Rifle Caliber Recommendation
12-29-2018, 04:04 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 1
Rifle Caliber Recommendation
I'm looking to go whitetail hunting in PA and NC next year and am currently in the process of deciding on a new rifle to get specifically for hunting. I have decided on the Tikka T3x Lite but I'm having a hard time deciding on the caliber to go with. I was hoping I could get some guidance between the 270 Win, 7mm-08, and 6.5 creedmoor. I was originally going for the 270 but started considering the other two for their reduced recoil. Any advice would be appreciate, thanks.
12-29-2018, 04:56 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 2,743
all three are great deer calibers
I prefer the 7mm08, own a few from bone stock to full custom built rifles, so this caliber gets my vote
but honesty any of these calibers with a decent bullet and one that shoots well in what ever rifle you have will do you fine at REASONABLE ranges and with i your SKILL SET! not just what things say on paper!
I prefer the 7mm08, own a few from bone stock to full custom built rifles, so this caliber gets my vote
but honesty any of these calibers with a decent bullet and one that shoots well in what ever rifle you have will do you fine at REASONABLE ranges and with i your SKILL SET! not just what things say on paper!
12-29-2018, 05:30 PM
#3
Spike
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Southern piedmont of Virginia
Posts: 60
I grew up with a 30-06, used a 270 for a while and have since gone to a 280. Personally I like the 280 the best. It shoots as flat as the 270 and hits pretty much as hard as the 30-06. The best part is it takes a wide range of bullet weights and my hand loads shoot to 5/8 inch at 100 yards. The only downside is the ammo is harder to find if you don’t load them yourself. Not impossible, but not as available as the other 2.
12-30-2018, 06:08 AM
#6
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Montana
Posts: 309
All are great rounds for whitetails. You might want to consider the 30-06. There's a much wider range of bullets available so if at some point in time you were to hunt something other than whitetails, you'd have a wide selection of ammo to choose from. You can hunt anything in North American with a 30-06 except probably for Grizzly or Polar Bears!!
If recoil is an issue, the 6.5 or 7mm-08. Of course there are always muzzle brakes and suppressors if you'd rather go with a larger caliber... These days the 6.5 Creedmoor is getting a lot of attention....Very large assortment of factory ammo available for it and the ballistics are hard to argue. I don't own one. I've shot a .270 and an old 30-06 for many years, but with a torn rotator cuff I'm considering downsizing..
Don't discount a .257 Roberts or .243 also...both will kill any whitetail anywhere. Just hit 'em where you aim and they'll go down.
If recoil is an issue, the 6.5 or 7mm-08. Of course there are always muzzle brakes and suppressors if you'd rather go with a larger caliber... These days the 6.5 Creedmoor is getting a lot of attention....Very large assortment of factory ammo available for it and the ballistics are hard to argue. I don't own one. I've shot a .270 and an old 30-06 for many years, but with a torn rotator cuff I'm considering downsizing..
Don't discount a .257 Roberts or .243 also...both will kill any whitetail anywhere. Just hit 'em where you aim and they'll go down.
12-31-2018, 02:57 AM
#9
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Western Maryland
Posts: 192
I shoot an .30-06 and a 270 shoot flatter and is all the bullet you need for whitetails. 130 - 150 grain is more than enough. I shot hornady SST this year and thought it did a hell of a lot of damage. I have seen 220 grain core-lokts do similar damage
