Searching for next caliber…

[CiFarmer]

Hey all,

I’m currently searching for my next rifle to purchase. The issue is I have a difficult time deciding what caliber to get given the current calibers I own:

.22lr
.17hmr
.223 in ar15
.22-250
.240 weatherby
.257 weatherby
.300 win mag
.300 rem ultra mag
450 bushmaster in ar15

Any suggestions on calibers to get to fill any gaps I have?

Thanks,

 

[kthomas]

What do you want to do with the new rifle?

 

[Jscb1b]

.577 tyrannosaur.

 

[CiFarmer]

It would be for hunting purposes. I have the calibers currently to cover everything I currently hunt and then some, just looking for calibers to fulfill any gaps if there is any gap in my line up?

 

[roostercogburn98]

Bolt gun, gas gun, lever gun, single shot? What you wanna do with it as already been askeded

 

[CiFarmer]

Bolt gun

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Buy the one that will have "the most available" ammo....

 

[hafejd30]

How does one not own either a 308 or 6.5. To be a man you literally must own at least one 308. Or have access to your husbands 6.5 Creedmoor

 

[JustinTX]

With the line-up it looks like you are covered from prairie dogs to moose.

 

[roostercogburn98]

Not knowing what you hunt or where, but I don’t see a .308 in that list. Maybe a 308, 7mm-08, 7mm Rem mag?

 

[CiFarmer]

What I do know is that I’m wanted another bolt action rifle

Not knowing what you hunt or where, but I don’t see a .308 in that list. Maybe a 308, 7mm-08, 7mm Rem mag?

How does a 7mm rem mag compare to a 257 weatherby and 300 win mag? I’m intrigued now!

 

[Stevo86]

257 FTW!!!

 

[roostercogburn98]

What I do know is that I’m wanted another bolt action rifle

How does a 7mm rem mag compare to a 257 weatherby and 300 win mag? I’m intrigued now!

Real winner between 7rem mag and 300 win mag is probably recoil. The 7mm will have slightly less, which could let you build a lighter rifle for packing around. Both are plenty capable of taking just about the same game though

 

[kthomas]

.22-300NMI

 

[Yote Klr]

Hey all,

I’m currently searching for my next rifle to purchase. The issue is I have a difficult time deciding what caliber to get given the current calibers I own:

.22lr
.17hmr
.223 in ar15
.22-250
.240 weatherby
.257 weatherby
.300 win mag
.300 rem ultra mag
450 bushmaster in ar15

Any suggestions on calibers to get to fill any gaps I have?

Thanks,

You have 17, 22, 243, 25, 30,45 caliber cartridges. How about a 26 caliber cartridge like 260 AI, 264 win mag, or 26 Nosler?

 

[DJL2]

.375 Ruger or .416 Rem Mag - honestly, you already have more calibers than you need to hunt anything not trying to kill you back or massive enough to merit a medium-large bore. Both of those are an entirely different league than the .450 Bushmaster, I would add.

You could also get a classic like .35 Whelen just to have a hard hitting rifle in a non-magnum caliber... might as well get the AI, since you're likely gonna need to hand load.

You could also diversify if you wanted to liquidate -
.22 LR / 17 HMR - smol gun
.223 Rem / .450 Bush - evil black gun
.22-250 - is good, classic... 22 Creed before it was a thing, more or less (at least the AI version)
.240 Wby / .257 Wby - pick one, recommend the 6mm
.300 WM / .300 RUM - pick one, recommend the WM
Now, add a:
- 7mm of your choice, or replace the 2x Wby with either a 6.5 or 7 Wby
- a 6, 7, or .30 that ISN'T a magnum

 

[Jscb1b]

.22-300NMI

Overbore?

 

[stello1001]

6gt

 

[CiFarmer]

Thanks for the recommendations and suggestions everyone.

 

[spife7980]

Get a 6br/dasher/creed/xc with a fast twist barrel to fulfill the good short action long range spot you don’t have filled.

 

[candyx]

Your missing a 338 lapua .

 

[Matt_3479]

How about a 17 centerfire, 20 cal, or 223 bolt. Can be used for varmint and predators.

Smaller 6mm like a dasher/bra,gt kind of thing. Light small low recoil.

338 of some flavour. 338 Lapua improved?

270 wsm/6.8 wester

7mm saum, 7 prc?

 

[moosemeat]

Pretty big gap between 257 Weatherby and 300 wm. That and you need something fun and inexpensive to shoot leads me to...
338 Lapua....

 

[Edds]

Hey all,

I’m currently searching for my next rifle to purchase. The issue is I have a difficult time deciding what caliber to get given the current calibers I own:

.22lr
.17hmr
.223 in ar15
.22-250
.240 weatherby
.257 weatherby
.300 win mag
.300 rem ultra mag
450 bushmaster in ar15

Any suggestions on calibers to get to fill any gaps I have?

Thanks,

I would want a short, lightweight, 308 Winchester or 338 Federal added to that group.

 

[The D]

.950 JDJ

 

[iceng]

7 PRC ?? All the cool kids will be running it. Get on the band wagon early.

 

[morning would]

6.5x47

 

[The D]

.950 JDJ

But seriously. I can find some holes in that list

338 edge
7mm rem mag -or- 7 prc
.30-06
.260 rem
6x47 Lapua

 

[CiFarmer]

But seriously. I can find some holes in that list

338 edge
7mm rem mag -or- 7 prc
.30-06
.260 rem
6x47 Lapua

I appreciate the response. I’ll have to look into some of these. On another note, if you could only have two rifles to hunt coyotes to elk, what caliber would they be?

 

[spife7980]

I appreciate the response. I’ll have to look into some of these. On another note, if you could only have two rifles to hunt coyotes to elk, what caliber would they be?

6br can sling 60gr varmint bullets to 115s

30-06 for all the deer+ but you’ve got a 257 and 300 so it’s just splitting those hairs.

 

[Matt_3479]

I appreciate the response. I’ll have to look into some of these. On another note, if you could only have two rifles to hunt coyotes to elk, what caliber would they be?

For me it would be a tough call between a 6mm bra and a 25x47/creed and a 300 Norma mag/prc,win mag. It would cover all my needs. I prefer to save pelts so I’d like a 20 cal, then a 6 and or 25 and then 30 cal.

 

[Edds]

I appreciate the response. I’ll have to look into some of these. On another note, if you could only have two rifles to hunt coyotes to elk, what caliber would they be?

223 & 30-06

 

[moosemeat]

I appreciate the response. I’ll have to look into some of these. On another note, if you could only have two rifles to hunt coyotes to elk, what caliber would they be?

223
7prc/7rm/7saum

 

[moosemeat]

You really need something with low recoil, readily available ammo and long barrel life. Something like a 6.5 creed, 7mm08, 260 remington.

 

[iceng]

You really need something with low recoil, readily available ammo and long barrel life. 7mm08

Bingo.

 

[DarinC]

223ai or any other hot rod 223 and 7 Saum if you’re intent on doing elk with it.

 

[The D]

I appreciate the response. I’ll have to look into some of these. On another note, if you could only have two rifles to hunt coyotes to elk, what caliber would they be?

Do you reload? You should, if you don’t

If you do: 260 rem & .30-06

If you don’t: 6 or 6.5 Creedmoor & .30-06

 

[OREGUN]

6.5 Cm and something in 7mm. Maybe a 6 variant….6CM, BR or Dasher? .375 cheytac or .416 Barrett.

 

[CiFarmer]

Do you reload? You should, if you don’t

If you do: 260 rem & .30-06

If you don’t: 6 or 6.5 Creedmoor & .30-06

I do not reload. I’d love to learn how.

 

[longrange772]

Another vote for 7mm-08.

 

[brian1]

How about a 22-303 British? I had a bunch of 303 Brit brass, so I got a wild hair and said "How about necking it down to .22?". I necked down some sample brass, had a reamer and Encore barrel made, and am currently loading up some ammo for it. I also bought a junk old Mk4 and a Shilen .224 barrel for makng a bolt action version.

 

[The D]

I do not reload. I’d love to learn how.

I’m still relatively new at it but you don’t need to spend a ton of $$ in the beginning. It’s a fun part of the hobby if you let it stay that way and it doesn’t take a lot of work to make better ammo than the big manufacturers

 

[mrmarklin]

What you have will cover anything in the Americas. For Africa and dangerous game you need larger calibers like .375 H&H. Or .458 Lott.

 

[BJames]

You have everything covered, yet most of your stable is magnums. Stop it. You don’t need magnums to kill shit. I killed an AK moose this year with a muzzleloader that had a 6 inch drop at 150 from a 100 yard zero! People shoot things with fucking sticks! Get something that’s pleasant to shoot. 6/6.5 creed, I was shooting 6.5 creed before it was cool. Don’t care about the manbun hating boomers, it’s a great cartridge. Even 308, another great round, pretty much the only thing that makes our resident boomers dick’s hard. Get a cartridge you can have fun with, has great barrel life, and has more recoil than a 223. Or say fuck it and go big bore, 458 Lott or even 375. My 20” m70 375 h&h goes with me everywhere, boat, sxs, airplane, it does it all 0-300 yards.

 

[granite wagon]

Every household should have at least one 308win & a closet full of fed gold med , black hills , m118lr etc etc !

 

[roostercogburn98]

I do not reload. I’d love to learn how.

If you don’t reload, 7rem mag is usually easy to find factory ammo for. Or at least it used to be.

 

[Jscb1b]

Instead of a new gun(gasp), how about a press and dies?

 

[OREGUN]

OP: “Hey guys I’m thinking about a new car”

INTERNET: “How about you learn to rebuild automotive engines”

 

[DJL2]

OP: “Hey guys I’m thinking about a new car and I already own at least six to cover every conceivable need.”

INTERNET: “How about you learn to rebuild automotive engines it will make your more capable with the cars you already own.”

There, FTFY ;-).

 

[OREGUN]

It’s insane to me how many times a person comes on here to ask a question about shooting or guns or some other thing and gets told to start reloading. Reloading is a distinct hobby, unrelated, as an activity, to shooting itself, which takes loads of investment of time and money to make ammo that is MAYBE better than than factory match ammo. So yeah, the answer to “which new caliber“ is definitely “take up reloading”.

Reloading does not make you a more capable shooter any more than rebuilding engines makes you a more capable driver.

Go buy ammo and some instruction if you want to shoot better.
Go buy an engine and some track time if you want to drive better.

OP, go buy a short action 6mm variant if you want a more well rounded stable. You’re obsession with magnums is cool but loud and expensive.