What calibre ?

[Heym SR20]

If you are target shooting you really do need to think about cost and availability of ammo. In one shooting session you can use up more ammo than many of us use a year or two deer stalking. The cost, however you do it soon adds up very quickly.

If your are shooting over long range then bigger cartridges, long precision bullets etc etc add even more cost.

For me best target shooting calibre is the 223. Simply because cost of ammo is so much lower than bigger centrefires. Then 308 and 6.5cm.

 

[K.H - Tikka]

I think this very much depends on a couple of factors; firstly whether you reload or not and secondly, are you planning to buy new or second hand.

If you reload then any of the calibres will do the job. Availability of components for all of these is relatively decent. Yes the .308 may give more options… but do you really need them? 6.5mm, 7mm and .30cal all have plenty of bullets and weights to choose from. All with sufficient weight to do everything you need them to.

Now if you don’t reload, then I would probably cross the 7-08 off the list. The other two can remain as both are extremely popular and as such often a number of choices found in most gun shops.

If you are planning to buy second hand, then I’d say find a rifle/setup you like in any of the calibres you have suggested and go with what you like the most/what suits you best.

It is also important to factor in cost of anything you may want to change and a timeline for this. For example, if you want to buy a brand new Tikka T3X and swap the stock straight away to a PSE - then you may as well get a rifle built on a T3 action for what is as close as the same money.

If though, the stock might be in the future a year or so down the line then there’s no problem with a brand new T3X (with adjustable cheek riser). The cheek riser may be vital owing to the fact you will likely have a large objective scope so will not be able to mount it really low. Also it’s better to have it and not need it even if that isn’t the case!

At the end of the day, I don’t think the calibre you choose will make that much difference. All you have suggested will do the job. I would weigh up what you want to spend and what rifle/configuration you want the most and go from there.

K.H

 

[Border]

I would go for a readily available factory ammunition chambering in a short action.
That way you are unlikely to chamber a 25-06 in your 30-06 or similar.
308 Win gets my vote. Boringly effective and easy to reload.

 

[jacre1993]

I would go for a readily available factory ammunition chambering in a short action.
That way you are unlikely to chamber a 25-06 in your 30-06 or similar.
308 Win gets my vote. Boringly effective and easy to reload.

That would be my concern with a 30-06.

I don’t think I’d every make the mistake but I’d rather remove any chance.

 

[ofbiro]

I am sorry to contradict some distinguished forum member. My 7 mm Rem. Mag. is a Weatherby Accurate Sub MOA that, true to its name, places three rounds in 22 mm at 200 m while the recoil is easily supported by my old shoulder. Credit for the reduced recoil goes to the muzzle brake, coughing a report noticed not only by my range neighbours but by their neighbours as well.

 

[Keith Edmunds]

Get yourself a .30-06 and a little later on you can fill the gap between the .25-06 and the 30-06 with a nice .270

 

[quarrystalker]

Caliber isn’t your main problem, the rifle is.
You’re looking to squeeze one rig into two very different roles, target and stalking.
Concentrate on the target side and the rig will be too heavy and cumbersome for stalking.
Lean the other way and you won’t be competitive.
You need another rifle.

If you wish you may use this post as part of your “ good reason to acquire” file.

I`m aiming to do same as OP ie squeezing the one rig into the two roles. I have put in for .308 ( been ok`d, but still waiting for it to drop on my matt ) same as my friend, as we also want to shoot Boar as well as deer & occasional range use. I only really have the budget for one rifle atm so have been looking at likes of Sako s20, Bergera HMP, Rem 700 etc. One thing we have found, is that we can shoot out to 1200 yrds & still hit the target fine with even cheap PPU ammo through his Remy 700 about £1 a pop. My friend also does reload & get`s good results with his .308 wether at the range or when we have been out stalking. As a side note all deer I have shot, have been with an estate rifle (Browning x-bolt in .308) & it seems like a good rifle too, just not sure there is an aftermarket stock suitable for long range.

 

[Dunwaters]

I`m aiming to do same as OP ie squeezing the one rig into the two roles. I have put in for .308 ( been ok`d, but still waiting for it to drop on my matt ) same as my friend, as we also want to shoot Boar as well as deer & occasional range use. I only really have the budget for one rifle atm so have been looking at likes of Sako s20, Bergera HMP, Rem 700 etc. One thing we have found, is that we can shoot out to 1200 yrds & still hit the target fine with even cheap PPU ammo through his Remy 700 about £1 a pop. My friend also does reload & get`s good results with his .308 wether at the range or when we have been out stalking. As a side note all deer I have shot, have been with an estate rifle (Browning x-bolt in .308) & it seems like a good rifle too, just not sure there is an aftermarket stock suitable for long range.

I know a couple of guys that shoot deer with F class rigs, they generally set up close to their transport, the rifles and the rest of the gear aren’t really suitable for humping around, they make some really long range hits, way beyond anything I’d be prepared to try myself but you can’t call what they do hunting.
There again, you can’t really call sitting in a hut on stilts hunting either….or can you?

 

[TringSaint]

In fact thinking about this you have made me want a 25-06

Only reason why I didn’t buy a 25-06 was the lack of cheap range fodder. Other than that, cracking round.

 

[VSS]

Get yourself a .30-06 and a little later on you can fill the gap between the .25-06 and the 30-06 with a nice .270

Or just get the 270 now, and to hell with the rest!☺☺☺

 

[RossP]

I've got a 6.5PRC which is more than capable for virtually anything I can see myself hunting for my lifetime either at home or abroad and also by design a very capable target round that will stretch far beyond my capabilities! As a lot of people have said you can't really go wrong with any deer legal calibre but I think it's worth considering the availability of non lead ammunition and the factory twist rates in the cartridge you're looking at.

 

[Mungo]

I've got a 6.5PRC which is more than capable for virtually anything I can see myself hunting for my lifetime either at home or abroad and also by design a very capable target round that will stretch far beyond my capabilities! As a lot of people have said you can't really go wrong with any deer legal calibre but I think it's worth considering the availability of non lead ammunition and the factory twist rates in the cartridge you're looking at.

A fine choice.

Just don’t shoot roe deer in the shoulder at 80 yards…

 

[RossP]

A fine choice.

Just don’t shoot roe deer in the shoulder at 80 yards…

This sounds like advice from someone with first hand experience so I'll take that on board! I'm guessing it wasn't pretty?

 

[Mungo]

This sounds like advice from someone with first hand experience so I'll take that on board! I'm guessing it wasn't pretty?

A friend describes my PRC shot roe as ‘chainsaw deer’…

 

[JTO]

The .284W with a 24" barrel that I bought from an SD member had taken Fallow out to 500 yards and was used on the range in F-Class.

 

[25 Sharps]

I give another vote for .308 - it is maybe regarded as a bit dull but if it was invented today the .308 would be regarded as some kind of wonder cartridge. It is compact, the brass and barrels last way longer than more overbore cartridges like .243 and yet the performance is no slouch. The standard NATO ball 7.62 ammo shoots a 147gr bullet at approx 2,800 fps. The NRA target ammo is even more spectacular: it shoots a 155gr bullet at 3050fps. Plus the ammo is cheap and you can buy it anywhere in the world. It wins on many levels.

No it doesn’t! GGG 155 match is around 2800 fps with a 24” barrel and doesn’t break the 3000 fps barrier even from a 30” barrel!

GGG takes on NRA 7.62mm ammo supply contract – here’s the tech specs

New NRA ammo supplier GGG is using the .308″ Sierra MatchKing 2155 bullet for this year’s Imperial Meeting.

ukshootingnews.wordpress.com

 

[jthyttin]

Depending what you mean by target shooting, just get a 223 rifle set up for the discpline (as hinted previously). Above 500-600y this would get difficult.

From the cartridges you listed, 308 is the only option for cost effective target shooting (barrel life, availabity of factory ammo, availability and cost of components). But then the rifle might not be suited for stalking, like mentioned.

If you get hooked on target shooting you might want to move to more expensive cartridge (performance vs. cost).

 

[JTO]

Just looking for people’s views on caliber for variation.
I’d like to get into target shooting in the coming year but …..
Would also like a calibre of rifle to spit some heavier bullets for large stags etc.

It’s not everyday I’d require this for deer but would like the rifle to overlap as I don’t have an endless pot of money and my 25-06 does a good job so far.

Considering either 308, 6.5 creed( concerns bullet weight might not go big enough) or 7mm-08.

This may start something but … any better choices or opinions

Thoughts and advice appreciated.

Try not to get tied down by specifying a chambering, just the barrel size/calibre.
I got 7mm/.284 as permitted to acquire, on my last renewal. I ordered a 7mm-08 but Tikka discontinued what I ordered, and then a 284W came up, so I bought that.

I suggest you ask for either 6.5mm, 7mm or .30 cal., probably unlikely you will have the choice of all three allowed, but worth a try.

 

[JTO]

If you get hooked on target shooting you might want to move to more expensive cartridge (performance vs. cost).

Or have the barrel renewed with something longer. .284W would suit this potion.

 

[norcan]

That would be my concern with a 30-06.

I don’t think I’d every make the mistake but I’d rather remove any chance.

Why would it be a concern?