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Favorite Caliber for 300 Yards and Under?

280 rem 140gr berger vld
7mm mag 168 gr berger vld
300 wby 125 gr nosler bt.
New favorite gun on order
Browning x bolt 280 Ackley Improved.
168 or 180 gr berger.
 
I was curious about the answer, so I did a quick tally. By quick I mean I quickly looked for an answer in a single caliber. If I saw multiple calibers or long dissertations I skipped them. 😂

I'm a 308 Winchester fanboy and was pretty sure it would be the hands down winner; it's hard to improve on perfection. ;) But I was surprised how close the 300 Mag variants and the 7MM's came. I was also surprised at the 30-06 numbers. I would have guessed them to be much higher. I guess the availability of the .308 ammo has impacted modern sales of the 30-06.

Another observation is that there aren't a lot of lever deer hunters in Tennessee.


.308 (17)
.300 Win Mag & Variants (14)
7mm & Variants (13)
270 (12)
.30/06 (8)
25-06 (6)
6.5 Creedmore (2)
.243 (2)
6.8 (1)
6mm Rem (1)
35 Whelen (1)
45-70 (1)
.338 (1)
.280 Ackley (1)
.458 Barnes (1)
.264 WM (1)
.280 Rem (1)
 
DaveTN said:
I was curious about the answer, so I did a quick tally. By quick I mean I quickly looked for an answer in a single caliber. If I saw multiple calibers or long dissertations I skipped them. 😂

I'm a 308 Winchester fanboy and was pretty sure it would be the hands down winner; it's hard to improve on perfection. ;) But I was surprised how close the 300 Mag variants and the 7MM's came. I was also surprised at the 30-06 numbers. I would have guessed them to be much higher. I guess the availability of the .308 ammo has impacted modern sales of the 30-06.

Another observation is that there aren't a lot of lever deer hunters in Tennessee.


.308 (17)
.300 Win Mag & Variants (14)
7mm & Variants (13)
270 (12)
.30/06 (8)
25-06 (6)
6.5 Creedmore (2)
.243 (2)
6.8 (1)
6mm Rem (1)
35 Whelen (1)
45-70 (1)
.338 (1)
.280 Ackley (1)
.458 Barnes (1)
.264 WM (1)
.280 Rem (1)
Click to expand...
I like the .300 because it can be used for just about anything in the lower 48. In my initial post I did say I would take my .338 Lapua for bear though.
 
Add me to the .270 crowd, while I have other calibers, and have warmed up to the .308, I still prefer my .270. I have never got into the magnum calibers, never seen a need for them.
 
Wiley said:
I don't shoot ballistic tips any more since I changed calibers years ago and load my own now but, based on my personal experience with the ballistic tips that I shot back then I'm gonna throw the bullschitt flag on the statement above.
Click to expand...
I am with you I still shoot 243 95gr BT and never had a deer walk and never had one explode once they hit the skin now once inside well we know what they do
 
DaveTN said:
I was curious about the answer, so I did a quick tally. By quick I mean I quickly looked for an answer in a single caliber. If I saw multiple calibers or long dissertations I skipped them. 😂

I'm a 308 Winchester fanboy and was pretty sure it would be the hands down winner; it's hard to improve on perfection. ;) But I was surprised how close the 300 Mag variants and the 7MM's came. I was also surprised at the 30-06 numbers. I would have guessed them to be much higher. I guess the availability of the .308 ammo has impacted modern sales of the 30-06.

Another observation is that there aren't a lot of lever deer hunters in Tennessee.


.308 (17)
.300 Win Mag & Variants (14)
7mm & Variants (13)
270 (12)
.30/06 (8)
25-06 (6)
6.5 Creedmore (2)
.243 (2)
6.8 (1)
6mm Rem (1)
35 Whelen (1)
45-70 (1)
.338 (1)
.280 Ackley (1)
.458 Barnes (1)
.264 WM (1)
.280 Rem (1)
Click to expand...
There are plenty of folks who hunt with lever guns in TN but the OP mentioned a 300 yard range. My guess is that most folks dont consider the traditional lever gun calibers 300 yard shooters. Because of the areas I primarily hunt, the majority of my hunting is actually done with a Henry 45-70. Love the gun and caliber but don't see it as a 300 yard combination. I have other calibers for those areas where the expected shot might be longer than 150-200 yards.
 
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308 or 30-06. 7.62x51 vs 7.62x53. I've got good rifles that I trust in both and lots of ammo. I don't need the excitement of a magnum caliber at this stage in my life.
 
I have a kimber 280AI and a 700 7 mm mag. The 280AI will just about do the same thing as a 7mm mag. And 280AI less powder and less recoil. If i had to pick one . It would be my 280AI with a 168 gr berger or a 180 gr vld. If i didnt have a 280AI. I would go with my 300 wby. I load a nosler 125 gr bt. Never had a deer run with that gun. A shoulder shot is unreal the damage it does. But i am 1.5 grs over max. With no issues with pressure shot this load since 1992.
 
When I hunt with a rifle, which is very little now, it's a 243 for me with 95 gr. Partitions or Ballistic tips in reloads, for factory I use the Federal Fusion in 95 gr. Taken deer to 290 yds with the Fusion and around 340 ish with the Partitions. Always had complete penetration on broadside shots.
 
My all time favorite rifle for deer hunting is a 270. But with the 270wsm well that is my favorite now. My Savage 270wsm is my all time favorite. I have all the others but that 270wsm gets it done. Bottom line buy what you like.
 

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