Your 3 favorite hunting cartridges of all time

[rdog]

@Mooselodge
The big round nose may hit like a brick but the flat points hit more like the whole bloody cement truck. You don't think 2 bullets the same weight could be so far apart in impact.
Bob

Having shot a lot of wild pigs over my life i am convinced that round nose & flat tip bullets 30/30 style in 308 dia 150 to 180 grain appear to kill quicker than spitzer shape at 150 meters & closer.

 

[Flbt]

Having shot a lot of wild pigs over my life i am convinced that round nose & flat tip bullets 30/30 style in 308 dia 150 to 180 grain appear to kill quicker than spitzer shape at 150 meters & closer.

I know on hogs a 44 mag flat point out of a rifle seams to punch above its paper ballistics

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Having shot a lot of wild pigs over my life i am convinced that round nose & flat tip bullets 30/30 style in 308 dia 150 to 180 grain appear to kill quicker than spitzer shape at 150 meters & closer.

@rdog
My mate Greg had a heap of 170gn FNSP for his 30-30. I convinced him to load some in his 308 to proper 308 velocity. Those flat noses at 08 speeds really knocked the snot out of pigs but weren't real meat friendly on goats. Sort of disconbooberated them and blew big chunks of chest cavity and meat out the other side. He is slowly learning at the ranges we shoot (25-150yards usually less than 100)you don't need nice pointy high BC bullets.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I know on hogs a 44 mag flat point out of a rifle seams to punch above its paper ballistics

@Flbt
They don't like a 265 FPSP at over 2,400fps out of a 444 Marlin either. Takes the fight out of them real quick. I found the 240gn Hornady XTP at over 2,600fps not real meat friendly.
Bob

 

[Flbt]

@Flbt
They don't like a 265 FPSP at over 2,400fps out of a 444 Marlin either. Takes the fight out of them real quick. I found the 240gn Hornady XTP at over 2,600fps not real meat friendly.
Bob

I like the 270gr sjsp golddot never had one stay in anything

 

[Ray B]

i am convinced that round nose & flat tip bullets 30/30 style in 308 dia 150 to 180 grain appear to kill quicker than spitzer shape at 150 meters & closer.

It is possible that bullet construction has more to do with the bullet performance than point shape. A bullet designed to perform at 2200 fps, fired at 2700 fps will kill very quickly provided penetration is not an issue.

 

[oscar1975]

I don't remember if I've already replied in this thread, but my choice is the following:

-270 Winchester

-375 H&H Magnum(or 416 Rigby)

-458 Lott

Ovny

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

It is possible that bullet construction has more to do with the bullet performance than point shape. A bullet designed to perform at 2200 fps, fired at 2700 fps will kill very quickly provided penetration is not an issue.

@Ray B
That is a distinct possibility.
But projectiles with the same construction at the same speed round nose and flat point just seem to kill quicker.
Poke someone with a pencil and it leaves a little mark, turn pencil around and poke them leaves a bigger mark. So I assume ( and I could be wrong) that initial impact with a RNSP or FPSP would have more initial impact than a pointy bullet. That flat point is already bigger than the pointy tip and starts expanding earlier ( maybe a nanosecond) so damage to the system in theory should start earlier.
I may be completely off base but my observations are that game hit with a RNSP or FPSP is entirely different to being hit with a pointy bullet.
I know if you can't bam-boozle them with science them baffle them with bullshit.
Bob

 

[Rule 303]

Using meplat bullets in my 30-30 seemed to stop pigs quicker/more emphatically than spitzer bullets out of the 303 and 308. Not good on foxes if you want the skin. Side facing you looks good, troublr is the side away from you no longer exists.

 

[Muskox]

30-06 why because it is the Ought-Six or as it is called here in German Das Springfield! 120 years of awesome!

The last one is not something I have used a ton, but I just love it. It is the best pronghorn cartridge known to man. 25-06

340 Weatherby would round out my list.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

30-06 why because it is the Ought-Six or as it is called here in German Das Springfield! 120 years of awesome!

The last one is not something I have used a ton, but I just love it. It is the best pronghorn cartridge known to man. 25-06

340 Weatherby would round out my list.

@Muskox
I can't understand the dislike if the 25-06 by others. It's a very versatile cartridge for everything from varmints upto a lot of plains game and deer.
It's my PHs favourite leopard cartridge loaded with 117-120 gn projectiles.
I love a fast ( or medium speed) 25.
Bob.

 

[jruby]

I love the old JC Higgins model 50 as a base to rebarrel. I had one built into a 25-06. It may not be the prettiest rifle but it is easily a sub moa rifle with hornady interlocks. I had it rebarreled about 25 years ago..it makes a very nice mule deer rifle.

I have model.50s in 25-06, 7x57, 270win and a 264win mag. The problem in building a 264 is the cost now days to have it done properly. It cost over 2k$. I am sure there are cheaper options now days.

 

[Gomer]

@Muskox
I can't understand the dislike if the 25-06 by others. It's a very versatile cartridge for everything from varmints upto a lot of plains game and deer.
It's my PHs favourite leopard cartridge loaded with 117-120 gn projectiles.
I love a fast ( or medium speed) 25.
Bob.

It’s because it doesn’t fit the hi-BC narrative if throated and twisted to SAAMI spec. The 6mms with fast twists and heavy bullets will buck the wind better. The 270 does everything with a 130gr bullet that a 25-06 can do with a 117 or 120gr bullet. All competing options do it with better logistical support.

For a guy like me, who doesn’t dial elevation and keeps my shot distances where I can hold on hair, it’s great.

223, 25-06, and 30-06 makes a lot of sense for everything in the continental US. Everything from ground squirrels to moose.

Or maybe…..

220 Swift, 264 Win Mag, 338 Win Mag

22-250 Rem, 280 Rem, 35 Whelen

22 Arc, 6.5 CM, 7mm PRC

22 CM, 6.5 PRC, 300 PRC…..

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

@Muskox
I can't understand the dislike if the 25-06 by others. It's a very versatile cartridge for everything from varmints upto a lot of plains game and deer.
It's my PHs favourite leopard cartridge loaded with 117-120 gn projectiles.
I love a fast ( or medium speed) 25.
Bob.

If I didn’t already have a small bore (.243) that was a proven killer, I’d get a 25-06… it makes sense to me.

 

[Choupique]

can't understand the dislike if the 25-06

Careful now. Thats closer to .243 winchester than it is to .35 whelen

 

[Rule 303]

Careful now. Thats closer to .243 winchester than it is to .35 whelen

But it is not a Pope Gun, that is a 243.

 

[Rule 303]

It’s because it doesn’t fit the hi-BC narrative if throated and twisted to SAAMI spec. The 6mms with fast twists and heavy bullets will buck the wind better. The 270 does everything with a 130gr bullet that a 25-06 can do with a 117 or 120gr bullet. All competing options do it with better logistical support.

For a guy like me, who doesn’t dial elevation and keeps my shot distances where I can hold on hair, it’s great.

223, 25-06, and 30-06 makes a lot of sense for everything in the continental US. Everything from ground squirrels to moose.

Gomer, I agree and would add that when the 25Roberts came out it was down loaded which did not help it's sales and reflected poorly on the 25 cal.

In your last sentence above , for the reason you gave, I would change out 223 for 22-250 and 30-06 for a 270, 280, 375H&H. All shoot as flat as or flatter than the 06.

 

[wolfhunter]

Yesterday on the 4th of July I always shoot some of my favorite rifles my Mauser 3006 IMP re zero it minor tweek 35 whelen AI minor tweek , 416 Rem, minor tweek all 3 are ready to go the whelen shot minute of angle the 416 did better than that.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

30-06 why because it is the Ought-Six or as it is called here in German Das Springfield! 120 years of awesome!

The last one is not something I have used a ton, but I just love it. It is the best pronghorn cartridge known to man. 25-06

340 Weatherby would round out my list.

@Muskox
I can't understand the dislike if the 25-06 by others. It's a very versatile cartridge for everything from varmints upto a lot of plains game and deer.
It's my PHs favourite leopard cartridge loaded with 117-120 gn o

It’s because it doesn’t fit the hi-BC narrative if throated and twisted to SAAMI spec. The 6mms with fast twists and heavy bullets will buck the wind better. The 270 does everything with a 130gr bullet that a 25-06 can do with a 117 or 120gr bullet. All competing options do it with better logistical support.

For a guy like me, who doesn’t dial elevation and keeps my shot distances where I can hold on hair, it’s great.

223, 25-06, and 30-06 makes a lot of sense for everything in the continental US. Everything from ground squirrels to moose.

Or maybe…..

220 Swift, 264 Win Mag, 338 Win Mag

22-250 Rem, 280 Rem, 35 Whelen

22 Arc, 6.5 CM, 7mm PRC

22 CM, 6.5 PRC, 300 PRC…..

@Gomer
Even in its bog standard form the 25-06 is better than the creedmore.
In a fast twist barrel with 131 gn bullets it leaves other so called flat shooters in it wake.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

If I didn’t already have a small bore (.243) that was a proven killer, I’d get a 25-06… it makes sense to me.

@NIGHTHAWK
I know you like the prissy little 243 and have actually killed game with it using PROPER projectiles (unlike others)
BUT
The 25-06 is just the ducks guts. Fast, flat, accurate and has more energy @500 than the 243 @ 300. Easy on the shoulder with a sleek, sexy case and plenty of bullet selection.
A nice 100gn TTSX @3,400 fps leaves the little fat ugly 243 at the starting gate.
Give me long,sleek,sexy and efficient over short, fat ugly and useless any day.
Bob