Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

Hi!

Im looking for a calibre that can be used to hunt practically everything! Is this possible?

My economy is kinda tight, and I really can't afford a rifle/shotgun for every animal i'm to hunt! :)

Therefore, I'm looking for this calibre that should be large enough to take down everything from ptarmigans (or other grouses) to at least a deer? Is this possible? I'm thinking of reloading ammo myself, to this way first of all get the speed and bullets that I want, to get the appropriate result, and also because this is in the end cheaper.

What do you think about .270? Or maybe .308win? It has to be able to shoot at large distances with a satisfying result (200 yards maybe). Silencers are legal in my country, so don't worry about that, recoil is more relevant to me. I've also thought about .223, but I think this is too weak to beat down a deer.

Regards
Arne_

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

.243Win, .260Rem, .270Win, 7mm-08, .308Win...all of them will do it...;)

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

Hmmm... One gun/caliber for everything from birds to deer? Easy...

12GA Shotgun.
(Load it with whatever shells you want depending on the game your hunting.)

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

A 243 will easily take deer to 200 yards and it is far more suitable for smaller game than a 270.

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

Remington 870 Express 12 or 20 gauge combo -- one smooth barrel and one rifled slug barrel.

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

id definitely agree with a 12 gauge....

can hunt pretty much anything in the world with a 12ga and the right shell.

a rifled barrel with a scope for slugs and a smooth bore for shooting shot...

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

You have to get the right tool for the job. Hunting grouse with a centerfire rifle is like driving finish nails with a 6lb sledge hammer... the sledge will sure do the job, but you're not going to like the finished project. There is a BIG difference between a deer and a small upland game bird, and the right tool for the job is different in both cases.

If you simply can't afford but one gun, I'd have to agree that a 12 gauge pump shotgun is the best choice. It's the multi-tool of the gun world and with the right combination of shell, barrel and sights can be used to humanely harvest anything that breaths air, within the limits inherent of the weapon.

Another option you might consider is to get yourself a Thompson/Center Encore and get both a 12 gauge barrel and a centerfire rifle barrel in your choice of caliber. Since you're asking this question I'd guess that you're not an experienced rifleman, so I'd STRONGLY recommend that you start with a lighter recoiling cartridge as your first deer rifle. I'd recommend you'd consider the .243 Winchester, .25-06 Rem or at most the 7mm-08 Rem. All are excellent deer cartridges that won't break the bank your bruise your shoulder.

Mike

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

For what your asking; upland to deer out to 200 yards not possible. I'd suggest a rimfire .22LR for upland and small game. Plus a 24cal to .308cal CF for varmits &deer.

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

Count me in on the 12 gauge for one gun only.

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

+1 Shotgun.

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

try to find one of those 12ga on the bottom and 30-06 on top break action combo guns.
They used to be really popular in the days of old.

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

I'm of the mind to agree that there isn't one center fire rifle that will do what you are asking and not destroy the birds. You're options seem to be Encore, Shot gun, Over/Under with 2 calibers (12 Ga, .308) or I'd add you can get a Rossi or NEF Handi Rifle with multiple barrels. Rossi makes a youth combo with .22, .243 and 20 ga that would seem to be ideal for what you a hunting. I thnk they call it the triple-play. I hope they are available in your country.

Spud

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

Yes, thanks for a lot of answers! ;)

I do have a 12g shotgun, its a o/u, and I'm more than happy with it. However, Im thinkin of hunting birds and hares with a rifle. To now i've wandered in the mountains without binoculars (i dont know how to spell that, doesnt really matter) with this shotgun with no idea where the birds are, just brawling ahead and boomboom. I got some birds, but next season im thinkin of trying a new tactic, with a rifle with a scope and binoculars, so that I can spot the bird and kill it before it flees, or at least see where it flys.

I was actually thinkin of a ruger 10/22 just for fun, but in my country its illegal to hunt hares and larger grouses with it, so its pretty much a waste of money... :)

Thanks all for bothering, although I didn't get a lot of wiser.

Have anyone tried or have experience with the 6.5x55mm swedish caliber?

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

If it's illegal to hunt rabbits with a rimfire rifle, are you sure it'd be legal to hunt them with a centerfire rifle? Better check that or you could earn yourself a big fine and possibly lose the rifle to the DNR.

I find it hard to believe that you are actually serious about hunting birds and small game with a centerfire rifle. I've literally turned groundhogs inside out with a .22-250, and they are quite a bit bigger than a rabbit and several times bigger weight wise than a grouse, and the .22-250 is not really powerful enough to be a good deer cartridge IMO, though some will swear otherwise. The point I'm trying to make is that a CF rifle is NOT a small or upland game weapon. Unless you are able to very precisely hit just the animals head, there will be NO WORTHWHILE AMOUNT OF USABLE MEAT LEFT. NONE! Shooting a small animal with a CF rifle will DESTROY IT. This amounts to a blatant waste of game and it not ethical hunting. At that point you're just shooting something just to watch it die. As for the 6.5x55... my grandfather brought a 6.5 Carcano rifle back from WWII, and he'd use it to shoot rabbits, skunks and raccoons around the farm as pest control. It would blow them apart with surplus round nose ammo. Again, a CF rifle is not a good small game round if you plan to recover any usable meat from the animal.

If you already have a shotgun, then you're already equipped with about the perfect weapon for humanely harvesting small game and birds. Now you just need to work on getting closer. The fact of the matter is that if you are far enough away that you can't kill the bird/rabbit with a shotgun (try full choke and heavy field loads to extend your range a bit), then you are probably too far away to get a clean headshot with a CF rifle under field conditions. My recommendation would be to use your money that you would spend toward a scoped CF rifle and go buy yourself a started sporting dog to help you find and get close to birds and small game. Go to the Sporting Dogs forum and those guys will gladly help you out.

Mike

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

Well, yes, centerfire rifles are legal to shoot hares with in my country. I guess .17hmr and .22WMR are as well, but .22lr isnt. This is because the .22lr cartidge is considered too weak to kill a hare.

But .22lr with an silencer (yea, its legal in my country) would probably be the alternative? I've heard of some people that load their cartidges (in .223) with some heavier bullets and slower powder i guess, so that they can hunt birds with it.

Im afraid im a student, so i dont have neither time nor money to buy a dog, but thanks anyway! ;)

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

shot gun
get both barrel types, smooth and rifled
rifled barrels these days shooting sabot slugs are good out to 200 yards ... some even farther
plus if ya want to hunt birds, squirrel, turkey or have something for home defense you can switch the barrel to a smooth bore and go with shot

the 12g shot gun really is the best all around weapon in my opinion

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

Oh, I really didn't knew that you could have rifled barrels in shotguns! My o/u shotgun only has smooth barrels, and I certainly don't know how to change them. To shoot with a shotgun up to 200y i suppose you mean by slug? Or do you seriously mean that I could hunt grouses with a plain full chocke rifled barreled shotgun with normal shots in it (non-slug)? That sounds pretty insane.. :)

And by the way, isnt the diameter of a slug larger (.5 or .7 or something?) than a .223?

Im not reloading cartiges myself yet (only use fabric ammo)? Is this required for a satisfying result?

Happy to hear from you! ;)

PS: I suppose a drilling would be ideal, but i don't know how its over there, but in my country they cost like 10k USD. :(

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

Arne, can you fill us in on where you are?

Here a pump shotgun can have multiple barrels that you can switch out quickly. You just remove the endcap and pull the barrel out then replace with the other. That way you can have a rifled barrel for deer sized game and a smooth barrel with a choke for your hares, grouse and other upland game. You can probably look at Benelli, Remington or Mossberg web sites to get more info and maybe even a picture. Check youtube.com as well as I'm sure there is a video on there showing how to do it.

Yes a rifled slug will be considerable larger than a .223.

The way you describe hunting (Walking around and looking for where the animals are) is exactly how we do it here if you don't have a dog. The rabbit flushes and you nail it with a blast from the shotgun, usually inside of 20-30 yds. I don't know of anyone who tries to "spot and stalk" rabits or ptarmigan/grouse. Here it's pretty much find, flush, shoot.

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

Okay, Ill try to explain as good as I can.

At this moment, I own one of these:


Its a Star Baikal o/u shotgun, 12 gauge.

It wouldnt be much of a challenge for me to switch the barrel, I just don't know what to switch it with or how.

old
 

removed by RD

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

Arne,

Yes. I think we all understood what you currently are using, but most are saying it is not practical to shoot small game with a centerfire rifle. That is why we are recomending using your shot gun for small game and use either a combo gun or a slug barrel for deer sized game. I did a quick search on the internet and couldn't find anything to tell me that there are any interchangable barrels for your gun. I did see however that the same company (looks like the same platform) makes a combo gun with a 12 ga barrel on the bottom and a 30.06 barrel on top.

Hope this helps. By the way, where the heck are you?

Spud

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

You already said you wanted to buy a rifle. What we're saying is buy another shotgun instead. Get a pump action 12 gauge combo gun that will come with both a rifled slug barrel and a smooth bore barrel with removable choke tubes (though the O/U you already have would make an excellent upland game gun). Having two barrels allows you to use the barrel best suited to the game. You'd install the rifled barrel and shoot sabot slugs for deer and other big game, then switch to the smoothbore barrel and the appropriate birdshot for birds and small game. With choke tubes you can use the right choke for the type of game and hunting you're doing. If you want more range, you'd want to use a premium heavy field load with harder shot and use a full choke tube. This would give you 40-50 yards on a pheasant, and maybe 60 on a grouse if you are a really good shot or shooting at a grounded bird.

I'm not really sure what you are trying to accomplish, but it sounds to me like you're a kid and you just was a CF rifle so you can go out and kill stuff from a long distance, and you don't really care about the ethics of blasting GAME animals just for s**ts and giggles with no real intention of recovering them for consumption. If that's the case, then I really think that you've come to the wrong place to ask your question. This is a HUNTING FORUM, filled with HUNTERS, most of whom actually care about ethical stewardship if the game we hunt. If you just want a CF rifle so you can watch stuff die edible game animals die from a distance, then that makes you, at best, a slob "hunter". At worst, that makes you a poacher. Either way, you give the rest of us a bad name.

If you really wanted to HUNT small game, and hunting game animals ethically includes eating what you kill whenever possible, then you'd be interested in doing it the right way so that you'd have something left to eat. If all you want to do is kill stuff, go get yourself a .223 and go find a rancher with a prairie dog problem and blast away, but if you want to hunt game animals, why not do it correctly so you have something left to eat when you get back to the house. A CF rifle is NOT an appropriate weapon for hunting small game animals and never will be. If a .22LR is illegal to hunt small game with where you are (which I actually doubt), but .22WMR is legal, then get a .22 WMR or just use the shotgun you have. If you want to hunt deer, get a CF rifle or .243 caliber or bigger and have at it. But what you ask for just isn't realistic. There just is no such thing as a single cartridge that will ethically harvest anything unless you are willing to accept the range limitations of a shotgun.

Mike

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

Get yourself one of these and you'll be all set:

Mossberg Model 500 12 gauge Deer/Field Combo package, MSRP $401. The actually street price you'd pay at the dealer would be around $325-350.

Mike

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

I realize that it might not sound that way, but im not just a kid eager to kill something and see it suffer. I've always hunted humaneously, and when i've hunted with a shotgun, i've always been quick with a second shot in case its still alive. So im not a sadistic killer if thats what you think! Most animals ive hunted was dead on the first shot, with all the meat intact. And I intend to let it stay that way! Ive seen a hare hunted with an 30-06 hollow point. And it isnt a good sight.

For those who wonder, I'm at the moment situated in Norway, but I'll be staying in Missouri next year. In Norway the law says that you can't hunt animals larger or equal to hare with a .22lr.

You can't hunt red deers with slugs either, im afraid. It turns out that you can't hunt anything larger than roe deer with slugs, unfortunately. :(

I realize that I need several rifles and shotguns, and there isn't a definite answer for me. The first thing i'll buy buy is a .223 or .22lr for target shooting and maybe some small game hunting (not for small birds). Then I'd probably buy a .270 or a 30-06 for deers and elk .

And please don't accuse me for not paying enaugh attention to ethics and the wealth of animals. And regarding being a kid, you may think that I have a somewhat childish language, and the reason for this is that im not a native english speaker.

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

I hunt with a .22 Hornet its currently the only centerfire I own. I kill rabbits to hogs to deer with it. Cheap to reload too. a lb of powder goes a long way in this little caliber. Dont know what your laws are but here any centerfire is legal for deer.

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

Arne,

Wow, I'd love to see where you hunt. I hear it's beautiful. Your plan sounds good based on what you hunt. I have an old (1953) Husqvarna in 270 and love it. Good hunting!

Spud

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

7mm Rem Mag.
For deer at close to medium range I shoot the Remington 50% recoil 140 grainCore Loct and for longer distance I shoot Hornady Custom 139gr. And I can hunt anything in North America and mosteven in Africa.

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

Well yes, but I think Ive made my decition, namely moving to the US and buy all the guns I could dream of... :D

RE: Allround calibre for everything from ptarmigans to deer?
 

Remington Does make an Over under rifle and shotgun combo gun. Chambered in both 12ga or 20ga for shotgun and an assortment of Rifle calibers. 30-06 being the largest. I do believe it is also available in .223 and .308 as well. That would be a good do-all rifle for your situation when bird and game hunting. Or like you said just move here to the US and solve your problems with the restrictive gun laws you are dealing with in your country.