The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

MiLisCer wrote:

DW58 wrote:If I were to go any larger, i.e. Roe and upwards it would be .308/7.62x51mm, but of course Roe can be legally killed with .223/5.56x45mm here in darkest Jockistan.

Bit of over kill on rabbits though which is why I suggested the swede - my go to stalking rifle is in fact a .308

Mike

Oh yeah? If you're good enough you head-shoot. Back in the late eighties when white hares were fetching around a fiver each at the game dealers, we used to roam the hill head shooting them with either .222 or .308 FMJs, there was no meat damage whatsoever and the game dealer paid premium price - mucho shooting shekels collected.

ditto 223

The often over looked and maligned .243 Win.

Sim G wrote:The often over looked and maligned .243 Win.

I know the OP didn't specify for larger deer, but If I were to choose a rifle as an all rounder, I'd probably go for this too. Everything I stated about .223, but with the opportunity to shoot larger deer (legally) if the chance crops up.

The only real reason I didn't state this round straight off the bat, was cost. Being a necked-down .308. It costs more to run in powder on full loads, than the .223, and since larger deer than Muntjac wasn't specified it was the only stumbling block.

Personally though, I would go .243, for "just in case"...

meles meles wrote:A 12 bore Paradox ! Slug for the big stuff, shot of gradually diminshing size for the little critters...

I suspect meles meles was being flippant here, but my supernova is easily the most versatile of my firearms. Being a 3.5" chambered pump it'll fire an absolute smorgasbord of cartridges. Picatinny rail with trijicon on top for slug work, standard irons for other stuff. Will keep working in pretty much any weather.

Reckon it'd take anything from rabbit up to boar. Only thing would be I'd rather the none pistol grip stock for winged stuff.

I'm a huge .223 fan. It's probably my favourite cartridge at the minute and I'm playing with two very accurate rifles in this cartridge presently.

However, .243 Win is my all time favourite. From rabbits to deer, with bullets from 55 to 117gn. And, despite the fact that this is a cartridge that is generally regarded just for hunting in the UK, with the plethora of outstanding 6mm target bullets, this cartridge is fantastic on paper targets.

Sim G wrote:I'm a huge .223 fan. It's probably my favourite cartridge at the minute and I'm playing with two very accurate rifles in this cartridge presently.

However, .243 Win is my all time favourite. From rabbits to deer, with bullets from 55 to 117gn. And, despite the fact that this is a cartridge that is generally regarded just for hunting in the UK, with the plethora of outstanding 6mm target bullets, this cartridge is fantastic on paper targets.

I remember when you sold your Savage in .223... I still kick myself when i think that I passed up on it just before buying my Rem 700.

What you got at the minute in .223?

This is for legal shooting a opposed to a hypothetical scenario. I must admit I am torn between .223 and .243 and the plus is I can always pick up factory ammunition for both if needed. Of course a BR flavour or a 6,5x47 would be good however both are overkill for my needs and equally a 17HMR or one of the 20's is not going to be suitable for deer.

A .243 is one rifle I have not owned, excepting the rabbit side of things is there much of an advantage to going to a .243AI, I know they will shoot a standard .243 perfectly adequately give reasonable accuracy and a fire formed case at the end of every shot.

TattooedGun wrote: I remember when you sold your Savage in .223... I still kick myself when i think that I passed up on it just before buying my Rem 700.

What you got at the minute in .223?

You kick yourself?! I still can't believe I had that bout of mental illness and let it go! The bloke I sold to, will not let it go for anything. I even offered him more money than he paid, but he's still not interested!

That said, I did end up on a ".223 adventure" that saw me acquire my Holy Grail....

After the Savage I had a couple of Remington 700s, a police and a Varmint with a slow twist. I had a Ruger VT and even went back to straight pulls for awhile with yet another AR and a mini 14 project. But then it came up. Turns out, the rifle I'd been looking for, for nigh on 10 years, I was put onto via this forum! I got it from a member here, who turned out not to live too far from me neither!! And that rifle is an RPA multi shot Inteceptor. I'm still working with it, but honestly, it is hard to believe, but it shoots better than that Savage did. It's almost Benchrest accurate at 100yds and 52 gn SMKs.

The second is again something I just happened upon. A Kimber 84 SVT. A short 18" barrel that's as thick as a scaffold tube and a laminate stock as dense and heavy as concrete.... But the butteriest (wtf) action in the world!

But I still miss that Savage! Lol

ovenpaa wrote: A .243 is one rifle I have not owned, excepting the rabbit side of things is there much of an advantage to going to a .243AI, I know they will shoot a standard .243 perfectly adequately give reasonable accuracy and a fire formed case at the end of every shot.

Supposedly, Parker Ackley wasn't particularly bothered about improving the .243 as he thought it was pretty much there, but after doing so, found that you get a little extra velocity of around 100fps with comparable bullet weight, as the case gives a round an extra 5gns of H2O space to play with. Allegedly, case life on the AI is better as there's not so much stretch and it's believed to be a little gentler on the throat. How?, I havent a clue.

So yes, probably some advantage on paper, but worth it? Doesn't seem to becanythingto lose with AI...