Back to a single calibre

[Big Kev]

Hi all.
I always used to shoot just a .22LR for small vermin and the occasional fox when the opportunity arose and a .243 for my deer and foxes. For the last few years I still use my 22LR and have a T3 in 22-250 and a Sako 85 in 308 in place of the 243 ( which I have for sale in the classifieds ). I have decided to go back to a single calibre and a little while back was thinking along the lines of a 6.5x55 but looking at a few different calibres and bullet weights the 260 Rem and the 7mm08 have sneaked in to the running.
If you were in my shoes what would you go for and why, setting aside the usual I've got one and it shoots great ?

 

[Benji53]

.243 deer legal for all uk species and a bloody good fox round

 

[jb7x57]

243 but if you want bigger the 6.5x55 is a fantastic round and you can get from 80 grn to 160 grn bullets

 

[splash]

I have a .243 and a .260 if one had to go ! I would KEEP the .260

 

[Whitebeard]

Have a look at the .25 cals, 25-06 will drop any UK deer with a blow like Thors hammer, dont know why but it does. 257 Roberts is just as good but down a little on ballistics, personally i shoot a 257 Improved.
Bullet weights vary from 75grn true varmint bullets up to 120grn big game bullets, i shoot 90grn Sierra Blitzkings at 3360fps and they kill everything i shoot at.
A friend has a 25-06 Imp. which launches 100grn Sierra Game kings at 3500fps, he says deer drop on the spot when hit with this combo and it is an excellent long range varmint round when loaded with 85grn ballistic tips

Ian.

 

[6.5rem700]

If I was just going to have one centre fire
for me it would be a no brainier
6.5x55 every day for me , good bullet choice for reloading and can always get factory ammo
wI'll drop everything in the UK , packs a punch but low recoil more of a push than a sharp recoil
infact I find it more pleasant to shoot than a 243 , may be down to slower burning powders
i know a lot of this could be said about all the rounds above in this thread
but accuracy and such a pleasant recoil win me over every time
good luck in your choice

 

[Big Kev]

Have a look at the .25 cals, 25-06 will drop any UK deer with a blow like Thors hammer, dont know why but it does. 257 Roberts is just as good but down a little on ballistics, personally i shoot a 257 Improved.
Bullet weights vary from 75grn true varmint bullets up to 120grn big game bullets, i shoot 90grn Sierra Blitzkings at 3360fps and they kill everything i shoot at.
A friend has a 25-06 Imp. which launches 100grn Sierra Game kings at 3500fps, he says deer drop on the spot when hit with this combo and it is an excellent long range varmint round when loaded with 85grn ballistic tips

Ian.

Hi Ian , the 25-06 was actually one of the other calibres I'd looked at but discounted it due to max bullet weight.

 

[Muir]

7mm-08. It's my go-to big game rifle.~Muir

 

[cjs66]

Why not just keep your 308?

cjs

 

[big ears]

If I was just going to have one centre fire
for me it would be a no brainier
6.5x55 every day for me , good bullet choice for reloading and can always get factory ammo
wI'll drop everything in the UK , packs a punch but low recoil more of a push than a sharp recoil
infact I find it more pleasant to shoot than a 243 , may be down to slower burning powders
i know a lot of this could be said about all the rounds above in this thread
but accuracy and such a pleasant recoil win me over every time
good luck in your choice

agree with all of this. Or go off the wall and choose a 30-06. 110gr for foxes all the way up to 220gr for anything else you fancy if a trip abroad grabs you.

 

[Big Kev]

Why not just keep your 308?

cjs

The thought had crossed my mind but if I kept the 308 I would keep the 22-250 as well, I do like to change things every now and then and I'm thinking its that time.

 

[rem284]

If you are going to reload then it opens up more choices. My advice would be think of the missile you want to use( a high bc. bullet with good expansion) then think of the case that will launch it at a good speed and burns the powder efficiently. Then add to this what rifle to use, custom, semi-custom or factory. My person preference is the 6.5 bullets. If reloading then any of the following would be contenders, 260, creedmoor, 6.5-284, 6.5x47L.

If factory rounds are to be the only ones to be used then some thing where you can get a good choice of cartridges of the weight and design of bullet you want to use.

I have a 6.5-284 and would say its the best thing I've used. I would add to this statement this would be my choice if I had to pick one rifle to do every job that I wanted a full bore rifle to do

 

[JAYB]

Either the 6.5 swede or the 7-08, but if you can find one I do like a 7X57, just nostalgia really as it is only a 7-08 in disguise.

John

 

[white van man]

I use my 7mm-08 over all the others I have.
Steve.

 

[stubear]

JMHO I think there are two all rounders - 6.5x55 and .308.

Huge range of grain weights available, covers all species in the UK (with the arguable exception of open hill stalking) and comfortable to shoot.

If you've got the .308 and are thinking of dropping it then I would go for the 6.5x55.

 

[Woodsmoke]

It'd be the .270 for me, every time! I can load 100gr hollow-point for fox with a smaller charge, load 130gr sp with a smaller-than-max' charge for roe (I use 54g of A4831 with very little meat damage and superb knock-down power) or load 150gr for red and/or boar (if I ever get the chance at them, that is)

As far as I'm concerned, it's the best calibre for the types of shooting I do. I can't see past it, to be honest

 

[cjs66]

The thought had crossed my mind but if I kept the 308 I would keep the 22-250 as well, I do like to change things every now and then and I'm thinking its that time.

Thats my setup too, 308 and 22/250.

cjs

 

[weejohn]

284 winchester maybe ?? 100gr all the way up to 195gr.

 

[Conure]

I see lots of different rounds mentioned many that are of the same calibre been reading some old and archived threads and posts and this topic got quite heated.

Now thinking ahead and the possibility of having to be lead free 6mm cal and the lack of suitable lead free bullets that meet the current laws especially north of the wall is a worry. so .25 cal might do it if not you back to eitehr 6.5mm or 7mm cals. Once you picked the diameter of projectile you can pick the case or as one old time gun writer puts it "engine room" to provide the power and velocity that you wish.

 

[Whitebeard]

Kev, What is your primary quarry going to be?

Ian.