Best Rifle Caliber For My Needs

[aragorn1]

.270 more power than a .243 with only minimal recoil increase with 130 grain loads and it shoots flatter than a .308. I would stay with an affordable bolt action(they are numerous ones to choose from) and spend the savings versus an AR on a quality optic.

 

[aragorn1]

Also you can find ammo anywhere.

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

RockyFatCat..... seriously? You posted a video full of instruction on how to choose a 1000-yard cartridge for a guy's wife, and this guy demands that she be able to kill deer with the cartridge at 1000 yards?? !! ??

(No, wait. 1000 METERS. Because, you know, meters are mil-tac-cool.)


The O.P. asked about deer and hogs and coyotes, no shots over 300 yards.

The .243 Win (with 85 gr. Nosler Partition bullet) still has 900 foot/pounds of energy at 300 yards.

The .260 Rem (with 125 gr. Nosler Partitition bullet) has 1500 foot/pounds at 300 yards. Both are sufficient for deer. If low recoil is important, I think the .243 is better, UNLESS you want to be able to take quartering-away shots or fire at their rumps and still expect the bullet to reach their hearts. THEN, go with a cartridge that fires heavier bullets with more sectional density.

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

As for recoil, from rifles of similar weight:

243 = 9 foot/ lbs. of recoil energy.

7mm-08 = 12 ft/ lbs.

.260 = 13 ft/lbs.

.270 Win (130 gr. bullet) 16.5 ft./ lbs.

.308 with 165 gr. bullets: 18 ft/lbs recoil.

 

[nicaburns]

Caliber debates are always interesting but I am a bit surprised some have strayed to long-action calibers. I absolutely love .270 but would grab a short action or 6.5/6.8 AR any day of the week for the scenario described.

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

Some people are so in love with the .308 caliber, I'm surprised they don't carry one for defense as they shop at WalMart and eat at Ruby Tuesday's too.
I mean, isn't it THE BEST caliber for ANYTHING?
If ".308" isn't the right answer, you must be asking the wrong question !!

 

[Necrosis]

.270 more power than a .243 with only minimal recoil increase with 130 grain loads and it shoots flatter than a .308. I would stay with an affordable bolt action(they are numerous ones to choose from) and spend the savings versus an AR on a quality optic.

Hunting hogs relegates this to semiauto imo, for both personal safety and multiple target reasons. Also you don't want to wonder if you are bringing enough power.

 

[Necrosis]

As for recoil, from rifles of similar weight:

243 = 9 foot/ lbs. of recoil energy.

7mm-08 = 12 ft/ lbs.

.260 = 13 ft/lbs.

.270 Win (130 gr. bullet) 16.5 ft./ lbs.

.308 with 165 gr. bullets: 18 ft/lbs recoil.

A more helpful comparison would be their energy on a target at 300 yards. Any healthy adult should be able to handle 308 recoil (especially semiauto) with practice. We're not looking for little Timmy's first deer rifle.

 

[REDX]

308 or 6.5 creedmoor, either or will be excellent for your purposes and the 6.5 will recoil less.

 

[chrislibby88]

7.62x39 would be the cheapest. There are many great hunting loads for big game, and it has plenty of power. Velocity and energy are just a little below 30-30 (which has been proven for all south eastern big game for decades)

You can run an AR or AK, and there are many 7.62x39 bolt guns on the market that are exceptionally accurate even with crap ammo.


I hunt with .308 out of a bolt gun. But I wouldn’t hesitate to take a deer or pig with 7.62x39. If I can get a good optic and mount for my AK by next season then it will join me in the stand for a few hunts.