer rifle. What is the most efficient caliber? 6 ARC? 8.6 Blackout, 6.5 Grendel or the ol standard 308.
Under 400 yards.
I hand load. Looking for easy carry light recoil.

 

[Hand Skills]

.308win

I've got a shorty under 7lbs all up.

One of my least favorite rifles to shoot.

Big muzzle blast, and significant recoil.

I keep it around because I wouldn't trust anything less when it comes to camping or backpacking.

For your purposes (deer rifle) I'd be looking somewhere between the 6ARC and .260rem.

Something-moor? (Sorry I can't bring myself to say it )

 

[rharfo]

.308win

I've got a shorty under 7lbs all up.

One of my least favorite rifles to shoot.

Big muzzle blast, and significant recoil.

I keep it around because I wouldn't trust anything less when it comes to camping or backpacking.

For your purposes (deer rifle) I'd be looking somewhere between the 6ARC and .260rem.

Something-moor? (Sorry I can't bring myself to say it )

No Moor but I do have 2 heavy 260 so a light shorty makes a lot of "sense".
After 40 years of hunting I got scope bit by my 308,

 

[338 dude]

Wanting a 16.1 inch light bolt deer rifle. What is the most efficient caliber? 6 ARC? 8.6 Blackout, 6.5 Grendel or the ol standard 308.
Under 400 yards.
I hand load. Looking for easy carry light recoil.

6 arc

 

[Berrnard]

there are 16" 243s out there and components are abundant

 

[lancetkenyon]

No Moor but I do have 2 heavy 260 so a light shorty makes a lot of "sense".
After 40 years of hunting I got scope bit by my 308,

20" .260AI. 140 Hyb @ 2960fps
Take off about 100fps for a 16", makes 2850ish.

10 shot group

 

[WanderingGoatie]

I also have been accumulating parts for a short and light big game rifle.

After researching for a few years I finally decided on an 18.5" 308 Win.

In my opinion there are very few cartridges that do well on big game to 300 yards with short barrels. Maybe a few magnums can do it but at the expense of a lot of unburnt powder.

The velocities on my 18" 6.5 Grendel AR aren't even that great to about 250 on pronghorn. It does the job but I lose confidence. On anything larger and in thicker woods I'd stick to about 200. Keep in mind I reload for 7-08, .308, 350 legend, and 6.5 Grendel.

If the goal is big game and efficiency to 300yards one may consider 338 federal. It seems like I found bigger bored cartridges were "more efficient", if you want to call it that, in shorter barrels. I only ended up sticking with .308 just so I wouldn't have yet ANOTHER $200 unnecessarily stolen from me so the king would allow me to hang a hunk of metal off my barrel.

 

[Roughrice]

I'm fond of the 338 Fed as well.
Mine is 22" and threaded but, like you, I'm not yet going with a big bore suppressor for only one rifle. My 300 Omegas cover all my other's.

 

[Hard rock]

20" .260AI. 140 Hyb @ 2960fps
Take off about 100fps for a 16", makes 2850ish.
View attachment 545840
View attachment 545841
10 shot group
View attachment 545842

That's a shooter

 

[GSRetrievers]

I second the 260ai.

 

[Calvin45]

Wanting a 16.1 inch light bolt deer rifle. What is the most efficient caliber? 6 ARC? 8.6 Blackout, 6.5 Grendel or the ol standard 308.
Under 400 yards.
I hand load. Looking for easy carry light recoil.

"Most efficient" means different things to different people.

It could most literally mean "what generates the most foot pounds of muzzle energy per grain of powder burned" in which case a smaller capacity medium to big bore makes sense. 358 Winchester is crazy efficient that way, as are any of the 45 caliber short actions/ar type cartridges, like the bushmaster (and ruger makes the American ranch in that caliber) For small powder charges they deliver big hits. Some recoil tho.

Most efficient could also mean "whats the smallest cartridge that gets the job done adequately and reliably even when things aren't perfect" in which case the 6mms really are the perfect "efficient" deer cartridges. 6 creed, .243 win, 6mm rem if feeling old school. 6mm arc even. The bigger centerfire 22 cals apply as well though I think the 6mms are unquestionably better big game "efficient" rifles.

Most efficient could be referring to ballistic efficiency as in what cartridges have the least recoil and blast and require the least burdensome rifle in proportion to how flat it shoots, deep it penetrates, and how hard it hits even at distance. In this regard the 6.5s and 7mms are the obvious choices, and out of short action non magnum cases I have to give the nod to the .260 rem or 6.5 creed class.

Efficient could also mean "one chambering that efficiently can be pressed into service for the greatest variety of purposes and do reasonably well. For some "efficient" means "practical" or "versatile". The .308 Winchester is the stand alone king of that in the size of rifle you desire, with the 7mm-08 being worthy of equally serious consideration.

Just my .02, this coming from a guy who couldn't care less about efficiency and just wants to see how fast his .257 weatherby can go haha, take it for what it's worth

 

[Reelamin]

Wanting a 16.1 inch light bolt deer rifle. What is the most efficient caliber? 6 ARC? 8.6 Blackout, 6.5 Grendel or the ol standard 308.
Under 400 yards.
I hand load. Looking for easy carry light recoil.

Based on what you asked about would have to be the 6 ARC. You want light recoil and that immediately eliminates the 308 from your comparison list. If recoil does not matter no question the 308. EASY Button pushed.

 

[Calvin45]

Especially as you handload, if you NEED to be the odd man out at this point (something I relate with) for lightweight low recoil short barrel efficient versatile hunting performance inside 400 yards (as you describe) I think the 6.8 Remington SPC also holds a lot of untapped potential. Yet another of Remington's good ideas with terrible execution and marketing haha

 

[FireFlyFishing]

.308 with a 130ish grn copper projectile would work great.