Three rifles to cover all Uk game and vermin on a budget

[tackb]

22lr
243/6.5 creed (both will varmint and do double duty as a deer rifle)
308

such an easy question

 

[njc110381]

.22lr, .243/.25-06. Job done. Far from ideal, but there isn't much that can't be dealt with using one or the other. If I had to pick three it would be those two plus something large because I like slow bullets for deer. 9.3x62 is nice, I have a .35 Whelen which is basically the same but harder to source ammo for in the UK.

 

[alberta boy]

22lr
243/6.5 creed (both will varmint and do double duty as a deer rifle)
308

such an easy question

That would cover most things over here as well .

AB

 

[dropmdead]

And if you want cheap, buy Howa rifles that are not bad value for money second hand.

 

[Malxwal]

Amazing just how quickly (posts #2 on) people ignored the OP stipulation "budget".

 

[dryan]

22lr and 243. 243 great on foxes and effective on all sizes of deer if you put the bullet in the right spot. That said I own a 7x57 and prefer that on reds.

 

[RoeStalker270]

.22LR/.17HMR depending what you need.
.222
.270

That’s what I use, but any combination of the more common calibres can very easily be made cost effective.

 

[jtl]

.22
.243
.50, Barret forgot cheep!! .308 thats better.

 

[rob.batterbury]

.17 HMR
.223
.308

Ammo never an issue

 

[JTO]

22LR, 223 and 308.
Would be a bit boring though.

Budget to both buy and feed!

 

[Matabele]

.22
7x57
9.3x74R....just in case a cantankerous boar has a go!

 

[Lew21]

Probably same as a few others, but these are my 3.
.17hmr with a moderator (CZ)
22-250 with moderator (Howa)
.308 with moderator (Tikka T3)

I had the .223 cz which was very accurate and can't knock it.

 

[Grannysmith]

22 rimmy
220 swift
270 win

 

[mudman]

Don’t need three.

.22 rimfire

And a larger deer calibre.

 

[Essexsussex]

Cz 22lr
Parker hale or bsa 270 or 308 or even sometimes a bsa swede can be found.
Be done with it, the cost of ammo to zero and cost to acquire a third more foxy calibre will be a lot more than the price difference between the ammo.

 

[Jagged77]

I guess the key is ‘on a budget’

You’re not going to find much more widely available than a .22LR / .223 / .308

However .243’s are also plentiful so sub that for the .223

I picked up a lovely .30-06 recently for not much recently. Sits nicely between a .308 and .30WM. You pay your money you take your choice as they say.

If budget meant long term running costs then you’d have to go back to .22LR / .223 / .308 on barrel life alone.

 

[moeggesit]

It’s a fair point and made me smile. All I really have against the creedmore is that it’s the reinvention of the wheel. My 6.5 by 55 will do what a 6.5 creedmore will do and as it’s in a long action, it will handle any bullet with the potential for more powder behind it. I accept a long action is theoretically less stiff and hence accurate than a short action, but the tradeoff in reduced case capacity seems like a step backwards. Having said all that, if you like your creed more and it shoots well, it’s the “right” rifle for you. It’s a great cross over varmint/deer rifle and nice to shoot.

Most modern rifles have locking lugs in the barrel (like the 129 year old Swedish Mauser and its predecessors) and the action length and stiffness therefore makes absolutely no difference to accuracy.

On rear locking lugs, there is a possibility.

 

[moeggesit]

If you’re on a budget, ammo cost is a bigger consideration than the rifle since it will soon overtake the cost of (any) the rifle.

22,
243.

 

[tackb]

It’s a fair point and made me smile. All I really have against the creedmore is that it’s the reinvention of the wheel. My 6.5 by 55 will do what a 6.5 creedmore will do and as it’s in a long action, it will handle any bullet with the potential for more powder behind it. I accept a long action is theoretically less stiff and hence accurate than a short action, but the tradeoff in reduced case capacity seems like a step backwards. Having said all that, if you like your creed more and it shoots well, it’s the “right” rifle for you. It’s a great cross over varmint/deer rifle and nice to shoot.

the first 6.5mm round adopted by the military , so the first if you like was the 6.5x52 cacano adopted by the italians , is the 6.5x55 a reinvention of the wheel as well?

or were later 6.5mm rounds an improvement?

 

[Sendero25/06]

a 25.06 does everything one calibre on a budget