Versatile Caliber for Hunting

[cycleguy2300]

Well since you want versatility and with the parameters mentioned go with .308. You can get the ammo most anywhere with a wide variety of cartridges. Two guns, then I would go with .223 or .243 or 22/250 for the varmints. Going big depends on you taste for recoil. A .308 or 30-06 will take down an Elk. However a .300WM will reliably take down an elk at 400 or even up to 600 yards, plus it gets you into the moose category. Then you get into ammo availability type calibers such as your Weatherby's (which are mucho expensive), the larger calibers like a .338 WM and most of the short magnum calibers.

You can do everything a .223 or a 308 can do with 6.5 grendel and do it better. The 308 has a bit more muzzle energy, but energy is not anywhere close the the whole story...

It is also perfectly capable of taking elk reliably at moderate distances.



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[FireInTheWire]

A .243 running this ammo option is a hoot and just flat out hauls culo! https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/243-win-58-gr-v-max-superformance#!/

Depending on barrel length, you are looking at 4,000FPS. It's brutal on varmints. Then switch out for a heavier bullet and you have something that kills anything in Texas.

I really like the 300prc for heading to the mountains.

 

[leVieux]

Well since you want versatility and with the parameters mentioned go with .308. You can get the ammo most anywhere with a wide variety of cartridges. Two guns, then I would go with .223 or .243 or 22/250 for the varmints. Going big depends on you taste for recoil. A .308 or 30-06 will take down an Elk. However a .300WM will reliably take down an elk at 400 or even up to 600 yards, plus it gets you into the moose category. Then you get into ammo availability type calibers such as your Weatherby's (which are mucho expensive), the larger calibers like a .338 WM and most of the short magnum calibers.

<>

A late Friend, who had been one of the Pre-D-Day U S Airborne troops dropped behind the Germans the night before D-Day, killed many elk with a 100GR .243Win. in the heart.

<>

 

[wakosama]

everything that's ever been hunted it TX has been killed more than once by a .22LR. wonder why that's yet to be mentioned here.

 

[deemus]

everything that's ever been hunted it TX has been killed more than once by a .22LR. wonder why that's yet to be mentioned here.

Because its illegal to hunt large game with a 22LR.

 

[Lonesome Dove]

everything that's ever been hunted it TX has been killed more than once by a .22LR. wonder why that's yet to be mentioned here.

Because they have switched to using air guns for wounding big game animals.

 

[Mike_from_Texas]

308 Win.


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[baboon]

everything that's ever been hunted it TX has been killed more than once by a .22LR. wonder why that's yet to be mentioned here.

Besides being considered unethical as been said. I would say most of the larger exotic on game ranches are not being shot with .22.

 

[seeker_two]

everything that's ever been hunted it TX has been killed more than once by a .22LR. wonder why that's yet to be mentioned here.

Because .22 Magnum is better for poaching....

 

[TheDan]

I came here to say .22lr, but I see it's already been said so I guess I just came.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

OOC

 

[Txhighlander]

I would recommend a .308, but unless you want to buy a safe full then it's hard to go wrong with 30-06. My uncle hunted with the same Remington 700 in 30-06 for 60+ years harvesting everything from elk down. I ask him one time why he didn't have a 300wm or bigger. His response, nah never needed more than the old 06.

 

[robertc1024]

I think the answers might change greatly if you're reloading. Does that figure in your future? If it does, you can buy something ridiculously overpowered just because it's fun then download it to duplicate one of the short-action cartridges mentioned thus far.

This course isn't for a beginner but it's something to keep in the back of your mind for the future.

Alright, I'll bite. What are you thinking about?

 

[benenglish]

Alright, I'll bite. What are you thinking about?

There are several that come to mind. There's the 9.3x62 mentioned earlier. Earl Campbell, the Houston Oilers running back, was said to use a .375 H&H for whitetail. I've got a .340 Wby. that I certainly don't need. All of those can be loaded up for the biggest game or loaded way down, even using cast bullets, for the small and medium game we have in Texas.

Once the OP has a few years of shooting under his belt and if he falls in love with pretty rifles, he may just want something objectively stupid. There's no crime in that and you can load almost anything to work on everything in Texas, assuming the bore size is at least .224 and the case capacity is in the .308 range or bigger.

Heck, I once got it in my head that I wanted a .22/300WSM. With a solid copper Barnes 70 grain bullet, you can get almost 4000 fps and shoot through pretty much any game animal in Texas. You can even cut the last band off that bullet, leaving something weighing ~45 grains, and push it over 5000 fps if you get a thrill from seeing big chrono numbers. I came to my senses; I can't afford to wear out barrels that fast.

But I did want the OP to realize that if he really gets into this, there are exotic options that aren't really much of a problem...IF you reload.

 

[wakosama]

go online, check out the cheapest high-power ammo, and same at academy. get a rifle that shoots that. used to be 30-30. OMG that's such a lame, ancient caliber barely enough to hunt chipmunks. saw alot of 6.5 retard at Academy last weekend though. unless you got money, then ignore me.

 

[Axxe55]

There are several that come to mind. There's the 9.3x62 mentioned earlier. Earl Campbell, the Houston Oilers running back, was said to use a .375 H&H for whitetail. I've got a .340 Wby. that I certainly don't need. All of those can be loaded up for the biggest game or loaded way down, even using cast bullets, for the small and medium game we have in Texas.

Once the OP has a few years of shooting under his belt and if he falls in love with pretty rifles, he may just want something objectively stupid. There's no crime in that and you can load almost anything to work on everything in Texas, assuming the bore size is at least .224 and the case capacity is in the .308 range or bigger.

Heck, I once got it in my head that I wanted a .22/300WSM. With a solid copper Barnes 70 grain bullet, you can get almost 4000 fps and shoot through pretty much any game animal in Texas. You can even cut the last band off that bullet, leaving something weighing ~45 grains, and push it over 5000 fps if you get a thrill from seeing big chrono numbers. I came to my senses; I can't afford to wear out barrels that fast.

But I did want the OP to realize that if he really gets into this, there are exotic options that aren't really much of a problem...IF you reload.

the340 weatherby is a reloader's dream cartridge!

 

[benenglish]

the340 weatherby is a reloader's dream cartridge!

Part of the reason I got it. I've got plenty of 4895, 4759, and Trail Boss, all suitable for loading it down to pussycat levels.

Also, it was a really nice rifle.

 

[Sam7sf]

Lots of sound advice.

I’ll only add for new shooters: pick up a reloading book and see what you think of all these different cartridges.

 

[Sam7sf]

You can do everything a .223 or a 308 can do with 6.5 grendel and do it better. The 308 has a bit more muzzle energy, but energy is not anywhere close the the whole story...

It is also perfectly capable of taking elk reliably at moderate distances.



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6.5 g is truly a great cartridge for price per round.

 

[Sam7sf]

50 bmg.