Next best calibre up from .223

clivej

What's the next best calibre to go to after a .223. Mainly for stalking/shooting deer.
Lets NOT get carried away here with big stuff just the next jump up or so in size. I wanted to know more about the next size up BUT also with a good choice of ammo like you have with the .223 round. I was looking at something like a 6.5x55?

Umiq88

not to into the centrefire stuff but and im missing a load but something like

.223 .22/250 .220swift .243 6.5x55 .270 .308 .300win mag

Kinda common calibres but theres heaps and heaps of others

Rovi

.243 and .25-06 are very versatile calibres, capable of being loaded for everything from fox to red deer, with the proviso that shot placement should be very precise on the bigger quarry.
After that would be 6.5x55, .308 (and possibly .30-06), and the like. Well capable of taking any game animal in this country, and ammunition is pretty readily available in a multitude of flavours and price ranges.

After that, you're looking at the likes of .270 and .300WinMag, but you'd be getting into pretty heavy hitters that aren't suitable for much other than deer and are relatively expensive to feed.

bunny shooter

.243, 6.5x55

cavan shooter

clivej wrote: »

What's the next best calibre to go to after a .223. Mainly for stalking/shooting deer.QUOTE]


Is the question not limited to what is the minimum legal caliber to shoot deer, I maybe wrong I thought .243

newby.204

.22-250 is the minlegal caliber!!

cavan shooter

newby.204 wrote: »

.22-250 is the minlegal caliber!!

didn't know that, thought 243, learn something new everyday, so is it fair saying 22-250 is the next step up from 223

clivej

cavan shooter wrote: »

clivej wrote: »

What's the next best calibre to go to after a .223. Mainly for stalking/shooting deer.

Is the question not limited to what is the minimum legal caliber to shoot deer, I maybe wrong I thought .243

No not really just thinking about what to go for next if I could/when I can :cool:
CliveJ

Umiq88

.243 would be the pop choice for deer in ireland and targets good for mr fox to and widely available

.22/250 is min legal caliber at the moment but not a dedicated deer tool

clivej

I was with my local gun dealer today and he reccomended going all the way and getting .308. Reason is:-- its a target round and good for deer. He showed me a good looking Remington with a T8 mod fitted not sure of the model number (700 series I think) but it had a composite stock and SS barrel. As I have said on another thread that its hard/impossible to get .223 in Kilkenny City unless you go though the courts but it is possible to go bigger and get a .308 license with the right documents.
This may be the way to go. :cool:
Any thoughts on this?

meathstevie

If your thinking down those line .300WSM ( short magnum ) ?

Remmy

Anyone have a guide on the recoil energy on various calibres?All things being equal shouldn't a 30-06 kick slightly more than the .270 if it's the same case just necked down.I fired a varmint weight rifle in .270 and a stalking rifle in 30-06.The 30-06 hopped more but both very managable cartridges at the bench limiting shot numbers to 10 or less.

OP:.243winchester is the next step up from .223.good range of ammunition at different weights,light on the shoulder and very reasonably priced amunition.

meathstevie

Hell of a lot of variables there as in weight of rifle, bolt or semi, recoil absorbing devices in the stock, weight and powder charge of ammo...

Remmy

yep that's why i said all things being equal.Same weight bolt rifles.130 grain .270 verus an average 180 grain 30-06 load.How do they stack up recoil wise on paper?I'd imagine the .270 comes out at a higher rate of knots?

IRLConor

All things except calibre being equal, the recoil will be exactly in proportion to the energy of the round.

Going by figures from Wikipedia, the .270 in 130gr has 3726J and the the .30-06 in 180gr has 4495J. That would give the .30-06 20% higher recoil, if everything else was equal.

Remmy

ah right thanks for that irlconor.

bunny shooter

243 good all round fox and deer calibre. if you want to add targets then 6.5 x 55

tiny-nioclas

i used shoot with a .243, absolutely brilliant round for most deer in ireland but moved onto 6.5x55, couldnt praise it enough, way more thump off it and i find it a cleaner,quicker kill,less meat damage too which is the important thing! .270 will buck you like a horse!! its illegal to shoot deer with a .223 in ireland.

Sika_Stalker

tiny-nioclas wrote: »

i used shoot with a .243, absolutely brilliant round for most deer in ireland but moved onto 6.5x55, couldnt praise it enough, way more thump off it and i find it a cleaner,quicker kill,less meat damage too which is the important thing! .270 will buck you like a horse!! its illegal to shoot deer with a .223 in ireland.

Once you get used to the 270 you wont even fell the kick, but for bullet choice your prob better off with the 6.5 over all as by now its prob the most common caliber in irelandfor deer.