Best Caliber??

I guess we are going to get me a new gun for my big hunt this fall. Which caliber do you guys think is going to be best for a big buck? Without too much kick for a girl? We plan on getting some aftermarket stuff on it like a muzzle brake to reduce the recoil. My husband's gun is a 270 WSM and I can shoot that OK, but the stock is a little bit long/big for me. Does the short mag's come in 7mm? Would that be the best calibur for me? What do you all think? :-k

Thanks,

Steph
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Hiker
Ready,
One of my favorite all around calibers is a 30-06. I purchased one a couple of years ago for my daughter. I had it customized for her, shortened the stock, new butt pad and had a muzzlebreak added. She killed a antelope with it last fall. She loves to shoot it and it fits her like a glove. I really like the ballistics of the .270 WSM too. Yes they do make the 7MM Short Mag but from what I remember the ballistics are really close to the .270 WSM.
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OK Steph
I will put my foot out there first. (@)
WSSM does come in 7mm, 7MM is slightly bigger that .270
If you can shoot your husband’s 270 with out a muzzle brake you can shoot any rifle made by adding a brake.
What type of deer are you hunting? Will you use this rifle for other game in the future?
How far are the shots doing to be? Are you hunting is thick brush or shooting across canyons?
Find a Rifle that FITS you, depending on you height; arm length and everything else are all factors on how the rifle fits you. You may have to have the stock shorten; you may need the comb raised.
Once you find the rifle that you feel good, you need to spend your time at the range, then shooting other than the sight-in bench. Lots of shooting, make each shot count.

Good Luck
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Sorry Mbird, I need to give more info. I have been using a 243 all of these years for deer, and when elk hunting, I use either my husband's 270 or the 270WSM. This new gun will be "my" gun. This year will be for big bucks. In the future, I will be hunting mostly elk and deer, but maybe a moose or two if I ever get lucky in the draw again! I live in Utah and drew a special tag for mule deer and will be hunting a big, old buck this fall. So far, the oldest/biggest deer that I have shot are a few 2.5 year old 4 pts (the last few elk and deer I have shot with my 50 cal T/C omega). This one, though, will hopefully be an old bruiser!!!

I will most likely be hunting the late season during the rut --- thanksgiving time. This would most likely make for a close shot, but a longer shot isn't out of the question. I don't usually shoot very far (inside 200 yards), but I plan on practicing alot this summer so that I know exactly how far I will be comfortable with. There are some good-sized canyons here in Utah, but I hope I will be able to get a close shot. However, you never know, that big one may be across a canyon and that could be my only option, so I want a caliber that can make those shots.

Thanks for the replies so far, keep them coming!

Steph
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BTW, Hiker and Mbird, My husband plans on getting the gun customized to me (stock, etc). This is going the be "MY" gun. My husband's guns never have fit me very well.

Talk to you later,

Steph
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I would get a .243... I love that caliber... I used to have a savge and it was the most accurate flat shooting deer killing gun I've ever owned. It was also a pleasure to shoot... Almost no kick. I shot just plain old 100gr nossler bullets.
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a_bow_nut
If you are going to put a muzzle break on it I would look at the plain old 7MM Mag. Along with the muzzle break and one of the good butt pads that they have out now I think that you could shoot this caliber just fine. It's a flat shooting caliber so even if the animal is out there a ways you don't have to aim way over it back to hit it. Most times I only have to raise it a few inches on longer shots to get the bullet to drop right in where I want it to. When I was looking into a big gun for myself one thing that stood out to me was that the 7MM won a bunch of the accuracy compititions back in the day and they were shooting out to one thousand yard in some of these shoots. Accuracy is important to me because if you can't hit the animal it doesn't matter how big of a gun that have. I also like that it has a good range of bullet weights. This way you can have loads to chase varmits and loads to chase elk with also.

Just my opinion though.
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killerbee
if you can shoot a 7mm or a 270 short mag WITHOUT a muzzle break then there is no limit on what you can shoot with a break. not that those 2 kick extra hard but they will kick harder without a muzzle break than a 300 weatherby will with a muzzle break on it.
if it was just for your deer hunt i would say i think the perfect gun for that would be a 257 weatherby with a break on it to get rid of ANY felt recoil. but if you plan on it being an elk rifle too i would say go to a .30 caliber. the 30-06 would be a great gun. honestly my wife is a wimp [ hope she doesnt walk in right now :)) ] well not a wimp she just dont like hard kicking guns [ she just walked in :)) :)) ] kidding of course.... but she can shoot my 300 weatherby , a couple boxes, since i put the muzzle break on it. and you will have a hard time finding a better gun for anything. just the name scares people away thinking its a hard kicker, but a break makes a night and day difference. all that aside-- the 270 sm and 7mm will work out just fine for you too. like already stated it is more about getting a gun you can shoot often and accuratly then it is the caliber you choose. more animals have been killed with a balisticly horrible 30-30 than any other rifle out there. so shot placement is the key!
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silvertip-co
Only one gun for you...Rem Mod 7 Youth in 7mm-08. Lots of used ones out there and http://www.gunbroker.com. Old saying..."Beware of the woman with one rifle, she likely knows how to use it." And the youth stock should fit you well too right out of the box. If not, get it cut to your LOP as more shots are missed due to overlong stocks than to poor range estimation.

And good luck.
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Buckmaster
You can't go wrong with a 30-06 with a custom stock to fit and add the extras.... :thumb
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ABert
Well, being as you mentioned that you may be hunting moose in the future I would have to say a .30 cal. Very good choices in the various calibers have already mentioned. I hunt elk and deer with a .270, along with the rest of my family. I keep a .30-06 just incase I ever get the opportunity to hunt moose.
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If you have been shooting a .243 in the past, the move to a larger caliber should not be a problem. As others have posted the use of a muzzle break will give you unlimited opportunities for the larger calibers.
If a fitted stock is in the game plan, one of the most popular cartridges today is the 300 WSSM, it can be used on any animal in North America. Lots of people like the short action.
Personal choice is the 30-06, have used it for years, you can shoot any thing from varmints up: if you don’t want the .30 caliber.

I will echo silvertip-co comments about the 7mm-08. This is the same case as you are shooting now but with a 7mm bullet. On deer it will be effective out to 300yds, for elk I would keep the shoots under 250yds. This is using a well constructed 140gr bullet; at those distances you have more that enough ft-lbs left to properly harvest the animal.

Good luck with your choices, when you get your new rifle post pics
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TheGreatwhitehunter
The 30-06 (.308) is the most versatile caliber because of its long list of bullet weights available originally a military Caliber it has been used take every big game animal in North America and has been used around the world.

The 270(.277) a product of the 30-06 case is also a good choice with choices of bullets up to 160 grain depending on bullet company both of these calibers offer good range and accuracy out past 300 yards and have very managable recoil. The 270 has had a long foolowing ever since its introduction in the hunting word moast famously due to Jack O'Connor who used it on hunts around the world.

The 270 WSM (.277) Deleveloped to bridge the gap in Ballistics between the .270 and the .270 Weatherby Magnum offers a short action throw and flat and fast ballistics comparable tot he Weatherby Magnum but at about half of the cost for ammo. Recoil is slightly greater than the 270 win but can be reuduce with a muzzlebrake and stock configurations


The 7mm mag(.284) is faster and produce more recoil but is a favorite among hunter to due its long range performance.

The 308 (.308) also know for is ballistic excellence is popular among hunters and shooters for its perforance and long range accuracy. Ammo is available in surplus and widely made among all bullet makers in a wide variety a bullet wieights and uses.

The 7mm-08 offers very flat shooting down range ballistics and very little recoil compared to its 308 counter part the 7mm-08 is nothing more than the 308 necked down to 7mm(.284)

Not widely used in North America as it is in Europe the 6.5 (.264) or 260, 264wm or 6.5x55 aoffers a very accurate and long range capibility more than a few wild cats have benn based of this caliber


To Hunt North America the 30-06 is a do it all caliber especially if you relaod but the .270 and its 270wsm cousin are very popular and also good choices. There really is not a best caliber in my opinion but the best caliber suited for the shooter and the type of hunting this person may use it for.
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southwind
I think the most important thing for you is making sure you have a rifle that fits you well and is comfortable to shoot. Anything in that 270 to 30 cal range should serve you well for antelope through elk.

My "go to" rifle right now is in 270wsm but again there are sooooo....many good rounds in that catagory it comes down to personal taste and confidence.
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silvertip-co
Oh I remembered another rifle good for you. Savage model 10 youth in 7mm-08. It will sell for a little cheaper than the Rem 7 I mentioned earlier, but it will shoot every bit as good. Both rifles come in wood and carbon stock models. If the carbon fits you goog I would go with that as it will be a bit lighter and more weather resistant than the wood.

Good luck.
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I want to thank you all for the posts. It has been great to read about what you all like/dislike about those calibers.

My husband wants me to ask what is the differences with the 7mm mag, 7mm-08, and the 7mm WSM? Is ammo price an issue with any of these?

Thanks,

Steph
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southwind
7mm/08 is a necked down 308 in a short action platform. The 7mm wsm (winchester short magnum) is also a short action but would be very comparable to the std 7mm remington mag (long action) performance wise.

Velocity and energy of the two magnums will be in the 3200 fps range with felt recoil around 18lbs while the 7mm/08 will be around 2700 fps with a felt recoil of about 12lbs.

So, the two mags will shoot flatter with more energy and recoil (kick) than the 7mm/08. Do you need that? Not if you are shooting at resonable ranges and hit the animal with a clean vital shot.

When you hit the animal in the boiler maker and it drops dead that animal will never know the difference of being shot with a 7mm/08 or one of the 7mm mags because dead is dead.

Of the three the ammo price of the mags will be simular and the 7mm/08 will be a little less.

All are capable rounds I prefer the extra energy of a magnums when shooting elk.

If you have been shooting your husbands 270wsm with no problems then you may want to consider one of the magnums if the recoil is not an issue. However, with a smaller lighter rifle the recoil will increase so beware.

Also, if your husband has a 270wsm you may want to comsider that because in reality you are splitting hairs between a 7mm wsm and 270 wsm and it would be nice to shoot the same ammo.

Just more to ponder.
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a_bow_nut
If you are going to just buy your ammo instead of relaoding it then the most common round that you will see on the shelves will be the 7MM Mag. rounds. The other two are common rounds also and most outdoor stores should carry them. One of the things that is nice about having one of the more common calibers is that even in some of the gas stations in the smaller towns will carry bullets. It's nice just incase something happens and you are in need of more shells then you can get them almost anywhere. Just some food for thought.
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GWH,

Thanks for the 264 WM reference. Made my day!!
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southwind
264mag,

Not to jump topics here but every time I see your handle it makes me wish I had a pre 64 model 70 westerner in 264 win mag to go along with my pre 64 featherweight in 270 win.

I have thought about making a 6.5x284 which is the standard bearer in long range competition these days. The 264 or 6.5mm is probably ballisticly the best long range bullet there is. I have always been amazed the 264 win mag did not do better than it did but somehow the 7mm rem mag ended up winning that war at that given time.

What rifle to have in this fine under appreciated cartridge?
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One thing that hurt the caliber was its reputation of eating barrels.

I had a guy come into my farm office and asked if I know anyone who wanted to buy some guns. Asked what he had in the way of rifles and he mentioned several calibers but I stopped him at .264 mag.

Ended up buying a custom gun he had made himself. Mouser 98 action. I don't know what barrel.

This guy had sold over 30 guns and still had over 200 to move. Most of them he built.
Ended up with a .338 too that he built and used to kill a Kodiack (sp) griz. Great pics he had of the bear and the .338 has a set trigger thats fun to shoot.
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.308 is my best
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A 270, 7mm, or 300 would work well for what your looking for. They all shoot well at longer distances, although the wsm, stw, rem ultra mag, or weatherbys will give you flatter trajectories. Any would be fine. As for hunting elk or moose though I would probably lean toward a 300, or maybe the 7mm, but the 300 would probably be best IMO.
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I've shot 7 elk with my 270 WSM, It works just fine. A friend of mine took a 270WSM to Alaska and shot a moose. Again it worked just fine. You can share brass with your husband. Load it like a 270WCF for deer/antelope, Load it up to max for Magnum performance when hunting the bigger animals.

I still like a 25-06 for antelope/deer/small Elk. I think it's a little under gunned for big bulls. But I've shot a lot of spike and cows with one using 120g Partitions.

I'm not a big fan of muzzle brakes. My hearing is already bad. Most recoil is felt while sighting in the gun at the range. I rarely feel any recoil when the cross hairs are an animal. Get a good Past Recoil pad to wear to the range and save your hearing.

As far as your question, There are lots of gun that will serve your need. I would look at a gun that fits you, has some commonality with other guns you and your hunting partners shoot. That way if you run out of ammo, you can use your hubby's ammo. 30-06, 7mm, 270, 25-06 Are all standard guns. 300 Mags will be better trophy bull elk rifles but kick harder. The WSM's in any caliber have more kick than their standard caliber cousins, but if you reload they can be loaded down to lessen the recoil. The 300WSM and 270WSM are better sellers than the 7WSM or the SAUM calibers.
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Thanks for all the replies and advice. We decided to go with the 270 WSM. Now all we need to do is get it fitted to me. Special stock and a muzzle brake. My husband says we are going to get a muzzle brake that can be removed when hunting so that noise won't be as bad. I'm getting excited and can't wait to get the gun finished so we can start shooting it some. Thanks again for all your replies!
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I agree with sivertip on the 7mm-08 as far as a deer gun. However the largest grain bullet that I can find is 150 gr. While bullet placement is everything, I think a 160 gr - 180 grain bullet is just about a requirement for elk. If you plan to hunt moose, bear or the like I would make the 30-06 my minimum caliber. You get a very wide variety of bullets waits for everything from varmits to bear.

What ever rifle you choose I applaude your interest and commitment to huning and shooting. =D> =D> =D>

Wish I could get my wife interested!!! (???) (???) (???)
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I second the 7mm-08, There is not a better caliber out there for performance/low recoil.
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The Ox
just whatever you can shoot the most accuartley! a 243 is plenty for a big buck if you put it in the boiler room... thing i dont like a about the wsm is lack of bullet chioceand harder to find . i have a 7mmwsm and its great but if i could have done it over would have got the regulare 7 mag rem.... the 6.55 swedish (harder to fuind rounds for tho) and the 25-06 are good guns too. shoot what ever you feel the most confident in and you will be fine! i know lots of people that hunt cow elk with 243 s so just get comfortable with whatever you can shoot great with.
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My dad has used his .243 for over 20 years and he has never lost a deer, also my uncle swears by his 25-06
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I shot a rifle with a brake; I'll never do that again. The muzzle blast was horrendious at best! Better than getting a rifle in a cartridge you need a brake for, you'll be better off with a rifle in a cartridge you can handle. I've never shot a 7-08 but have shot a lot of 7x57's and 280's. The 280 is a bit more violent and the 7x57 is great. Ammo might be hard to come by though so I'd look at the 7-08. 140gr loads for deer and 150/160 gr for larger animals. I'd also choose the 308 over the 30-06. I've always found my 308's easier to shoot comfortably than a 30-06. If you reload, I'd look at the 260 Rem also. I have two 6.5's right now and have owned several other's. 6.5x55 is a great cartridge but bit hard to find sometimes and under power loads. My other now is a 6.5-06 and its relod only. The 260 should have recoil and proformance a lot similar to the 6.5x55. The 260 would win over the 6.5x55 only because of case avaliability. You can make them out of any 308 based case with one pass thru a full length re-size die.

Now if I were to pick one of these for a non-reloader, 7-08 for avaliability of ammo and bullet selection. Makes good use of a 22" barrel and should be light on recoil.
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NONYA
30-06,.308,7mag,300wm,8mag,ect ect,many calibers capable of doing everything in NA,pick one you are comfortable shooting and PRACTICE.I own all of these calibers and I switch every other year or so on some species just for q changeup,keep things interesting.
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Mack Daddy Muley
The best calliber by far is the 300 win mag. You can shot anything in North America with it, great accuracy out to 600 yards, and is cheap to reload, and you'll never have to worry about it fizziling out. Its very popular! The 30 cal is just about unbeatable! I shot a Bull Moose using one 165 Nosler Ballistic tip with 71 grns of powder and that bull went down like a ton of bricks! He never even thought about getting up. I have never had a critter run, they drop right where they stand. Never a follow up shot or tracking your animal with this rifle!
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I also agree with the 30-06. Not the most flat shooting gun out there (7mm, all the Weatherbys are flatter), but talk about one of the most versetile guns out there! AND THE BIGGEST PLUS: Only $14.00 for a box of 150 grain core locks at WALMART. The same for 165 and 180 grain bullets.

Shot a Cow elk a few years back near Ely, NV at 355 yards with 165 grain bullets (remington core locks)- she dropped in her tracks with a shoulder/lung shot! I found the perfect mushroom bullet on the far side- right underneath the hide. Best tasting meat I ever had! Go 30.06!!! :thumb

PS. Dont shoot Winchester silvertips on deer- they go right through with little/ minimal expansion :>/ . - Just my opinion.
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one hunting fool
30.06 is the best caliber by far! If you add in nock down power, over all uses, convenience of finding shells in obscure pars of the world, and versatility of the charge. There could be no contender even close to it. Plus if you run out of shells on the mountain just about every 5th person on the hill will have at least on shell to spare. :thumb
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Mack Daddy Muley
Ok, hold on.. isn't the question best caliber not best cartrige? 30-06, .308, and .300 win is the same caliber. So, should the question be.. best cartrige.. :-k
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79Ford
When I was a kid my dad took his old .308 and cut a couple of inches off of the stock for my mom. He put one of those "rubber boot" type butt-pads on it, and she was good to go. She only shot it a few times, but it made a good "intro" gun for me when I started hunting.

Personally I prefer the trusty .270 win with a 130gr bullet. It has plenty of power for deer and elk and it shoots nice and flat.
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Another vote for the 7mm-08 or the 6.5x55. I had a 6.5x55 built for the ex and she quit shooting her 6mm altogether. Another great pick would be a 7x57. handloaded it's a shade better than the 7mm-08 but factory ammo will be harder to find usually. One more if you handload would be the 260 Rem.
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I myself shoot a 300 win mag but i bought my wife a 270 and she loves it and was able to take her first buck with it last year.
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