Need some cartridge advice

[AdamFuzzyballs]

I don’t know what terrain you’re describing, but in east Texas it’s either pine thickets or long clear cut logging roads. For the thickets I’ve used 30-30 pretty well, being a shortened carbine length gun. For the long sight aisles I have used .270 and in my experience it shoots flat and quick, but I also grew up shooting it a lot more than any other gun. My dad loves his 300WM, but I agree it could be overkill at closer range. Recently, I used a .243 for the first time, and was actually blown away by how clean it was, at real close range. I would say in this environment definitely go with whatever you can find ammo wise, and see if it works well for you. Guns hold value fairly well, so if you decide to change it up you later on you’ll be able to move it pretty fast!

 

[Bigfattyt]

.30-06 for a one rifle solution.

Old cartridge. Lots of ammo choices. Enough power and range for anything you want to shoot.

 

[Wicked Sharp]

I’ve been hunting whitetail deer for over forty years. I’m not an “expert”, but I know what has and has not worked in countless hunting scenarios in that time. Consider a Mauser M18 in .308 Winchester. Mount a decent quality scope in Talley rings, shoot it (a lot with several premium hunting rounds), and go hunting with it. You’re welcome. P.S….., if you are not consistently getting .5moa groups at 100 yards, try some Hornady Precision Hunter or Whitetail Hunter.

 

[H0kieengineer]

Thanks for everyone’s help with this. I ended up getting a used Savage 110 Apex used for $400. I know it’s not the fanciest rifle out there, but it will do what I need and I can upgrade in the future once I have an idea of what I would improve.

 

[Wicked Sharp]

Savage makes a fine rifle, and it should serve you well. What cartridge did you settle on?

 

[H0kieengineer]

Mmm, suppose that I the point of the thread I started. Went with .308. Should be plenty for the deer here in SC. It’s a combination of wooded areas and clears shooting lanes, but rarely anything past 150 yards.

 

[Mannlicher]

hunting in forests? Over clear cuts and fields? Swamps? Thickets? Where you hunt matters. Hard to go wrong with a good bolt or semi auto in .308 though. I do most of my Florida hunting with a lever action .44 Magnum. That or a .30/30 would work well in South Carolina also

 

[Onies]

Of those you listed, the .308 would be my choice, great availability of ammo and considerably less recoil than the 30/06. I’m just throwing this out there, but if your shooting distance is under 100m and you still wish to keep the .30 caliber, consider a Ruger Ranch in 7.62x39. It’s a nice light rifle, very little recoil, surplus ammo for practice is cheap and it will do almost everything a 30/30 will do. I know it works on our heavy bodied northern Whitetails.

 

[d762nato]

My standard M1A has no issues with either, I tried many different Nato rounds, and around half a dozen of 308 variants. Saves lots of money on the ammo. Pretty accurate rifle too, and no "bullet button" needed here in CA .... just saying.

(BTW, cool user name, d762nato )

I wish I still had my old preban M1a National match with the green Art II scope and can. I got some military surplus ammo that was putting out in excess of almost twice the working pressure of the 7.62x51 ammo that blew the 91 up. I sent it to the HK engineers and they said it did its job and blew out the bottom so as not to injure the shooter and puffed the sides of the receiver out.

The magazine looked like someone put a baseball all the way through it and my hands were covered in gun powder and the remaining 17 cartridges were still loaded and intact but all twisted and bent and pushed back into their brass cases and laying all over the ground. Quite scary at the time but I wasn't injured except for the top of my foot where the rest of the cartridges slammed into it just bruised. Luckily I had on heavy duty leather boots.

So they recalled the ammo at the time in the early 90's if I recall, and there were flyers at all the gun shops pertaining to these cartridges. So be careful with the older surplus ammo, also the dealer that sold the ammo to me which was a case sent me a check for a new HK91 after receiving the pics of it from a gun dealer friend of mine Stay safe out there folks.

 

[Plainsman]

A .243 is an awesome deer cartridge and Im sure you wont have quarter mile shots so it should be fine.

If you desire a .30 cal, then Id recommend a .308 Winchester.

I also highly recommend getting a medium action if getting a bolt gun. You dont need the long stroke for these shorter cartridges, even though some rifle manufacturers dont use different length actions.

Good luck!

 

[hank_rearden]

Too deep a discussion. I was used to the question often asked 30 years ago, "Need Some Caliber Advice."

 

[Phil in Alabama]

For whitetail deer I would want something with less blast and recoil. More like .243, 6.5 Creedmore, 7-08 in easy to get rounds. It doesn't take huge power to kill whitetail and if you're not really experienced with shooting centerfire rifles going overboard can be a big detriment yo good shooting. Other good cartridges that might be in the not so good supply category would be the .250 Savage, .257 Roberts, 6.5x55, 7x57 Mauser, .260 Rem.

 

[JB in SC]

A .308 is plenty of cartridge for SC. I like a .270 and have never lost a deer or hog. If I was looking at a new rifle cartridge I’d look at some in the 6.5 - .30 caliber range in a short cartridge. I’ve never been a fan of 6mm cartridges, a high shoulder shot with a .243 on a 200 pounder had us looking for him for 10 hours. The 100 grain Nosier mushroomed on the bone, tore the front partition off and drilled a hole. A second shot finished him off.

The 7-08 or .260 Remington is about perfect.

Some of the guys that hunt the low country over bean fields like the big .30’s but they are taking 300-400 yard shots.

 

[lmalterna]

40 years of white tails in Virginia. I have hunted with everything from 250 Savage to 300WM- 7lb to 13 lb rigs.

My opinion for Southern whitetails/pigs would be a lever 30-30 with red dot or low power variable with thick outer crosshairs- like a heavy Duplex.

Some optics I tried and like- Nikon 1.5-4.5 with Turkey Plex; Leupold 1.5-5 and 2.5-8 with Heavy Duplex and the one I am using now is the Primary Arms 1-6 Raptor ACSS.

My recent choice as an all around rifle for me= Bergara Wilderness Ridge .308 20" threaded barrel. 1-6 lit reticle. All up, it comes in at 9.4lbs and my wife and daughter can shoot it off the bench. I almost wish I had gotten the 18" version just to make it a tad more compact. - Overkill for just deer but makes a nice all around rifle. CVA Cascade SB would be a close second.

Bill

 

[moonman]

308.

 

[Shappy]

Your choice should serve you well for years! Enjoy and looking forward to pics of your successful hunts!

 

[Flatsman007]

Prob do the .306 as well

 

[Rob47]

.243 is all you need for southern whitetails. .270 is generally a “dead right there” round in the south and is flat shooting for longer ranges. If you’re set on a 30 caliber, I go .308 for all the reasons others have stated.