What gun/caliber to use for wolves? If I was going to be overrun by zombies, I would like to have my AR15 and lots of ammo and a high cap shotgun loaded with buck. The same might work fine on wolves when shooting from the safety of a plane or chopper.
But, if I plan to venture out alone into wolf territory to hunt them, I know that I would want a little more gun than the little AR. Your not going to be in a fire fight and one good shot is far more effective than 10 or 20 misses. There is something (for me) about knowing that I need to make the 1st shot count that makes me aim fast but shoot slow and hit what I am shooting at. For a wolf, I would prefer my bolt action .270 in 130 or 150g than any of the smaller AR rounds. While some AR's can be made to shoot as well as a bolt gun, most do not. That added accuracy will enable better shot placement which is still very important and would encourage me to make the first shot count from the bolt gun.
Yes, the AR style guns now are available in .308 and other specialty calibers. Some of them are potent enough to do the job, especially the .308. I would still recommend a good bolt action rifle, with a clear, quality scope using a cartridge sufficient to hunt elk or large deer. Some said .243 was adequate. That is what I would call the bottom end of the spectrum. Use a gun that you are confident with out to at least 200 yds and one that you know very well and can shoot under pressure. If you feel it necessary to have adequate firepower to defend yourself from other predators, then pack a large caliber pistol as backup. Just so you know, I used to hunt with a weapon similar to the AR10/.308, it was an FN/FAL in .308. I used handloaded rounds and a 165g Nosler Ballistic Tip. With the exception of only one unusual event (where I used a factory round with a poor choice of bullet), I never had to fire it more than once to bag my quarry. But it was heavy, unwieldy and unnecessary for the job, so I retired it to Zombie standby duty and now use a custom Mauser in .270 with 130g bullets for most of my non-varmint hunting. It works fine. Also, keep in mind that the larger ballistic tips are not like the explosive ultra-high velocity varmint bullets. The larger ones over 100g are quite good at penetration of bone and thick muscle and still dump most of their energy into the target.
If you are lucky enough to see a wolf and have a clean shot at it, I want you to have a gun that will do the job. This is a good topic in that there are many "Right" answers and not too many wrong ones. Take your pick.
Irish