Sounds Neat Fireball!

Dimitri

if you want something different i'd opt for a 6.5/284 or 6.5/06...i have dropped 250+ lb mule deer in their tracks with my 6.5/284...very efficient cartridge and brass is readily available without having to fireform. but if fireforming doesn't scare you the 6.5/06 does the same thing and brass can be easily made.

Arizona Hunter wrote:

What about a 7mm-08? Seems that is pretty popular in TC's, and you can stay with 7 mm bullets.

Looking at ballistics, the 7-08 is a very good cal. for med sized game. A well placed shot will down an elk.

If'n you want to know what will do for 90% of the hunting 90% of us can or will ever do, as was suggested previously, go into any store that sells ammo, and see what is on the shelves. The further out in the weeds, the better.

Dollars to donuts, 4 calibers will be there for Big stuff! 30-06, .308, .270, and 7mm Remington Magnum. Eastern or Western game, long range or short, It makes little difference.

.338 may be there, too, but no guarantees.

For smaller, .243, 30-30, and .223 will almost certainly be present.

although good calibers, the .260, 6.5 X 55 Swedish, and 7mm08 may be hard to come by in the outback.

The Short, Fat Magnums are an aberration, IMHO

Anything else is "about equal" to the old standards, and not much of an improvement, in most cases, I think. Marketing at it's best!

My .270 did well on elk, and at college, I knew a girl from Wyoming that loved to hunt elk with her .300 Savage. I like the .257 Roberts, and I knew an old Idaho sheepherder that swore by his 25-06. All were "enough gun" for the purpose. Some are obsolete, but all do the job.

But, if you want the security of knowing the ammo will be there, The "Big Four" will do just fine. Oh, but I'd NEVER forget/lose/pack the wrong size ammo! Mr. Murphy LOVES to go hunting!

Grant wrote:

I have both the 270 and the 7mm and luv em both. Either one does the job for me hunting anything I go after. Deer, moose, bear, either will take them down effectively at any range I feel comfortable shooting at. If you do want a lighter pack gun, can't go wrong with that 270.

If you want a comparably inexpensive bolt action rifle, Wal-Mart has the Mossberg 100ATR in a .270 for I think $244. It's a light-weight rifle and they say it's real accurate. Hornady has a 130gr and a 140gr .270 light mag round that kicks butt.