Monday 27 April 2009

The Caliber Of Advice


FolksI'm absolutely delighted that so many of you have started commenting regularly, and my blog wouldn't be an extension of my home if some radically different viewpoints weren't sharing table space. 

I've tried sifting through various discussion forums on the prickly subject of suitable hunting caliber's and to be honest with you, apart from getting the idea that one hunters 'perfect' is another's 'totally unsuitable' I'm really none the wiser.

As I know the sum total of 'knack all' about the subject and a few of you have fired more rounds than I've eaten hot dinners (and my love of a cooked lunch is legendary) I thought I  seek guidance from my readership. If you'd be so kind.

To quantify the colloquial measurement of knowledge 'knack all' I've only ever fired:
HS precision .300 win mag - one shot fired = one whitetail dead
Un known .270 three rounds fired at a target no record kept as the light was fading.
Un known 6.5x55 moderated one shot 2.5 inches to the left
Tikka .243 one round fired - BANG ON!!!Sako .22 three shots fired 1.5 inch group 

Results are, to my uneducated eye, promising and I'm feeling the need to take the plunge and buy a rifle of my own.

What I want to hunt and whereBoar - Scotland, England, Italy, France, USA and New ZealandDeer - Scotland - Roe and Red, England - fallow chinese water, muntjac , and Sika USA whitetail, Italy and New ZealandElk - Finland,USA and New ZealandMongolia - GIANT mountain sheep
Further criteriaGun shops in blighty seem to prefer to stock .243 and from what i understand (feel free to enlarge my world view) the UK's police forces prefer to issue FAC for .243

Mutjac are very small and Boars can be very big, most of my hunting will be a 100/200 yards except in Mongolia where it could be up to 600 yards. 

The Swedish 6.5x55 has it's fans and from what i understand a very wide range of bullet weights. But I've also been told that each barrel has it's preference, would that mean it wouldn't matter if the choice was there if the barrel only liked one bullet weight/design? I've read that the 6.5x55 needs longer barrel lengths to get the most from it? 

The Kiwi .338 Whisper has a lot going for it 300g bullets and super short and subsonic. Would amuntion be easy to come by?

James Marchington - Chief advisor on all thing firearms to this blog recommends .308 other people have said 'why do you want a cannon like that'. Also in France .308 and some other cartridges are considered military rounds and are not allowed for civilian use. Is this true anywhere else?

My budget and storage option mean that I'm really hoping for 'one rifle for everything' if any of you think that's possible

Also I'm very unlikely to be able to keep my own tracking dog in the foreseeable future so one shot - strait to the floor kills are VERY important to me.
Any thoughts?
SBW