New hunter, what caliber rifle?

[KimE 487]

"Do you hunt moose with dogs or more of a approach hunt ,…? I love how you have a minimum weight for big game but can hunt roe buck with buckshot… we are not the only ones with funny rules I guess "

We hunt moose with baying dogs. The minimum bullet weight for roe are 3,2g, No buckshot are not allowed for roe here, only smallgame shots US no. 1-3 are used. 30-30win are on the limit for biggame here you must cronograf your load to see which side it is.

[Deker 3,478]

.308 has been around for a long time for good reason!

It does a lot of things well and is generally easy to find with a decent selection of weights/types.

Just the same it's what works well for any individual in their circumstances.   6.5 Creedmoor is about and works for many as well.

I got my .308 primarily for Boar and Target fun, occasional deer, (I have never really found a specific need for it on deer in the UK, my .243 has always been fine) but .308 hits the Boar hard and they fall down.  (it needs to hit them hard, they "can" be bulky and tough, much tougher than deer)

Easy life with .308 for me, just my opinion, up to you of course!

Edited September 10, 2022 by Deker

[Sausagedog 7,381]

2 hours ago, Deker said:

.308 has been around for a long time for good reason!

It does a lot of things well and is generally easy to find with a decent selection of weights/types.

Just the same it's what works well for any individual in their circumstances.   6.5 Creedmoor is about and works for many as well.

I got my .308 primarily for Boar and Target fun, occasional deer, (I have never really found a specific need for it on deer in the UK, my .243 has always been fine) but .308 hits the Boar hard and they fall down.  (it needs to hit them hard, they "can" be bulky and tough, much tougher than deer)

Easy life with .308 for me, just my opinion, up to you of course!

Many slate the 308. They think it is out dated because it on paper looks poor.

Silly really because in the real world most hunting shots are under 100yds!

The good thing about 308 and big piggies is that you can load it with 200gn soft point round nose and drill them right through. 

If 2300fps works in a 30/30 and it does from a 150gn bullet it sure will with a 200gn at 2300+ from a 308.

And the recoil isn't bad loaded thus.

[Deker 3,478]

2 hours ago, Sausagedog said:

Many slate the 308. They think it is out dated because it on paper looks poor.

Silly really because in the real world most hunting shots are under 100yds!

The good thing about 308 and big piggies is that you can load it with 200gn soft point round nose and drill them right through. 

If 2300fps works in a 30/30 and it does from a 150gn bullet it sure will with a 200gn at 2300+ from a 308.

And the recoil isn't bad loaded thus.

Not used 200gn, 180 heaviest I've used, but the 150 work fine for me anyway! 

[KimE 487]

150gr cup and core are a little bit light (low SD) in .308w for the biggest Swedish game 150gr copper are ok. For Achilles intended use on young pigs even 120-130s coppers should work.

[KimE 487]

7 hours ago, Deker said:

.308 has been around for a long time for good reason!

It does a lot of things well and is generally easy to find with a decent selection of weights/types.

Just the same it's what works well for any individual in their circumstances.   6.5 Creedmoor is about and works for many as well.

I got my .308 primarily for Boar and Target fun, occasional deer, (I have never really found a specific need for it on deer in the UK, my .243 has always been fine) but .308 hits the Boar hard and they fall down.  (it needs to hit them hard, they "can" be bulky and tough, much tougher than deer)

Easy life with .308 for me, just my opinion, up to you of course!

I have used my .308w for blackgrouse, capercallie, fox, beaver, roe deer, sika, moufflon, fallow deer, wildboar and moose its a great choice for generalist rifle. My loads for it now are 110gr Vmax beaver, 123gr FMJ for birds, 165gr accubond roe-bear ,180gr Norma Oryx roe-bear. 

A 6,5*55/6,5cred would now be a great choice as the majority of my hunting are small game.

[Sausagedog 7,381]

1 hour ago, KimE said:

I have used my .308w for blackgrouse, capercallie, fox, beaver, roe deer, sika, moufflon, fallow deer, wildboar and moose its a great choice for generalist rifle. My loads for it now are 110gr Vmax beaver, 123gr FMJ for birds, 165gr accubond roe-bear ,180gr Norma Oryx roe-bear. 

A 6,5*55/6,5cred would now be a great choice as the majority of my hunting are small game.

I used my 308 extensively except for bear.

I used the 110v-max also.

It made the 308 as flat as a 243 100gn with a 10gn  heavier bullet over 200yds (relatively). I was getting 3160fps from a 20" barrel.

 

[Achilles-13 3]

On 09/09/2022 at 15:37, KimE said:

"Recoil relax and enjoy" (US col. Elmer Kieth)

 

A 150gr bullet in 790m/s has the same recoil as a 155gr bullet in 785m/s. The .308w can be downloaded to similar recoil as the 6,5*55/6,5cred. The 15% difference in recoil between 6,5 and .308w are barely felt, more important are do your closest store have ammunition for both? Do you find a rifle you like in that caliber? Does the stock fit you? A traditional lever action in 3030 with an old style of stock has more felt recoil than a modern .308w.

Thank you for the info! Rifle should not be a problem, hoping to get either a anshutz 1782 or a bergara wilderness ridge in 6.5 or 308…  (can’t seem to decide on synthetic modern vs classic wood ) 308 ammo will be easier to get over the counter as 6.5 is only just gaining some popularity for hunting in The area (france, belgium, germany.. I really like the Bergara ba13, saw you own one in .300 blackout, how do you like that one? As they are on the cheaper end I’d love to try one for small game / survival but all calibers seem a bit much for that… ( we can only use centerfire ammo so was thinking a lightly loaded 223… )

 

kind regards 

 

A

[KimE 487]

I like my Bergara its plenty of rifle for that kind of money, in Swedenare 300blk only legal for up and including roedeer but young pigs from a high seat wouldn`t be a problem. The cartridge can be both more or less than a 223r depending on the bullet 125gr cast bullet for vermin, 110gr hollow point for beaver, 115-125gr fmj for birds, 125 cup and core for roedeer.

I think of the ba13 mainly as a short to medium range rifle up to 200+m so a flat shooting cartridge like a .243win are better in a bolt action who has more practical precission.

 

As a survival/smallgame gun i would search for a used combination gun 22hornet/20g or 222r/12g.

[Buzzeryn 0]

Both the .308 and 6.5 Creedmoor are great choices, but for the type of game you're targeting, the 6.5 Creedmoor might be a bit more manageable for your first rifle, especially with the reduced recoil. It has a reputation for precision and performs well on smaller game like wild boar with proper shot placement. You’re right about the Swedes and others using it effectively.

That said, the .308 is a more versatile round and would still be very effective, especially if you’re looking for something with a bit more punch. I’d recommend visiting Burnsville MN gun store. They’ve been super helpful when I was picking out my first hunting rifle, offering solid advice on calibers, ammo, and even recoil management for first-timers.

Edited Thursday at 16:56 by Buzzeryn