Groups of Rifle CartridgesOver the years I have written a great many articles about rifle cartridges, both individually and collectively. This time I am going to group hunting rifle cartridges based on their purpose and performance. The point being that you can choose any of the cartridges from one of these groups and it will do about as well as any other for their (collective) intended purposes. I cannot list every rifle cartridge and some fall in between the larger groups of cartridges. Therefore, I will only include the most common choices. The point here is to help those who write to me asking if they should buy a rifle in, say, 7mm-08 or 7x57. In reality, there is little to choose between the two cartridges and my advice is to buy the rifle they like best, as either cartridge will probably do equally well. Rather than explain in greater detail, let's get started and I think that it will all become clear. Short to medium range varmint cartridges These are suitable for shooting pests like gophers, prairie dogs, sand rats and groundhogs at moderate distances. They have a maximum point blank range (MPBR) of between 100-200 yards (+/- 1.5").
The rimfire .17 HMR is the standout here. It is very accurate, very mild, reasonably priced and has a MPBR (+/- 1.5") of about 165 yards with a 17 grain varmint bullet. The .17 HMR is available in many brands of rifles of all types, so the selection is excellent. Medium range varmint cartridges These are the most popular choices for exterminating the pests mentioned above. They are equally effective on the small predators, such as coyotes. They have a maximum point blank range of around 215-230 yards (+/- 1.5").
Long range varmint cartridges These are the varmint (and small predator) cartridges that can really reach out. The .22 and larger calibers are quite a bit noisier than the medium range varmint cartridges and are not as pleasant to shoot, while the .17 and .20 calibers are similar to the .223 Rem. in blast and recoil. Barrel wear due to very high velocity becomes a factor with these cartridges. They have a maximum point blank range of around 245-285 yards (+/- 1.5").
Unless they are shooting where high winds are the norm, most shooters prefer the .17-.22 calibers to the 6mm cartridges because they find the latter's muzzle blast distracting. The favorites here are the .204 Ruger and the .22-250 and the long range varmint hunter cannot go too far wrong with either. A good selection of varmint rifles is available in both calibers. Dual purpose (CXP1/CXP2) cartridges This is the province of the standard .24 and .25 caliber cartridges, although most shooters today see them as low recoil deer and antelope cartridges. They are often seen as entry level deer and pronghorn cartridges, but they are also favored by some very experienced hunters. Their moderate muzzle blast and flat trajectory makes them easy to shoot accurately. The typical bullet weight for hunting CXP2 game is around 100 grains and MPBR ranges from about 285-320 yards.
I prefer the .257 Roberts, because it can handle heavier bullets than the .24's. However, the most popular of these cartridges, by far, is the .243 Winchester and I have found .243 rifles to be very accurate. Additional .243 advantages are the world-wide distribution of .243 Winchester ammunition and the excellent bullet selection available to reloaders. General purpose CXP2 game cartridges This is one of the most useful and (in the hands of average hunters) deadly group of cartridges. Their recoil is moderate and their killing power is noticeably superior to the .24 and .25 caliber cartridges listed above. In fact, they give away little to the popular .270-.30 caliber "all-around" cartridges, but kick less. All of these can be stretched to take CXP3 game at moderate range with good bullet placement.
139-140 grains seems to be the most popular and useful bullet weight in all of the medium capacity 6.5mm and 7mm cartridges and all can efficiently handle bullets weighing up to 160 grains for use on large animals like North American elk and Scandinavian moose. The 7x57 has the case capacity and neck length to accommodate bullets up to 175 grains, although these are seldom used in the caliber today. The 6.5's offer superior bullet sectional density for greater penetration with the same weight bullet, while the 7's offer greater bullet frontal area. Take your pick, for on game it tends to even out. I own and use all of these and I could not say which is the most effective. Lever action deer and black bear cartridges (they work on other game, too!) These are medium range, .30-.35 caliber cartridges with a MPBR (+/- 3") in excess of 200 yards. They are entirely capable of killing CXP3 game at moderate ranges, but are best known in North America as quintessential deer cartridges.
The .30-30, .32 Winchester Special and .35 Remington are the most typical deer and black bear cartridges, while the .308 Marlin Express and .300 Savage tread closely on the heels of the .308 Win. They could have been included with the all-around cartridges below, but because they are most commonly encountered in traditional lever action rifles they remain here. The advent of Hornady's Flex-Tip spitzer bullets for the .30-30, .308 Marlin, .32 Spec. and .35 Rem. has added considerably to their MPBR and down range hitting power. With Hornady LeverEvolution factory loads the .30-30, for example, is a 250 yard deer cartridge. All-around CXP2/CXP3 game cartridges This group includes military cartridges used variously in World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam and both Gulf Wars. In civilian guise, they have proven to be outstanding big game cartridges. They are, perhaps, a bit more powerful than actually required for CXP2 game and not quite as effective on CXP3 game as some of the medium bore cartridges. However, they remain popular for all of the above and for one rifle hunts anywhere in the world they are natural choices.
World wide, the short action .308 Winchester and standard length .30-06 are the most popular all-around cartridges. However, the .303 British remains popular in many countries that were once part of the British Empire and/or Commonwealth, including Canada and Australia. The 8x57 is still popular in Europe, especially in Germany and central Europe. All except the .308 were designed for use in bolt action rifles; the .308 was actually designed for use in autoloading rifles, but was immediately adapted to short bolt actions, pumps and lever action rifles. Likewise, the .30-06 has been adapted to bolt, lever, autoloading and pump action sporting rifles. To the best of my knowledge, as sporting cartridges, the .303 and 8x57 are almost exclusively found in bolt action rifles and the occasional single shot, drilling, or double-barreled rifle. These cartridges are at their best with bullets weighing between 150 and 200 grains. The .30-06 has the greatest case capacity and is thus, ultimately, the most powerful cartridge if all are loaded to the same maximum average pressure. However, for 90% of all hunting there is little practical difference between the capabilities of these four great cartridges. Long range, all-around CXP2/CXP3 game cartridges This group of somewhat smaller caliber cartridges shoots a little flatter with bullets of similar SD than the all-around cartridges listed above. They represent the only real challenge in terms of popularity to the previously mentioned all-around cartridges. Unlike the ex-military cartridges, these cartridges were developed specifically for big game hunting.
Commonly encountered bullet weights for big game hunting are 130-150 grains for the .270 and 139-175 grains for the .28 caliber/7mm cartridges, although these days bullets over 150 grains are seldom used in the .284 or over 160 grains in the .280. With the lighter 130-140 grain bullets most commonly used in these cartridges, all are capable of a MPBR close to 300 yards. For CXP3 game, 150-156 grain bullets are a good choice in all of these calibers. .270-7mm Magnum CXP2/CXP3 game cartridges These shoot somewhat flatter than their standard cousins of the same bore diameter, but generally not by much. More usefully, their approximate 300 yard MPBR with 150 grain bullets is similar to the standard .270 Win. or .280 Rem. with 140 grain bullets. Consequently, they hit harder. Shooting bullets of similar SD, recoil is similar to a .30-06 in rifles that weigh one-half to one pound more.
The WSM and SAUM magnums can cause feeding problems in repeating rifles due to their rebated rims, sharp shoulders and short, fat cases. Since they offer no ballistic advantage over the longer magnums, are less efficient with long bullets and their ammunition is more expensive and not as widely distributed, their popularity seems to have plateaued. The long range champion in this group is the .270 Weatherby Magnum, which achieves a MPBR of 320 yards with a 150 grain bullet. The 7mm Remington and Weatherby Magnums are probably the best balanced cartridges in this group. It has been said of the 7mm Rem. Mag. that it shoots as flat as a .270 and hits as hard as a .30-06, which is pretty close to the truth. No wonder it is the best selling magnum cartridge in the world. The 7mm Weatherby is a little more of the same thing. .300 Magnum Cartridges The .300 Magnums kick a lot harder than the other all-around cartridges, at least as much as most of the medium bore cartridges, so all of the .300's fall into the area of diminishing returns. This is why I have never had much use for them. They add about 40 yards to the MPBR of the .30-06 with 180 grain bullets, but any game animal that can legitimately be killed by a .300 can also be killed by a .30-06, albeit at somewhat closer range. The MPBR with 180 grain bullets is around 300 yards. Trajectories are similar to the standard .270 and 7mm cartridges with 130-140 grain bullets or the 7mm Magnums with 150-154 grain bullets.
There is little to choose, ballistically, between any of the short action and standard length .300's. However, the standard (.30-06) length magnums feed more reliably and handle the heavier 180-220 grain bullets that are the justification for the existence of all .300 Magnum cartridges better than do the short action .300's. The .300 Win. Mag. is the favorite of most .300 Magnum fans. Short and intermediate length medium bore cartridges These are the most powerful cartridges that most experienced shooters can handle. They are medium range cartridges that normally shoot heavier bullets than the all-around cartridges in the .308 class. Being of larger diameter, their bullets also punch larger holes, a good thing when hunting big animals like elk, red stag and kudu. Naturally, the larger medium bore cartridges (see the next two groups) are better choices for large, dangerous game such as the grizzly, brown and polar bears, but these smaller medium bore cartridges kick less and will suffice very nicely for most purposes.
200-225 grain bullets are most efficient in the short action North American cartridges, although the .358 can handle bullets up to 250 grains. The intermediate length 9.3x57 is typically factory loaded with 232 and 286 grain bullets. Muzzle energies run from about 2750 to 3200 ft. lbs., with the top loads treading on the heels of the standard length medium bore cartridges (see below) The deciding factors between these cartridges are usually nationality and rifle preference. If you are European and favor bolt action rifles, you will probably choose the 9.3x57mm. If you live in North America and favor bolt action rifles, you will probably go for the .338 Federal, but possibly for the .358 Win. If you favor a lever action rifle, you will choose between the .338 Marlin Express (Marlin rifle) and the .358 Winchester (Browning BLR). Standard length and short magnum medium bore cartridges For hunting most species of CXP3 game, such as North American elk, European red stag, Scandinavian moose and large African antelope such as oryx and kudu, these are the cartridges of choice. Included in this group are standard (.30-06) length cartridges and short (.308 length) magnum cartridges, but in terms of field effectiveness there is little difference between the two types. Note that these short magnums are not the "fat" type based on the .404 Jeffery case (WSM, SAUM) and do not have rebated rims. Thus, they feed with normal reliability in repeating rifles.
The .338-06, .35 Whelen and 9.3x62 are standard length cartridges and the .338 RCM and .350 Rem. Mag. are short magnums. All of these cartridges are probably at their best with bullets weighing between 225-232 grains, although--with the exception of the .338 RCM--they can also handle 250 grain bullets if required. The 9.3x62 is typically factory loaded with 232 and 286 grain bullets. Muzzle energies run from about 3200-3800 ft. lbs. As most regular Guns and Shooting Online readers know, I have been a proponent of the .350 Rem. Mag. since its introduction in 1965. The Stars & Stripes factory load that I shoot in my .350 launches a 225 grain Nosler Partition bullet at a MV around 2600 fps from the 22" barrel of my Ruger M77 rifle for about 3377 ft. lbs. of muzzle energy. The MPBR (+/- 3") of that load is 257 yards. Not much that walks on four legs can argue with that! Medium bore magnums These are .30-06 length, magnum cartridges that kick substantially harder than most shooters can comfortably handle. They are suitable for hunting large and dangerous game, although due to local restrictions in some African countries, cartridges of less than .375 diameter may not be legal for hunting lion and CXP4 game.
For the heaviest game, these cartridges are normally used with bullets weighing from 250-300 grains, depending on caliber. Muzzle energy typically runs from 4000-4700 ft. lbs. with bullets having a SD in excess of .300. Unless you are hunting pachyderms, you just do not need more killing power than that. The .338 Win. Mag. is the most popular medium bore cartridge in the world and ammunition is available wherever big and dangerous animals are hunted. It is my personal favorite. The 9.3x64 is popular with European hunters and to an extent in Africa. The .376 Steyr and .358 Norma Mag. appear to be dying and none of the others have set any sales records, although the .375 Ruger is a new cartridge and shows promise. That is the final group of cartridges for which most shooters and hunters have any use and, gentle reader, it brings us to the end of this article. Note: Detailed information about all of the cartridges mentioned in this article, as well as cartridge comparisons, can be found on the Rifle Cartridges page. |
Copyright 2009 by Chuck Hawks. All rights reserved.