# Caliber recommendation



## Darren1765 (May 12, 2013)

Hey evrybuddy! I'm lookin to buy one rifle that can be used as a deer and varmint rifle. I need somethn for varmnts super accurate at 150+ yds that'll still knock out a deer. I don't do a super lot of shooting to pay to buy two guns that's why I'm lookin for a combo. Having to retire my model 4 270 sorry for the long read and thanks for the input!!


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## frog03 (Aug 8, 2011)

I like my 308 for both


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Well... obviously the .223 is the rifle for you! Will kill any deer in the woods. Just get close to the boiler room.

Nah, I'd step up to a .243 and call it done. A Savage with accutrigger will cost you under 500, but you need to bust a grand for a good scope.


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

Anything BUT a .223.....


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

I'm partial to the 7mm08, which is just right for deer, and just right for coyotes. If there is such a thing as overkill, I like to "overkill" my coyotes. :thumbsup:


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## timekiller (Mar 3, 2010)

.243, 6.5 creed, .260


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

.243 or .308.


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## HisName (Nov 29, 2009)

buy another 270 = Tikka lite T3


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## bigbulls (Mar 12, 2008)

AS I type this I am watching a Primos DVD on predator hunting. They are using everything from .223 to 7mm mags to kill coyotes. Dead is dead. Buy a rifle for the biggest animal you want to hunt. The predators don't really care if you kill them with a "big game" cartridge or a "varmint" cartridge.


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

243 end of discussion.


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## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

22-250, bullets available for everything from prairie dogs to deer, Google it, and don't get caught up in the caliber pecker pulling contest lol


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## Travis Gill (Oct 6, 2007)

If you plan on shooting a deer and finding it I wouldn't go with .243


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

:thumbup::thumbup:


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## Kenton (Nov 16, 2007)

Another vote for 6.5.


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## 706Z (Mar 30, 2011)

50 bmg, Nothing lives!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## welldoya (Oct 5, 2007)

bigbulls said:


> AS I type this I am watching a Primos DVD on predator hunting. They are using everything from .223 to 7mm mags to kill coyotes. Dead is dead. Buy a rifle for the biggest animal you want to hunt. The predators don't really care if you kill them with a "big game" cartridge or a "varmint" cartridge.


 
I agree. Buy the caliber for the biggest animal you are going to hunt. Just about any deer caliber is good at 150 yards. I would go with a .270, 30/06 or 7mm/08 but that's personal preference.


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## CLJ (Feb 12, 2013)

.243 all the way


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## jasoncooperpcola (Jan 2, 2008)

.243WSSM in a Browning ABolt Varmint Stalker

Sent from Coop's S5 on Tapacrapatalk


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## off route II (Sep 28, 2007)

.257 Weatherby Mag end of the story


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## plt228 (Mar 13, 2014)

6.5 Creedmoor, Hornady Match 140AMax ammo. My stevens action and benchmark barrel loves em.


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## max h1 (Nov 19, 2007)

If I only had money for one rifle, .30-06 would be top of the list. Factory loads are available from 110-220gr. bullets, ammo can be found almost anywhere. Close second is the .308, ballistics are almost the same as the .30-06 not quit as much bullet selection.


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## daniel9829 (Jan 31, 2009)

.30 caliber. 308-30-06 bullet range 110-240grain. They will take anything short of Huge animals and the 110gr. Can be loaded as hot as you want


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## Brandon_SPC (Nov 2, 2013)

If only hunting deer and varmints. .243 I am working on building an AR10 just for that reason!
Dont get any of the the WSM or the WSSM. Ammo will be hard to find and if you do expensive. My sister uses a .243 and same with my buddy. Kills deer just a dead as my .270. Plus if you have kids or grandkids now you have a rifle they can use to.


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## Emerald Ghost (Mar 11, 2008)

Since your criteria is "super accurate to 150 yards" I would put an emphasis on the make and model of weapon in addition to the caliber.
According to a good friend who is the Agency Firearms Instructor, the Tika T3 rifles will often shoot a 3/8", 3 round group at 100 yards right out of the box.
That is pretty strong.
As far as caliber, my personal preference is anything in excess of a .243
just my .02


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## bobinbusan (Feb 16, 2010)

max h said:


> If I only had money for one rifle, .30-06 would be top of the list. Factory loads are available from 110-220gr. bullets, ammo can be found almost anywhere. Close second is the .308, ballistics are almost the same as the .30-06 not quit as much bullet selection.


+1 for this one :thumbsup:


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

Travis Gill said:


> If you plan on shooting a deer and finding it I wouldn't go with .243


I hunted with a single shot New England Firearms .243 from the time I was age 7-16 and DROPPED every deer I had shot with it. I've upgraded to a .308 and Leupold VX3 and have yet to drop one dead in their tracks yet...:whistling:


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

hjorgan said:


> Well... obviously the .223 is the rifle for you! Will kill any deer in the woods. Just get close to the boiler room.
> 
> Nah, I'd step up to a .243 and call it done. A Savage with accutrigger will cost you under 500, but you need to bust a grand for a good scope.


WHY!?!? A GRAND? Really?
I have a Zeiss on my .308 that didn't cost half a GRAND!
But I've killed ALOT more deer with my other rifle that has a $54 T/C scope on it... Plenty of critters have died while being shot with a "cheapo" Tasco/Simmons/Redfield/Weaver or whatever "no name" brand you can find.

I will agree with the .243, I'll add .308.
As a general rule, I try to avoid guns in "new", "wildcat", or other odd calibers. If I cant buy it at Walmart or the hardware store in "Where the hell are we" Wyoming... Then I dont want it? Many of them end up being fads. I've got friends that bought into the WSM cartridges a few years ago. The have ALOT of trouble finding ammo, except at the local specialty (expensive) hunting store. They are great cartridges, but I like to keep my availability options open :whistling:


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## VA Boy (Feb 19, 2012)

Lots of good info here. I like BULLS idea of caliber for biggest animal. Don't go too small on one end and be marginal on the other. Not fair to the game. Consider if you'll ever use it out of state. Lots of states require minimum .24 cal for big game. I asked my F-I-L one time if I could only have 1 rifle, what would it be? Without a doubt, a 30-06. For the same reasons stated above. Ammo versatility and availability.


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## lastcast (Oct 12, 2007)

Here's your gun!
www.tracking-point.com/


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## markm0369 (Oct 31, 2007)

A good bolt action 22 mag would work but not legal, so I go with 243, good range of bullets and accuracy, no issues on deer, did have a hog run 50 yards after a good center hit, I would imagine the lighter stuff to be a bit hot in close for coyotes but if you aren't selling the fur


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## yukondog (Feb 12, 2013)

308,35rem.30-06 would nicely.


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

off route II said:


> .257 Weatherby Mag end of the story


This is my friend from Alaska's caliber of choice. He killed a 58" moose this season with it, and came down here last week and killed 2 coyotes. And I mean REALLY killed the coyotes deader than dead. Snot blew out one end, poop blew out the other, and guts blew out so hard, it turned the coyote inside out. :no:


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## ghost95 (May 4, 2009)

6.5 mauser. Yeah the old one. In a modern action and loaded correctly it bests the .260 in case capacity, velocity, and trajectory. Beautiful round.


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## Joraca (Dec 29, 2007)

Darren1765 said:


> Hey evrybuddy! I'm lookin to buy one rifle that can be used as a deer and varmint rifle. I need somethn for varmnts super accurate at 150+ yds that'll still knock out a deer. I don't do a super lot of shooting to pay to buy two guns that's why I'm lookin for a combo. Having to retire my model 4 270 sorry for the long read and thanks for the input!!


 I found this site while reading up on the .223.

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase.html

Lots of opinions on lots of calibers. Lots of gory pictures, too!

Joraca

P.S. He likes Norinco .223 FMJ over most anything in .223.


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## bit wright (Feb 27, 2013)

*25-06 Remington*. The one rifle that can do it all and do it well. Friend in Idaho uses one for elk. I have used mine for mule deer, white tail, pronghorn, coyote, ground squirrels. Loads from 80gr hollow point to 120grain partitions will handle anything in North America short of bear and moose.


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