How to select the right hunting cartridge ~ The perfect caliber for your needs!
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- Опубликовано: 11 окт 2024
- With over 80 rifle cartridges being commercially offered, each claiming to be the best, and with countless bullet weights, choosing the right caliber for your deer hunting needs is understandably confusing and intimidating, at best. Let GunBlue490 break things down into very simple and easy choices, that can be interpreted according to your specific needs! Believe it or not, the real choice is simple, from as few as half dozen. Having the right rifle caliber that will take your varmint or game is as easy as watching this video. Don't go it alone!
12:07 - the .17s
12:34 - .204 Ruger
15:51 - .22 Hornet
18:11 - .222 Remington
20:23 - Point-blank range
21:52 - .222 and .223 Remington
23:06 - .220 Swift
23:44 - .22-250 Remington
25:16 - .243 Winchester
31:20 - .257 Roberts
31:36 - .25-06 Remington
32:46 - 6.5mm calibers
33:51 - .270 Winchester
37:59 - 7mm-08 Remington
39:23 - .280 Remington
39:29 - 7mm Remington Magnum
41:26 - .30-30 Winchester
42:54 - .308 Winchester
45:00 - .30-06 Springfield
46:22 - Recap
47:29 - The all-purpose cartridge
You are a life saver!
Thank you so much
How do you pick the grain weight?
@@DYLANJJK94: Generally speaking...heavier (longer) for caliber bullets are better for longer ranges but require faster twist rates. So...if I was shooting a 30/06...I'd use 180 grain bullets for longer range...and 150-165 grain bullets for anything closer than 300 yards. That's why the 165 grain bullet is so popular for the 30-06...great velocity with decent range. I shoot 300 Win Mag here in MT...so I use 190-200 grain bullets...180s out of my 30-40 Krag, and 170s out of my 30-30. What cartridge are you considering?
Thank you so much
I basically watch your videos because tv sucks. Interesting and awesome information in every one. Thank you!
I couldn’t have said it better myself!
I do too
Vince Parke I never watch TV, either. You can learn so much more on RUclips.
Agree, TV isn't worth the time. This GunBlue490 channel, among others, is worth every second.
True about TV!! TV indeed sucks!!
Gunblue490 is a firearms saint. I've learned more from him than all the other internet gun gurus put together.
For sure. I've been watching and re watching for 3 years now. One need not ask anywhere else. So good.
Agreed
Good practical wisdom from years of experience.
we'll you are ignorant
Perhaps the most informative cartridge lecture on RUclips.
Your library of videos will go down as important reference material for historians investigating late twentieth century firearms knowledge. Thank you.
Man, I am a die-hard 6.5x55 SE fan, but I respect the heck out of your opinion and I want to thank you for putting together such a good video. I was totally shocked when you discounted the all-american .30-06 and even the .25-06 but your logic resonated with me and I appreciate that. I like that you give so much love to the .270 Win because some of the greatest hunters I know of both elk and deer use that chambering and swear by it. I'm not an old man yet, but I didn't just fall off the turnip truck yesterday either. Regardless of what I think I know I ALWAYS pay respect and attention to men like you when you speak from experience. Everything you said makes a ton of sense to me. I think my 6.5x55 SE is an awesome weapon for combo hunts, CXp3 hunts, hell...even Norwegian explorers at the turn of the century were smoking polar bears with them in the arctic! It is a true "Thinking Man's" cartridge and I just love it to pieces. Super accurate, excellent internal, external and (especially) terminal ballistics all with a recoil that you could just about shoot with the stock against your nose or other vital areas! And what a great reputation, all I hear about the 6.5x55 SE is bang-flop! I can understand you knocking it out because of rifle availability, but I hate for anyone to think the 6.5 Swede is anything less than a super hero cartridge! She's a stellar performer when it comes to super long range song dogs, any kind of deer, antelope, elk, moose and bear. Not to mention enemies! The 6.5 has long been a military cartridge for many countries and with good reason. As such, surplus ammo in the form of convenient battlepacks is readily available and is the primary reason I chose 6.5x55SE over .25-06. Anyway, you are a great guy and I have so much respect for you and I love your videos. Thank you so much for sharing you knowledge and advising us greenhorns! You are a blessing and may God bless you and your family!
I’m a big 6.5x55 fan. My teo hunting rifles are Tikka T3s in 6.5x55 and 300 WM. I think the “one rifle for everything” or “all around rifle” concept is silly. Any serious hunter is going to end up owning multiple rifles. There’s no sense in owning multiple “all around rifles” that overlap each other with needless redudancy. You don’t need a 30 caliber rifle for deer so skip the 308 and 30-06 and get something flatter shooting with less recoil. Then get your Elk and Moose rifle in a larger cartridge. Preferably in the same model rifle so you can really develop your shooting skills with the lower recoil rifle
I love my 6.5x55 se. I prefer it over any other round I've shot. I have a cz 557 carbine. Short rifle (20.5 in barrel) with open sights. And at 100 yards it's spot on.
@Rusty Evans very happy. So far I haven't had any issues out of it. I got mine with the walnut stock so it's a little on the heavier side but I haven't had any issue walking through the woods with it.
@Rusty Evans I've read the same about a 22 in barrel being ideal and almost didn't get it myself because of that. But for me and where I'll use it I won't use it over 250yrds if that so the shorter barrel isnt much of a problem for me. I really want a 527 myself I've been looking at one in 7.62x39 and 6.5 grendel.
@Rusty Evans from what I've read they designed the 527 around shooting that real cheap steel case stuff. Especially the 7.62x39 so that would probably be what I'll end up getting
Interesting information and very helpful. Spot on about fringe calibers. Here in western Colorado I use a 30-06 with 180 grain Sierra game king bullets@ 2730 fps for everything. It is not "perfect" for anything, but it has worked well on everything for 36 years. One gun, one load, one shot concept.
I second that. 30-06 for big game and 223 for varmints.
I second that. 30-06 for big game and 223 for varmints.
I used 3006 for 30 years never seemed to be to much on deer to me.. right behind the front shoulder never tore up the back straps ever. And used 110 grain on coyotes.
30-30, 30-06, 308, 243, 270 Been there forever and always will! One can find ammo and plenty of rifles on the rack.....one can find the right caliber and load in that group for the right job....kinda like 12 ga and 20 ga......
We can hope. I'd like to build a nice 243. I'm hopefully inheriting a 30-30 some day, when that happens I'll have a renewed interest in that cartridge I'm sure. I prefer the 30-06 to the 308 but for no real reasons besides being somewhat counter populous and I feel that the 308 is a great cartridge ballistically and after conversing with GunBlue here, I've found that the 308 is an inherently accurate chambering. I just don't see any need for it personally even though I see the appeal, not to mention some competitions require only use of a 308, sometimes 223 included in there. I've heard that the military (special ops) has been working on a 6.8mm (.277) cartridge which might give some popularity to the 270 one day. I think that research started in 2002 but haven't read anything besides that. For the reasons you mentioned, I am attracted to a 223, simply because of cost of reloading and availability.
@@dexterlecter7289 i like the 308 over the 30-06 as its a short throw vs long one and ballistics its the same the 30-06 is about 50fps faster thats it.
For me as an European hunter there are also legendary calibres, which i love and hope they will stay for ever: 5,6x50, 6,5x54MS, 6,5x55, 6,5x57, 6,5x68, 7x57, 7x64, 8x57IS, 8x68S, 9,3x62, 9,3x64, .416Rigby.........
@@butthorn.2703 While I use either a .243 or .45-70 for all of my coyote+ hunting, I wouldn't hesitate deer hunting in the woods with a bolt gun in 7.62x39. Especially the CZ.
But how do you pick the bloody grain weight lol.... I guess it won’t matter with those guns though
When my son asked me for a recommendation on a good, all-round, first hunting rifle cartridge (to be used in BC and Alberta... moose, elk, deer) I offered up three... the .270 Win, the 30-06 and the.308. After a bit of research on his own, he opted for a bolt action rifle in .308. As it happens, I don't have a rifle chambered in .308. I have a .270 Win and a .300 Win Mag. That said, I think he made a very good decision.
As with EVERY GB490 video, it takes me 2 hours to watch because I am constantly pausing and switching to a pages/word document I call “GunBlue490 notes and tidbits” to write & keep his wisdom in a place for quick reference. He always presents in a way that provides “light bulb” moments ... take for example, in the middle of this video he takes the time to show the relevance of point blank ... this gentleman is an amazing informational gem.
You should share that!
No matter how many times I watch this, I get something out of it that I didn't the time before. I have a very bad "collector" streak in me and I am always looking at something else that I do not have in my current arsenal. I have 5 high powered rifles, but only 3 of them made the cut in this video. I have a .243, .270, 30-30, .300 Savage and a 30-06, but I am really wanted to get a 7MM-08 or a 6.5x55 Swedish to add to the collection. GunBlue480 always talks me off of that ledge in this video and he has kept me in the good graces of my wife since I discovered his channel. You are a delightful and insightful person and I am blessed that you have chosen to share your wisdom, common sense and pragmatism with all of us! Hope this comment finds you well and here is hoping that this stream of knowledge and entertainment continues for a very long time to come! God Bless!
This is a good example of critical thinking skills at work. This vid should be shown in schools. Not for the subject matter but the thought processes of deciphering good information and then coming to a fact based reasonable conclusion. I agree w/ most of what was said but I don't agree w/ all of the opinions based on my own biases and regional differences. I respect you're choices because they are fact based conclusions. Again you knocked it out of the park! Best wishes Sir.
Well said, just like his presentation.
Well said. Any cartridge selection is going to have biases no matter how much critical thinking there is. The statement that the 7MM Rem Mag is not a “good” elk cartridge is an example of this. I know for a fact Mike Eastman, who founded the Eastman Hunting Journal, has extensively used the 7MM Rem Mag shooting 160 Partitions on mature bull elk with great success. What’s more, I’ve done it myself and seen others do it.
I took the NRA reloading class and one of the things I learned was that as a reloader you can adjust more by customizing your loads vs having a cabinet full of guns you can't get around to using. I actually have an 8mm Mauser I wouldn't trade for nothing. After listening to you I'm ready to break out my 30 30 and put it to good use. I'm a Virginia hunter.
I'm a .270 and .243 guy, great to hear your wisdom! Bless you!
I've been a gun nut my whole life and I learn so much from this gentleman.
I got hooked since my daisy lever action bb gun. Nothing like taking out a line of cans with a bb gun as a kid.
IVE BEEN HUNTING NOW FOR 30 YEARS. I LIKE YOUR INSIGHT. I WISH I KNEW YOU WHEN I WAS A YOUNG BOY.
I ALWAYS ADMIRED HUNTERS AND NOW THAT IM GROWN UP I VALUE OPINIONS AND YOU DO TALK ALOT OF COMMON SENCE.THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORT ON YOUR VIDEOES. WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE. GOD BLESS.
Sir , I just recently discovered your channel. You have a quality that is sadly too rare these days, you make sense!
You're very smart man thank you for your knowledge and advice, and thank you for making me feel great about my 270 purchase LOL
Thanks for that video.....at age 61 it answers questions I've had all my life. I kept a .243 all my adult life and a 30-06 thinking those two calibers would do everything......and they have but I could have trimmed a little and been better off. After growing up on Elmer Keith it's good to hear some reason.
We hunted more small game growing up. I'd say 22lr class and another cartridge for mid sized game. Probably 243 down here or 308.
Another master class from a pragmatic professor. How lucky to be able to absorb many years of field experience in a video class. Hey, my way to really thank you is to watch all the add videos in between so that you can keep on doing what you do. Thank you Sr from the bottom of my heart.
How this man remains humble and kind with all that knowledge and wisdom is amazing to me.
Moe on my wife's account.
4 years later the 6.5 has really taken its hold in number of rifles chambered due to exceptional marketing. I don’t have much interest in it as it doesn’t do anything my other rifle won’t. Love listening to these discussions on calibers. Thanks from Maine
257 Roberts was my first high power rifle I bought before I got out of the military in the early 70's. I hand loaded for woodchucks and deer.
Ive shot many deer with a variety of cartridges. I always seem to gravitate back to the 270 winchester
Very useful info, sir. I appreciate your love of firearms, and it shows in your knowledge. You are giving us decades of your own research, and findings for FREE. People shouldn't sneeze at that. I value your opinions, and thank you for your time.
300 Savage guy here in PA woods. It never fails to take a White tail or Black bear every year. Thanks for the great insite your vids provide.
It takes true talent, experience, and skill to be able to keep one’s attention for 50 minutes. He does so with virtually no props or jazz hands, just outstanding commentary. Great video. I will watch this video again with my children one day.
Outstanding videos. Simple. No Bull. Common sense. Been a big fan for a while. Please keep them coming.
Very good descriptions on the best cartridges for deer. It simplifies rifle selection perfectly. My favorite is the 30/06, but given your criteria your selection makes perfect sense. Thank you.
Another excellent video, I always learn so much. Thank you for all your time and effort putting them together.
I also own the 1965 Gun Digest. It is a treasure of firearms history. I was only 11 years old in 1965. All my several others have been lost to time.
After a lifetime of buying guns up to and including the mighty .300 Win Mag., I've settled on more realistic and relevant (for me) calibers. My interests now lie between the fun .22 K Hornet to very affective 6.5X55 Swedish Mauser, along with old cartridges from .22 rimfire to .45 Colt.
I've taken several whitetails with .45 Colt with both pistol (Vaquero) and Mod. 94 Win. carbine.
My faithful CZ 550 in 6.5 Swede is my only long range cartridge/gun combo. It's probably all that 90+% of hunters ever need.
You young guys should listen to Gunblue490. He will spare you the those mistakes of youth! After a lifetime of buying guns and shooting, I rarely disagree with his sage advice.
Great video. I have had these type talks with many folks over the last 50 years myself. Listen to this man. You can learn a lot.
Mohamid has come down from the mountain once again! Thank you for your time and words of wisdom.....
This video is hugely informative even for an experienced rifle owner. Thank you for uploading it
I think this is the 10th time I have watched this video all the way through. Thank you so much for your sharing your knowledge.
My answer to anyone looking for an 'all purpose' cartridge when I am asked, is: Do you have an 'all purpose' vehicle? One that will take the kids to baseball, fetch the groceries, haul wood out of the woods, plow snow, AND race the local track on Sundays? if not, then go with your biggest need and save up for the other needs.
right on with that 7mm-08, shot deer in maine at my camp with 7mm mag, 243win,30-30, and another favorite of mine 300 savage. all deer were taken less than 80 yards. Great vids and keep them coming please!!
I love your practicality and honesty. You present it in a proffesional manner, with no bias and preference due to current fades. God bless my friend. Keep up the good work.
spot on. agree with all but the 06.
the 06 is just so common and so versatile that it should be on the list.
but I'm a handloader and haven't bought factory ammo for my 06 in 30 yrs.
280 Remington has been a favorite of mine as well.
Thank you again for your time and valuable experience given so freely. The only 2 things I would add to your well thought-out list would be the 35 remington for woodland deer and of course the ballistic twin of the 30.30 being the 32 special, but of course ammo supply being one of the criteria would probably remove them from the list.
Again, I thank you for taking your time to produce these videos. They have become my "chatting with a friend" time. A relaxing hour on a cold winters evening with a hot cup of tea and one of "mother's" pecan rolls.
My opinion on the subject.
A hunter who is equipped with a 7mm-08 and a 270 has his/her bases pretty well covered for everything up to and including elk.
Hi GunBlue,
It is very relaxing to sit at the computer at night and listen to your videos. Good Job.
You talk about .222 rem and I smile. My father passed down to me a Belgium Browning Safari in .222, built in Finland by Sako in the 60s with beautiful wood. It has the super short action to just fit the length of the cartridge. For those that have not seen one, it is not a 22-250/.243 length action. It is the first centrefire that my son learned to shoot on.
Cheers, Les
Awesome rifles, my dad had one of those as well as a Tikka .243.
Gotta love Finnish made rifles.
Sakos are beautiful very accurate rifles. I own a Sako vixen varmint special from the mid 70es 222rem mag from the factory, burned the barrel out. and installed a 223 barrel instead from German Lothar Walther 1-7 tvist. Shoots even the heaviest very accurate-
I have watched this video several times. Every time I watch it I learn a little more, lots of good info! Thank you!
I'm so impressed with your depth of knowledge and understanding you show in all your videos. And I really like the straightforward commonsense approach. You're always informative and interesting to listen to. Enormous thanks, you're much appreciated.
The knowledge this man freely gives is wonderful.
Extremely practical advice. I have been deer hunting with a 30-06 my entire life because it is what my dad bought me when I was 14. Yes, it was way too much gun for a teenager, but it sure did punch a hole through the deer and I killed a lot of them with it. Looking to elk hunt this year and realizing that I need to bump up to heavier bullets. Part of me wishes I just had a nice lightweight 308.
You could always handload your 30-06 down into .308 territory for lighter recoil on the range and for deer hunting. The ability to drive heavier bullets is the thing that gives the 30-06 a real advantage over .308 if you're only willing to have one or the other.
Of course, you could always get a .308 in addition to your 30-06 and just use whichever cartridge fits the situation.
A 30-06 can always be made into a 308 it not vise versa.
What a pleasure it is to listen to any topic you discuss. Thank You for the informative and excellent videos.
I always enjoy your take on things, GunBlue. Informative and relaxing.
I have been hunting, shooting, and reloading for the better part of 50 years now. Even built a few wildcats in my time. I live out it the Texas Panhandle, wide open area, and flat as a frying pan. I think your just about spot on with every single recommendation you made. I have one comment, out here it is so open and flat that the 25-06 is truly a specialized round that works very well for us for one reason. Wind,,, the 25-06 is very good about reaching way out there, and it does a fantastic job in the wind. But just as you said, its a specialized round and we happen to be in one of those special areas where it just happens to work very well..... Great info that everyone that uses a rifle should take as Gospel......Kudo's GunBlue490
spot on comment, to a spot on discussion of practical calibers and their applications.
I live in a hilly and heavily wooded region, the .30-30 and .45-70 reign supreme here
Love the .270
Thanks for the free education,it was worth every minute of my free time.
Pre 64 WINCHESTER 257 BOB !!! Works for my Antelope deer rifle!!
Yup exactly right GunBlue 6.5 Creedmoor does absolutely nothing for me. The flavour of the month. My “skinny seven” .270 win. does everything and anything for me.🇨🇦🤠
Here in May 2020. I’m just glad to see a gun channel still monetized on RUclips.👍
So glad I found this channel, so much information and a great to listen to over a cup of coffee.
I appreciate all the time and energy that you put into all your videos! Thanks for making all of them. I've been carving and listening to you as I work. All the best to you.
It never ceases to amaze me how many experts there are on any subject. I also like how the best caliber is always the one you have.....
Your videos with a cup of coffee equals an enjoyable hour.
Though I don't like it, I do agree with you for the most part.
Since I handload, I do keep a 257 Roberts and prefer it to a 243.
I've used the 25/06 in South Africa but prefer the 257 Weatherby.
The 6.5's are all winners, but in this country (excluding 7mm), the "mm" cartridges just don't cut it here.
** I do hunt in different states and countries, so my choices are a little different then yours.
*** For the basic audience, hunting in the east, the lever action cartridges work. Moving to other locals, this video needs to change.
And a final note, the 30/06 has been used in 1000 yard matches.
I bought my Winchester Model 70, .222 Remington based on your excellent review of that cartridge. Thank you for all of your great videos.
Thank you that was right on. My first deer gun was a30-30 I now use a 7mm-08 never failed me. I've been on only a couple of Elk hunts and outfitters preferred you use 30-06 or higher not even a 308. I myself like the 300 win. for Elk. Thanks again God bless
Hey I bought a .222 after your video, a Tikka T3x. It's the most enjoyable and precise firearm I have and the most "entertaining" to reload and test new loads with :)
Appreciate all the talk about rifles. On the .30-06-it was the first centerfire rifle i ever had. When i was a teen i thought it was a shoulder puncher. But now that i have shot it so much, the recoil doesnt feel like much at all anymore. I have shot the .270 and the .243, i felt like the .270 kicked almost like the 06 with lighter bullets. Even with the .243, without good control i could still flinch. I believe recoil can be tolerated. I agree for deer the 06 is not needed when a 7-08 can do it with less recoil. But there may be some more confidence with a more powerful cartridge that you can shoot just as well.
I kind of like old school, 30-30, 300 Savage, 308. Took a doe this year at 40 yards with the 30-30, which went clean through both sides. The perfect gun for the woods.
It's just hypnotic listening to you. So much great info, presented in such a great way. Thanks for doing what you do
Your logic and explanations were certainly on point, especially for the 270Win! "If the shooter does his part, the 270 will do the rest!"
New subscriber...like your channel. I've already benefitted from viewing your videos. At 55 yrs old, ex military, I am pretty much a novice at handguns. I do have my concealed carry license and own a couple of handguns and have learned good habits and info from you. Thanks.
The 222 is my favorite cartridge. Smooth, flat, fast and silent if suppressed. I love it! Aim, shoot, hit...
Used an 870 12 gauge smooth bore with rifled slugs when I first started deer hunting. Switched to a 30/30 and then got a real good deal on a 30/06 Remington 742. They're all fun to shoot.
You sir are a wealth of information. Living in North America, I feel that the .270 & .30.30 is enough for white tail deer. I consider the farthest shot in the woods would be 75yds at the most. For larger game such as moose or grizzly bear, I would step it up a bit with a .300 win mag. Those are my personal choices.
I love to watch you and learn. Your voice is very easy and calming as I rock my daughter to sleep.
Thanks for that. Thought you might like to know that your helping us both. Her to sleep and me to learn.
Absolutely amazing video. Totally agree on the 30-06. I think most people would be better served with a .24-28 bore for deer in a lighter recoiling flatter shooting cartridge. Then when it comes to bigger game step up to a 300 win mag. I actually prefer the 30-06 over 308 because I do think the 30-06 is a legit 400 yard Elk cartridge whereas the the 308 is starting to run out of steam to ensure proper bullet upset at those ranges. Too many people only focus on the trajectory and dont realize bullets need 1900-2000 fps to expand. I love my 300 win mag with 180 and 200 gr nosler partitions for larger game likr Elk and Moose but it’s also good for deer as well in a pinch.
I felt as though I were a young man who'd been summoned by a wise father to be ushered into manhood. I am the person who purchased his first gun many years ago, a 30-06, for all of the reasons you mentioned. Thank you for the terrific video, I'll be sure to have this fire side chat with my 16 year old son.
Very good pragmatic view on calibers. Ya I love my 270. 2 deer this year with 2 shots. And both dropped on the spot. Actually the big white tail doe I shot looked dead before it hit the ground. That was only a 70 yard shot which entered right in front of the right shoulder and came out the left shoulder. Not the best shot placement but the whole season was windy as hell and It was a quick shot with the wind swaying my rifle. But at 70 yards and it was such a big meat deer I took the shot. I even took it out hunting coyotes. Basically cause my Tikka is so dang accurate with cheap ammo. And coyotes up here in the prairies in Alberta like to hang up at 400 yards and I'm not looking for pelts. Took one at just over 400 and it dropped instantly.
But up here the attitude is that a 270 is kind of a wimp caliber. Lol. My younger brother bought a 300 mag for hunting when he doesn't like the recoil on his Chinese wanna be M1A. Ah I'm glad I was born a pragmatic thinker. Just makes too much sense to own a 270. My tikka, off a bench groups about 1/2 MOA. Recoil is a non issue for me. Plus it loves the 130g Hornandy Whitetail ammo. Which I got 6 boxes for 26$ a piece Canadian. Rather than plus 50 for run of the mill 300 mag. And my Brother shot his 300 once and wouldn't touch it again till he got a monster muzzle brake on it.
But I am looking at a 300 mag for some Elk hunts we are planning next year in Grizzly territory. The Grizzlies up here have been on a moratorium for a while and the numbers are way up and due to those dumb arse tourists that throw food out for them in the Banff area. From what I here is they are losing their fear of humans. Not good. I know a couple archery hunters in that area. And most Archery guys are packing shotguns on the way to their stands. And on top of that the wolf population is out of control out there. And due to all the Tree huggers the government has been just ignoring it. The Caribou got hit real hard from the wolves. Plus talking to some guys who have hunted WMUs in that area that used to be just swarming with deer,Elk, Moose are saying the ungulate numbers are way down. Not good. Hopefully when the Liberal government we have in Office in AB gets voted out in the next election we'll get some ppl with common sense and get a cull going. Not saying I like to see animals culled. But it's just necessary. Which these tree huggers would understand that.
Well sorry about my rant,lol. Another great video. Keep em up. Really enjoy these no BS videos.
I've always been a fan of the 7mm-08 and would probably have bought one by now, but I inherited a few 7x57's (aka 7mm Mauser) that are accurate, beautiful, pleasant to shoot, and darn near the same ballistics. When the ammo panic of 2020 kicked it, it was nice to be able to find and buy 7x57 for the normal price (at least for a few months); sometimes there's an advantage to a less-common caliber. Three cheers for the non-magnum 7mm's. :-)
Excellent video. Thanks for posting (I just discovered it.) Very gutsy to knock off the 30/06, but well reasoned. Props to the 7mm-08 - doesn’t get enough love.
I’m gonna predict that the 6.5 Creedmoor will have a long life because it is a moderate recoil, long-range round that is right-sized for most American game. Moderate recoil is the key that makes it fun for target shooters and hunters alike . . . but time will tell.
Yeah. The Creedmoor isn’t going anywhere.
Yea I think it’s here and will stay
Thank you for being an awesome teacher! I love your videos, and the knowledge that you give. May God bless you, and give you the strength to keep on going.
64samsky
Yes, thanks, with God's help and grace, I will.
Thank you. i'm real partial to my .22-250, .260 Rem, .270 Win and 7mm Rem Mag rifles.
The .22-250 is for varmints and plinking/practice; the .260 has become my fave all around cartridge, retiring my .270, and i reserve my big 7 for Wapiti.
Thanks again !
Nice video, my first deer rifle was a 30-30, 1st rifle I bought for my son was .308, 1st rifle I bought for my daughter was 7mm-08. All of my nice Trophy deer hangers...Ruger M77R w/tang safety in 25-06. Love that gun. Thanks for sharing.
wow, i thought i knew a little bit after collecting for almost 60 years, but i am a little bit numbed by your mastery. so enjoyable to hear such a well informed enthusiast. i'll be looking for more, more, and more. i have lovingly studied and restudied hunting books and reloading manuals, sometimes to the exclusion of everyday chores--i'm enjoying a brew and cigar right now--as i know you do!
The great equalizer in all of these cartridges whether or not the make the cut for the deer hunter initially is hand loading. I can take even large cartridges such as the 7mm Remington magnum and load it with 160 grain bullets with extraordinary SDs and BCs and keep the velocities down at reasonable levels. In the factory skins of many of the larger cartridges, they can be very destructive but remember that if your a hand loader, that all purpose rifle cartridge gets much closer to a reality. Now I fully understand that most folks who are buying their first rifle won’t be buying a full set of reloading equipment but it’s something to keep in mind for folks who are veterans shooters or hunters and would like to explore the full potential of their cartridges.
That's certainly true for the handloader. However, the vast majority of hunters are not tailoring handloads, and need some guidance for the basics.
@@GunBlue490 I fully agree. I purchased my 15 year old son’s first deer rifle last Christmas in 7mm-08 and it is a fine cartridge. I will most likely be switching to that cartridge myself in the near future and as my case of magnumitis is starting to wear off as I get older and I rarely shoot deer beyond archery ranges here in the woods of NC. Thank you for all of the guidance and insight. It’s certainly a breath of fresh air in this crazy world of marketing gimmicks!
The 6.5 Creedmore is the MOST numerous rifle I am seeing in Gun Stores now! That is all the way to Kittery Trading Posts and all of my local gun stores, etc., but there re a lot of .223 on AR-15s. Those rifles though are NOT being bought to HUNT with, they are being bought for self defense. I have enjoyed a lot of you U Tube posts. I am a former US Army Colonel. But I also have supplied a lot of material for gun stocks. I own and use .222 Remington (purchased to hunt with in 1962) and .257 Roberts Cabella's Anniversary Super Grade Model 70 a truly amazing rifle!
I could sit down with a cup of coffee and bs with you on guns for days!! Good job sir!
Amazing Senator for the North American Hunter!... + nice shirt! What brand! Great shirt structure, material, sleeves especially... Bravo! I think I have watched your films several times each... imbued with the essence of the heritage,.... and fine natural expression of a reverend mind.... God's Love to the Hunt, Hunter, his Dog, and his Rifle!!!
My 2 rifles for hunting up here in Alaska have nearly identical trajectories: .270 Win and .300 H & H.
Both have mild recoils since the .300 H & H is a heavy moose rifle.
The .270 Win shooting a .130 gr Barnes TTSX and the .300 H & H shooting a 180 gr Barnes TTSX both with a muzzle velocity of 2950 have a trajectory of: 100 yds 2.6 inches, 200 yds 2.2 inches, 300 yds -3.6 inches.
In 30+ years hunting in Alaska, most of my shots have been less than 250 yards, including 5 Dall sheep and over 25 caribou.
I use the .270 Win for Sitka blacktails, black bear, dall sheep and caribou and the .300 H & H for bull moose.
Both of these rifles are Remington 700 with identical Leupold 3X9 scopes.
I've always liked the 7mm08 and own a 20" barreled rifle for here in NH and a 24" barreled rifle for the plains. Hand loading is the way to go if you can't find the rounds you need for your applications. GunBlue and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to what's what concerning deer guns and varmint rounds.
Such a fantastic video. Thank you!
Thank you sir I own a 3030 Winchester and a 308 that’s all I need the rifles that I do have there for plinking and teaching the proper use and safety of these rifles thank you again really love your presentation and the way you present it I’m a fan and I’ll be watching more thank you again and God bless you sir!✝️
I love your videos. It's like having my Dad here for advice. Two cartridges you omitted likely wouldn't make the list but I would like to hear you speak on are; the 303 British and the 250 Savage.
Well, I may do something on those two excellent rounds some day. The 250 Savage had two iterations during its life. The first, with a 1:14 twist would only stabilize shorter bullets up to 90 grains or so, depending on length. It was later improved with a 1:10 twist that would handle any standard 25 caliber bullets up to 120 grains. As I've mentioned before, stability is a length issue, not necessarily a weight issue, as some light bullets are quite long and vice versa, but it's a rule that generally holds true that the earlier Savage 99s could only shoot 87 grain factory loads. It was in that era that the cartridge was known as the 250-3000, based on the 87 grain factory velocity of 3,000 feet per second. The 250 Savage is a very fine deer round that is only about 150 fps behind the original 257 Roberts loads which succeeded and eventually supplanted the 250. The 303 British is a very solid performer that is pretty similar to the 308 ballistically.
Iv been watchig gun videos for a year now and sir yours are the very best. I have learbed so so so much. I hope some day i can know half of what you do! So far i own a 308 7600 gamemaster and just got a super deal on a 243 tc compass brand new. Now to decide what to use for this years deer...
Love the pragmatic approach, Coach!
One thing you might consider for another video... shotguns. Until recently, here in Ohio, it was slug guns only for deer. They recently opened the rules to straight-walled rifle cartridges. In coming from another area, I was a bit miffed at the restriction but have now come to appreciate a rifled slug gun. I recently made the best "money" shot of my life, all things considered, and it wasn't pure luck... a 160 yard drop of a white-tail buck with a rifled moss berg using Hornady SST sabot. I have been very leery previously of taking a shot over 100 yards but this fall I practiced a lot at 100-150 yards (ant that's expensive practice at about $2.50 per boom) and gained a fair bit of confidence. When that buck entered my sight picture, I took the shot with some confidence and when the smoke cleared, I had hit him in the exact spot I had aimed. He didn't take a single step. The 300 grain Hornady JHP essentially de-lunged him with minimal meat damage.
Anyway, when the new ruling on straight-walled cartridges came out, I was immediately attracted to the legendary .45-70 but when I reviewed, compared and contrasted performance between the better rifled shotgun ammunition, I didn't see I was gaining all that much ballistically for the amount of money I would have to spend on a new rifle. A better trigger is about it (shotgun triggers suck, but you can master them to a great degree). Most of the other straight walls are pistol cartridges chambered in short rifles or the .30 M1 carbines.
If you have any wisdom or commentary on this, I would greatly appreciate hearing it. Better yet, a video!
Thanks, I shall be doing that. My first deer fell to my 12 gauge Ithaca model 37 pump with a Brenneke slug fired from about 65 yards in the early 70s. It was a running shot that was more like a hard left swinging wing shot, which didn't make her even loose stride. Running dead out, she circled counterclockwise out of the hardwoods between me and my dad who had to restrain his shots, and fell only 5 yards from my car, 150 yards across a pasture from me. It was the easiest drag of my life that we could almost toss into the trunk from where she lay. LOL The slug cut a perfectly round hole through and through her lungs, and she was completely exhausted and bleeding ever so slowly, but anything but dead when I came up on her, which required me to put a knife between her ribs, as I was out of shells. I had just packed to move the evening before, and borrowed that first Brenneke, one standard Foster slug that missed and two 00 Buck that morning, that left three inconsequential 32 caliber pellets under her hide that I tossed in desperation across the field. But, since then, shotgun technology has greatly advanced and they have come into their own, with terrific barrels and ammunition offerings that were simply unheard of 25 years ago. You have the right stuff!
I really enjoyed the video GunBlue. Where I grew up in northern BC it was kind of the opposite. Everybody hunted moose, and only the real good hunters ever got a deer. Real elusive. Most people used a 30-06, 303, 30-30 or a 270. Now most of my brothers shoot 300 win mag. But I learned a lot, thx.
He's right about the .222 Remington. I was working in Texas in 2005 and picked up a used rifle...it was a Sako Riihimaki made about 1950 in Finland. The accuracy was astounding...it shot a .221 inch 3 shot group at 100 yards...I went and checked the target and my mouth fell open. I'd never seen anything like that... I measured the group with a caliper.
a very good video like you choices I agree with you on the 306 as the 308 will do it with a lot less recoil and if you need more go to the 300 win mag. But one round I like in a rifle for the bush is the 44 mag. it is one of those rounds people just like to shoot at the range as well as hunting in the heavy woods. When friends come over for a shoot, they all want to shoot the Ruger 77/44 and the more practice the better.
Agree with many points that he has made here, yes the 270 and 7mm-08 are superb deer rifles, and yes the 243 is the best dual purpose varmint/deer rifle out there. But that seems to be the extent of his thinking. No mention of a dual purpose deer/larger game rifle, here in Texas we have some stout feral hogs that a 270 or 7mm-08 would struggle against, I know because the only animal I have ever had to shoot twice was a hog hit with my 7mm-08 and I witnessed a couple others that had to be shot repeatedly as well both with even larger calibers. Up north there are elk, moose, and caribou that are pushing the limits of a 270 or either of the 08s, at very least they are not the ideal. I might make mention of dual purpose cartridges for them as well namely the the mid range medium bores as they are slow enough not to blow a deer to bits but wide wounding enough for just about anything in North America at an acceptable level of recoil. Yeah I know not uber popular like a 270 but there is MUCH more to finding your ideal cartridge then the ability to pick up ammo at Wal-Mart for some people, and if someone hand loads what is popular this week have little bearing on their access to ammo and we tend to hold on to a gun once we have a good handload worked up so resale value is the last thing on our minds.
Just how big are your hogs? Hogzill was shot with a 243. Here in FL. -ga. We have some big hogs I use the 6 mm rem. Never had a problem in 30 years. One of my buddy's uses a 22 mag for hog. It small but it works for him.
Now I like using bigger rounds some 35 w. 358 win 45-70. But there not nessery. For hogs.
Learn to use what you have and use a good bullet. Hogs are not hard to kill.
I'm just gonna say it again, great work. I love the information you have to share, wish I had a buddy like you to share some campfire conversations with.
i think you didn't recommend the 30-06 because you don't see an ideal use for it. Yes i agree with everything you mentioned. the 270 is an ideal deer cartridge for both western hunts and woodland. I love the 243 win. for a dual use cartridge. But what about a moose hunt in Ontario. It closer range. No need for a 300 win mag. The 30-06 is ideal in this is situation.
John Evert I can agree but up here in Alaska on the big bull moose you need to be careful with a 270 and 30.06 and use proper bullets and also will need to be a good marksman. With a 300 win mag it's more reliable. Not saying a 270 or 30.06 can't take down a big Alaskan bull moose I have taken 2 moose with a 270 and 2 with a 30.06. I think they did fine all things considered. But I'd feel much better with a 300 especially with big bears around too.
The 300 Win Mag isn’t only useful at long range. You can load up 200-220 gr bullets and still maintain the velocity of a 150 gr 308 load but with more penetration ability. I think the 30-06 and 300 Win Mag are great for people that live out west that do combination mule deer/elk hunts. I agree with gunblue that so many people buy a 30-06 that don’t really have a use for it. I think a combination of a 7mm-08 or 270 rifle for deer/pronghorn paired with a 30-06 or 300 win mag for elk/moose is an excellent combination. I’m personally not a fan of the 308
Or the 308
243 is pretty good for a variety of situations.
He likes the 270 but the 30-06 basically outperforms it outside of lower recoil. Plus, it can take larger game, heavier bullets.
My first center fire rifle was a 222 rem. And after 20 years of not having one in my gun cabinet. I now have two. The Howa mini and a Churchill combination 222Rem-20/76. The accuracy i get from the 222 rem is just fantastic. And these two guns are going to be used on varmints like crows and fox, its excellent for scandinavian deer(lot smaller than their american cousins) and with FMJ bullets i can use it on grouse up in the mountains at winter. As for large bore caliber I must stay with my trusty M98 30.06. It's just a fantastic caliber for scandinavian moose. I do hope that you can do a similar video on shotgun calibers. Personally I have retired my 12/76 and are now using the 16 and 20 calibers with winchester superspeed cartridges with great results on geese, deer , foxes, grouse. etc etc.
I have the same gun digest and I too read it front to back several times. And still enjoy it.
I would just like to comment on Capts statement in regards to bloodshot meat. He is absolutely correct. I recently took a couple of pronghorn does in Wyoming. Due to circumstances beyond my control I was unable to take my 270 and hunted instead with a friends 6.5x55. I took two does. One at 225 yards and a second at 75. The animal that was shot at 225 yards only took a couple of steps before she fell. That animal shot at 75 yards took off at a dead run and made it nearly 100 yards before she expired. She had been struck directly through both lungs but the velocity at that range was so great that the bullet passed through her like a laser beam. There were bloodshot areas around both the entry and exit wounds that were the size of cantaloupe. A lot of meat, wasted. I wish I would’ve had my 270.
Killed my first deer with a Remington Sportsman model 78 in .243 . 100 grain Remington Core-Lokt works great on mule deer. I can put a .243 round right where I want without the anticipation flinch of my .300 Winchester. Thanks for giving it its due. I enjoy your discussions. I like many different calibers.
You’re unbelievably kind for the information that you share.
This man is an American treasure.