3 Rifle Cartridges To Cover Varmints, Foxes, Deer and Hogs

A

Ad2k778

New member
Hello There

I hope your all well and had a good weekend, I'm Ad from the UK I've just gotten back into shooting after a break from it,

I do pest control, get rid of varmints and foxes for farmers, plus deer hunt and hoping to go after hogs in the future,

Due to us being more limited in the UK, plus rifles and ammo cost more here, I am putting my paperwork in soon for only 3 rifle cartridges to cover my needs
I wanted all of your advice and thoughts, I don't reload (yet may do in the future).

I was thinking of the following 22 WMR/Magnum rimfire, 22-250 Remington and 270 Winchester as this would cover for varmints - grey squirrels, rabbits, ground feeding pigeons magpies and crows, Foxes, Deer and Hogs.

With overlap of these cartridges can be used for all really I shoot on some smaller parcels of land where the 22 mag. would shine, 22-250 for larger places plus its legal for small deer over here Muntjac and Chinese Water Deer plus I can use it to go after Roe deer in Scotland, 270 will be the main deer rifle plus hogs. I have some land permissions where red and roe deer need to be DRT and not get back into the woods where I don't have permission to go in.

I would look at 243/6.5x55SE but these aren't hog legal over here. the only alternative I am thinking is 308 and 30-06 to 270 ?

Apologies for the essay all thoughts and advice welcome,


Ad
 
Sounds like what i would choose as well. The only real question being with the hog gun, and a 270 is a proven cartridge that has worked for 100 years and will continue to be available forever.

Im not in UK but i watch a lot of UK hunting on YouTube. Seems right in line with what i see being used.

That 22mag is not to be taken lightly, the little cartridge hits like a hammer and is extremely accurate to 150yd most times. Im happy to see it included in your list, i sure love mine.
 
" 243/6.5x55SE but these aren't hog legal over here." Wow, what silly rules. Anyway, is 308W reasonable there? Bit more knock-down power at lower cost than 270/06 at closer ranges. Check into what ammo (& type) is available for all. You can go from 120 to 200 gr for 308, not sure about the 06.
 
BBK said:
Sounds like what i would choose as well. The only real question being with the hog gun, and a 270 is a proven cartridge that has worked for 100 years and will continue to be available forever.

Im not in UK but i watch a lot of UK hunting on YouTube. Seems right in line with what i see being used.

That 22mag is not to be taken lightly, the little cartridge hits like a hammer and is extremely accurate to 150yd most times. Im happy to see it included in your list, i sure love mine.
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Exactly that, all 3 been round a long time, never shot a 270 yet I've got an estate visit next month where I can opt for 308 or 270 so guide says can test both before going out on a stalk,

243 and 6.5x55 and 6.5 creedmoor are popular over here but with the whole non lead thing for hunting by 2029, 243 and above only affected
I need to look at a rifle cartridge that's good with copper/non lead bullets. plenty of people going to stockpile bullet heads and lead for homeloading shells/cartridges.

nope it isn't lol i used to have one many years ago, used 30gr sierra speer federals or CCI +V 30gr like lightning bolt on foxes as long as you did your bit, pretty devastating on ground feeding grey squirrels, once hit a fox at 20m had to shout to get it to stop with the federal 30gr it dropped it like thors hammer.
 
popper43 said:
" 243/6.5x55SE but these aren't hog legal over here." Wow, what silly rules. Anyway, is 308W reasonable there? Bit more knock-down power at lower cost than 270/06 at closer ranges. Check into what ammo (& type) is available for all. You can go from 120 to 200 gr for 308, not sure about the 06.
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yes there are some over here saying that they are de regulating silencers/sound moderators over here so no more paperwork for them,

yeah plenty of it about we can get 110gr copper/non lead up to 220gr, my local deer guide is recommending me to go with that over 270.

30-06 is reasonable on ammo cost and good availability too, plenty of rifles for sale in 308. I am just thinking for the highlands 308 might be a bit with the wind drift and those gusts at distance whereas the 270 / 30-06 have the better edge

thinking a weatherby vanguard series 2 in 22-250 with them being cheapest 22-250 I can get hold of new

eventually for deer / hog rifle either Savage 110 Trail Hunter or Bergara B14, rimfire it will have to be CZ as these are really good and plentiful on used market
not paying new money for them new CZs can be £800 over here inc. tax for laminate thumbhole.

I can get a CZ 452 £280 sometimes 455 same sort of money.
 
With the availability of ELD ammo in 308W I don't think wind is a problem anymore. Both my boy's first rifles were Weatherby 243, very accurate when I zero'd them.
 
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you've got a pretty good choice of rifles. The 22 mag, a little more expensive to shoot, is a good round. The 22-250, well, it has a proven track record and is a great flat shooting round. The .270 is another great one as well. I like my 6.5x55 and just loaded up some 95gr. Vmax for coyotes, can't say how many deer and antelope I've taken with this round, she just shoots. And of course the 6.5 CM is a good round also. As long as ammo is available I'd say you've chosen some fine cartridges!
 
i would give the 30-06 a look. lots of different bullet weights available for it all the way up to 220 grain in factory loads. also nothing wrong with the 270.

all 3 of your picks will get the job done and done well.
 
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A single .308 will work for all, especially the bigger game. You can shoot 110gr to 168gr.
A .243 would also be a great choice for all.
 
No real world difference between 270/30-06/308/7mm mag. All are equally effective on game as large as elk with no real difference in ballistics. Pick one. Sally forth and kill stuff.

22 mag is a great round. However for the little critters on your list, I'd lean more towards any of the 17 calibers. Flatter trajectories and more fragile bullets are a plus on nuisance animals that are a few inches wide at most.
 
I've watched many driven boar hunt videos, numerous hunters were using 270 cartridge rifles, which surprised me since they were European hunts.
 
My list would look something like this.22 Long Rifle, .223 Remington, .308 or .30-06. The larger cartridge could be about anything, 7mm-08, .270, .280, 7x57, 7mm magnum, ect. Anything in that range is going to work. I don't know about ammo availability in England and Europe, so the ability to get ammo would be a factor.
 
With the lead bans I'd be looking more at a 222 Rem still quite popular in Europe and if you reload can be very versatile from 22LR to nearly 223 capabilities. I have light small game load to heavier coyote loads for my 222's, plus there is a full range of leadfree projectiles to choose from. Again I'd look at one of the 6's for the midrange, frangible leadfree for the longer range work on foxes and jackals if you travel and monolithic bullets for deer, even the smaller ones. The 308, very accurate and suitable for a short action svelte little game rifle. A full stock Sako 308 with a 1.5-6x40 scope would appeal to me.
 
The cartridges you listed are pretty solid in my opinion even for the states.
While I love the 30-06, the 270 Win is no slouch and will handle pretty much everything I suspect you will encounter on your side of the pond plus this side.
Bear would.. might cause pause depending on type, Black I'm positive you will put down with a 270. Brown, Alaskan, Polar, etc I would feel more comfortable with the 30-06 to the .338 offerings. Just a opinion.

In the rimfire game the 21 sharp is a new cartridge, actually offered by Winchester because of the lead ban, but actually has yet to prove itself (not enough owners). The concept is good as it is kind of taking a note from the 22WMR. Just making the bullet smaller for use in the 22LR case versus using a heeled bullet. Although if one looks one might find a similar offering in the 22 WMR, such as lead free bullets. The .222 Remington that AWS mentions for the lead ban, is also a solid choice to replace the 22WMR.
 
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Sgt_Mike said:
The cartridges you listed are pretty solid in my opinion even for the states.
While I love the 30-06, the 270 Win is no slouch and will handle pretty much everything I suspect you will encounter on your side of the pond plus this side.
Bear would.. might cause pause depending on type, Black I'm positive you will put down with a 270. Brown, Alaskan, Polar, etc I would feel more comfortable with the 30-06 to the .338 offerings. Just a opinion.

In the rimfire game the 21 sharp is a new cartridge, actually offered by Winchester because of the lead ban, but actually has yet to prove itself (not enough owners). The concept is good as it is kind of taking a note from the 22WMR. Just making the bullet smaller for use in the 22LR case versus using a heeled bullet. Although if one looks one might find a similar offering in the 22 WMR, such as lead free bullets. The .222 Remington that AWS mentions for the lead ban, is also a solid choice to replace the 22WMR.
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I've watched some videos on the 21 sharp and so far I don't think it's been that impressive in the accuracy department.
 
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