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Favorite caliber (wildcates included)

9K views 28 replies 26 participants last post by  wildcat 
#1 ·
Hi to all, what are you shooting and why? I have a couple of .224 barrels plus a couple of barrels that the parent case is the .444 marlin necked down. Just wondering what other shooters are shooting (this includes both contenders and encores any barrel length).

John
 
#4 ·
It really depends on what I am shooting or what time of the year it is.

In the winter months my SST Contender Frame has a Super 14 .22 LR Match Barrel on it. I use this at our indoor shooting range during the winter months mostly, but it also sees use in the spring for small varmints, gophers in my part of the country.

Once Deer Season is over my SST G2 Contender Frame has a Super 14 .223 Remington Barrel on it. This one gets used for Coyotes (haven't managed to get one with it yet though) and small varmints.

In the fall I have a Super 14 .45 Colt / .410 Shotshell Barrel that goes on my SST Contender Frame in hopes of bagging a Pheasant or two. For Deer Season a T/C Custom Shop 14" 7-30 Waters Barrel goese on the SST G2 Contender Frame. Once the Pheasant and Deer Seasons are over for the year I go back to the .22 LR Match and .223 Barrels.

If I had to pick an absolute favorite it would be a tough choice between the .22 LR Match and the .223 as I shoot them the most.

Larry
 
#6 ·
300 whisper rifle on either the encore or contender. I have two barrels, One dedicated to lobbing 225 grain Outlaw State blunt hollowpoints at suburban deer at subsonic velocities, (extremely quiet and lethal). The other Whisper is a contender rifle that I shoot 125 grain Nos BT at 2400 ft per second. I shoot European hares in Uruguay with the encore 22 hornet rifle. Axis deer and European Boar get a 308 Win with 165 grain Nosler Partitions. If not using the encore Whispers for Whitetails in VA, I will hunt them with a 243 Win encore barrel.
 
#7 ·
I have three frames, one bearing a 12 inch .44 mag, another a 15 inch .22-250, and a third with a 24 inch .223 barrel on it. I have another 15 inch .22LR barrel, which gives me practice without having to shoot the expensive .22-250 so much.

I opted for .223 Rem barrel, since I already have a Kel-Tec SU16C with telescoping stock which also shoots .223. As much as is possible, I try to limit the number of calibers I must buy ammo for, and am down now to 12 different calibers. I reload 12 ga. so don't count that. Anytime I can get two different guns, shooting the same calibers, I'm a happy camper.
 
#14 ·
I seem to go back to the 45/410 for mine. I've had the 44 mag and the 30-30 and the 22 long rifle. I like the shot gun barrel when I'm prospecting. I like the thought of having a shot gun handy with out having to sling one over my shoulder. With the 10 inch barrel loaded with number 1 buck shot. Throws a nice pattern at a good enough distance to do the trick. If nothing else , it's so gosh dam loud, it will make the critters deaf at least.
I have never found the use for a scope at closer distances. most t/c's work just as well with good quality iron sites as they do with scopes. Of course there is that exception to the rule. But I suggest you try shooting a few rounds with the 30-30 barrel first. After the first three or four shots, the scope is practicly useless. But again, that's just my 2 cents....
 
#20 ·
Just got in a 16.5" bbl w/brake chambered 308 Bellm... Not quite the 309 JDJ but much easier to form with standard dies! Can't wait to sight it in! ...capable of a .334" 3-shot group @ 100 yds according to my source of load developement. Wow
..and season is just around the corner.
Thanks,
Jimmy
 
#21 ·
You have made an excellent choice I have been shooting a 308 Bellm for quite a few years now I had Mike rechamber my s/s 21" factory tapered 30-30 barrel I load 150gr Rem Core Loks @ 2620fps.

Never had that kind of accuracy though MOA 2" 3 shot 200 yard groups is the norm for me.

This combo has accounted for my best ever mule deer buck shot was 210 yards.



and the last deer this combo has accounted for my son shot this coastal blacktail last fall shot was 90 yards.

 
#23 ·
I had one 14 inch and one 24 inch barrel rechambered by Mike Bellm to 308 Bellm last year. Because I hunted exclusively with handguns last year I have not done much with the 24 inch barrel. The first time to the range with the 14 incher I went with three loads, 40, 41 and 42 gr. of IMR4895 pushing 150 gr. Speer BT's. All shot very well with the 42 gr load going into .75 inch at 100. I quit playing with load development and just went hunting. Took a nice buck with it a couple of weeks later.
 
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