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The Best Big Game Calibers

kellyapr

By Tom Kelly

The ammo/shooting industry thrives on new caliber offerings and the latest wonder bullet that has heat- seeking capabilities and scans for 10- point bucks. Many of these claims actually sell products. Marketing does in fact work. There are, however, some tried and true calibers that still do the job and are big sellers. Let’s talk a bit about the top 10 selling cartridges currently and a little about them.

Number 10 is a favorite at the range. It is the standard caliber for the most popular rifle style in the U.S. I am of course talking about the AR style rifle. What this caliber is not, is a big game caliber. I am talking about the .223. Number 9 is one of those old time calibers that is a top performer. It is a long range, flat shooting game getter. It possesses great ballistic coefficient because of its long bullet style. It is the 7 mm Remington Magnum. Number 8 is one of those so-called wonder calibers. It is a straight -walled cartridge designed to give hunters in those regions that have, up until recently, been shotgun only. This caliber has also found a niche for those hunters who are looking for a stand in for the .35 Remington. It is a good hunting caliber for short to mid-range use on medium game like whitetail deer and black bear. There are a number of AR style rifles available in this caliber as well as a wide range of other rifle actions. It is, of course, the much touted .350 legend that has much to recommend it.

Old Reliable

Number 7 is and has been a favorite of lever gun enthusiasts for generations. It has put meat on the pole in every deer and bear camp in Maine as well as elsewhere. In general, it is available in 150 and 170 gr. round nose or flat nose bullets. It is a consistent front runner in sales. The old reliable .30/30. Number 6 is a classic for western hunters. It is capable of any harvest on the continent from whitetails to big brown bears. It has outstanding long-range accuracy and as much knock down power as you can possibly need. That power does have a couple of strings attached. Recoil is one big one. This one will thump you pretty well. The cost of these rounds can also be pretty steep, but as they say, you get what you pay for. The high price performer is the .300 Win. Mag.

Number 5 is in my opinion a bit overrated. It is frequently purchased for young hunters because of its light recoil. It also has very light bullets of 80 to 100 grains for deer. This caliber lacks the ballistic co-efficient for deep penetration on big northern white tails, moose and bears. I would rather see young shooters learn the proper shooting techniques to shoot true big game calibers than sub-caliber compromises. This caliber is, however, a great varmint shooter. I know all of the .243 devotees will burn my column for this, but it is my opinion and I am entitled to it.

There are thousands of these in the deep woods, and I wish all of those hunters the best of luck. Number 4 is a true legend in the woods and fields of our great country. The performance of this caliber was a favorite of great outdoorsmen like Jack O’Conner. He harvested every big game animal in our hemisphere with his .270. This caliber possesses excellent long-range capabilities as well as mild recoil. A true classic for sure.

A Classic

This next caliber is also a classic. It dropped from a long reign at number 1. There have been libraries of books written about this caliber in the woods, in the fields and on the battlefield. It has been used successfully for all of these purposes. The range of bullet weights available for this loading is truly impressive from 125 gr. varmint loads all the way to 220 gr. heavy weight for the biggest of game. I am referring to the .30/06 Springfield.

The number 2 caliber is one of the modern marvels that have taken the industry by storm. It was developed initially as a long-range competition caliber. Since then, hunters have come to appreciate the light recoil and pinpoint long-range accuracy. I have, however, heard some concerns about so-called knock down power as a result of light bullets. The advocates far outweigh the detractors. The caliber I am speaking about is the 6.5 Creedmore.

Finally, the number 1 selling caliber in the USA today is the .308 Winchester. This caliber is a great all-around game cartridge. It is available in every type of rifle action. I believe this should be the caliber every new shooter starts with. Accurate, reasonable recoil, readily available and an efficient killer. What more could you ask for? So that is the list of the top sellers today. Some are new wonder calibers; some are old stand-bys. Whichever you choose, please bring a new shooter with you. Kids are our future.

On another note, it was great seeing some of our loyal readers at the Springfield and Augusta Sportsman’s Shows. Thank you for your support.

For more articles about hunting, fishing and the great outdoors, be sure to subscribe to the  Northwoods Sporting Journal.

T

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