One rifle for every occasion..? (well, almost)

[Shoot_GB]

What are members suggestions for one calibre does it all?

With the ammunition market now moving to a mandatory Non-Toxic only stance >.243, it's got me thinking about changing up and maybe reducing the contents of my cabinet. Also, these digital LRF and Ballistic Calculator ready scopes are now pretty decent and excellent value for money - I know the DNT Zulus are good as I have been using them from Sub12 through FAC Air and onto Rimfire. With lots of profiles available within the scopes, it is possible to switch between two stored data sets (a light projectile & a heavy projectile profile) as I'm sure most of you are now aware.

Is there now (has there always been) a jack of all trades calibre out there that by using factory off the shelf ammo only has something light and fragmenting for Fox, but also something thats ideal for the UK's Deer population? One rifle, one scope, two bullet types.

I now get asked to shoot more Fox than Deer (I won't be shooting abroad nor do I shoot Reds or UK Boar). My .308 has more recoil than i'd like these days, so I'm thinking of trading in my .308 anyway - so what do I get instead? - or should I keep the .308 and seek out two specific types of non-tox ammo?

All suggestions welcomed..

 

[VSS]

The "one rifle, one scope, two bullets" philosophy is what I've adopted for my .243
I use a 58grain v-max for foxing and head shooting park deer, and a 100grain T-Mantel softpoint for stalking. Interestingly, at normal stalking ranges, I do not have to adjust my scope or my POA when switching between the two rounds, despite them being so different.

(And of course, I do also have my .270).

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

I had rifle for over 10 years and shot copper all of those years and was 270win

 

[20-250]

I haven't yet gone down the copper route with it, but my 243 shoots a 75 grain Sierra HP homeload and the 105 grain Geco factory SP to the same POI at 100 yards. I don't have anything else so versatile.

 

[Mike1979]

6.5 Creed...does everything. WARNING...only get one if you can take abuse

 

[randello88]

What are members suggestions for one calibre does it all?

With the ammunition market now moving to a mandatory Non-Toxic only stance >.243, it's got me thinking about changing up and maybe reducing the contents of my cabinet. Also, these digital LRF and Ballistic Calculator ready scopes are now pretty decent and excellent value for money - I know the DNT Zulus are good as I have been using them from Sub12 through FAC Air and onto Rimfire. With lots of profiles available within the scopes, it is possible to switch between two stored data sets (a light projectile & a heavy projectile profile) as I'm sure most of you are now aware.

Is there now (has there always been) a jack of all trades calibre out there that by using factory off the shelf ammo only has something light and fragmenting for Fox, but also something thats ideal for the UK's Deer population? One rifle, one scope, two bullet types.

I now get asked to shoot more Fox than Deer (I won't be shooting abroad nor do I shoot Reds or UK Boar). My .308 has more recoil than i'd like these days, so I'm thinking of trading in my .308 anyway - so what do I get instead? - or should I keep the .308 and seek out two specific types of non-tox ammo?

All suggestions welcomed..

It’s not a matter of caliber, in my opinion it’s a matter of hunting style and distances/games you are gonna shoot at.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Not another foooooking 270 thread!

K

 

[75]

Pick any UK deer legal calibre and there's your one rifle. Foxes don't run away from well placed centrefire rounds - they don't specifically need to be fragmenting / varmint bullets.

 

[25 Sharps]

6.5 creedmoor or 6.5x55 if you want a bit of class, home loaded ideally for the latter but choice of 95-140+ to cover all situations.

 

[25 Sharps]

Pick any UK deer legal calibre and there's your one rifle. Foxes don't run away from well placed centrefire rounds - they don't specifically need to be fragmenting / varmint bullets.

They don’t but I do prefer them for foxing.

 

[scotch_egg]

I used my 7-08 for 3 years with one bullet for everything.

I don’t think I passed up any shots or lost any animals a fragible bullet would hit different.

The recoil and noise reduction on the .223 is far more pleasant. Especially at night when muzzle flash blinds NV scope and finding your target after recoil in the dark can be difficult.

 

[Bowland blades]

What are members suggestions for one calibre does it all?

With the ammunition market now moving to a mandatory Non-Toxic only stance >.243, it's got me thinking about changing up and maybe reducing the contents of my cabinet. Also, these digital LRF and Ballistic Calculator ready scopes are now pretty decent and excellent value for money - I know the DNT Zulus are good as I have been using them from Sub12 through FAC Air and onto Rimfire. With lots of profiles available within the scopes, it is possible to switch between two stored data sets (a light projectile & a heavy projectile profile) as I'm sure most of you are now aware.

Is there now (has there always been) a jack of all trades calibre out there that by using factory off the shelf ammo only has something light and fragmenting for Fox, but also something thats ideal for the UK's Deer population? One rifle, one scope, two bullet types.

I now get asked to shoot more Fox than Deer (I won't be shooting abroad nor do I shoot Reds or UK Boar). My .308 has more recoil than i'd like these days, so I'm thinking of trading in my .308 anyway - so what do I get instead? - or should I keep the .308 and seek out two specific types of non-tox ammo?

All suggestions welcomed..

Simple answer ........... Put a lighter bullet in the 308 . Now its legal to shoot 80 grain bullets i added one back in the safe in 243 win and 80 grain tTSX, it works really well early days though yet. Now i have shot a lot of big reds with 100 grain tTSX no problem at all at longer ranges than many might than most would not shoot . Through that i found out the 120 grain of the same will sometimes not expand so well as the lighter 100 grain will at those longer shots .
308 is a good thumper but i have to add the balistics aint as good .
Not sure how available factory ammo is with the 80 grain Barnes tTSX is in factory boxed ammo the rifle is a tikka 1-8 twist . I have not yet used it on deer but from what i see so far i am very impressed

 

[Scarpa]

I'd say that it's the practice with and testing of various ammo that is more important than the calibre you choose. I live half the year in Europe and want to eventually do some driven boar so when I selected my 'one rifle for everything' I chose 30-06. I have found that with Barnes TTSX 150gr, RWS Evo Green fragmenting tin 139gr and RWS Hit copper 165gr I don't need to adjust my scopes at all as they all impact very close to each other. This gives me a choice of bullet depending on quarry. It's worth spending a bit trying different ammo and then knowing which ones will shoot to the same POI.

 

[Smellydog]

3030. The pictures say it all.

 

[lochty]

7mm 08 and 140 grain ttsx or ppu soft point works for me.