3030scotty wrote:Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and reading through the threads and you have also helped me decide on my next rifle. It will also be a .223 rem just wanted to say thanks for all the info!
BBJ wrote:G'day mate,
The only thing stand out from what you've mentioned you'll be hunting is buffalo. For that you're going to wan't something with a lot of punch. Just throwing out a few examples, people are typically using something in the range of the 338 win mag, 375 H&H, .416 Rigby and this sort of thing.
For deer, roos, pigs and dogs these are all going to be massive overkill though. For foxes and rabbits there will be nothing but mist left afterwards.
IMO I'd forget about the buffalo for now. Get a centre fire calibre which will do everything else instead for now and add a dedicated buffalo gun to the safe in due course if it turns out you really want one.
.270 will do the job for you. .308 and 30-06 are both effective options too for all of the above (excluding buffalo)
Westy wrote:Look I just gotta ask this, the old man was using a 303 to shoot Buff in the territory all through the 50-60's and we were using them in the late 70's so why wouldn't a 308 or a 30-06 work now?
Ohh yer and we were using FMJ's.
wrenchman wrote:Savage sells a gun here called the Axis for about 300US, they're well built and won't brake the bank.
wrenchman wrote:Savage sells a gun here called the Axis for about 300US, they're well built and won't brake the bank.
BBJ wrote:You're right, people have and I expect will continue to take them with .30 cal rifles.
Some people also hunt deer with a .22, but it's not something I'll ever advocate as a suitable calibre.
There are 300kg buffalo and there are 1,000kg buffalo. I'm sure we can both come up with lots of hypotheticals and examples which show larger calibres are needed or smaller calibres are sufficient depending on what size animal we're talking about, and go around in circles all day.
As general advice to the OP (which is all my comment is) and when choosing a hunting calibre, I will always go with something that will consistently and humanely take game, and cover the variety of sizes I'm likely to encounter the animals in. Not just what I can get away with.
Quoting my original comment the OP, "IMO I'd forget about the buffalo for now. Get a centre fire calibre which will do everything else instead for now and add a dedicated buffalo gun to the safe in due course if it turns out you really want one."
If I was choosing a new buffalo gun, it would not be chambered in .303, .308 etc.
That's my opinion, though others may disagree.
wrenchman wrote:I am a truck mechanic and we have never slowed down and never stopped hiring and I work over time just about every week.
wrenchman wrote:Zilla I noticed you have redfield scopes, how do you like them?
I've been thinking of getting one for my sons Ruger, they run about $200 here.