FLEXIBLE rifle round

[Doug M.]

5.56X45 (the proper chambering of an AR platform) with the more dense service type loads will do fine for deer if you do your part, and assuming it is legal in your state. If you are not comfortable or legal, the same rifle with a 6.8 upper (I advocate BCM, for lots of reasons) will do all you need, although at the bottom (hunting bottles and rats) with wither caliber is a bit much.

I'd be inclined to a .22 LR for the rats and bottles, and a medium caliber (.243/.270 size, not more than .308) in a bolt gun for any other hunting up to and including deer. Within realistic performance parameters, placement and proper bullet will be more important than caliber. With my distance vision and a decent scope, I'd be really disinclined to a shot more than 100 yards anyway, I think ... your mileage may vary.

 

[M29since14]

If one insists on using a .22 to shoot whitetail deer, the last time I looked Savage made a .22-250 with an 8- or 9-inch twist barrel. With heavier .224" bullets, it will probably do a much better job on deer than any .223, particularly if the range is past 100 yards. But it seems like a pretty specialized rifle to me (mainly for long-range target shooting?) so I'm not sure it would work so well with standard .22-250 ammo. Maybe it would?

In any case, a 6mm, .25, or 6.5mm seems like a much better idea for your all around rifle.

 

[Bakebfr480]

The 30/06 springfield is one of the most versatile rifle rounds in the world!

 

[gwpercle]

My do-it-all is a 30-06 , a 308 would work just as well.
Handloading and cast bullets from 115 grains to 220 grains covers a wide range of needs.

Now that I think about it my Winchester 94 in 30-30 would work very nicely also.

I think I'll keep them both 30-30 and 30-06 ...Yeah, that's the ticket !

Gary

 

[clang444]

That's a big range of game size.

For rats to deer AND readily available factory ammo off the shelf at a local gun shop, .243 is probably your best choice.

.25-06 has wider range, but not as plentiful ammo availability at local gun shops. It would be my one caliber do everything choice if mostly hand loading.

 

[nachogrande]

X IS TO Y, AS A IS TO B

The same case for 243/308 & 25-06/30-06 means the 243 is to the 308, as the 25-06 is to the 30-06. You could plug other calibers using the 308/30-06 parent cases into the equation & ALL seem to be winners IMO. SO, we are back to, what action size long or short & how light/heavy a bullet wt do you want???

 

[smoothshooter]

Can't believe that very few are mentioning it, but all the cool kids are moving over to 6.5grendel. Pushing close to .308 performance out of small action/AR-15 sized platform. I encourage you to look into it.

I had a bare AR-15 lower and couldn't stomach another 5.56. Went researching and 6.5grendel checked a lot of boxes about range, performance, energy, capacity, reloadability, components, mags, weight, etc.

The Grendel may be a fine cartridge, but resale value would not be good, because most people have no clue what it is, and you cannot buy factory ammo at Wal-Mart and other stores.

 

[scottyp99]

OK, I'll throw my 2 cents worth in. For your stated needs, the .308 Winchester would be my choice. While there are many cartridges that would perform well in this role, the 308 Win is hands down the best in this role if you are a reloader. There is a vast selection of bullets to choose from, it performs well with powders that are extremely popular and easy to find, and you will find some .308 Winchester on the shelf of just about any establishment that sells ammunition, just about anywhere. It is easily and cheaply downloaded for use on rats, using pistol powder and cast or plated bullets, and the kids can shoot these without dislocating their shoulder. If you go to the range and forget your ammo, one of your buddies probably has some to share. It's just a great all around cartridge for a general purpose rifle. There is almost nothing that you can't do with a .308 Win, if you reload. I use Speer hot-cor bullets, IMR4895 powder, and a Winchester primer, and they cost me about 41 cents a round; 22 cents a bullet, 16 cents worth of powder, and a 3 cent primer. How can you beat that?

Scotty

 

[amazingflapjack]

"flexable"

Well, for me it has always been the .30-06. I have loaded 200-grain JSP for 700-plus lb. bull elk. I have loaded 150-165 grain bullets for deer and antelope. I have loaded 110-130-grain bullets for coyotes and foxes. I have loaded single buckshot pellets over 5 grains Unique for pests and small game. I have cast my own 150, 170, 180, and 190 grain lead alloy bullets for loads from around 1400FPS to 2200FPS and used them on deer, rabbits, grouse, coyotes, and pests.

I have taken game animals at under 50 yards, and over 400 yards, all with one rifle. My 40-plus year old scope has a bullet drop compensator feature, and I know just where to dial it in for any of a dozen loads I have used over the years.

I also know the correct sight settings for the M1 Garand, 1903 Springfield, and 03-A3 Springfield when using many different loads.

At last glance I have about 400 rounds loaded ammo, over 1000 brass cases, about 4000 primers, half-a-dozen suitable powders, and a couple thousand bullets on hand. Probably won't need anything else for the duration.

Most of the rounds suggested above evolved from the venerable 30.06. Developed by John Moses Browning, I believe. I learned not too long ago the BMG .50 is just a "super sized" 30.06.

 

[EMP3]

Flexible for what???

Straying from the deep end, I agreed with an author of a treatise the thesis of which was the .308 Win is the best North American big game cartridge.

Knowing how animals die would help your choice.

Keep in mind that every season archers kill North America's largest game with arrows leaving strings at ~300 FPS.

I could hunting everything in North America with a very lightweight .308 Win carbine. Too bad I don't own one.

 

[EMP3]

your probably right, although field rats coming to my deer feeder are my targets, about 150 yds out

Get a field cat ;-)


Monday morning humor...

 

[Jim Sharp]

.264 Win Mag. Best of the 6.5's

 

[Eddie Southgate]

Another vote for the .243 Winchester .