Best all around rifle caliber

[lmyer]

.223

LMYER

 

[Silverslider]

best all around with the most power and reasonably priced I would say either 5.56 or 7.62.
i have never shopped for a 7.62 bolt gun and i assume they make them?
bolt guns are definitely them most economical to shoot
i have a .308 ruger scout and a FAL.
the FAL cost 10 to 20 times more to shoot. dam semi autos

 

[xHwyLT]

best all around with the most power and reasonably priced I would say either 5.56 or 7.62.
i have never shopped for a 7.62 bolt gun and i assume they make them?
bolt guns are definitely them most economical to shoot
i have a .308 ruger scout and a FAL.
the FAL cost 10 to 20 times more to shoot. dam semi autos

You own a 7.62 bolt gun, the .308 Ruger Scout.

 

[IndyDave1776]

The best all around gun...if you have to shoot 'around', the 7.92x33 is your answer:

Krummlauf - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[macafly]

lots of choices as stated. .17hmr, 22lr, 22mag great for smaller critters, .223 -30-06 more punch, larger game. 50bmg bears, cars, whales, tanks. Get one of each---we're all trying too):

Sorry, I do like my 17hmr for most critters out to 200yds, then switch to one of the larger cal. 223, sks, cetme, mosin.
Cheers

 

[.452browning]

For a small game varmint rifle I love the .17HMR.

 

[hrearden]

Don't want to Hijack the thread, but a quick question: A year ago, when ammo was quickly becoming scarce, 7mm seemed to be the last thing bought up at Walmart. Why was that? I hear lots of positive suggestions here- or was it a different 7mm round?

A lot of that has to do with location as well. Since we arent in WY, CO, MT, or some place like that, your bigger centerfires arent being bought by as many folks as your smaller ones and handgun rounds.

 

[Thor]

All Round...depends on what you're shooting at.

John Taylor in his "African Rifles and Cartridges" said that the best planet wide weapon was the .375 H&H Magnum...and he'd done the traveling and hunting to prove it. But then he also said that he'd feel comfortable walking the length of the Dark Continent with a .22 and a large bore handgun if all he had to do was defend himself and fill the pot.

If by 'all round' you mean varmints the .223/.17 are fine. Sure you CAN kill bigger stuff but why would you rely on it?

 

[Mark 1911]

30-06 would be my first choice as most versatile rifle caliber. Second choice would be .270 win.

 

[Jerry45Acp]

Hello I was thinking about getting a bolt action rifle but cannot decide what caliber to get. Shoot mostly recreational but would like to do some ground hog shooting. 17hmr possibly or just 223?

Your post title is a heated discussion starter. Almost everyone has a "Best all around caliber" opinion. I think your intention was to inquire as to the better of the 17HMR and the 223Rem.
My answer is: the 17HMR ammo is less money, less recoil, less power and less noise. The 223Rem ammo is better for longer distance shooting with less wind drift and less bullet drop.
You should just buy a nice rifle in both.

 

[Purdue1000]

I like 22lr along with .223 then 22-250

 

[PurdueBoilermaker]

.223 is a great all-around caliber and the ammo won't break the bank

 

[Thor]

.223 is a great all-around caliber and the ammo won't break the bank

Well, it is a great all round caliber for prairie dogs, ground hogs and smaller game. It's very useful when you have targets outside the useful range of .22lr.

The best all round North American caliber recommendation on this thread I've seen is for the .30-06. You can shoot a variety of weights that will allow you to take anything from coyotes to bear.

 

[sloughfoot]

22 LR

 

[Godbybe]

.17 hmr shoots straight and is plentifull

 

[INgunowner]

.308Win/7.62x51mmNATO, <------- Rifle Caliber.

 

[Trooper]

If you want the best, all round, caliber (not cartridge) then you have to look at the 6.5mm due to its Ballistic Coefficient (>.600). This means that the caliber delivers more energy down range than the 7.62mm (.30 caliber) yet has the recoil of rounds far smaller. Thus the 6.5mm can take down deer, even elk. Yet could be used a varmint round.

In this caliber we have the 6.5 Grendel (6.5x39), the 260 Rem (6.5x51), the 6.5x55 Swede, the 6.5x47 Laupa, the 6.5 Creedmoor among others. The military may go with the Grendel or with a slightly larger cartridge such as the 6.5x45 to replace both the 5.56x45 and the 7.62x51.

The other round with similar BC is the .338 (8.59mm) either in the .338 LM (8.59x70) or .338 NM (8.59x64).

No other calibers have as good a BC thus the amount of energy down range. One reason that the military is looking at as a General Purpose Cartridge (GPC).

 

[ru6797]

never shot a 17 but i hear people say they are nice, do have a nice savage predator all camo, I am not the best shot but at 200 years pop cans beware, as to what you ask a good 22 with scope is great and 22 ammo is a lot cheaper( if you can find it) to shoot, it's all about bullet placement, a hit with a 22 is better than a miss with a 45

 

[Hohn]

If you want the best, all round, caliber (not cartridge) then you have to look at the 6.5mm due to its Ballistic Coefficient (>.600). This means that the caliber delivers more energy down range than the 7.62mm (.30 caliber) yet has the recoil of rounds far smaller. Thus the 6.5mm can take down deer, even elk. Yet could be used a varmint round.

In this caliber we have the 6.5 Grendel (6.5x39), the 260 Rem (6.5x51), the 6.5x55 Swede, the 6.5x47 Laupa, the 6.5 Creedmoor among others. The military may go with the Grendel or with a slightly larger cartridge such as the 6.5x45 to replace both the 5.56x45 and the 7.62x51.

The other round with similar BC is the .338 (8.59mm) either in the .338 LM (8.59x70) or .338 NM (8.59x64).

No other calibers have as good a BC thus the amount of energy down range. One reason that the military is looking at as a General Purpose Cartridge (GPC).

Add to this list the new 26Nosler which will likely be a rival to the 6.5x284 crowd that doesn't mind burning through barrels.

 

[dtkw]

My one only long range rifle which is good for any North America games is my Remmy 700 BDL in 30-06 that I bought in 1979. Sill have it but no time to go use it.