List your favorite centerfire rifle calibers

[Jellybean]

I am amazed at how many of you left off .22 long rifle.

Nobody left it off, it was excluded in the original post. If rimfires were included I would add the .22 short and .22LR too, in that order.

Personally I like every cartridge, even the most useless ones. I still like to play with them.

 

[orion1]

30-06, .243 and .223 cover all the bases for me.

 

[mississippi revolverman]

Me partial to 308. Also shoot 243 and 7 mm-08. Both just changes to the old 308

 

[JohnK]

.222 Rem Mag SAKO
.243 Tikka
.257 Roberts Browning Micro-Medallion A-Bolt
.270 Browning A-Bolt

I was surprised to see a sprinkling of interest in my absolute favorite:

.221 Rem Fireball, in a CZ 527. The most accurate rifle I have ever owned.

 

[sasu]

Impossible! They are all fantastic, if nothing else great to tinker with.

 

[Andy Taylor]

.223, .30-06, .45-70
That about covers any rifle I need.
Although I am rather fond of pistol caliber carbines.

 

[animalmother]

These would be my favorite centerfire rifle calibers (no particular order):

357 Mag (Marlin 1894)
308 Win
223

 

[gregintenn]

The 257 Roberts seems to be one of the most common calibers mentioned on this thread. If that many people like the 257, I wonder why one rarely finds rifles or ammo in that chambering. Perhaps we're a unique bunch.

 

[Karnivore]

.280 Remington
45/70
.223

These cover it all for me.

Karnivore

 

[chillypepper]

wanted to add two more that i like on paper(never had 'em, just like 'em from what i've read) 220 swift, and the 35 rem.
c.p.

 

[Centenniel]

223 Remington
257 Roberts
6.5x55 Swedish
7x57 Mauser
300 H&H Magnum
35 Whelen
45-70 Govt.

 

[gef]

375 H&H Mag
30-06
243
223
25-06

 

[creedekid]

223/5.56
270 Win
7mm08
308
30-06
45 LC
45-70

 

[anchors]

30-30, .300 Savage and 30-06

 

[moosedog]

I've got guns in calibers from 270 through 458 Win Mag, but the gun that almost always ends up killing game for me is my Marlin 1895 Lever in 45/70 with my 300GR Hornady JHP handloads.
It just feels right for me and does the job on about anything.

 

[Hamden]

Remington 722 308 Win
Rem 721 280 Rem barreled by Larry Brace
M70 FW 358 Win this little guy kicks like a mule
M70 300H&H>>>300Wby>>>now 338 Win Mag barreled by Cuthbert

 

[buckeyeshooter]

338wm, 30-06, 308. 50 alaskan

 

[Steave]

Originally posted by toroflow1:
Wow, in all these fine calibers everyone has mentioned, not a one yet for .338 Win Mag!

au contraire, I mentioned the .338 Win. Mag. on the first page of this thread. A great caliber, mine is in a Win M70 stainless with a McMillan stock and topped with a Leupold 3X9 compact, even with a 26" tube it is still under eight lbs. It was a great rifle for humping around the Wyoming mountains hunting elk.

 

[jonnyringo]

7mm Rem. Mag
25-06
6mm Rem.
.223 Rem.
.44 Rem. Mag
.357 Maximum
.444 Marlin

 

[Iggy]

I am really surprised and tickled at the popularity of the 45-70.

I thought just a few old curmudgeons would still be fooling with the old flying telephone poles.

 

[AKAOV1MAN]

I own more rifles than calibers: 22LR, .223, 30-06, .308, 45/70, .458 Winchester Magnum

 

[n4zov]

.222 Remington Magnum
.250 Savage
.308 Win.
.30-06
.338/06

 

[Sven]

Originally posted by gregintenn:
The 257 Roberts seems to be one of the most common calibers mentioned on this thread. If that many people like the 257, I wonder why one rarely finds rifles or ammo in that chambering. Perhaps we're a unique bunch.

Yes, I was surprised at the number of .257 Roberts, too. The only question now, is being "unique" good or bad!

 

[Homie]

Originally posted by toroflow1:
Wow, in all these fine calibers everyone has mentioned, not a one yet for .338 Win Mag! I previously mentioned one of my favorites was the 8mm Rem mag, but the 338 is right up there. I was reading Elmer Keith's "Rifles for big game" book the other day, and one of his favorite calibers was manifested in his creation of the .333 OKH, and .334 OKH. Well basically those two creations of his are now what we call the .338 Win Mag. 300 grain bullets have the best sectional density, and hold velocity well, enabling those far off shots. It was refreshing to read Elmer's book/thoughts about calibers and ballistics. He sure knew what he was talking about!

Toro,

Just to clarify the OKH line, the .333 was on a necked-up '06 case, same as the current .338/06; the .333 Belted was a 2 1/2" Mag case, very close to the .338 Win.; the .334 was on the full length .375 Mag case, like the .340 Weatherby. Charlie O'Neil, a Minnesota gunsmith, was the brains and built the guns, Keith was the field tester, and Hopkins the money man.

And you're right, the .338 Win. is an excellent hunting round!

Good shooting!

 

[cmort666]

.30-06
.308
6.5x55 Swedish Mauser
.223

 

[patrick james]

Ruger #1's in .405 winchester and 25/06

 

[beemerrider]

.223, .243, 30-30, .308, 30-06,.340 Wthby Mag, 45-70

Mostly now when hunting, I use a .308 Sig Sauer bolt gun or a Springfield M21 .308 for long distance. I'v shot about as many deer as I need to, so I think I'll "hunt" with the NIB 6" Mod 57 Mr. handejector counseled me on buying (thank you), or an 8&3/4" if my wallet get's frisky, or perhaps a 29 in one of those barrel lengths. That way I figure when I come home empty-handed I can babble on about how un-sportsmanlike it would have been to have taken that 145 yard uphill shot in a crosswind, with a handgun and thus the empty game-bag.

 

[Marshall 357]

For now I will say 308. I never shot a .50 but I would love to own one.

 

[R. Walter]

338WinMag
300 H&H
300WinMag
25-06
220Swift
22-250

 

[RonJ]

I'm a recoil wimp, especially when shooting from the bench, so...
.223 and 260 Rem.