The Great Caliber Debate

[cwink]

I am sort of a caliber junkie and ballistics nut.. So I put this together for our Old Pearl Game Management Facebook Page..

Hope you enjoy..

The timeless caliber debate - As we get closer to November folks will start to think about new gear for the upcoming season. And sometimes that includes new hunting rifles. Usually the first question poised by any potential new purchaser is "What caliber should I choose?" Just about everyone has a favorite and they are more than willing to share their opinion on the subject. As I was rummaging through my ammo box the other day I decided to do a side by side comparison of many of the popular (and not so popular) rifle rounds. Here is a listing of the cartridges (pictured below from left to right) and why I like them.

1. 223 Remington - While many think this cartridge is primarily a varmint round or AR round it is also an adequate whitetail round with the right bullet out to about 150 yards. This one Winchester 64 grain powerpoint that is designed for thin skinned, medium sized game, aka deer! With a muzzle velocity of over 3,000 fps it is more than capable of poking two holes through the boiler room of any southern whitetail.

2. 300 Blackout Supersonic - Built off the 223 Remington case is the newest kid on block. The 300 Blackout was designed to deliver a more powerful defensive round from the AR styled rifles. It is capable of pushing a 100+ grain bullet at round 2,000 fps. This is just shy of the performance of the old 30-30 but this new cartridge allows you to choose a bolt action rifle or AR styled rifle.

3. 300 Blackout Subsonic - Usually loaded with 200+ grain bullets these loads stay under the sound barrier and are perfect for suppressed ARs or bolt action. While the 300 Blackout was designed for military purposes, it also makes a great youth round because of it's light recoil and muzzle blast. Just make sure you keep the shots under the 200 yard mark.

4. 22-250 - While considered by most to be a varmint round, the 22-250 is also a capable whitetail round. In fact most ammo manufactures load CPX2 game rounds for the 22-250. Federal loads a 60 grain Nosler that is screening out of the barrel at 3,500 fps. At 200 yards the bullet is still traveling at over 2600 fps and has a 972 foot pounds of energy.

5. 6.8 SPC - Another new cartridge developed to improve the military performance of the .223. The 6.8 SPC never really caught on. It is a 27 Caliber (think 270) round that can propel a 120 grain bullet at over 2,500 fps. This essentially replicates the ballistics of the 30-30 with less felt recoil. I think this is often a overlooked round that is perfect for youths. It is one of the only cartridges that fills the gap between the .223 and the .243.

6. 30-30 - Nothing new here. Just the timeless 30 Caliber round that has probably put more venison on the table than any other round out there. Hornady breathed new life into this cartridge with the advent of the LEVERevolution line. Giving the old classic more velocity and flatter trajectory.

7. 6mm Rem - This red headed step child of the .243 is one of my all time favorites. Introduced about the same time as the .243, it was originally called the .244. However, twist rates in the original production guns would not stabilize "deer sized" bullets. Remington soon realized the issues and re-branded it the 6mm but by that time, the .243 had already cemented itself as the dual purpose varmint/whitetail round, even thought the 6mm outperforms the

8. The 308 Family - The .308 was originally developed by the military to replace the 30-06. It's goal was to replicate the performance of the 30-06 but in a smaller lighter case and that could be shot out of smaller lighter rifle. The adventure was a huge success as the .308 is not only smaller, lighter than the 30-06 it also has a shorter bolt throw, has less recoil and is generally more accurate, and it only gives up about 200 fps to the old 30-06. The next 5 cartridges represent most of the .308 Family Tree, with the exception being the 338 Federal. In this group is the .243 Win, 260 Rem, 7mm08 Rem, .308 Win and .358 Win. While all of them are different calibers (24,26,28,30 and 35 caliber) there is not much these cartridges can't do. The .243 with bullets weights from 58-100 grains is a true dual purpose rifle cartridge. The .260 and 7mm08 are 26 and 28 caliber whitetail hunters dreams. These two rounds are flat shooting, low recoiling and will not only handle any deer on the planet, the 7mm08 is comparable to the 280 Remington and is adequate for any hoofed animal in North America. The final family member not mentioned so far is the not so popular.358 Win. This is the counterpart to the 35 Whelen. With bullet weight ranging from 180 to 250 grains, this overlooked cartridge is more than enough for any North American animal when ranges are less than 200 yards..

9. The 30-06 Family - In this group is the 25-06, 270, and 30-06. Other family members not pictured are the 280 and 35 Whelen. The 30-06 is the most popular big game caliber in the western hemisphere and is a capable of taking any animal walking this side of the planet. The 25-06 is another wonderful dual purpose varmint/medium game cartridge. The 270 is probably the most popular whitetail round in use today. The 280 shines on larger hoofed animals, and the 35 Whelen is Big Bear medicine.
So there you have it. A collection of oddball cartridges mixed with two of the greatest cartridge families. As long as the hands of time continue to turn, the debate will continue as to which is the best. In my opinion, with the right bullet, good marksmanship, and average hunting distances. any of the "oddball" cases are just as capable on deer as the more popular 308 and 30-06 family trees. My favorite for hunting "South of the Mason Dixon Line" would be the .308 family, but with the bigger body weights, larger teeth,and longer claws found in the Northern U.S. and Canada I would opt of the 30-06 family.

[teul2]

Good stuff Chad.
Here is your pic, with labels. It was a little hard to follow your text with the image w/o these (yes, i am a special needs kid).

[peewee]

You forgot to mention the 22 magnum for the outlaws in the group

[cwink]

Good stuff Chad.
Here is your pic, with labels. It was a little hard to follow your text with the image w/o these (yes, i am a special needs kid).

Thanks.. That really helps.. I should have added those in myself

You forgot to mention the 22 magnum for the outlaws in the group

I know lots of folks that use 22mag for deer. Headshots within 50 yards..

I think its interesting how many debates are had between what is better the 30-06 or 270 and many don't know that the only difference between the two is .03 inches in some cases.. Or that a .243 isn't enough gun for a whitetail, while the 7mm-08 is a "youth round" while a 7mm bullet is acutally .01 inches bigger than a 270 and in some loads will outperform a 270.

Don't get me wrong.. I have my favs for sure.. I mean just look at that 125 Grain 260 Rem cartridge.. That think is just sexy.. It is the best whitetail round ever created. Most of the deer I have shot with it fell before the bullet even reached them.. It just scared them to death..

[davidees]

If youre not sending a 150 grain, 7mm projectile down range at 3,110 fps, you're wrong!

[Dux Be Us]

Great stuff man, but, I LOVE my .444...everywhere...every season

[donia]

^^^same here!!! .444 is always first option....questionable length of distance is the only factor that warrants .270, any more.

[randywallace]

If youre not sending a 150 grain, 7mm projectile down range at 3,110 fps, you're wrong!

Aw man, you ought to be able to push a 180 grain Berger at that speed if you have a big gun.

[davidees]

If youre not sending a 150 grain, 7mm projectile down range at 3,110 fps, you're wrong!

Aw man, you ought to be able to push a 180 grain Berger at that speed if you have a big gun.

All I know is everything that ol 7 mag touches dies in its tracks. No exceptions lol!

[tombstone]

Good post. Should generate some discussion. Some folks fall in the "Speed Kills" circle and like the 22-250s and such. Others like the "bigger is better" and prefer to lob punkins at em. I am a fence rider. Some days I want a 308 and other days I want to hand load 110 grain barnes tsx for my 7mm mag and shoot them at 3600 fps.

[cwink]

^^^same here!!! .444 is always first option....questionable length of distance is the only factor that warrants .270, any more.

Ha.. I know lots of folks that bought the Handi rifle in 444 mag for PW season and now that is all they use.. Everyone of them says "man that thing is just so short and easy to carry and does everything I need to do within in 200 yards" A few years back, I found a rare TC Encore Barrel in 358 Win and I snatched it up.. And then gave the 444 to my Brother In Law so he wouldn't have to use a Black Powder anymore.. I love the single shots because there is not bolt action to add an extra 6 inches to the length of the gun. In fact most of my bolt action guns are "youth" guns.. I like the shorter barrels and when you have 3 layers of camo on the shorter stock fits just right.. And man it sure is easy to tote, or carry a short gun through the woods or up a tree stand or in a tight box blind. Yeah you may loose a couple of FPS in a shorter barrel but with most shots in MS under 200 yards it isnt' really a big deal.

I will have to go back and do a Mag comparison too.. I don't have too many mags.. I do have a 7mm and a 300RCM. I would like to get a version of each of the mags like the WSM and the H&H.. Maybe a 270WSM, 338 Win Mag and 375 H&H.. Just to say I have them..

[davidees]

Speed kills, and I just can't say enough good about my 7mag. That's just me though.

[tdog]

Good read, friend of mine named Bryce Towsley is a resident gun nut, he has wrote several books on everything bullet oriented is guiding me through a build of a bolt action .35 whelen. Its gone be a straight up killer when I'm done.

[cwink]

Speed kills, and I just can't say enough good about my 7mag. That's just me though.

I agree.. That is why the little speed demon 22s are so effective.. I have seen a 220 Swith slice through a 3/4 inch piece of steel like butter.. My cousin used the M77 220Swith I gave him kill a buck at 300 yds. Buck was running away and he hit him in the hind quarter and the bullet exited the chest.. Said he died mid air and hit the ground like sack of potatoes.. That little joker is runnin 4,000 FPS

PO Ackley Believed in speed kills too.. Calling it the deadliest caliber ever invented..

"Ackley backed up his claim with actual tests on armor plating and live animals complete with pictures. He fired at a U.S. half-track that had 1/2 inch thick armor plating with three calibers, A military round of 30-06 Armor piercing that penetrated only .07 of an inch, a .270 Winchester with high velocity 100 grain bullets that flatened out and a .220 swift factory load with 48 grain bullet at 4,100 fps. The Swift puched right through the 1/2 inch thick armor plate. This astounded even Ackley who therorized that the bullets high rotational spin had a lot to do with penetration. The rotational spin was a fantastic 212,916 revolutions per minute. Sound familier? Fast forward to the U.S. military that went to the 62 grain .223 bullet out of a fast 1 in 7 twist for more drill like penetration of helmets many years later.

And that was not all to this story.

Akley and his friends not only hunted deer but had the opportuninty in 1948 in Arizona to thin out herds of feral burros that weighed as much as 600 pounds. They were wild burros that had been specially bred to be as big as Missouri mules by Miners years perviously. The fellows participating in the hunt were all armed with weapons like the 30-40 Kraig, 30-06 and German 8mm. They all laughed when Ackley showed up with a .220 swift but Akley only smiled and promised not to use the gun if it proved too underpowered.

Well, when Akley unleashed hell on earth the rest of the hunters saw burro's colapse like they were hit with bolt lightning as far away as 600 yards and even gut shot burros colapsed in their tracks. Soon everyone was screaming to get a turn at using one of the most deadlist calibers on earth.

I remember reading articles by others which seemed unbelievable at the time of even Grizzly bears being slain with one shot.

Many new calibers have been invented since those days and with todays new super magunums perhaps using very light weight bullets of larger caliber we might have a combination that would beat the old .220 Swift but since no one to my knowledge has tried this we will have to wait and find out if some newer , bigger caliber can equal this feat of the .220 Swift of so long ago."

[davidees]

Wow!