I want a bigger bang...

[aaronjo]

As the title says I'm yearning for a bigger calibre up from my .223.

It'll be a hunting/recreational rifle for anything bigger than foxes and occasionally it'll be a paper serial killer (target shooting in case no one got that...).

There's the option of a .308, classic calibre, good enough for most animals as long as it's not buffalo or camel.

Considering 6.5 Creedmoor, apparently it's a .308 but better.

Also 7mm-08, .243, the list goes on....

I just would like a rifle between the .223 and the 300 Win Mag which I must get in the future just because I can, lol!

[Gwion]

Yup... i just went the 7-08. Only 5 rounds through it so far!

My thinking was improved ballistics over the 308 and legal for all deer species in Aust. A 6.5 wont be legal for Sambar in Vic, but that may not be an issue for you.

[Oldbloke]

Yep need min 7mm for sambar. 308. 3006. 270. All good choices.

If NE was here he would vote for 3006. Lol

Stick to a common , popular round. Easier, cheaper , more variety, plenty of components available to choose from.

Not canning it but try and buying7mm08 ammo in central nsw if you runn out.

[Gwion]

Try buying 7mm08 in Tas.... $50+ a box of 20!

Still... stock up on components and load a heap yourself.

[aaronjo]

Ballistically speaking, which middle calibre would arguably be best? As I said earlier I WILL be getting a 300WM in the future for any larger game.

[Gwion]

If you are definitely getting a 30cal magnum, then probably a 260 or something along those lines.

243 would have the advantage in ammo availability, i'd imagine.

[aaronjo]

Oops...forgot to mention, I am starting to learn how to reload....

[Heckler303]

Oops...forgot to mention, I am starting to learn how to reload....

If you are starting reloading, 308 is a great choice. Plenty of 30 cal bullets about and dyes are cheap and everywhere there is all the necesarry food groups. Good calibre for deer, used by military, good range, very, very accurate when you have the right handload AND best priced. 7mm 08 wears out barrels a lot faster than 308 or 3006. Oh yeah, and 762 barrels are very easy to come across.

[sandgroperbill]

A couple of things. Exactly why would you need something between .223 and .300wm? It wouldn't be hunting as those two calibres cover virtually everything huntable in the country.

Sooo... Either a target calibre or perhaps think something smaller... .204 ruger may interest you...

Now to the other thing... .300wm definite? If you're looking at .308 then .300wm doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me (and wapol may not approve a .300wm if you already have a .308, they can be a funny lot). Perhaps maybe .338wm may be more suitable if you geta .308 before hand, but don't rule out .30-06.

[aaronjo]

A couple of things. Exactly why would you need something between .223 and .300wm? It wouldn't be hunting as those two calibres cover virtually everything huntable in the country.

Sooo... Either a target calibre or perhaps think something smaller... .204 ruger may interest you...

Now to the other thing... .300wm definite? If you're looking at .308 then .300wm doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me (and wapol may not approve a .300wm if you already have a .308, they can be a funny lot). Perhaps maybe .338wm may be more suitable if you geta .308 before hand, but don't rule out .30-06.

Lol, I just want as many guns as I can get!

I was thinking more of a progression between calibers as for some reason I am besotted with the idea of getting a 300WM. So I though instead of a big jump to 300WM, maybe I'll ease into it...

But if WAPOL will be giving me grief then by all means I'll skip the .308 and go straight to 300WM. My shoulder will hate me for it though...

[GLS_1956]

As the title says I'm yearning for a bigger calibre up from my .223.

It'll be a hunting/recreational rifle for anything bigger than foxes and occasionally it'll be a paper serial killer (target shooting in case no one got that...).

There's the option of a .308, classic calibre, good enough for most animals as long as it's not buffalo or camel.

Considering 6.5 Creedmoor, apparently it's a .308 but better.

Also 7mm-08, .243, the list goes on....

I just would like a rifle between the .223 and the 300 Win Mag which I must get in the future just because I can, lol!

I really have to say go for the 308 Winchester. I've taken mine after deer, whitetail, and I've a co-worker who has taken large Colorado Elk, Wapiti, with his on a yearly basis.

[wrenchman]

There is no good answer because any of them mentioned is good you will need to see what fit bes

[Noisydad]

You want a bigger bang? Go Black (powder) - you'll never go back! You routinely get to use calibres that most people never even see let alone use. You'll use powder charges that START at 50 grains. You''ll throw lumps of lead that START at 200 grains and go to as much as 500 grains. The toys are MUCH more interesting than bolt actions that pretty much all look the same. The fun factor is generally way higher!

[FuzzyM]

I have read a lot of good things about the 7mm-08 rem.

[TheDude]

If it's filling a gap between 223 and 300WM then a 260 rem or 6.5x55 would be a good pick.

Or do what NoisyDad suggests, a nice 45/70 high wall, trapdoor or sharps, 70gr of black powder hurling 535gr lumps of lead. They make a nice sound ringing the gong at 500 meters.

[aaronjo]

Well I'm doing some range time this weekend and I'll see if I can shoot some of the other rifles if the owners allow me.

This gun hobby is addictive...

[pomemax]

Caliber Centerfire Rifle Cartridges, Bullet Diameter .308" / 7.62 just depends how much powder you wish to have behind it
30 Carbine
300 Whisper
7.62x39mm Russian
30 Remington AR
7.62x51mm NATO
30-30 Winchester
300 Savage
308 Marlin Express
308 Winchester
30-06 Springfield
30 Thompson Center
300 Remington SAUM
300 Ruger Compact Magnum
300 Winchester Magnum
300 Winchester Short Magnum
300 Remington Ultra Magnum
300 Weatherby Magnum
30-40 Krag
307 Winchester
300 H&H Magnum
30-378 Weatherby Magnum
are all 7.62 / 308 if i was looking at this family for my next buy i would look at 30=06 the point as some have said is ammo cost /availability the jump in price from 30-06 to 300 wms is something you need to look at until your reloading for them other than that how sensitive to recoil you may be and if you don't know about that you soon will lol
in 308/7.62 i have 2 308 Omarks 1 30-30 Marlin 1 308 Sako 1 3006 Tikka and they all kick differently.

[zobster]

if you are reloading, why not get a 300 win mag, you can then load up/down for whatever beast you want to drop.

[Baronvonrort]

As the title says I'm yearning for a bigger calibre up from my .223.

There's the option of a .308, classic calibre, good enough for most animals as long as it's not buffalo or camel.

Considering 6.5 Creedmoor, apparently it's a .308 but better.

Also 7mm-08, .243, the list goes on....

I just would like a rifle between the .223 and the 300 Win Mag which I must get in the future just because I can, lol!

I don't know why anyone bothers with a .308 these days there are better out there for accuracy and power with less recoil.

I would go the 7mm-08 it has much better BC for projectiles of similar weight over the .308, since you don't have a 300win mag yet I would go 7mm rem mag so you can use the same 7mm projectiles.
I reckon the 7mm rem mag is better than 300 win mag due to better BC of projectiles.

If you go the .308 you can use the same projectiles in 300 win mag.

[Oldbloke]

7mm rem mag has a fairly sharp kick to it

[aaronjo]

300WM is loud....

Didn't get a chance to fire it but damn I could feel the shockwave, esp with the muzzle break.

[brett1868]

I would go the 7mm-08 it has much better BC for projectiles of similar weight over the .308, since you don't have a 300win mag yet I would go 7mm rem mag so you can use the same 7mm projectiles.
I reckon the 7mm rem mag is better than 300 win mag due to better BC of projectiles

Not quite right, true the BC of the 7mm projectile is better than the 308 but the 308 can usually be driven faster. I ran the below 2 loads through Applied Ballistics using velocity data from ADI and Berger projectiles as they use the more accurate G7 BC.

7mm, 168Gr Berger Match VLD Hunting G7 BC of .316 @ 2486 FPS 1:9.5 Twist (Load data based on ADI manual for 168Gr SMK 37.1Gr BM8208)
30Cal, 168Gr Berger Match VLD Hunting G7 BC of .242 @ 2707 FPS 1:12 Twist (Load data based on ADI manual for 168Gr SMK 43.3Gr BM8208)

200m Drop / Energy
7mm-08 2.37moa - Energy 1791 ft-lb T.O.F .28sec
.308 1.98moa - Energy 983 ft-lb T.O.F .26sec

400m Drop / Energy
7mm-08 9.37moa - Energy 1370 ft-lb T.O.F .60sec
.308 8.28moa - Energy 1405 ft-lb T.O.F .57sec

600m Drop / Energy
7mm-08 18.28moa - Energy 1028 ft-lb T.O.F .97sec
.308 16.83moa - Energy 963 ft-lb T.O.F .94sec

At all distances the 308 had slightly less drop and the edge on energy out to 400m but the 7mm-08 retains more energy out past 400m due to it's better B.C. Important to keep in mind that a 168Gr projectile may not be the best performer in either calibre, I used it because the 7mm-08 load data tops out at 175gr projectiles and 208Gr for the .308 and 168Gr is reasonably easy to find. The math shows that performance is very similar between the 2 rounds to the point of insignificance till you want to shoot past 400m. The ballistic differences / drops / energy remain fairly consistent across a few other loads I checked for same weight projectiles. I possibly should have scaled the projectiles for a fairer comparison, as in a 155Gr 7mm Vrs 168Gr 308 but it's late and I need to get up early. If I was going to choose between the 2 I'd probably sway towards the 7mm-08 for a couple reasons. First up is that performance is comparable to the .308 and secondly it does it with 6.2Gr less powder. I've had a 300WM and sold it, I have a .308 and rarely shoot it cause when it comes to the 30cal stuff I love my MkV Weatherby Accumark S/S in 300Wby Mag. I believe it has a slight edge on the 300WM, it's different and I prefer to be the Sheppard and not the sheep.

[sandgroperbill]

Imho most the calibres being discussed are capable as far as application goes. If you want some "wow" performance the 300RUM is impressive but a barrel burner. On the downside I've heard that WAPOL will reject .300RUM out of hand and you may have to argue it at the tribunal (though I'm not 100% sure on that).

If you're decided on .300wm, go for it, but see if you can shoot a couple first, as not everyone is comfortable with the recoil (but this varies between rifles).

Keep in mind that you would have to justify it to WAPOL if you have another similar caliber, and they're known for being difficult.

Between .223 and .300wm, you have most bases covered. So my reccomendations would perhaps be 6.5 creedmoor, .204 ruger or a .338 (not lapua, wapol pee themselves if you try to register a .338 lapua).

If you want fun, you could also consider a .303. Mad minute is a fun (and expensive) challenge. Also, with .303, you can still justify a similar caliber later.

[brett1868]

I priced up a 12Ga Browning I think it was with the rifled barrel for shooting slugs, was looking good till I factored in ammo. Buying the 12Ga slugs for it worked out to cost more then I pay to shoot 50BMG so I shelved the idea. 20" Mossburg Thunder Ranch U/O with Federal slugs is awesome fun and cheaper then a rifled 12Ga to buy and feed.

[aaronjo]

This is almost turning into a "what caliber should Aaron choose to punish his shoulder" thread, almost, lol!

Let's simplify things. I want another rifle (don't we all) and in a bigger caliber. I am falling in love with firearms and like Pokemon, I want to collect them all.

Ignore my obsession with the 300WM and lets say I wanted a rifle for bigger game that my 223 cannot handle. What would be recommended as the next caliber up?

[brett1868]

.243

[Oldbloke]

See my earlier post

[sandgroperbill]

CZ550 chambered for .600 overkill (yes, .600 overkill does exist).

If you want a small step up then .243, 6.5 creedmoor, swede or .260.

The choices are virtually endless, with only a few being mistakes.

Choose a rifle rather than a calibre

[Baronvonrort]

I would go the 7mm-08 it has much better BC for projectiles of similar weight over the .308, since you don't have a 300win mag yet I would go 7mm rem mag so you can use the same 7mm projectiles.
I reckon the 7mm rem mag is better than 300 win mag due to better BC of projectiles

Not quite right, true the BC of the 7mm projectile is better than the 308 but the 308 can usually be driven faster. I ran the below 2 loads through Applied Ballistics using velocity data from ADI and Berger projectiles as they use the more accurate G7 BC.

7mm, 168Gr Berger Match VLD Hunting G7 BC of .316 @ 2486 FPS 1:9.5 Twist (Load data based on ADI manual for 168Gr SMK 37.1Gr BM8208)
30Cal, 168Gr Berger Match VLD Hunting G7 BC of .242 @ 2707 FPS 1:12 Twist (Load data based on ADI manual for 168Gr SMK 43.3Gr BM8208)

200m Drop / Energy
7mm-08 2.37moa - Energy 1791 ft-lb T.O.F .28sec
.308 1.98moa - Energy 983 ft-lb T.O.F .26sec

400m Drop / Energy
7mm-08 9.37moa - Energy 1370 ft-lb T.O.F .60sec
.308 8.28moa - Energy 1405 ft-lb T.O.F .57sec

600m Drop / Energy
7mm-08 18.28moa - Energy 1028 ft-lb T.O.F .97sec
.308 16.83moa - Energy 963 ft-lb T.O.F .94sec

At all distances the 308 had slightly less drop and the edge on energy out to 400m but the 7mm-08 retains more energy out past 400m due to it's better B.C. Important to keep in mind that a 168Gr projectile may not be the best performer in either calibre, I used it because the 7mm-08 load data tops out at 175gr projectiles and 208Gr for the .308 and 168Gr is reasonably easy to find. The math shows that performance is very similar between the 2 rounds to the point of insignificance till you want to shoot past 400m. The ballistic differences / drops / energy remain fairly consistent across a few other loads I checked for same weight projectiles. I possibly should have scaled the projectiles for a fairer comparison, as in a 155Gr 7mm Vrs 168Gr 308 but it's late and I need to get up early. If I was going to choose between the 2 I'd probably sway towards the 7mm-08 for a couple reasons. First up is that performance is comparable to the .308 and secondly it does it with 6.2Gr less powder.

I reckon the 168 berger is more suited to the 7mm Rem mag over the 7mm-08, for me 120 -150gr works best in my 7mm-08

7mm-08 Nosler 120 gr -BC .417
.308 vmax 110 gr - BC .290
7mm-08 vmax 120 gr BC .365
I am pushing the 120 gr Noslers at 3100 fps,Hornady factory ammo pushes 110 gr .308 at 3165 fps.

Hornady's 139 gr SST factory ammo outperforms your .308 and 7mm-08 168 berger figures,they advertise 2950 fps with a BC of .486
http://www.hornady.com/assets/files/bal ... istics.pdf

I also use 150 gr Nosler Accubond LR with a BC of .611 at 2750 fps with 2209.

There are a number of reasons why I would go 7mm-08 over a .308.

[Baronvonrort]

This is almost turning into a "what caliber should Aaron choose to punish his shoulder" thread, almost, lol!

Ignore my obsession with the 300WM and lets say I wanted a rifle for bigger game that my 223 cannot handle. What would be recommended as the next caliber up?

Since you have a .223 I would go the 7mm-08.

I am starting to think a .243 is the best first centrefire, it can take more species and saves any urgency to get something bigger,if you start with a .223 you will be getting something bigger it's not a case of if but when.