What caliber should I buy?

[UggRedBilly]

15 minutes ago, IAMMAC said:

You could always go with a 6.5 PRC.....

 

https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/6-5-prc/

That sounds really awesome! Can a 6.5 PRC be shot through a 6.5 creed rifle? Or is it the same issue as the .270 and the 270wsm?

[PRDATR]

6 minutes ago, UggRedBilly said:

That sounds really awesome! Can a 6.5 PRC be shot through a 6.5 creed rifle? Or is it the same issue as the .270 and the 270wsm?

No. Different catridges. 

[UggRedBilly]

11 minutes ago, PRDATR said:

No. Different catridges. 

Thank you! Sorry guys I never learned a lot about guns before and still have a ton more to learn

[NOTAGS]

Josh, dont overthink it, your 243 is a great rifle, if you feel the need for a slightly larger caliber, the 308 you seem to be leaning towards is a great cartridge, both for long range shooting and KE when you need it.   The military used it for a reason.  Ammo is easy to find, and lots of bullet choices.  A quality bullet is key, and  most modern ammo manufacturers have a good selection.  Find the action you like,  buy the rifle, find the ammo the rifle likes, and stick with it.  I have too many rifles, some inherited, and some cause I got caught up in the magnum  frenzy.  (did I really say I have too many rifles?).  Get your rifle to group with the ammo, maybe do a trigger job and put an upgraded stock on it to suck up some recoil, or put a brake on it. Buy a quality scope , perhaps one you can put an adjustable turret set to the ballistics of your round or learn the MOA principal. You don't need a Howitzer for Arizona game, including bison.  Bullet construction and shot placement is key. There are new cartridges popping up every month that look great ballistic wise, but unless they become widely accepted, finding a box of cartridges in Bodunk USA when you forget to pack extra  cartridges is a challenge.  The meat and potatoes rounds that our fathers and grandfathers used have put more animals to rest than the new  kids on the block will ever kill.

[UggRedBilly]

6 minutes ago, NOTAGS said:

Josh, dont overthink it, your 243 is a great rifle, if you feel the need for a slightly larger caliber, the 308 you seem to be leaning towards is a great cartridge, both for long range shooting and KE when you need it.   The military used it for a reason.  Ammo is easy to find, and lots of bullet choices.  A quality bullet is key, and  most modern ammo manufacturers have a good selection.  Find the action you like,  buy the rifle, find the ammo the rifle likes, and stick with it.  I have too many rifles, some inherited, and some cause I got caught up in the magnum  frenzy.  (did I really say I have too many rifles?).  Get your rifle to group with the ammo, maybe do a trigger job and put an upgraded stock on it to suck up some recoil, or put a brake on it. Buy a quality scope , perhaps one you can put an adjustable turret set to the ballistics of your round or learn the MOA principal. You don't need a Howitzer for Arizona game, including bison.  Bullet construction and shot placement is key. There are new cartridges popping up every month that look great ballistic wise, but unless they become widely accepted, finding a box of cartridges in Bodunk USA when you forget to pack extra  cartridges is a challenge.  The meat and potatoes rounds that our fathers and grandfathers used have put more animals to rest than the new  kids on the block will ever kill.

Sounds good man! Thank you! I found a really cool HOWA .308 I like for about 500$ brand new. Which is not the crazy good rifle some people get but it will do what I'd like it to do though!

[NOTAGS]

4 minutes ago, UggRedBilly said:

Sounds good man! Thank you! I found a really cool HOWA .308 I like for about 500$ brand new. Which is not the crazy good rifle some people get but it will do what I'd like it to do though!

Do It!  Spend as much or more on your scope.  Check the CameraLand  sponsor for sales, or hit Doug up for the BlackFriday deal, he's easy to work with. Leupold has a  neat set up , they will include a custom turret in your scope price, just make sure you spend the time to find the cartridge your rifle likes.  All guns can be picky, but most all will find sweet spot round.

[bojangles]

You’ve got the 243, so you have small calibers covered.  That said, it’s time to go big.  300 win or wsm, or 7mag.  Put a break on it, wear ear plugs.  

[Big Tub]

"Beware the man with one rifle, because he probably knows how to use it."  Wise old adage.  

[Jimmer Negamanee]

Fun stuff to think about so thanks for posting.  It's interesting to see people's perspectives. 

Consider buying the latest edition (16th) of the book Cartridges of the World by Frank C. Barnes.  It's really informative and has commentary on the application of many of the cartridges.  There's technical data in there (which I don't understand) but it's also good overview and includes historical context.  I like the introduction part of about the cartridge naming system.  (Our American way of cartridge naming seems to be based on tradition, not logic.) And it's reference manual not a novel.  You can hop from cartridge to cartridge to compare them.  It's widely available (Amazon usually has them in stock).  Here's a link with info about the book:

https://www.gundigeststore.com/product/cartridges-of-the-world-16th-edition-a-complete-and-illustrated-reference-for-more-than-1500-cartridges/

I think you're on the right track.  I like the .308 Win. and the 6.5 Creedmoor.  I've seen both take large elk humanely at 400 yds.  (The jokes about the 6.5 Creedmoor are based on it being new and young hunters adopting it.  So people joke that it's a cartridge for "hillbilly hipsters.")  The machining of today's rifles and the improvements in powders, bullets, and understanding of ballistics have improved accuracy and effectiveness for hunting applications.  Maybe you can't "do more with less" but you can certainly do the same with less.

I think it was the late Jeff Cooper who said "Very few problems that a man can't fix with $700 and a .30-06".  (If I got that quote wrong or misattributed it, please correct me.)  I love the .30-06 and appreciate it's place in history and the great cartridges that came from it. (the .308 is based on a .30-06 that was shortened and the .243 is basically a .308 necked down .243) but I can't imagine a scenario where I pull out the ol' aught six for a hunt again.  May the modern saying could be "I don't see how an Arizona hunter could ever need more than $150,000 and a 6.5mm Creedmoor." : )

Let us know what you end up with and remember there is no "one to rule them all."  You're going to end up with more rifles and calibers so you can select the perfect (or almost perfect) one for the specific application.

Looking forward to your post about which optic to put on it!

 

 

[Outdoor Writer]

1 hour ago, Jimmer Negamanee said:

Fun stuff to think about so thanks for posting.  It's interesting to see people's perspectives. 

Consider buying the latest edition (16th) of the book Cartridges of the World by Frank C. Barnes.  It's really informative and has commentary on the application of many of the cartridges.  There's technical data in there (which I don't understand) but it's also good overview and includes historical context.  I like the introduction part of about the cartridge naming system.  (Our American way of cartridge naming seems to be based on tradition, not logic.) And it's reference manual not a novel.  You can hop from cartridge to cartridge to compare them.  It's widely available (Amazon usually has them in stock).  Here's a link with info about the book:

https://www.gundigeststore.com/product/cartridges-of-the-world-16th-edition-a-complete-and-illustrated-reference-for-more-than-1500-cartridges/

I think you're on the right track.  I like the .308 Win. and the 6.5 Creedmoor.  I've seen both take large elk humanely at 400 yds.  (The jokes about the 6.5 Creedmoor are based on it being new and young hunters adopting it.  So people joke that it's a cartridge for "hillbilly hipsters.")  The machining of today's rifles and the improvements in powders, bullets, and understanding of ballistics have improved accuracy and effectiveness for hunting applications.  Maybe you can't "do more with less" but you can certainly do the same with less.

I think it was the late Jeff Cooper who said "Very few problems that a man can't fix with $700 and a .30-06".  (If I got that quote wrong or misattributed it, please correct me.)  I love the .30-06 and appreciate it's place in history and the great cartridges that came from it. (the .308 is based on a .30-06 that was shortened and the .243 is basically a .308 necked down .243) but I can't imagine a scenario where I pull out the ol' aught six for a hunt again.  May the modern saying could be "I don't see how an Arizona hunter could ever need more than $150,000 and a 6.5mm Creedmoor." : )

 

 

Cartridges of the World is a great suggestion. I had one of the originals circa 1960s, which I just sold recently.

And the part highlighted in red above still applies, despite all the new "you gotta have one" cartridges that have come out after the .30-06 was first introduced more than a century ago. I haven't checked recently, but I will ventuire a guess that the array of .30 caliber bullets available for the venerable 'aught six' still greatly outnumbers any other caliber. Red &black plaid wool shirts also still work. 😎

Now for the disclaimer: over 60 years and countless rifles of varied cartridges, I've owned only one '06 -- a Remington 742 that my grandfather used. I never hunted with it, however. My go-to gun since 1965 has been my M70, .264 WM, which I still own. The only other in my closet now is a custom M700 .300 WM from Robar that I acquired when I went to Africa in 2003 because I thought I would need it. But, out of 12 critters,  I used it only for a zebra and probably didn't need to do that either.

[UggRedBilly]

20 minutes ago, Outdoor Writer said:

Cartridges of the World is a great suggestion. I had one of the originals circa 1960s, which I just sold recently.

And the part highlighted in red above still applies, despite all the new "you gotta have one" cartridges that have come out after the .30-06 was first introduced more than a century ago. I haven't checked recently, but I will ventuire a guess that the array of .30 caliber bullets available for the venerable 'aught six' still greatly outnumbers any other caliber. Red &black plaid wool shirts also still work. 😎

Now for the disclaimer: over 60 years and countless rifles of varied cartridges, I've owned only one '06 -- a Remington 742 that my grandfather used. I never hunted with it, however. My go-to gun since 1965 has been my M70, .264 WM, which I still own. The only other in my closet now is a custom M700 from Robar that I acquired when I went to Africa in 2003 because I thought I would need it. But, out of 12 critters,  I used it only for a zebra and probably didn't need to do that either.

The red flannel is essential man! I'll have to check those guns out! Thank you!

[Outdoor Writer]

2 minutes ago, UggRedBilly said:

The red flannel is essential man! I'll have to check those guns out! Thank you!

Yup. Here's my 1960s version...

[UggRedBilly]

Freaking awesome! Nice buck!

[Coffeeman]

Just my 2 cents... I went with a ruger m77 because of control feed in .270wsm topped it off with a leupold 4.5-14x40. There hasn’t been a round it hasn’t liked (does love federal 140 grain accubonds). Put it together to be an all around Arizona rifle. Has never let me down.

[UggRedBilly]

2 minutes ago, Coffeeman said:

Just my 2 cents... I went with a ruger m77 because of control feed in .270wsm topped it off with a leupold 4.5-14x40. There hasn’t been a round it hasn’t liked (does love federal 140 grain accubonds). Put it together to be an all around Arizona rifle. Has never let me down.

I'll look into that too! Thank you man!