Looking for a versatile cartridge

[Gibbshooter43]

Unless you're looking for an excuse to get another gun, I'd seriously consider changing bullets with the 22-250.

 

[BoomFlop]

Apparently many people don't read before responding.

The OP is from a small island in the Indian Ocean east of Australia. He is more than likely not gonna find 260 factory ammo. He is also needing low recoil and in my opinion and someone with a shoulder issue is going to put the 30-06 out. The 308 Win is the lowest recoil option with easy to find factory ammo in the World.

Have a great day,
Steve

 

[Calvin45]

Hello there.
To sum it up, I'm willing to replace my 22-250.
75% of the use or the rifle will be shooting at deer, at distances comprised between 80 and 150 yds. The rest will be shooting deer at 250-300yds, and hogs in the Woods at less than 50yds.
The 22-250 is nice for the first 75% because at those distances i Can confidently go for a neck/headshot. But I'm not good enough a shot to do that at longer distances, and a lung/heart shot won't do it with that cartridge. Also, close range shots at hogs are no good : bullet fragmentation leadind to no exit hole (and hard tracking of the animal) and lots of meat damage.
So what I'm looking for is a cartridge with good enough ballistics to shoot at up to 300 yards without too much thinking, and whose bullets won't fragment and will expand properly on a 30yards shot.

Criterias are :
- versatility
- light recoil
- moderate velocity (i think ?)
- ammo availability ( i don't reload cuz no Time)
- barrel lifespan.

The most serious contenders are probably 7mm08, .308, .270.., but I might be missing something.

Thanks in avance for tour advice.

Best regards

pretty much any big game cartridge would
Work perfectly here. Most people don't think of
The 308 as especially flat shooting but if
300 yards is the limit it sure is, no overthinking.

if you want comparatively cheap ammo (no magnum price tag), with variety of choice, found anywhere that ammo is found including small town hardware stores, the big 3 to pick from IMO are obvious: 270 win, 308 win, 30-06. All have tons of power and projectile mass for the creatures and distances you predict. The 243 win is just as available, cheap, and in variety as these as is the good old 30-30 win but neither of these are anywhere near as versatile and if you're replacing a .22-250 in search of a big jump in capability the .243 makes no sense and ballistically the .30-30 makes little sense as well. The .30-06 arguably kicks a bit harder. Get a .308 or a .270, that's my vote (my lightweight "all purpose" rifle is a .270)

 

[orcldba]

Depending on availability, do not rule out the 7x57 Mauser. Factory loads are weaker but will handle anything within 300 meters easily.
I like the 7-08 and 308 as well, but it depends on the local supplies.

 

[docdempster65]

The .260 Remington is a tragically under-appreciated cartridge...an orphaned step-child
nearly still-born due to Remington's foolish one in nine inch rifling twist ( not the brightest
notion to come from Jim Carmichael.) DoD tests not long ago showed .260 Remington and
bally-hooed 6.5 Creedmoor to be equally accurate. Factory loads give .260 Remington
a velocity edge of 50 fps, hand-loads increase the edge to about 100 fps with the same
weight bullets. The .260 Remington's 20 degree shoulder is easier to work with than the
Creedmoor's 30 degree shoulder angle.
I have a .260 Remington (Ruger platform) and will never trade it in on a 6.5 Creedmoor!
Go .260 Remington, hand-load, and you'll never regret it.
Doc D

 

[Stammster]

Apparently many people don't read before responding.

The OP is from a small island in the Indian Ocean east of Australia. He is more than likely not gonna find 260 factory ammo. He is also needing low recoil and in my opinion and someone with a shoulder issue is going to put the 30-06 out. The 308 Win is the lowest recoil option with easy to find factory ammo in the World.

Have a great day,
Steve

Indian Ocean east of Australia? What you smokin'?

 

[Blueridgeguy]

As others have recommended .270 Win if you have ammo available. Used it on groundhog's to moose, elk, kudu, oryx, and zebra with good results plus a lot in between.

 

[BLASERMAN]

7-08. People shot many things with the 7-08
Fiancé to it to Africa shot plains game took a nice Cape Kudu

 

[Scooter 45ACP]

Hello there.
To sum it up, I'm willing to replace my 22-250.
75% of the use or the rifle will be shooting at deer, at distances comprised between 80 and 150 yds. The rest will be shooting deer at 250-300yds, and hogs in the Woods at less than 50yds.
The 22-250 is nice for the first 75% because at those distances i Can confidently go for a neck/headshot. But I'm not good enough a shot to do that at longer distances, and a lung/heart shot won't do it with that cartridge. Also, close range shots at hogs are no good : bullet fragmentation leadind to no exit hole (and hard tracking of the animal) and lots of meat damage.
So what I'm looking for is a cartridge with good enough ballistics to shoot at up to 300 yards without too much thinking, and whose bullets won't fragment and will expand properly on a 30yards shot.

Criterias are :
- versatility
- light recoil
- moderate velocity (i think ?)
- ammo availability ( i don't reload cuz no Time)
- barrel lifespan.

The most serious contenders are probably 7mm08, .308, .270.., but I might be missing something.

Thanks in avance for tour advice.

Best regards

You just described a .243 to a T for what you're looking for

Hello there.
To sum it up, I'm willing to replace my 22-250.
75% of the use or the rifle will be shooting at deer, at distances comprised between 80 and 150 yds. The rest will be shooting deer at 250-300yds, and hogs in the Woods at less than 50yds.
The 22-250 is nice for the first 75% because at those distances i Can confidently go for a neck/headshot. But I'm not good enough a shot to do that at longer distances, and a lung/heart shot won't do it with that cartridge. Also, close range shots at hogs are no good : bullet fragmentation leadind to no exit hole (and hard tracking of the animal) and lots of meat damage.
So what I'm looking for is a cartridge with good enough ballistics to shoot at up to 300 yards without too much thinking, and whose bullets won't fragment and will expand properly on a 30yards shot.

Criterias are :
- versatility
- light recoil
- moderate velocity (i think ?)
- ammo availability ( i don't reload cuz no Time)
- barrel lifespan.

The most serious contenders are probably 7mm08, .308, .270.., but I might be missing something.

Thanks in avance for tour advice.

Best regards

You just described a .243 to a T, anyway that would be my choice in what you're looking for, but then again I'm kinda partial to a .243.

 

[Ckgworks]

Indian Ocean east of Australia? What you smokin'?

Seems like Australia is in the Indian Ocean, and New Caledonia is East of it..... .What are YOU smoking?

To the OP, As other said, ammo availability is #1 and 7-08 or 308 would fit your needs well!

 

[OG10]

^^^^^^This^^^^^^ I will take world geographies for 10 points Alex, oooh yeah the daily Double.

 

[Stammster]

Ckgworks - Way to double down on WRONG.

I'm sorry, but east of Australia is the Pacific Ocean. I don't think anyone ever referred to that area as "in the Indian Ocean".

Indian Ocean - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

I'll take 270 Win for $500, Alex. Reduced load if the OP wants less recoil.

 

[OG10]

I tried pointing this out early in the thread it is in the south western Pacific ocean close enough middle of nowhere Ammo availability is not on every street corner at a Walmart he hast to buy his ammo from Armories it's another world over there whatever Ammo is readily and easily available consistently is your best choice there is not a hill of beans worth of difference in the three cartridges you are considering for what your wanting to do .

 

[Stammster]

I tried pointing this out early in the thread it is in the south western Pacific ocean close enough middle of nowhere Ammo availability is not on every street corner at a Walmart he hast to buy his ammo from Armories it's another world over there whatever Ammo is readily and easily available consistently is your best choice there is not a hill of beans worth of difference in the three cartridges you are considering for what your wanting to do .

It's not like 22-250 would be all that common either, but the OP seems to have managed.