multipurpose rifle?

[68c15]

I need to start looking for a rifle. I want to hunt white tails, prairie dogs and coyotes. is there a rifle that would work for all 3 or will I need more than one. I could hold off on the deer and maybe coyotes but the dogs is a must

please excuse the potentially stupid sounding questions, I am a total novice in need of knowledge and advice.

so far my own inventory (not wife or son) is a 10-22, 870 express supermag 12g smooth bore, and winchester 94 30/30 lever (post war).

[Bobitis]

Depends on where ya live, and whether yer comfortable with breaking the law.

Anything here that starts with .22 is forbidden for 'big game'.

Shoot all the vermin ya want, as long as ya pay to do so, and do it way out in the country. Gangbangers not included.

They can shoot each other all they want, in town, with no limits.

[ckelley]

You could go with a 243 or a 25-06. There is quite a range of bullet weights available for both 60 gr or so up to 100 gr for the 243 or 120 gr for the 25-06.

[Zhurh]

I just luv hunting with ARs. Have a bunch of them and want more. 6.8 spc in a AR-15 carbine works for me. I've killed bear, wolves, caribou, porkies, ground squirrels, foxes, everything around here except moose & sheep and sure the 6.8 would put them down.

They are around 800 bucks

[Inthewind1976]

My suggestions would be the 243 or 25-06 as mentioned, or possibly the 6mm/244, 257 Roberts, 250 Savage, 243 short mag, or 6.5x55 Swede.

[permafrost]

If your going off the shelf, then I too think the .243 or 25-06 would fill your needs. Most of the offerings that are around 6mm would work.

[Zane71464]

I agree with the above, a good shooting .243, maybe 100gr. The .243 is a good all-around good caliber. You can awlays step it up a notch or two and get you an AR-15, you wont regrete it.

[Zane71464]

....just got rid of my Winchester 94 and still kicking myself. Ive carried it more than a few times wile out and about!!! Mine was open sights and out to 100 yards, spot on, and then some!!!

[Woodnut]

Everyone has their favorites, but for me the best all round gun for you would be the 6mm. Which in essence is a .243 mag. The bullet is .243 but has a lot more brass, so it holds more powder. Lot of wt. bullets available and range is no problem. Look at a ballistics chart on range and fall of bullet with different wts. I have a 6mm and would not trade it for anything. Good for deer, coyotes and also good for ground hogs, and many other things. You just need to know the capabilities of your gun and what range you are shooting.

[Bindernut]

Originally Posted by Inthewind1976

My suggestions would be the 243 or 25-06 as mentioned, or possibly the 6mm/244, 257 Roberts, 250 Savage, 243 short mag, or 6.5x55 Swede.

Ditto.

After I lost nearly all of my big firearms in a fire a few years back, I replaced several centerfires with one .25-06. used it on everything from prairie poodles up to deer for several years. It's a superb 400yd+ coyote rifle!
I've added more to the stable since then but it's still a favorite, second only to my 6.5x55 Swedes.

You can't go wrong with any of the 6mms either. Plenty of knock-down for the deer we've got here in ND & SD, even big west-river mulies.


But then again, you've already got an excellent all-around rifle with that .30-30 too. Not necessarily a long-range rifle, but it'll knock coyotes flat at calling ranges (100yds or less). Not a very good hide-hunting caliber though unless you want to brush up on your sewing skills!

[gun-nut]

Got to agree with the 243,6mm Rem,or the 25/06.

[UncleFudd]

68C

Good advice on choice of rifles and calibers.
If I may add to it as well.

You asked if one rifle would do for all three and the answer is yes.
The area you want to shoot these critters is open and unlimited as far as range and distance so the choice is really up to you.

For sure the 6MM/243 will do for yotes and dogs and you can find factory loads with 90 grain bullets up to 105 or 107 gr for every event. Lightweight for yotes and dogs and the heavier for deer.

I shoot the 257 Roberts and have since 69 and take all my critters every year, deer, elk, one moose and antelope, using the 117 gr ammo. Never had to shoot a critter more than once.
I load my own 75 grain HPs for yotes. Pdogs and other varmints and it is a very flat shooter at any range to 500 yards and good glass.
IMO the 25-06 and the 257 are one and the same within 200 FPS using the same bullet weights either factory or you own loads if you are or will become a loader. This might be a good time to mention looking at ammo prices in your area for these particular calibers. Ammo ain't cheap any more which might lead one to go with the smaller, popular, 22s.
(you will become a loader if you are going to shoot many L R Pdogs)

The key will be in finding the ammo your gun likes best for accuracy whichever caliber you choose. (another reason for loading your own).

Having said all that, you will eventually wind up with more than one gun to enjoy what you have described. I suggest you will eventually wind up with a 22 of some sort, ie; 222 rem mag, 223, 22-250 etc. as they are much less expensive to load or buy and they will not be as punishing to your body after several hundred shots per day on Pdogs.

Your 25 cal or 6MM can then be relegated for heavier game and use factory loads without breaking the bank.

Just my two cents worth and after years of building, buying and now owning at least seven different guns just for Pdog shooting. Always after the ultimate shooter at given ranges. (I am currently building and working up the loads for my last, ultimate, long range rifle, (see it on the rifle thread) specifically for Pdogs and varmints.

As mentioned by the other fellows, if you stay with one of the aforementioned calibers, ie; the 6MM or standard 243 or the 25-06 or 257 Roberts, then you can begin to look for bargains on the platform you want, Remington, Savage, Winchester, Ruger, Blaser, etc. and the glass to go with it. There will be good deals in your area regardless of where you are due to the down economy. (thank you BO)

Keep us posted if you will on your final choice(es).

UF

[Sandman]

Assuming you are not handloading, I think the .243 is the best bet for bridging the gap between varmints and whitetails. You can get down to 58 grain bullets for varmints and up to 105 grain for whitetails, and a whole lot in between. It has the widest variety of factory ammo available by far in that class.

[Regular Joe]

Come up with a "short list" of calibers, and then check ammo prices. If you shoot a LOT on varmints, it could well be worth getting a rifle just for that, in .223. If you don't mind $1/shot, go with .243. If you want to spend more than that, look at the other suggestions.

[Sandman]

.223 is definitely cheaper to shoot, but not ideal for deer. I take mine deer hunting on occasion, but would not want that to be my only rifle.

Factory ammo can be had for the .243 for $0.75 per round, which is still double the price of the cheapest ammo for the .223. I have bought the federal red box ammo in .243 (100gr PSP) at wally world for $14 /box and it shoots great.

[oldbrass]

Hey 68 I`m in the same boat here in Washington State,has to be 24 caliber or bigger for game animals, I went with a 30-06 for deer and Elk, but you said P-dogs yotes and white-tails. I think a 6MM or a .243 would be ideal for you.
However have you considered a 7mm-08,its ballistics nearly match a .308 and factory ammo is readily available from 120-140 grain..would surely fit your bill also

[Frogtop]

Originally Posted by Inthewind1976

My suggestions would be the 243 or 25-06 as mentioned, or possibly the 6mm/244, 257 Roberts, 250 Savage, 243 short mag, or 6.5x55 Swede.

Got to agree with all the above. I have a Weatherby Vangard 243 and my one shot at a deer with it put it down using a 95gr Speer BTSP. This past year I acquired a 257 Bob and haven't fired it yet but I am sure it will fill all of the needs you listed. The other neat thing is recoil is very comfortable.

[68c15]

good and bad news.

good news; a friend of mine said he can load 30-06 from 80 up to 170 gr. I may go that route

bad news; wife wants a pistol, Monday is her Bday. my chevy truck rifle will have to wait

[Ledslnger]

Tons of calibers here would work. Might just shop for the best deal you can find, nothing wrong with that. 257 Roberts, .243, 6mm Rem, .222 Rem Mag, 25-06, .250 Savage, etc. etc.

If you can find a great rifle that feels good in your hands, is a reputable brand(Ruger, Rem, Win, Sako, Howa, etc.)in XXX caliber at a great price, then that is what I would do.

[brad87]

you can load 220gr in a 30-06, but i dont recall seeing anything as light as 80gr, nor do i think it would work at all out of that chambering. ive seen some 125/135 gr load data a while ago, but it was very very touchy stuff.

if you mean 25-06, then that makes a lot more sense.

for the all around deal like that, any of the 6-7mm cartridges (.244 up to .284) would be just fine imo. there are a huge number of different options in that range, and I can't think of a bad one.

[kcomqg]

25-06 or .243 or a 7mm08 all great light guns with take almost any game animal in the usa

[Pagrizz]

I have to put another vote in for the 25-06.First time I saw one used was in Montana taking praire dogs out to 500 yards then a mule deer at 300 with a 25 mile an hour cross wind.The shooter said he was going to hit the deer behind the ear.After watching that shot I bought one for myself.I loved that gun until my grandson got his hands on it

[joncutt87]

Originally Posted by brad87

you can load 220gr in a 30-06, but i dont recall seeing anything as light as 80gr, nor do i think it would work at all out of that chambering. ive seen some 125/135 gr load data a while ago, but it was very very touchy stuff.

if you mean 25-06, then that makes a lot more sense.

for the all around deal like that, any of the 6-7mm cartridges (.244 up to .284) would be just fine imo. there are a huge number of different options in that range, and I can't think of a bad one.

Remington made some 85 grain rounds for a while, as a matter of fact a member had some for sale this summer

[American Leader]

I loaded 125 gr. .30-06 for coyotes and smaller critters and it worked very well. Like somebody else stated above, you probably will have other calibers eventually if you're a shooter. I have almost all above mentioned, but seem to love my .223's more and more every day. Fast, accurate, easy on the shoulder and very inexpensive to load. If you are definately just one, then I agree with the .25-06 as well, but remember, the Savage rifles are very accurate and really affordable. Think seriously about two, then you can go small & a little bigger also. And, if you're a P-dogger for sure, then cost of reloads is important to you. can't get any cheaper than .223 when considering mil-brass & powder charge!

[68c15]

I see a lot of you say 25-06. I also like what Savage is doing. hmmm

I was at a local "hole-in-the-wall" gun shop yesterday asking about pistol for wife and we struck up conversation about my next rifle. he recommends a .270. his reasoning sounds realistic. he said I could load 30-06 in different weights but when I switch I would have to re-sight the scope each time. with a .270 I could use 2 or 3 different loads of same weight but different expansions to handle different meat densities. one he said (IIRC) was Barnes X