One caliber away from contentment... who else?

[Hunt anything]

I think I’m going to quit following this thread, every time I read it I want something else!

 

[steve white]

What was it Jeff Cooper said, "people today don't buy guns as tools....they buy them as toys/presents which bring back the thrill of Christmas morning" or something like that.

 

[CoElkHunter]

All I need is a 270 winchester, 30-06, 340 wby for this side of the pond. Then A 375 wby, 450 Rigby, and a 500gibbs or 500jeff for the other side of the pond. All the rest can go. No new ones.
Krish

Get a .338 WINCHESTER MAGNUM instead of a .340 WEATHERBY. Your shoulder will thank you for it. LOL

 

[Badboymelvin]

Well, for the man who owns firearms in most cartridges, how about one or more of Townsend’s @Bob Nelson 35Whelen proprietary wildcat cartridges based on the 7.7 Japanese necked up or down. .25 Samurai, 6.5 RSE (Rising Sun Express) or perhaps Bob’s favorite, the .35 BNE (Banzai Nelson Express)? Customize a couple of Arisaka 99s and you’d be the first in Colorado or anywhere outside of OZ to own one. Would make a fine addition(s) to your collection for hunting everything from pronghorn to elk? LOL

I once owned a sporterised Arisaka 99 in .303/25...
It was certainly something different...

 

[Badboymelvin]

I was laughing so hard when I saw who started this thread. I figured you were taking the piss with the meet up with Bob coming on soon. Get him good and riled up for it all! I hear he's going to shoot the the four two five. I can't wait for the report on that.

Hahahah! No! Not at all...

I know Bob hates the .243 but l wasn't riling him up... I just really like it - and think it (or something similar) is the only caliber I'm missing...
And every time I feel de-masculinized about liking the .243 I'll grab a .458 or my 425 Express from the safe and just hold it for a while until l feel 'manly' again!

But l do really like the .243

Yep, definitely taking the 425 Express when I head out with Bob - I need to impress him! And even if l owned a .243 l wouldn't bring it... l just couldn't do it to him!

 

[Badboymelvin]

As a few other posters have mentioned I'm headed the other direction. Less is more. I've owned many calibers and still have plenty but I'm thinning the herd. I will keep a few I like even though I don't have a specific need for them but I'm seriously moving towards 3-4 primary calibers.

I've done the same thing mate...

Russ

 

[CoElkHunter]

I once owned a sporterised Arisaka 99 in .303/25...
It was certainly something different...

Close to Bob's .25 Samurai but his has more velocity with the same bullet weight. LOL

 

[Badboymelvin]

Are you guys hunting fallow deer? If so, they don't look to be all that big. Like a mule deer here. Anyway, whatever cartridge you decide to use, shoot straight and please provide us with a hunt report of your adventure.

Yep, Fallow - but there's Sambar around too

And Fallow aren't that big or heavy boned at all...

AND

Here's what happens when you hit one with a 480gn Woodleigh at 2150fps out of a .458 Win Mag...
We didn't eat up to the hole...

Russ

 

[Badboymelvin]

@Badboymelvin
Mate easier to ask forgiveness than permission.
Try the lost puppy approach mate
Look what followed me home darling.
Bob

I'll give you her no. and you can call her and tell her that...

Russ

 

[Forrest Halley]

Hahahah! No! Not at all...

I know Bob hates the .243 but l wasn't riling him up... I just really like it - and think it (or something similar) is the only caliber I'm missing...

Well darn...I was in awe of your game there for a minute. The setup was epic.

And every time I feel de-masculinized about liking the .243 I'll grab a .458 or my 425 Express from the safe and just hold it for a while until l feel 'manly' again!

But l do really like the .243

How do you scale back after carrying so much power afield and still feel good about it? I'm really having trouble with anything that's over a hundred pounds getting below my .375. I really miss my .458 when I leave it behind.

Yep, definitely taking the 425 Express when I head out with Bob - I need to impress him! And even if l owned a .243 l wouldn't bring it... l just couldn't do it to him!

Ohh I'd borrow every .243 I could find and stack them in gun cases. Anything he reached for would be one. I might even neck up some brass to .308 or .358 just to have the headstamp bugger him up.

 

[CBH Australia]

I'll give you her no. and you can call her and tell her that...

Russ

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen this thread is quickly going from content to contempt if he does not have a purchase order.

But with free dies coming and cases available it makes the .243 look like a viable option for a "Family Rifle".

 

[Velo Dog]

Hello badboymelvin,

Look into a 6.5 / .264 bore.
I prefer the original (still the best) Swede / Scandinavian version ~ 6.5x55 Mauser.
But the dreaded Creedmoor is a good one as well, if however late to the party and offering no better ballistics.
The Swede has similar recoil to the .243, with better penetration, as you can hand load up to and including 160 gr round nose bullets.

Not to forget flat trajectory in shooting vermin and light hooved game, the Swede likewise handles 100 - 120 spitzers at high velocity very, very well.
That said, it shines for thin skinned critters, such as the world’s smaller “deer” species with 140 gr spitzers at all “normal” hunting ranges (out to around 400 paces) extremely well.

That said, I do like the .243 Winchester, having owned more than one or two of those plus, the 6 MM Remington, with perfect satisfaction on animals from ground squirrels through coyotes, back when I lived in Soviet Occupied California.
In fact, it was my favorite coyote caliber with 100 grainers.

But for “deer” sized animals, my personal experiences have led me to believe that the 6.5x55 Mauser caliber is about perfect, again with similar recoil to the .243 / 6 MM cartridges.
My own 6.5x55 is a sadly discontinued CZ Model 550 FS, with an also sadly discontinued Leupold fixed power 3X scope in Alaskan Arms brand lever rings.
The last deer I shot with it was a Montana muley, with 140 gr Hornady factory dreaded lead core JSP.
Bang flop, not much meat destruction either.

Now I live in Alaska and the .243 here is a favorite with wolf hunters, with good cause.
It is usually shockingly accurate in whatever brand of rifle it is chambered in, vintage Model 70 Winchesters and Remington Model 700 upwards, and it drops wolves right quick, according to people here who hunt those big hairy parasites regularly.
One chap I know here is so enamored with the .243 for wolves that he had his FN-FAL rebarreled to it, just for wolf hunting.

For deer however, up to and including caribou, I think the 6.5x55 is a better choice.

Cheers,
Velo Dog.

 

[jbirdwell]

I would also look at the 6.5x55 or 7mm-08. Great rounds for what your wanting to do but with very mild recoil and I think they would give you just a little more capability if you did need it sometime in the future.

 

[DillonG]

On a serious note. I have a hard time not choosing a 7mm RemMag as the do it all caliber outside of DG.

 

[fourfive8]

Over the years I've owned and shot many times the number of my current calibers I currently have. I can't remember the number of different calibers- but well over 50. I currently have the following and really not interested in any others save the 22 Hornet. I've had three different guns in the Hornet, now have none. IMO, it would fill the empty "hole" in my calibers, the space between the 22 RF and the 222 Rem.

Photo of my current calibers left to right:
22RF, 222Rem, 30-30, 270 Win, 7x57, 338-06, 375 HH, 416 RM, 450 Watts, 45-70, 577 Snider

 

[Badboymelvin]

Close to Bob's .25 Samurai but his has more velocity with the same bullet weight. LOL

And except Bob's wasn't a complete POS...

 

[Badboymelvin]

Hello badboymelvin,

Look into a 6.5 / .264 bore.
I prefer the original (still the best) Swede / Scandinavian version ~ 6.5x55 Mauser.
But the dreaded Creedmoor is a good one as well, if however late to the party and offering no better ballistics.
The Swede has similar recoil to the .243, with better penetration, as you can hand load up to and including 160 gr round nose bullets.

Not to forget flat trajectory in shooting vermin and light hooved game, the Swede likewise handles 100 - 120 spitzers at high velocity very, very well.
That said, it shines for thin skinned critters, such as the world’s smaller “deer” species with 140 gr spitzers at all “normal” hunting ranges (out to around 400 paces) extremely well.

That said, I do like the .243 Winchester, having owned more than one or two of those plus, the 6 MM Remington, with perfect satisfaction on animals from ground squirrels through coyotes, back when I lived in Soviet Occupied California.
In fact, it was my favorite coyote caliber with 100 grainers.

But for “deer” sized animals, my personal experiences have led me to believe that the 6.5x55 Mauser caliber is about perfect, again with similar recoil to the .243 / 6 MM cartridges.
My own 6.5x55 is a sadly discontinued CZ Model 550 FS, with an also sadly discontinued Leupold fixed power 3X scope in Alaskan Arms brand lever rings.
The last deer I shot with it was a Montana muley, with 140 gr Hornady factory dreaded lead core JSP.
Bang flop, not much meat destruction either.

Now I live in Alaska and the .243 here is a favorite with wolf hunters, with good cause.
It is usually shockingly accurate in whatever brand of rifle it is chambered in, vintage Model 70 Winchesters and Remington Model 700 upwards, and it drops wolves right quick, according to people here who hunt those big hairy parasites regularly.
One chap I know here is so enamored with the .243 for wolves that he had his FN-FAL rebarreled to it, just for wolf hunting.

For deer however, up to and including caribou, I think the 6.5x55 is a better choice.

Cheers,
Velo Dog.

Hi Velo Dog.

I've owned a couple of sporterised 6.5x55's - they were popular in Australia in the 90's.

A company in Oz bought a heap of them and Lee Enfield's and fitted them with bridge mounts, synthetic stocks and I believe Tasco scopes and sold them through the shooting mags. @CBH Australia and @Bob Nelson 35Whelen will remember...

I bought one in 6.5x55 and it was a nice accurate rifle - especially considering it was essentially an ex-military sporter. I think it cost me $400 with 100 rounds of ammo.
But I never shot any game with it so can't comment on it's performance - but I'm sure it would've been great on Deer sized game.

But when it comes to the .264" bore there is only one for me... the .264 Win Mag.
I have always wanted one and a .264 Win Mag in a nice Wood stocked Winchester M70 with a 26" barrel is one of my bucket-list rifles...
I know ballistically it maybe didn't deliver what it promised - and it can be hard on barrels (from what the hater's tell me) but I don't care, still want one!

Russ

 

[fourfive8]

As posted, nirvana for me may be a 22 Hornet, carbine or rifle, with the correct barrel, an accurate 17 Fireball might come close … realizing of course, all 17s have their own set of idiosyncrasies.

 

[CBH Australia]

I remember the era when the sporterised 6.5x55 were available everywhere. Including both of the local shops we had at the time.

I considered it but ended up with a second hand Zastava .308 with a synthetic stock. That's moved on but I have always had a .308 ever since.

 

[Flewis]

I remember the era when the sporterised 6.5x55 were available everywhere. Including both of the local shops we had at the time.

I considered it but ended up with a second hand Zastava .308 with a synthetic stock. That's moved on but I have always had a .308 ever since.

The 308 is a good choice for most hunting choirs. In the eastern us its maybe the best.