picking the right caliber
 

I am trying to decide what caliber rifle to purchase. I am not totally ignorant to shooting. I shoot shotguns, muzzleloaders and mostly small caliber rifles. I have shot but do not own .270, 30-30 and 30-06.

I know for certain that I want to buy a Ruger MKII as this is a family thing.

Brother has a .270
Dad has a .30-06

I need to get a different caliber. This may seem a bit silly but I dont expect this to be my last rifle so why not do something fun.

I hear all the talk about SA ultra mag's 7mm vs .300's.

I hopefully will be using the rifle for long range shooting open fields. I live in the Norhteast hunting whitetail. I would imagine the .270 is a flat shooting rifle perfect for this task but like I said I want a different caliber.

I would like to get a different caliber that would do this and maybe offer a little more "punch". However I dont want something that is totally unpleasant shoot. I dont want the gun to recoil with enough force that I dont enjoy shooting it.

This is the following calibers that Ruger lists for that model.

.223
.22-250
.220 Swift
6mm
Rem .243
Win 6.5 x 55
Swedish .257
Roberts .25-06
7x57 mm
.260Rem
.280Rem
7mm Rem Mag
7mm Rem. SA UltraMag
.308
.300 Rem. SA Ultra Mag
.300 WSM
.300 WinMag
.338 WinMag

I understand that some of this is personal preference but some advice would be great.

RE: picking the right caliber
 

...go with the 280 Remington... it gives you really good ballistics with the 7mm bullets, but won't kick as bad as the 7mm Mag... It's a great cartridge...better than the 270, in my opinion.

"Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness..those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Santayana

RE: picking the right caliber
 

I prefer the 7mm magnum over the 270 or 30-06 as it shoots flatter and recoil is manageable for most people.

RE: picking the right caliber
 

300 Win. Mag. Good luck

RE: picking the right caliber
 

7 mm Rem Mag. It is a one up on the other family members and will do what you want it to!!!

RE: picking the right caliber
 

If you are using the rifle strictly for long-range deer hunting (how long?), I think a .25-06 would be a nice and unusual number up there in the Northeast. For deer, it does the job just as well as a .270 and is more fun than a .30-06.

If you just want "more punch" go with a 7mm Rem Mag. The ammo is easy to find and the cheapest of all the magnums.

IMHO, a .260 Rem or a 6.5x55 Swedish are very different and are among the most effective deer rounds ever designed. You will be the coolest dude in the woods with either of these 6.5mm cartridges. <img src=icon_smile_cool.gif border=0 align=middle>

Good Dogwork and Good Hunting

Edited by - seattlesetters on 11/06/2002 09:56:07

RE: picking the right caliber
 

I would go with the 25-06. This is a great long range deer cartridge with low recoil. It's also a great woodchuck cartridge and hunting woodchucks is good practice for long range shooting.I use the 100gr hornady sp for both woodchucks and deer.

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RE: picking the right caliber
 

First find someone with a mag rifle and beg them to let you put a box of ammo through it. Don’t just shoot it once or twice. Then you will know whether or not you a willing to live with the mag rounds. Even the short ones kick more than a 165grn 30-06. Personally I’m not really comfortable with a mag, with out a heavy rifle or a muzzle break. The 280REM is a good in-between of your family’s calibers; basically a 30-06 necked down to accept a 7mm bullet. It is a great compromise between flat shooting and significant weight at impact. Don’t dismiss the 260REM. The little bugger is loaded to 60000cpu which is a lot of pressure and fairly fast. My favorite is the 25-06REM, it puts them down quickly every time. If you really want to make them jealous, look at the varmint model in either 25-06 or 308. I have one in 25-06 and every one loves it but, it is mine and I won’t give it up.

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/rfpages/km77vt.html

Mike



Edited by - mello_collins on 11/06/2002 13:52:47

RE: picking the right caliber
 

3rd vote for the 280 rem