hugh hickey Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Hi all on pigeon watch I need some help I have just got my firearms paper work sorted and I do not know what caliber gun to go for I will be shooting fox and small deer mainly and then on to some reds maybe a 30.06 or a 243 rifle any help on this matter would be great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckyshot Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Fox and small deer 243, large amount of red deer 243 or above. 308 being a very popular choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghosthunter Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 As above, a 308 would probably be a good all rounder and you can change round to suit quarry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 As above, a 308 would probably be a good all rounder and you can change round to suit quarry. :hmm: a 308 would probably be a good all rounder Am I missing something? I run, .223, .243 and .308 and have been shooting in about every situation you can imagine over the last 40+ years, my .308 next to never comes out for ANY deer, its primary use is Target and Boar, certainly a long way from a good all rounder in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruity Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 Never rule out a .270 imho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 :hmm: a 308 would probably be a good all rounder Am I missing something? I run, .223, .243 and .308 and have been shooting in about every situation you can imagine over the last 40+ years, my .308 next to never comes out for ANY deer, its primary use is Target and Boar, certainly a long way from a good all rounder in my opinion. My 308 was versatile mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew f Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 I use my 308 for most things the 243 doesnt see much work anymore. I dont need 150 grain bullets to knock over bambi or charlie 123 grains do it perfectly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB1954 Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 Never rule out a .270 imho +1. Consider 270 with 130 grain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 If I could only have one CF it would be a 308. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neutron619 Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 If I could only have one CF it would be a 308. +1. Never had a problem with versatility with a .308. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 (edited) My 308 was versatile mate. <script pagespeed_no_defer="">//=d.offsetWidth&&0>=d.offsetHeight)a=!1;else{c=d.getBoundingClientRect();var f=document.body;a=c.top+("pageYOffset"in window?window.pageYOffset:(document.documentElement||f.parentNode||f).scrollTop);c=c.left+("pageXOffset"in window?window.pageXOffset:(document.documentElement||f.parentNode||f).scrollLeft);f=a.toString()+","+c;b.b.hasOwnProperty(f)?a=!1:(b.b[f]=!0,a=a<=b.e.height&&c<=b.e.width)}a&&(b.a.push(e),b.d[e]=!0)};p.prototype.checkImageForCriticality=function(b){b.getBoundingClientRect&&q(this,b)};h("pagespeed.CriticalImages.checkImageForCriticality",function(b){n.checkImageForCriticality(b)});h("pagespeed.CriticalImages.checkCriticalImages",function(){r(n)});var r=function(b){b.b={};for(var d=["IMG","INPUT"],a=[],c=0;c=a.length+e.length&&(a+=e)}b.g&&(e="&rd="+encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify(s())),131072>=a.length+e.length&&(a+=e),d=!0);t=a;if(d){c=b.f;b=b.h;var f;if(window.XMLHttpRequest)f=new XMLHttpRequest;else if(window.ActiveXObject)try{f=new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP")}catch(k){try{f=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP")}catch(u){}}f&&(f.open("POST",c+(-1==c.indexOf("?")?"?":"&")+"url="+encodeURIComponent(b)),f.setRequestHeader("Content-Type","application/x-www-form-urlencoded"),f.send(a))}}},s=function(){var b={},d=document.getElementsByTagName("IMG");if(0==d.length)return{};var a=d[0];if(!("naturalWidth"in a&&"naturalHeight"in a))return{};for(var c=0;a=d[c];++c){var e=a.getAttribute("pagespeed_url_hash");e&&(!(e in b)&&0=b[e].k&&a.height>=b[e].j)&&(b[e]={rw:a.width,rh:a.height,ow:a.naturalWidth,oh:a.naturalHeight})}return b},t="";h("pagespeed.CriticalImages.getBeaconData",function(){return t});h("pagespeed.CriticalImages.Run",function(b,d,a,c,e,f){var k=new p(b,d,a,e,f);n=k;c&&m(function(){window.setTimeout(function(){r(k)},0)})});})();pagespeed.CriticalImages.Run('/mod_pagespeed_beacon','http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/index.php?s=3364b4aebae2181dec36c0f300bde93f&app=forums&module=ajax§ion=topics&do=quote&t=317359&p=2873807&md5check=3c24d729d2dffd19cd0362b759c70261&isRte=1,l8PuqRhht8,true,false,4xLbHlCxtSw');//]]></script> &&0 You can kill a Rat and a Red with a .50, and an RPG as well, that doesn't mean they are "a good all rounder"! I've shot Pigeon and rabbit with my .308 as well, that doesn't make it "a good all rounder"! I can think of a lot better calibres for probably everything except possibly Boar. I don't even rate it "a good all rounder" for Deer! And definitely not if you start bringing in rabbit, geese, fox, etc! Such is life, perhaps it's simply because I have a lot of rifles to chose from! Edited July 29, 2015 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pothunter Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 If I could only have one CF it would be a 308. +2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 You can kill a Rat and a Red with a .50, and an RPG as well, that doesn't mean they are "a good all rounder"! I've shot Pigeon and rabbit with my .308 as well, that doesn't make it "a good all rounder"! I can think of a lot better calibres for probably everything except possibly Boar. I don't even rate it "a good all rounder" for Deer! And definitely not if you start bringing in rabbit, geese, fox, etc! Such is life, perhaps it's simply because I have a lot of rifles to chose from! Sure, but I got fed up feeding them all.I did use the 308 for rabbit, sub loaded. It worked well. Here is a fox I got while rabbiting with it. Sub ammo loaded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghosthunter Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 Am I missing something? Possibly but I don't know you personally Joking aside, which "one calibre fits all" would you suggest to make a useful contribution to this thread and help the OP? ...and, why not a 308? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 (edited) Possibly but I don't know you personally Joking aside, which "one calibre fits all" would you suggest to make a useful contribution to this thread and help the OP? ...and, why not a 308? There is no "one calibre fits all", if there was there would only be one calibre. However, as mentioned in the OP a .243 or 30-06 would be closer to answering the specific question than a .308. The .243 is probably the best long range fox calibre available and ALL deer legal. Even the Latest Home Office guide does NOT list the .308 suitable for grant on fox, and all the smaller deer are now legal with .22centrefires (refer to the Deer Act Amendment), including Roe in Scotland. On top of which many years experience also says to me a .308 would NOT "be a good all rounder". So that seems to blow away the .308. But hey, what do I know, you obviously do rate the .308 "a good all rounder". Good luck to you, perhaps you would care to share your .308 rifle pictures, and pictures of the vast range of quarry you have shot with it, all your reloading recipes for ligher and heavier loads would also be appreciated so we can all learn something! Have a nice day! Edited July 29, 2015 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 I have been a one gun stalker for many years . For many years I used the mighty .270 and for many years I used the venerable .308 . Both these calibres are without a doubt the only gun you will ever want to shoot any deer in Europe . I also used both calibres for fox ,as my brief was always to shoot a fox before a deer . There are 3 estates in Norfolk that I know of that won't allow .243 to be used on red deer . If you intend to be a one gun stalker then you ought to seriously consider the mighty .270 or the venerable .308 . Harnser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 :hmm: a 308 would probably be a good all rounder Am I missing something? I run, .223, .243 and .308 and have been shooting in about every situation you can imagine over the last 40+ years, my .308 next to never comes out for ANY deer, its primary use is Target and Boar, certainly a long way from a good all rounder in my opinion. May be you should use your .308 it a bit more on deer and then you will realise what a good round it is for deer . Harnser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pothunter Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 I have been a one gun stalker for many years . For many years I used the mighty .270 and for many years I used the venerable .308 . Both these calibres are without a doubt the only gun you will ever want to shoot any deer in Europe . I also used both calibres for fox ,as my brief was always to shoot a fox before a deer . There are 3 estates in Norfolk that I know of that won't allow .243 to be used on red deer . If you intend to be a one gun stalker then you ought to seriously consider the mighty .270 or the venerable .308 . Harnser That's about the size of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 For along time I only had 2 rifles 22lr and a 308 Win 22 dealt with most small things, the 308 did everything else including a trip to Africa, and casual targets. I replaced my 308 for a while as I was fixing more than stalking with a 243 wish I'd kept the 308. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superspark Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 If you can aford it have several calibres then you can use what best fits your quarry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 This was not my first 308, they didn't have digital cameras when I had my first one. This last one I had five loads ranging from 110grn bullets and 150 gen and 170grn. It harvest rabbits for a game dealer on stormy nights! My first one a PH safari I think I use to reload RW Green fmj backwards and Speer 125grn TNT. Speer hot core 150grn. Hornady 165grn spire point BT interlocks. Mostly on Hercules powders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redgum Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 Hi all on pigeon watch I need some help I have just got my firearms paper work sorted and I do not know what caliber gun to go for I will be shooting fox and small deer mainly and then on to some reds maybe a 30.06 or a 243 rifle any help on this matter would be great Being realistic, you will have to decide on what you have access to shoot and what the police decide you have good reason to possess. Maybe start with a 223 for fox and small deer and put a variation in for a 308 for reds, if you are not going to shoot reds in the very near future it maybe a good idea to put in for a .22lr or hmr just to get the variation so it will not cost you anything when you go for a larger rifle, just changing the variation. You been on the holly berries again Dekers. 308 is a cracking deer rifle, especially for the woodland stalker who may sometimes need the claret to follow, but I just remembered, all your beasts drop on the spot Dekers, it must be the way you load for that 243. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghosthunter Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 There is no "one calibre fits all", if there was there would only be one calibre. One calibre to fit all the OP's needs. However, as mentioned in the OP a .243 or 30-06 would be closer to answering the specific question than a .308. I would like to point you towards a generic ballistics chart for both the 308 and 30-06 however with all your wealth of knowledge I'm sure you will already know (and remember he wants to shoot fox with it too): 30-06 http://gundata.org/blog/post/30-06-ballistics-chart/ 308 http://gundata.org/blog/post/308-ballistics-chart/ The .243 is probably the best long range fox calibre available and ALL deer legal. Excellent, now were getting somewhere. You made a constructive comment. Thankyou. Even the Latest Home Office guide does NOT list the .308 suitable for grant on fox, and all the smaller deer are now legal with .22centrefires (refer to the Deer Act Amendment), including Roe in Scotland. On top of which many years experience also says to me a .308 would NOT "be a good all rounder". So that seems to blow away the .308. OP isn't asking for a grant purely for fox. He has a list of quarry. But hey, what do I know, you obviously do rate the .308 "a good all rounder". Yes I do. Its my opinion and you are welcome to yours. That's what makes the UK a free country. Good luck to you, perhaps you would care to share your .308 rifle pictures, and pictures of the vast range of quarry you have shot with it, all your reloading recipes for ligher and heavier loads would also be appreciated so we can all learn something! I don't do "pictures" or anything else that links me to anything that may be deemed as socially unacceptable especially on a public forum. Plus I'm really not photogenic. Pictures didn't do Dr. Walter Palmer any good did they now. Oh, and I certainly don't reload anything whatsoever. I don't have the time or patience for anything like that. Have a nice day! My initial comment seems to have offended you Sir! Rather than trying to make me one of your targets, why not try others on here who also have given a thumbs up for a 308. Have a nice day yourself. Happy hunting/Pest controlling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redgum Posted July 30, 2015 Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 My initial comment seems to have offended you Sir! Rather than trying to make me one of your targets, why not try others on here who also have given a thumbs up for a 308. Have a nice day yourself. Happy hunting/Pest controlling! What you have to remember is this is the internet ghosthunter, Dekers is not what you may think, I know for a fact that he is a spotty faced teenager who just wishes he could hit something with his gat gun, just another internet nurd, he has been reasonably quiet of late, probably because he's been revising for his sats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted July 30, 2015 Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 May be you should use your .308 it a bit more on deer and then you will realise what a good round it is for deer . Harnser Why would I need to do that, I don't have any problem with my .243 on any deer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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