Author's Preface

This article was originally penned in 2002. I was amused, therefore, to find in the May/June 2008 edition of Peterson's Rifle Shooter magazine a quite similar article, also listing favorite cartridges by caliber, by another well known gun writer. Some, but by no means all, of our "favorites" turn out to be the same.

There are many useful centerfire rifle cartridges and considerable overlap among them. Whenever anyone picks "favorites" it is obviously a subjective decision and one with which there can be legitimate disagreement. At least I can claim to have made my choices known first!

Sub-caliber cartridge

This is the realm of the .17, 5mm, and .20 caliber varmint and small game cartridges. Most are wildcats, and of the couple that have achieved factory loaded status, none has ever become popular. However, there is one such cartridge that might turn the trick, and that is the new .204 Ruger.

The .204 Ruger was a joint development of Hornady and Ruger, and the goal was a balanced cartridge that could honestly claim a factory loaded MV of over 4000 fps. By "balanced" I mean that the .204 Ruger was designed to deliver superb accuracy, ultra-high velocity, and reasonable barrel life with bullets of adequate sectional density and ballistic coefficient. And the new cartridge needed to work in rifles with .223 length actions. A tall order, indeed! But, the early results show that Hornady and Ruger indeed have achieved their design goals with the .204 Ruger. It just may be the best varmint cartridge to come down the pike in a very long time.

.22 caliber cartridge

This is the area of the specialized varmint cartridges. My first inclination was to choose the .223 Remington because of its great popularity and the cheap factory loaded ammunition available for it. Unfortunately, that inexpensive ammo usually is not loaded with varmint hunting bullets, nor does it deliver acceptable accuracy in most varmint rifles. The serious shooter with a .223 varmint rifle usually ends up shooting premium factory loads or reloading to achieve the desired level of performance and accuracy, just like everyone else. Once the right load is found, however, the cartridge can be brilliantly accurate.

My next choice among the .22 centerfire varmint cartridges was the .22-250 Remington. It is not as popular as the .223 Rem., but it is among the 10 best selling rifle cartridges in North America and offers a performance edge. And no other varmint cartridge is as reloader friendly as the .22-250. While you can make a case for the .220 Swift or .223 WSSM as ballistically superior to the .22-250, neither of them offer enough superiority to overcome the far greater availability of .22-250 rifles and ammunition.

On the other hand, the .223 is simply more fun to shoot than the .22-250 due to its noticeably quieter report. And in a long day of varmint shooting it is easier on the rifle's barrel, generating less heat. So after flip-flopping back and forth, I am going to land on the side of the .223 Remington after all.

.24 (6mm) caliber cartridge

The .24's are the most popular combination varmint/antelope/deer cartridges. The three leading .24 caliber hunting cartridges in North America are the .243 Winchester, 6mm Remington and .240 Weatherby Magnum. Europeans have their fine 6mm Freres, along with the 6x70R. These are all fine cartridges. Then, there is the misbegotten .243 WSSM, a ballistic duplicate of the 6mm Rem. that sacrifices that cartridges reliability and flexibility for 1/2" of action length. A bad trade-off that is not worth further consideration.

Among the domestic sixes, The .243 Winchester offers good performance on both varmints and deer size game. Rifles and ammunition in .243 are much more widely distributed than for any other 6mm cartridge and it has become a world standard. The .243's position as the 6th best selling of all centerfire rifle cartridges makes it the odds-on favorite among those who must shoot factory loaded ammunition.

The best balanced .24 is the 6mm Remington. It shoots slightly flatter and hits slightly harder than the .243 Win. The 6mm Remington is an excellent hunting cartridge for almost any animal from ground hogs to deer. Serious reloaders prefer it to the .243 Win. for its flexibility and long neck.

The standout in performance is the .240 Weatherby Magnum. It is based on a unique case designed for the purpose by Roy Weatherby. The .240 offers the highest velocity in the caliber while delivering the least recoil of any of the ultra-long range hunting cartridges. It has too much muzzle blast for most varmint hunters and factory loaded ammunition is expensive. For these reasons it is not an ideal combination cartridge, but it cannot be denied that the .240 Weatherby Magnum stands above the other .24s as a CXP2 game cartridge.

I like, and have owned and reloaded for, all three of these flat shooting, light kicking .24's. However, if you got me down in a hammerlock, I'd have to choose the 6mm Remington as the best of the breed.

.25 caliber cartridge

The .25's are usually seen as an alternative to the .24's as combination varmint/antelope/deer cartridges. In this role the .257 Roberts is probably the optimum .25. It is based on the same case as the newer 6mm Remington, and like the 6mm it is probably the best balanced of all the cartridges in its caliber.

However, in terms of performance, no other .25 can beat the .257 Weatherby Magnum, Roy Weatherby's favorite cartridge. The .257 Wby. Mag. may well be the best long range deer, antelope, sheep, and goat cartridge on the planet. It is equal to the 7mm Ultra Mag and .30-378 Weatherby in range and trajectory with only a fraction of the recoil.

The recoil and muzzle blast of the .257 Weatherby takes it out of the varmint cartridge class. It is an ultra-long range CXP2 class game cartridge, more on the order of the 6.5x68 or .264 Winchester Magnum in performance and recoil than the .24 and .25 caliber dual-purpose cartridges. But as an ultra-long range cartridge it is simply unexcelled; the expression "four feet in the air" must have been coined for the .257 Weatherby.

.26 (6.5mm) caliber cartridge

The 6.5x55 SE and .260 Remington are the standouts in the 6.5mm class and their ballistic capabilities are just about equal. 139-140 grain bullets are the most popular weights in both calibers, although bullets from 100 to 160 grains are commonly available. They are not quite as powerful or flat shooting as the 6.5x284, 6.5mm Rem. Magnum, 6.5x68 or the .264 Winchester Magnum, but they shoot flat enough and hit hard enough to get the job done. Both are capable of cleanly harvesting all CXP2 game and they do so with minimum punishment to the shooter. Because of their relatively mild recoil and muzzle blast, they are good choices for lightweight mountain rifles. They are probably the top choices among the all-around hunting cartridges for the beginning shooter as well as the canny old pro.

The .260 is based on a necked down .308 case and has a standard .473" rim diameter. (Unlike the 6.5x55, which has a .480" diameter rim.) The .260's biggest advantage is that it can be chambered in any modern short action rifle. The .260 is at its best with bullets weighing 100-140 grains and it deserves to be more popular than it is.

The 6.5x55 is better known and more popular world-wide. Its longer case, neck and action allow it to more efficiently use the long 156 grain bullets commonly chosen for hunting Scandinavian moose. It is pretty much a toss-up between the two, but I am inclined to favor the slightly greater flexibility of the old 6.5x55 over the newer short action .260 Remington. Both, however, are outstanding hunting cartridges.

.27 caliber cartridge

When any discussion turns to .27 caliber cartridges, the .270 Winchester immediately comes to mind. It is simply one of the best big game cartridges ever devised and the standard of comparison among long range cartridges. It is one of the four cartridges on the "short list" of all-around, world-wide big game cartridges. It is also the second or third best selling of all big game cartridges (behind only the .30-30 and/or .30-06).

For many years the .270 Winchester was the only .27 caliber cartridge worth mentioning, but now there are other .27 caliber cartridges that deserve consideration. These include the standard length .270 Weatherby Magnum and the short 6.8mm SPC and .270 WSM.

The 6.8mm SPC was designed as a replacement for the .223 in certain military applications and has yet to earn its spurs as a hunting cartridge. Its ballistics suggest that it should be a good medium range deer cartridge on the order of the 7-30 Waters. In trajectory and killing power it is not a threat to the .270 Winchester.

Both of the magnums shoot slightly flatter than the .270 Winchester and fall into the ultra-long range cartridge category, but at the price of increased recoil and muzzle blast. Neither offers a significant increase in killing power over the standard .270 Winchester. Nor are .270 Magnum rifles and ammunition nearly as available, even in North America, let alone the rest of the world, as are rifles and ammo in .270 Winchester. For these reasons the original is still the best and my first choice among the .27 caliber cartridges remains the .270 Winchester.

.28 (7mm) caliber cartridge

The Sevens (.284" bullet diameter) are exceeded in popularity only by the .30's with North American hunters. There are many fine standard 7mm cartridges, including the 7x57 Mauser, 7x57R, 7-30 Waters, 7mm-08 Remington, 7x64, 7x65R, .280 Remington and .284 Winchester. In addition, there are a plethora of 7mm Magnums in short, standard, long and oversize configurations. Because of the popularity of the caliber, I'm going to select two "favorite" 7mm cartridges, a standard and a magnum.

The best balanced cartridge of all the 7's, in my opinion, is the 7x57mm Mauser, with the newer (short action) 7mm-08 Remington a close second. To me, the original 7x57 is still the best. Despite being introduced in 1892, it looks like--and is--a modern cartridge in every respect. It shoots flat enough and hits hard enough to be considered an all-around cartridge and it is pleasant to shoot. Because it doesn't kick too hard, it can be chambered in lightweight rifles. Loaded to 50,000 cup, its ballistics are equal to those of the 7mm-08 and its longer neck and longer action make it a better choice with heavy bullets or for reloading. The 7x57 is chambered in a reasonable selection of rifles and the ammunition is distributed around the world. It has taken all manner of game, from jackrabbits to elephants, so its effectiveness cannot be questioned. The 7x57 is simply one of the world's greatest hunting cartridges.

The most popular of all 7mm cartridges is the 7mm Remington Magnum. Remington's Big 7 is the best selling of all magnum rifle cartridges and the only magnum included on the short list of the best all-around cartridges. For big game hunting the 7mm Rem. Mag. is hard to beat. It shoots as flat as a .270 and hits big animals as hard as a .30-06. It was designed to feed reliably in standard length actions. Recoil, shooting the popular 150-160 grain bullets in a typical 8.5 pound magnum rifle, is just under 20 ft. lbs., but becomes punishing in lightweight rifles. Don't get suckered into purchasing any lightweight 7mm Mag. rifle. There are longer and fatter 7mm Magnums that offer similar ballistics and oversize 7mm Magnums that shoot even flatter, but none offer the 7mm Remington Magnum's blend of performance, reliability and availability. Remington simply got it right.

.30 to .303 caliber cartridge

This is an especially tough category to deal with, as there are so many .30-.303 caliber cartridges on the market. It is hard to compare cartridges as diverse as the .30 Carbine, 7.62x39, .30-30 Winchester, .30-40 Krag, .300 Savage, .308 Marlin Express, .303 British, 7.65x53, 7.5x55, .307 Winchester, .30 TC, .308 Winchester, 7.62x54R, .30-06 Springfield, .30R Blaser and the various .300 Magnums. So I am going pick two favorite .30 cartridges, one in the "deer cartridge" category, and one in the "all-around" (high intensity/magnum) category.

DEER CARTRIDGE:
The .300 Savage is a fine deer cartridge. It is usually found in the strong, fast handling, Savage Model 99 lever action rifle. It is one of the very best of the deer cartridges in terms of versatility. The .300 Savage was the starting point for the military development that resulted in the .308 Winchester/7.62mm NATO. Sadly, today the .300 Savage is an orphan, as the Model 99 rifle has been discontinued for many years.

Winchester attempted to fill the gap left by the .300 Savage by introducing the .307 Winchester in their Model 94 lever gun. Unfortunately, the .307 was handicapped by the flat nose bullets with which it was loaded and increased recoil compared to the popular .30-30. The .307 never caught on and today no rifles are chambered for the cartridge.

.300 Savage ballistics are provided by the much newer .308 Marlin Express, a cartridge that takes advantage of Hornady's Flex-Tip bullet technology to allow the use of spitzer bullets in lever action rifles with tubular magazines. Ballistically, the .308 Marlin virtually duplicates the .308 Winchester. For hunters who feel the need for more power and range than the .30-30 offers, the .308 Marlin is the answer. This fine cartridge offers an extra 50 yards of MPBR compared to the .30-30 and this elevates it to the "all-around" cartridge category.

However, my choice in the deer cartridge category remains the .30-30 Winchester. It is more popular than all of the other deer cartridges combined. It is a deadly deer and medium game cartridge out to at least 200 yards and not many riflemen can (or at least should) shoot farther than that. It will also do for considerably larger animals at closer range. The .30-30 kicks less than the .30-40, .303 British, .307 Win., .308 Marlin or .300 Savage, is available new or used in several popular hunting rifles and .30-30 cartridges are available everywhere ammunition is sold. The .30-30 is the classic 200 yard deer and general CXP2 game cartridge and I think that it is still the best.

ALL-AROUND CARTRIDGE:
The .300 Magnums are fine long range cartridges and can be used in the "all-around" role, but the fact is that all of them (including the WSM, SAUM, Winchester, Norma, Remington Ultra, Weatherby, etc.) kick so hard that most riflemen are simply unable to do their best shooting with them. Cartridges such as the .30 TC and .30R blaser merely duplicate the ballistics of previous, and far more popular, cartridges. In the all-around category, the two serious contenders are the .30-06 Springfield and .308 Winchester and both are included on the short list of all-around calibers.

The .30-06 Springfield is the best selling big game cartridge in the world and .30-06 ammo can be found anywhere ammunition is sold. Almost every hunting rifle with an action long enough to accommodate the cartridge is chambered for the .30-06. There can be no question about its killing power; it is in use around the world on a great variety of game and its record speaks for itself. With 150 grain spitzer bullets it is a good long range cartridge and with 180 grain bullets it is capable of cleanly harvesting CXP3 game. Because of its standard length case and long neck, the .30-06 can make efficient use of the heaviest (especially 220 grain) bullets, when necessary. The Alaska Game Department, for example, specifically recommends the .30-06/220 as the minimum load for brown bear.

Much the same can be said for the .308 Winchester. It is also a top selling cartridge that can be purchased wherever ammunition is sold. It is chambered in an even greater number of rifle models, as it is a short action cartridge that will cycle through some rifles that will not accept the longer .30-06 cartridge. It, too, is a worldwide cartridge that has proven itself everywhere big game is hunted. Performance is almost as good as the .30-06 with bullets up to and including 150 grains and acceptable with bullets weighing up to 180 grains. (The 7.65mm NATO was designed for 150 grain bullets.)

No hunter considering an all-around .30 caliber rifle can go wrong by choosing either the .30-06 or the .308, so it basically comes down to personal preference. For many years I was a fan of the .308, but I have finally come around to thinking that the extra versatility of the .30-06 with heavy bullets more justifies its 1/2" longer action.

.32 (8mm) caliber cartridge

On the continent of Europe, 8mm cartridges like the 8x57JS and 8x68S have traditionally been the top all-around cartridges. Fine cartridges they are, although they have never been very popular in North America. Here we have had .32 cartridges ranging in power from the .32-20 Winchester (suitable only for small game and varmints) to the 8mm Remington Magnum (suitable for all North American big game).

However, the .32's have always seemed to be "in-between" cartridges to me. By that I mean that they are in-between the more popular .30's and the true medium bores, which start at .33 caliber. This being the case, I have never had much affinity for any .32 except one: the .32 Winchester Special.

The .32 Special is ballistically very similar to the .30-30 and it has generally been chambered in the same rifles. Using a 170 grain bullet, the .32 Special offers slightly more velocity and energy than the .30-30, but slightly less penetration. It is pretty much a standoff in terms of overall performance. Like the .30-30, the .32 Special is an excellent deer and medium game cartridge within 200 yards and within 100 yards it can take much larger game. Winchester used to describe it as "perfect for black bear." Like the .30-30, the .32 Special offers good killing power and mild recoil in handy lever action hunting rifles. The recent introduction of Hornady LEVERevolution ammunition with Flex-Tip spitzer bullets has given the classic .32 Special a new least on life.

.33 caliber cartridge

.33 caliber is the beginning of the true medium bore cartridges. These are powerful cartridges designed for use on tough and dangerous game. The most famous .33's today are the .338 Federal, .338-06 A-Square and .338 Winchester Magnum, although there are a number of other .338 calibers on the market, particualrly magnums. As much as I like the relatively moderate .338 Federal, I have to admit that the best of the modern .33's for large as well as dangerous game is the .338 Winchester Magnum. This is America's favorite elk, moose and brown bear cartridge.

Winchester's standard length .338 Magnum is the only really popular medium bore cartridge in North America. It is the one medium bore for which there is a large number and variety of new rifles and for which ammunition is readily available almost everywhere. The .338 Magnum's popularity and usefulness is not limited to North America; it will be found all over the world where big and dangerous animals are hunted.

The .338 Winchester Magnum shoots flat enough to be considered a long range rifle, as flat or flatter than the .300 Winchester Magnum with a 200 grain bullet. With the heavy 250 grain bullets it hits hard enough to kill any animal on earth. Recoil is right up there, but less than for most cartridges with similar power. If I had to do all of my shooting in Alaska or Africa with just one rifle, it would be a .338 Winchester Magnum.

.35 caliber cartridge

There have been a surprising number of commercial .35 caliber cartridges. Obsolescent cartridges include the old .35 Winchester and the .348 Winchester. Currently available standard calibers include the .357 Magnum revolver cartridge as adapted to rifles, .35 Remington, .356 Winchester, .358 Winchester and .35 Whelen. Magnums include the short .350 Remington Magnum, the standard length .358 Norma Magnum and the long .358 STA.

As plentiful as the .35's are, in terms of popularity none of them have exactly set the world on fire. In general, they simply kick too hard for the average rifleman.

However, I am convinced that at least one .35 is a genuinely useful cartridge. That is the .350 Remington Magnum, the very first short magnum cartridge. It was introduced almost 40 years before the .300 WSM and .300 Rem. SAUM. The .350 Magnum is a true big and dangerous game cartridge and it is the only such cartridge that can be chambered in a short action rifle. It makes serious medium bore stopping power available in today's hottest class of rifles. The .350 kills almost as well as the .338 Mag. and its recoil is usefully less than most of the other powerful medium bore calibers.

.36 (9.3mm) caliber cartridge

9.3mm cartridges are seldom seen in North America, but are reasonably popular in Europe and Africa. They are, in general, fine medium bore cartridges similar in capability to the North American .35 caliber cartridges and the British .375 cartridges. Like all powerful medium bore cartridges they kick pretty hard, which limits their popularity. The best known of the currently available 9.3mmm cartridges are the 9.3x57, 9.3x62, 9.3x64 and 9.3x74R.

Of these the most popular is the 9.3x62mm, a standard length cartridge with a .470" rim diameter that can be chambered in practically any rifle that can handle the .30-06. However, the would is lousy with medium bore cartridges adaptable to standard length rifles and if all of the 9.3x62 rifes in the world were magically changed to .35 Whelen caliber, most shooters would not notice any difference in the field. (The reverse, of course, is also true.)

The same can not be said about the 9.3x74R, a rimmed cartridge designed specifically for use in drillings, double barrel and single shot rifles. Norma (Swedish) 9.3x74R factory loads drive a 286 grain bullet at a MV of 2362 fps and ME of 3544 ft. lbs. This is suitable for all North American and European, as well as most African, heavy game. I own a Ruger No. 1S rifle in 9.3x74R and I can attest that it is a great caliber, my pick of the 9.3mm cartridges.

.37 caliber cartridge

Although there are now many .375 caliber cartridges, the .375 H&H Magnum is still the world leader. This is the cartridge that no less an authority than Jack O'Connor called "the queen of the medium bores" and one of the world's greatest all-around cartridges. There can be no doubt that the .375 H&H has accounted for more head of big and dangerous game than any other .37 and probably more than any other medium bore caliber. The .375 H&H is also available in more rifles than any other .37 caliber cartridge and its ammunition is distributed all over the world, wherever big and dangerous game is hunted.

Outsized recoil is a given, considering that the .375 H&H throws a 300 grain bullet at up to 2700 fps. However, it is no worse than the other .375 Magnum calibers and considerably less than the fearsome (at both ends) .378 Weatherby.

Big bore (.40+ caliber) cartridge

Big bore rifles, those with bores over .40" diameter, are surprisingly numerous. A powerful medium bore, like a .375 Magnum, will do all that is needed for hunting any of the world's bovines, including the famed African Cape buffalo, Asian water buffalo and North American bison, but big bore rifle cartridges continue to prosper.

Only the elephant, hippo and rhino really justify the existence of the big bore African cartridges and none of these animals are included in most safaris today. The cartridges in question include the .450/.400, .404 Jeffery, .416 Remington Magnum, .416 Rigby, .416 Weatherby Magnum, .450 Nitro Express, .458 Winchester Magnum, .458 Lott, .460 Weatherby Magnum and .470 Nitro Express (to name some of the best known elephant cartridges--there are many others).

The other class of well known big bore cartridges were used for hunting the heavy game of North America and especially the American bison, back when the plains of North America supported great numbers of these huge beasts. The .45-70 Government is the best known of these cartridges and the similar .450 Marlin is a modern belted version of the .45-70. The .444 Marlin is a modern elk cartridge reminiscent of the old, straight cased, buffalo cartridges. The recently re-introduced .405 Winchester is another powerful American big bore, popularized by Teddy Roosevelt on his famous African safari. Even the long obsolete .45-90 is making a modest comeback from the grave. The high level of interest in big bore cartridges makes choosing two examples, one from each group, a reasonable way to proceed.

AFRICAN / ELEPHANT CARTRIDGE:
Among all of the elephant cartridges, the .458 Winchester Magnum is the most popular and the odds-on choice for the North American hunter. One big advantage of this cartridge is that it fits in standard (.30-06) length actions. Any elephant rifle is a big investment considering the very limited use to which it will be put on safari. Fortunately, for the reloader, a .458 Magnum rifle is not only for large, dangerous CXP4 game. The handloader with a .458 Magnum can create reduced power loads suitable for moderate range hunting of CXP2 or CXP3 class game, significently expanding the heavy rifle's usefulness. Handloads can duplicate the performance of the .45-70 (400 grain bullet at 1330 fps) and .450 Marlin (350 grain bullet at 2100 fps) in the .458 Mag. case if desired and this gives Winchester's .458 an insurmountable advantage over the larger-cased elephant rounds. A secondary consideration is the fact that many bolt action .458 rifles are startlingly accurate.

NORTH AMERICAN / BISON CARTRIDGE:
Of the North American big bore cartridges, my favorite and probably the most practical is the .45-70. It is available in the widest selection of rifles, all of the major US ammo companies offer .45-70 factory loads, there is a good selection of .458" bullets for the reloader and it is an exceedingly accurate old cartridge. Shooting modern factory loads or equivalent reloads, which use a 300 grain JHP bullet at around 1800 fps, it makes a fine woods cartridge for deer and black bear hunting.

In strong firearms such as the Marlin lever action and Ruger, Dakota and Browning/Winchester single shot rifles, the .45-70 can become a whole 'nother cartridge. Using hot handloads with suitable 350-400 grain bullets at 1900-2100 fps or (in strong single shot rifles) a 500 grain bullet at up to 1800 fps, the .45-70 can take any North American big game animal within 100 yards. For that matter, it has been used to take all of the African "big five." The old .45-70 is certainly the most versatile and practical of the American big bores.

Note: All of the rifle cartridges mentioned in this article are covered in detail in articles that can be found on the Rifle Cartridge Page.