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Best Rifle Caliber For My Needs
- Thread starter Maverick0621
- Start date
It ain’t giveaway day yet
And most muzzle brakes are loud enough to cause inexperienced shooters to flinch. Why not pick a caliber with light recoil that kills clean?
I never said the .308 was a heavy recoiling cartridge, or that it was too much for me. I have several, and shoot them often. Just saying that in a light rifle like he specified, it does kick.
The .257 Roberts impresses me more every time I take an animal with it, and the light recoil is a real bonus.
I also like .300 Win Mag, .35 Whelen, .375 H&H Mag, .280 Ackley, and 7mm Rem Mag, but none of those really match what the young man asked about either. He specifically said light rifle, light recoil, nothing larger than deer or hogs.
This very well may be the guy's first deer rifle.
they always show up on giveaway day
He didn't actually say light recoil. He said "not too much recoil". That's different. He also specifically mentioned he is looking at the 308. We are just affirming a good choice for him.
Unless a person is especially sensitive to recoil, even a light 308 just doesn't kick that hard. I've know 12 year olds that could shoot a 308 with no problem.
The OP was on as recently as this AM but has only made this one post....why do I feel like we all got catfished?
But to piggyback on the topic, I currently have AR's chambered in 5.56 and 300 Blackout; if I wanted to stay with an AR15 size receiver and move up to a longer range caliber which would be better - 6.8 or .224 Valkyrie? Or just stick with 77 grain 5.56?
Purpose would be whitetail hunting here in GA if I'm somewhere that has open fields.
But to piggyback on the topic, I currently have AR's chambered in 5.56 and 300 Blackout; if I wanted to stay with an AR15 size receiver and move up to a longer range caliber which would be better - 6.8 or .224 Valkyrie? Or just stick with 77 grain 5.56?
Purpose would be whitetail hunting here in GA if I'm somewhere that has open fields.
Radar363, what do you consider "long range" for deer hunting in GA?
Of course your .300 Blackout isn't a good choice for long range work. Even with supersonic bullets (110 gr. at initial velocity of 2200 at the muzzle). It'll be only hitting with 450 foot/pounds at 300 yards. The velocity will be down to 1400 fps.
The 6.8 SPC that you are considering should give you nearly 1900 f.p.s. velocity and 875 foot-pounds AT 300 YARDS.
Most people consider 300 yards "long range" for hunting with an AR, even if it's not long range if you're ringing steel plates with a bolt action tactical rifle.
https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/6.8mm-spc-110-gr-v-max-black#!/
Your 77-grain loads in the .223 Rem. / 5.56 mm should be in the same ballpark as the 6.8 SPC at yards:
about 1950-2100 f.p.s. at that distance, and between 650 and 750 foot/lbs. energy, depending on the exact load.
http://gundata.org/ballistic-calculator/
So what does the .224 Valkyrie do at 300 yards?
From what I can glean from this graph, the .224 Val with a 77-grain bullet still has 2000 fps at 300 yards,
and it hits with about 700 foot/pounds energy.
https://www.range365.com/224-valkyrie#page-4
So.... not enough of a difference to get a new upper and have to stock a new supply of ammo.
Only if you are a really good shot AND you want to shoot to 1000 yards and beyond would I consider the .224 Val. Not for hunting deer in GA.
Not even for that 350 yard shot across the soybean field, or the power line clearing.
******** EDITED at 9:50 a.m. **********
Of course your .300 Blackout isn't a good choice for long range work. Even with supersonic bullets (110 gr. at initial velocity of 2200 at the muzzle). It'll be only hitting with 450 foot/pounds at 300 yards. The velocity will be down to 1400 fps.
The 6.8 SPC that you are considering should give you nearly 1900 f.p.s. velocity and 875 foot-pounds AT 300 YARDS.
Most people consider 300 yards "long range" for hunting with an AR, even if it's not long range if you're ringing steel plates with a bolt action tactical rifle.
https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/6.8mm-spc-110-gr-v-max-black#!/
Your 77-grain loads in the .223 Rem. / 5.56 mm should be in the same ballpark as the 6.8 SPC at yards:
about 1950-2100 f.p.s. at that distance, and between 650 and 750 foot/lbs. energy, depending on the exact load.
http://gundata.org/ballistic-calculator/
So what does the .224 Valkyrie do at 300 yards?
From what I can glean from this graph, the .224 Val with a 77-grain bullet still has 2000 fps at 300 yards,
and it hits with about 700 foot/pounds energy.
https://www.range365.com/224-valkyrie#page-4
So.... not enough of a difference to get a new upper and have to stock a new supply of ammo.
Only if you are a really good shot AND you want to shoot to 1000 yards and beyond would I consider the .224 Val. Not for hunting deer in GA.
Not even for that 350 yard shot across the soybean field, or the power line clearing.
******** EDITED at 9:50 a.m. **********
I don't have a 6.8, just the 5.56/.223 and 300 BO.
I doubt I would take a 300 yard shot with either of those, even though I've heard of kills being made at that range.
I bought the 300 BO to hunt suppressed in wooded areas where I probably wouldn't have a shot over 100 yards.
7mm-08 and don’t look back.
