Which caliber should I go with?

[Ordie6531]

I have a T/C Pro Hunter and I wanna get a rifle barrel for it for out of state next year. Toss up between 7mm rem mag, 30-06 and 270. I want to buy just one barrel to take anything from deer to bear. Any advice? After checking out some of the other threads it looks like the 30-06 is most popular.
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[BuckHammer43]

The '06 is a winner! I'm looking at having a 260 Rem barrel made up for my Encore. Great ballistics and less recoil.

[Setterman]

I don't think you can go wrong with an '06. I do like the ballistics of a .284 bullet and the 7mm Mag. is a good all-around cartridge as well. Tough choice. All three rounds are classics here. I have to believe that with something like a 28" bbl. in a .30-06, you'd get some impressive velocity results from this old round through handloading.

My buddy just sold a .284 Win. barrel he had for his Encore from the T/C Custom Shop. Only it was 15"! Quite interesting.

[ACEarcher]

I would never tell anyone that any of those rounds aren't great hunting rounds. Any of those will work. Just my own opinion on this. Maybe consider a 300 win mag. You can have a 300 win mag loaded to the same power of a 30-06. And say you wanted something with more power for greater distances you can have the same 300win mag cartridge loaded to the full power of a 300win. It is a round that you can play with. Just something to consider. Best of luck in your search. You can't really go wrong with any of those choices.

[Darrin Greene]

if you will be shooting and can actually hit something beyond 300 yds 300 win mag is the choice but if you're like the rest of us mortals, 30-06 has the widest variety of loads/bullets available and would be my choice.

[Ordie6531]

Thanks for the advice. I asked santa for the 06.

[300WINMAG]

30 06 is most popular and has many bullet weights to choose but 3oo win mag would be better i think .point ' longer range ,you might come to long open flat land ,

[MRSFISHERMAN]

A friend ofmine shot a 7 ointer in Pa lat week with a 270. 100 yardshot, hit him in the shoulder. bullet did notexit. If hewas using a 30-06 would have exited. my thoughts.
Joe Termite

[Jacko]

A friend ofmine shot a 7 ointer in Pa lat week with a 270. 100 yardshot, hit him in the shoulder. bullet did notexit. If hewas using a 30-06 would have exited. my thoughts.
Joe Termite

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30-06, 150/155 gr Sierra boat tail. Take any game in North America.

[Buck Tales]

My $.02 is 30-06 all the way. You can take almost all of the big game animals of North America AND you can in a pinch find 30-06 ammo at just about any country store from Maine to tin-buck-2. That cartridge is the best all around game getter ever. If you want all around, Go 06, if you want something special, that's a whole new thread. From ground hog to elk baby, I fly 06. Again, this is just my opinion. :wave:

[Pagrizz]

I have to go with the 06 with 165gr boat tail.It flies like the 150,but hits like the 180. Some of the other calibers that were mentioned are great ones , but sometimes the ammo is hard to find.

[BuckHammer43]

Oldie

My '06 is loaded with the 150 Barnes. It will get there quicker than the 165 but still perform like the 180. The bullets we have today are amazing!

[Straight Dave]

IMO, the 7mm mag is too much gun for deer. I was given a Remington model 700 in this caliber by a friend of my dad's and took my first buck with it. The knockdown power for any game on the eastern seaboard,or north America for that matter is unquestionable, but the exit wound on this deer was ENORMOUS (are they ever pretty?). With a 160grain round at 130 yards, it destroyed a lot of meat. Kicks like a mule, and is as loud as a howitzer too! Unless I was hunting mule deer in Wyoming, I probably wouldn't shoot another deer with it. The 06, is probably the most versatile round for you. A neighbor of mine dropped a 500+ lb bear with his, out in potter county a couple years back, with no problem, not to mention you probably won't find a more popular deer rifle. Good luck!

[Tenpointrack]

IMO, the 7mm mag is too much gun for deer. I was given a Remington model 700 in this caliber by a friend of my dad's and took my first buck with it. The knockdown power for any game on the eastern seaboard,or north America for that matter is unquestionable, but the exit wound on this deer was ENORMOUS (are they ever pretty?). With a 160grain round at 130 yards, it destroyed a lot of meat. Kicks like a mule, and is as loud as a howitzer too! Unless I was hunting mule deer in Wyoming, I probably wouldn't shoot another deer with it. The 06, is probably the most versatile round for you. A neighbor of mine dropped a 500+ lb bear with his, out in potter county a couple years back, with no problem, not to mention you probably won't find a more popular deer rifle. Good luck!

Sorry i was sitting in the back ground but had to jump in here...7mm mag or 28 caliber is NOT too much gun for a deer...infact it is a perfect gun. What was to big for deer is the 160 grain bullet you used which is over kill for a whitetail...knock that down to a 130 grain or even 140 and you'll be fine! you need to match the grain bullet to the animal you're shooting at.

[Tenpointrack]

all 3 of these calibers are awesome hunting rounds and all proven in the field...ballistically they are similar (7mm being the flattest of the bunch). you can shoot relatively the same weight bullet out of all three, and ammo isn't hard to find for any of them...so it really comes down to personal preference. anyone of these guns will do the job and do it well.

I personally would go with a 25-06 using 117 or 120 grain bullet. I have killed antelope at 275yds, Mule deer at 150, and whitetails over 100 with this caliber and it knocks them right down...light weight, light recoil and flat as hell....but with that said...ammo is more expensive.