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Most Suitable Calibre

H

Helix

Private
Minuteman
May 22, 2009
30
0
37
Australia
I live in Australia and usually go after varying game from rabbits up to roos. I have a .22-250 which is barely adequate for roos. I recently had an encounter with a large sow with a litter, needless to say my .22-250 was like a pea shooter. My rifle is also too heavy for lugging around the forest as it has a heavy barrel. As a result I have been saving for some time for something that can have a crack at the pigs whilst still having some versatility for smaller game (I'm not after meat or furs).

I was thinking along the lines of a 7mm Rem Magnum, but I'm not sure if I could handle the recoil or noise (I'm tall and skinny and not the strongest bloke around).

Then I thought about a .25-06 but wasn't sure if it would be a little under-gunned for large pigs.

I've heard the .30-06 is very effective, and most of my shooting at the moment is in wooded areas so long-range shots aren't all that frequent, but I like the idea of being able to take the long shots when the opportunity arises and I'm not sure that the .30-06 would make the cut.

At the moment I think I'm leaning towards a .270 winchester.
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

Do NOT get the 270....there are a bunch of better options.

The 308 would do what you want and need to, you can get lighter 110 to 130 grain bullets for the rabbits and heavies for the pigs (like 175 SMKS or some Berger VLD Hunting bullets) and you can shoot the 155 gr Berger/Lapua/Sierra or the 175 SMK's to 1000 yards (or meters too).

Build or buy a nice 20" barreled 308, like the Remington LTR or SPS Tactical. If building a custom there are lots of options to keep it "packable" and also reach out for LR hunting.

You wouldn't be under gunned with the 25-06, load up some 100 grain Barnes TSX's and kill away, but again I think the 308 is a better choice in a more compact gun.
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

the thought always strikes me we i travel to west texas and points west, where the land stenches out and offers up one BIG rifle range....where the wind blows and the terrain undulates.....i often wonder if i brought enough gun.

it has been said and demonstrated that a 30.06 can take down any north American game animal ......prolly work in Australia also.....i'm just sayin
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

A 6.5x47 is not a bad option for you too as long as your not trying to kill the pigs at 1k. The 120 bullet would do well going 3000 or faster and still give you plenty of hurt on them bigger animals. And by going with a 120 Nosler Balistic Tip or 130 berger you get great balistics and awesome accruacy. You can always run the lighter bullets for them pesky little varmits.....
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

The 30-06 is fine. However I would stick with the 308. You can use heavy bullets for those pesky hogs. Put the 155 grains on the launcher and you have a bullet that can reach out to 1K for paper punching, or metal gong slaying. Also, the surplus ammo available (well at least before the war started) is fairly decent compared to other caliber. 7mmRM is a great cartridge if you don't mind the recoil. It may just be too much gun (if there is such), for short range problem. JMHO.
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jasonk</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Do NOT get the 270....there are a bunch of better options.</div></div>
WHAT! WHAT! Alright Jason, you get to wear the dunce cap for a while!
grin.gif

The 270 can push a 100 grain bullet 100-200 fps faster than a 100 grain bullet in a 25-06. And the 270 will smoke any 308 Win, solely based on energy (which in this case we are talking about hunting). The 270 is an awesome round, and is definitly worthy of pigs, deer, and up to elk size game. Anything based on the 30-06 case will do you fine, as well as a 308 Win, for large pigs. But the 270 is an awesome round!
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Helix</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I live in Australia and usually go after varying game from rabbits up to roos. I have a .22-250 which is barely adequate for roos. I recently had an encounter with a large sow with a litter, needless to say my .22-250 was like a pea shooter. My rifle is also too heavy for lugging around the forest as it has a heavy barrel. As a result I have been saving for some time for something that can have a crack at the pigs whilst still having some versatility for smaller game (I'm not after meat or furs).

I was thinking along the lines of a 7mm Rem Magnum, but I'm not sure if I could handle the recoil or noise (I'm tall and skinny and not the strongest bloke around).

Then I thought about a .25-06 but wasn't sure if it would be a little under-gunned for large pigs.

I've heard the .30-06 is very effective, and most of my shooting at the moment is in wooded areas so long-range shots aren't all that frequent, but I like the idea of being able to take the long shots when the opportunity arises and I'm not sure that the .30-06 would make the cut.

At the moment I think I'm leaning towards a .270 winchester. </div></div>


6.5mm bullet ballistics are hard to beat.

6.5x47 is ballistically close match with good ol´ 6.5x55 Swedish, and they have been shooting mooses successfully for decades already.
Same thing goes with 260Rem, naturally.

Dangerous game is whole different ballgame, I´d say that .30 is tad too small for it as well.
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

I am with you, the .270 is a pretty sweet critter getter. I am building one right now for a friend to take on a western hunt. Hopefully we are going to get the 150 bergers up to 3000+ fps. Quickload says 3100 is possible. Recoil should be manageable even in a fairly light package. No.4 kreiger in a Mcmillan gen purpose.
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Helix</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I live in Australia and usually go after varying game from rabbits up to roos. I have a .22-250 which is barely adequate for roos. I recently had an encounter with a large sow with a litter, needless to say my .22-250 was like a pea shooter. My rifle is also too heavy for lugging around the forest as it has a heavy barrel. As a result I have been saving for some time for something that can have a crack at the pigs whilst still having some versatility for smaller game (I'm not after meat or furs).

I was thinking along the lines of a 7mm Rem Magnum, but I'm not sure if I could handle the recoil or noise (I'm tall and skinny and not the strongest bloke around).

Then I thought about a .25-06 but wasn't sure if it would be a little under-gunned for large pigs.

I've heard the .30-06 is very effective, and most of my shooting at the moment is in wooded areas so long-range shots aren't all that frequent, but I like the idea of being able to take the long shots when the opportunity arises and I'm not sure that the .30-06 would make the cut.

At the moment I think I'm leaning towards a .270 winchester. </div></div>

The bullet selection for 270 is pretty slim compared to 30 caliber.

The 30-06 with heavy, quality bullets is a great long range round. Up close with a good round nose partition bullet it will devastate even the largest pigs. You can load it light with light bullets and have a round that will either vaporize a rabbit or just kill it (110Vmax @ 3700 fps or 110 RN cast lead at 1400 fps can be done as well)

It's an enormously flexible round.

People in the US use 25-06 for a good mule deer round, my personal preference would be the 30-06, but I really have a romance for that round, clearly I'm biased with it.

Here's a good thread couple threads that might help with the 30-06 debate.

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1240742&gonew=1#UNREAD
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

The .270 would work fine for what you are doing, but you are adding essentially unneeded length to the rifle by going with a long action, also the .270's overbore comapred to a .30 cal is another strike against short barrels. My personal opinion is that .308/.260 would be your best option. Both have good barrel life and mild recoil, plenty of components and massive bullet selection. A 20 inch .308 with some 175'ish gamekings might be a good, avaliable simple way to solve your problem.
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

According to some, 270 is or can be 40% more accurate. On big-game like mule deer and elk the .270 130 grain load is decidedly superior producing one-shot stops and killsout past 750 meters,something the .308 with any bullet weight cannot do past 400 meters. penetration on both light cover and critters inside 500 meters is about equal, but past that distance, the .270Win 130-grain is noticeably better with complete penetration on broadside shots being the norm.
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

+1000 on the 270, That kid kills the crap out of the Sheep up here in ALaska. Its a Great round and would schwack the roo's real good.
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

I think there is some prejudice against the 270 here because it is a hunter's caliber. You won't find match-grade ammo in 270, and won't find a lot of match grade bullets either. Further, most 270's are sporters, so there is probably a general belief that the 270 is not an accurate caliber. I am sure that it <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">could</span></span> be.

Since the question is about hunting, I think it is a fine choice. I have taken more deer than I can count with a 270... that shoots 2 MOA and wears a $50 Bushnell Sportview scope. The nice thing about the 270 is (as was pointed out) high energy, which makes for some pretty serious terminal ballistics. When it comes to hunting bullets, there is a good selection of 270... and remember that hunting bullets are selected for terminal ballistics first and accuracy second.
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ChadTRG42</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jasonk</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Do NOT get the 270....there are a bunch of better options.</div></div>
WHAT! WHAT! Alright Jason, you get to wear the dunce cap for a while!
grin.gif
</div></div>

Blah blah blah.....
smile.gif


I still think there are lots of better options out there. The 270 is better thanks to newer bullets out there but I can still pick 10 others I'd choose before it. I just think it's an in between gun, marginal ballistics and power for what it does in a long action. I know, it's just me, I am biased and I'm okay with that.
wink.gif
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

Why not a 53 grain TSX in the 22-250?

The 270 doesn't sound bad but I have 6.5x55 that is right between the 25'06 and 270.
You can use the 85-100 grain varmint bullets on little stuff and anything from the 120 TSX to 160 roundnose on bigger critters.
It's very accurate, low recoil and there's Lapua brass for it.
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

I like the .260 Rem, and rate its terminal energy somewhere in between the .308 and .30-'06. For paper, I'd prefer the .260, since its recoil is the least of the three, and for hunting, I'd prefer thy .30-'06, for its knockdown. If I had to do it all with one gun, it'd be the .260. If I didn't handload, it's be the .30-'06. I like the .308 as well, but the other two better.

If my hunting were under 100yd, I'd go with either my .44Mag lever gun, or a 20ga rifled slug gun shooting sabots. The accuracy and ballistics are nearly identical for these two.

Greg
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

308, or the 7-08 would be a good compromise. Good high bc bullets for long range and maybe a 175 grainer for the piggy in the woods.
I think the biggest myth is the 6.5 swede, many moose where shot with it but only because they had no 30-06 or larger. The swede has a very bad reputation here. I've seen deer go down on the spot with swift and 22-250 but mostly just run away with the swede. Maybe it is because we must use factory loads.
edi
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

What is "wrong" with a .270 win for an all-around rifle for Australia? Not my choice, but even in America, as long as you aren't going for Brown Bear, the .270win will work and has worked since Winchester intro'd the ctg in the Model 54.

What you really want, is to put a fast twist barrel on your .22-250 and shoot heavy match bullets. With a 1:6.5 or maybe 1:7, you could even shoot 90 grainers.

Okay, a .22-250 AI, or a 6mm/.22-250 AI gives you about the optimum cartridge case. The 6mm would be longer lived, and get a 1:8 or 8.5 twist barrel to shoot 107-115gr match bullets.

Any 06 based ctg of less than .277 diameter is an underbore proposition and will eat barrels quickly. A .280AI is a helluvan all-around rifle choice. Damn popular here in Dall Sheep Valhalla, and for Caribou and Moose. How tough are kangaroos?

The .22-250 case is ubiquitous and cheap. With an Ackley Improved reamer you get the taper removed and a 40deg shoulder. The 6mm/.22-250 AI is almost identical to the famous 6mmXC; just .001 longer in the body. Neck it up to 6.5mm or maybe 7mm if you want heavy & high Ballistic Coefficient bullets. Or maybe just do a .250 Savage AI?

If you're gonna chase the velocity dragon, you're gonna burn barrels. A nice 3000fps round with high BC bullet and about 35gr of powder, with Lapua cases, and Life Is Good!

6mm is a proven performer on Antelope, Sheep, and Deer.

The .260rem and .243win have reputations as barrel burners. The AI'ed .22-250 case is just about optimum for long barrel life.

The one I really want to try someday is a .338/284win.
Go Wildcat if you want to personalize your shooting!
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Swamper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

The .260rem and .243win have reputations as barrel burners. The AI'ed .22-250 case is just about optimum for long barrel life.


</div></div>

Swamper, you are an idiot!!!
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Helix</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I live in Australia and usually go after varying game from rabbits up to roos. I have a .22-250 which is barely adequate for roos. I recently had an encounter with a large sow with a litter, needless to say my .22-250 was like a pea shooter. My rifle is also too heavy for lugging around the forest as it has a heavy barrel. As a result I have been saving for some time for something that can have a crack at the pigs whilst still having some versatility for smaller game (I'm not after meat or furs).

I was thinking along the lines of a 7mm Rem Magnum, but I'm not sure if I could handle the recoil or noise (I'm tall and skinny and not the strongest bloke around).

Then I thought about a .25-06 but wasn't sure if it would be a little under-gunned for large pigs.

I've heard the .30-06 is very effective, and most of my shooting at the moment is in wooded areas so long-range shots aren't all that frequent, but I like the idea of being able to take the long shots when the opportunity arises and I'm not sure that the .30-06 would make the cut.

At the moment I think I'm leaning towards a .270 winchester. </div></div>

If you do not hand load, .30-06 for Oz is what you need.
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

For a hunting rifle: what caliber is likely going to be on the shelf of the nearest store that sells ammo in your area? A ____ (fill in the blank) is the prefect caliber, until you drop your ammo off a cliff or overboard. Then what?

FYI I have a .270 Winchester registered in Canada for when I hunt up there. May not be the best, but I can get ammo in a pinch. The black bear I killed last year in Quebec had a hard time with a 130 grain power-point.

Good luck with your choice.

Jerry
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

You already have a long action.
06 and 308 use the same bullets.
Both will get over 1100 yards.
Your 250 is a necked 06.
If you use a mag, it will feed the same.

Oh shit close, 44-45 cal pistol.

Just more to think about.
 
Re: Most Suitable Calibre

Lad you are probably correct,Davids sling and an Irish potato would have a better trajectory and lots more knock down.
 
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