Caliber

What is a good all around caliber for out west hunting. Thinking of added a rifle to the fleet. They only rifle I have is my 30-30

6.5 is a great all around caliber. I have a Tika and love it Pair it with good optics and you have an awesome combo. I also have a 270 short mag by Sako although this one shoots even better patterns. I prefer the 6.5. at 100 yard they are will shoot patterns that a quarter will cove.

Many great calibers.

-308
-270
-7mm-08
-30.06
-6.5 Creed
-6.5×284
-25.06
-6.5 PRC
-270/300 WSM
-300 Win Mag
-7mm Rem Mag
-260
-280/280 AI
-6.5 Swede

Quite honestly the list is probably longer than the list of calibers that aren’t good for hunting out west. Modern bullets have definitely evened the playing field.

I’m taking my 270 Tikka to OR and WY this fall (OR for bears/kitties & WY for Mulies). And I think Grouse convinced me to get a 25-06….

Nitrodog wrote:

What is a good all around caliber for out west hunting. Thinking of added a rifle to the fleet. They only rifle I have is my 30-30

Are you asking for an all around caliber or cartridge?

Buffalo Fishhead

Caliber,looking at buying a different rifle

If deer and antelope are all you’ll hunt, the 7mm-08, 270 or even a ,243 are great hunting calibers. Actually you could stop looking at that list right after the 06….except for the 260 buried down in all the crazy gun calibers. The 25-06 is a nice deer/antelope cartridge too. Elk in the plans? The 06, the 270 will do it but the 7mm mag is a great elk stopper that can be down-loaded for your antelope.

270Win and 30-06 are classics.

I built out a 270 WSM a few years ago and fell in love with it. I don’t give a rats azz what people say/think about Magnum crazes, over-kill for whitetail, blah, blah blah… I send a 140gr Barnse TSX through an elk or a whitetail at 500yrds and it looks like the Grim Reaper took a baseball bat and beat the crap out of every internal organ with a very minimal amount of meat/flesh damage. Yes, blowing the heart out will drop any animal with about any caliber. However I’m a sick morbid SOB that loves to see as much internal damage and my goal is every animal drops in its tracks.

I’ve hunted out west for 45 years, started with 30 06 then 243 then custom 25 06. To last and favorite gun, Weatherby 257 mag ultralight. Absolutely love this gun, super flat shooter with great one shot success. Very easy to shoot out to 400+ yards without crazy hold over. My second choice would be the 25 06 also very flat shooter and reasonable hold out to 400 yards. For most our west shooting expect to have to shoot 200 to 300 yards but be prepared for that big trophy at 400 yards it can happen. The 25 06 ammo is less expensive and easier to purchase then the 257 and also kicks less.

Don’t forget out west hunting also really requires top quality optics for your firearm and binoculars.

Wayne

In terms of “good all around caliber” I don’t think anyone would argue against the 30.06. Its not the best but it’s far from worse. It’ll take down any big game in North America with confidence, ammo readily available everywhere, and no problems shooting shorter long distance shots. Just like in the Remington thread, I’d venture to guess almost everyone I know owns an odd-six!

For me the perfect out west rifle is my Tikka Featherlight in all stainless chambered for 7mmm Rem Mag. In WI I use either my Tikka in 6.5 Swede with scope or my Marlin in 444 Marlin and iron sights.

l have had a couple of 270’s for years and have been really happy with them, and being older, have no real interest or need for anything else. That said, if i were younger, and or starting out, I would probably try something chambered in 270 WSM. Hard to make a bad choice in most any reasonable caliber suggested, as today’s bullet offerings are so good. My opinion, and my opinion only, is that I would avoid a 243 or 6.5 if hunting anything larger than deer. Shot placement is key, and when hunting game larger than deer, you are out hunting, not shooting off a bench, and for my belief only, I feel that a 270 falls at the lower end of the energy requirement for moose or elk.

Typical western guides want to see at least a .308. But, they really want what ever the client can shoot reliably that’s .308 or larger.

My WEST rifle is a 300 WIN MAG Browning A bolt. Backup is 280 Rem in a model 70 Win Light . Buddy shoots a 300 Rem Ultra Mag and 6.5 PRC as a back up. I started with a 30-30 and evolved . I have a cousin who shoot,s a 338 in aRem 700 and that is just brutal .

Mossberg makes a sweet long range in a 6.5 PRC for around 500.00 .Its a tack driver and no frills ,keeps the price down . 147 gr ELD Hornady is deadly combo. Put the best glass you can afford , some say equal to the cost of the rifle . You will not regret it.

I went back and forth between a 7mm and a .30-06 for my out west hunting. Have plans to hunt muley/whitetail, bear, pronghorn, and a main focus on elk. Long story short I ended up going with the .30-06. I do believe the 7mm had better ballistics though. Havent decided if I regret my decision or not…

It sounds like you’re looking for an “all of the above” caliber? I’d start comparing a 6.5 creedmoor,.270,.308,.30-06, 7 mm mag, and 300 win mag.

I’m a 6.5 creedmoor fan, but I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what I can do with that caliber. Not sure if I’d elk hunt with it, although there are plenty of successful hunters taking elk with that caliber.
If I was going to get “1 gun to rule the west” it would be in some sort of .30 cal chambering.