Favorite Rifle Caliber and Why?

[Tomcat088]

I figured that we had this thread with pistols and it was and is a great hit. I figured why not give it a shot with rifles.

Now I know some of you will call me INSANE, lol, but my favorite caliber of rifle is .300 win mag. I have lots of calibers that are more practical, efficient with powder, and kick ALOT less, lol, but I seriously just love the .300. My dad raised me shooting rifles and I'm not recoil sensitive at all. Also here in Texas where I grew up, we can shoot long distances, so I frequently get to take shots at 800-1,000 yards. I have never owned a .300 that has a muzzle brake or that is ported, so I'm used to getting beat up a little. I seriously just love how big of a boom the gun makes, and to feel the power of that cartridge and just see it deliver so much accuracy at long range.

[aubie515]

You Sir, must like punishment. I wouldn't consider myself recoil sensative, but I don't like LA rifles. My vote for favorite caliber would be 243/308...I know they are two different calibers, BUT the 243 is based on the 308 casing. I like the 308 because it is accurate, capable of reaching 1,000 yards and the ammunition is easily found. I tend to like exotic items when it comes to firearms, but when it comes to ammunition, I like to stick to the tried and tested calibers...223, 243, 308. Especially for new shooters...most new shooters will not reload from the get go, so I like to suggest calibers to new shooters that they can go into any Wal Mart or local gun shop and buy ammo and not have to spend $30+ for a box of ammunition. Another consideration for the 308 is that our military uses this caliber...I figured if it's good enough for our men and women who protect us...it is good enough for me.

Here are some of the other calibers that I am interested in testing.

6.5 Grendel
338 Lapua Mag

[LittleRedToyota]

hehe.

i was thinking ".243 or .308"??? but, i guess i don't have to decide since i can apparently combine them.

.243 is an underappreciated caliber. very fast and flat trajectory...wind doesn't move it much.

of course, if i could only have one rifle, i would go with 5.56 NATO (and get .223 with it) since i think that is the ammo that is most likely to be available if SHTF.

[RUDY850]

Well I'm going to go with 22 Lr.Can shoot for hours at very low cost.High capacity magazine depending on rifle.Can be used in pistol.easily able to Cary 1000 rounds or more for shtf situation.

[Chief]

I'm with Rudy on this one.
.22Lr is my vote. Very Cheap, accurate with good ammo (not so cheap, but still cheaper than just about anything else), just plain fun.

[phillyd2]

I have two favorites for rifle: .223 & 308 Both seem perfect for their intended purpose and can always be found, even if not cheap.

[bornagainin556]

For general big game hunting, I like the .30-06. I stick to the basics, and the .30-06 can be found in a wide range of bullet weights and designs. I can also find ammo at the most remote places in this country. Next would be .308 because of the shorter bolt throw.
For a SHTF situation, 5.56 hands down, because of the amount of bang I can carry, but only if I have a semi-auto.

[GRIZZLYBEAR]

My favorite rifle depends on the job the rifle is required to do,

If hunting Moose or Large Bear, my favorite rifle would be a .338 Win Mag, ,375 H&H, .416 Rigby, .45-70, or .45-90 the choice would depend on the hunting conditions.

If on a Colorado Elk hunt where most shots are over 200 yards I would be using a .338 Win Mag or .340 Weatherby Mag. If hunting Elk in areas where the shots are under 100 yards it's had to beat the old fast handling 45-70.

For Pa Whitetail I like the .35 Remington, 280, or the 7mm Rem Mag depending on the hunting conditions.

If I where to own only one rifle to handle all my hunting situations in North America, I guess I would have to say the .338 Win Mag as it can be reloaded to handle just about anything you'll run into.

If your taking a SHTF protection firearm I tend to favor the Stoners.

grizz

[dbdbdb]

.223 for developing good shooting technique
.308 for range, accuracy and consistancy
7mm mag. range, accuracy, consistancy & serious take-down power

Even though the .223 & .308 share simular traj. at range with a few clicks difference. The .308 can buck the wind better and is more reliable long range without the punishment of the mags. The 7mm can also, buck the wind at range, but the recoil gets irritating after 40 or so rounds.

If I had a choice of cal to shoot all the time it would be the .223 out to 300yds. Just at range with crosswind, you'll lose it.

[The Drew]

I'm partial to the 7.62x39, mainly because I'm partial to weapons chambered in this caliber, the SKS, the AK...

While the price has gone up recently, The round is still relatively cheap, it hits harder than 5.56 and doesn't recoil nearly as hard as .308