Need some cartridge advice

[H0kieengineer]

I’ve got a buddy who is taking me hunting this deer hunting in the fall. I need to buy a rifle, and he suggested getting 300 Win Mag, then talked about how you don’t need range, so get a 30-30, but 300 WM will do it all, but it’s recoil can be harsh so 30-06 would be better, but 300 WM is “God’s cartridge”. At this point, I’m turned around, and need better help.

I live in South Carolina, hunting white tails, not real desire right now to hunt bear, moose, elk, etc. I’d like to still to 30 cal since there seem to be the most options there. What would you get and why?

 

[JJ_Colt45]

If you're set on a 30 caliber the 30-06 is a real versatile round if you may hunt other game down the road. It can shoot a wide variety of bullet weights and will handle any game in North America. The 30-30 is a great brush gun if you aren't planning on taking long range shots and the lever guns handle well in heavy cover, ammo is a bit scarce for it currently in my area.

I guess it would depend on the type of cover you'll be hunting and the distances you might be shooting. The .308 shoots flat with good range and ammo is more available than most calibers in the mess things are in now and would be a solid choice if you're set on a 30 caliber. In my opinion a .300WM is overkill for whitetail and expensive to shoot in comparasion.

If you only plan on hunting whitetails I would look at a smaller caliber that shoots flat. You don't need a large caliber for deer. A .243 is a great deer cartridge and a popular round that is usually not too hard to find. It shoots flat with little recoil. There are some other smaller cartridges for deer sized game I like, but ammo will cost more and can be tough to find these days for many of the less popular calibers.

If you stick to the most popular calibers you'll have better ammo availability and better prices generally. The .243, .270, .308, and 30-06 are easier to find ammo for currently.

 

[Zulus]

306 is my solid choice

 

[1911bphil]

A 30-06 will be enough for any animal in South Carolina. A .308 is essentially a shortened 30-06. There are some differences, but not enough to worry about when shooting a deer. I wish you the best.

 

[H0kieengineer]

A 30-06 will be enough for any animal in South Carolina. A .308 is essentially a shortened 30-06. There are some differences, but not enough to worry about when shooting a deer. I wish you the best.

I was honestly leaning that way. Mil-surp ammo will let me practice marksmanship and save the expensive stuff for hunting.

 

[oldmanwilly]

I voted .30-06 as it's my favorite overall hunting cartridge. But honestly, for a whitetail in the southern US, I think a .22-250 with hot loads is just about perfect. Smaller bullet, going faster with less recoil is a great combination.

 

[gadgetgeek]

Apart from knowing the regulations to ensure that whatever you get will be legally sufficient, the listed options would be fine anywhere. Whatever you can get your hands on and are willing to put the rounds through. I mean, I feel it should go without saying, but, it's a thing. I would probably go with .308 just due to the availability of ammo and loadings, and as you said, mil-surp for trigger time. I'm also presuming you are talking scoped bolt gun. Unless you needed a lot more range, or were recoil adverse, sticking to the middle of the road there is probably the way to go.

 

[Hammer67]

I'd go .308 for sheer versatility and availability. You can get .308 loads on par with factory 30-06 but you can also find it in lighter loads than 30-06 is typically available in.

 

[ferider]

I'd go .308 for sheer versatility and availability. You can get .308 loads on par with factory 30-06 but you can also find it in lighter loads than 30-06 is typically available in.

This. Easiest to get plinker ammo, large variety of bullets and grain available, if needed.

 

[H0kieengineer]

Apart from knowing the regulations to ensure that whatever you get will be legally sufficient, the listed options would be fine anywhere. Whatever you can get your hands on and are willing to put the rounds through. I mean, I feel it should go without saying, but, it's a thing. I would probably go with .308 just due to the availability of ammo and loadings, and as you said, mil-surp for trigger time. I'm also presuming you are talking scoped bolt gun. Unless you needed a lot more range, or were recoil adverse, sticking to the middle of the road there is probably the way to go.

.308 is fine in SC, you just need something more powerful than .22LR. I’m going to be using a scoped bolt gun, and I figure more range time never hurt anyone.

 

[Bloodloss]

.308 for ammo availability alone. I'm seeing a lot of it around right now and it never totally disappeared over the last 2 years. Even if you can't find hunting rounds, it's possible to take target/ NATO rounds and replace the projectile.
If you won't be shooting much past 100 yards, consider a bolt action with iron sights or even having a gunsmith install some. Accurate and repeatable hits are not that difficult at 100 yards and with some practice, you can extend that range.

 

[Bloodloss]

Also, just wanted to mention, if you're not consistently harvesting game at 200+ yards, all the .30 cal cartridges with a higher velocity than .308 can be more of a hinderance than a help. You can end up damaging more meat or even make shot placement more critical because some bullets don't perform well at the high velocities of close ranges.

 

[H0kieengineer]

.308 for ammo availability alone. I'm seeing a lot of it around right now and it never totally disappeared over the last 2 years. Even if you can't find hunting rounds, it's possible to take target/ NATO rounds and replace the projectile.
If you won't be shooting much past 100 yards, consider a bolt action with iron sights or even having a gunsmith install some. Accurate and repeatable hits are not that difficult at 100 yards and with some practice, you can extend that range.

I’d like to get something where I can use irons and a scope, so I’ll probably get a Pic rail with some offset BUIS on. The range can vary widely where I am, <50 to more that 200 yards

 

[H0kieengineer]

Also, just wanted to mention, if you're not consistently harvesting game at 200+ yards, all the .30 cal cartridges with a higher velocity than .308 can be more of a hinderance than a help. You can end up damaging more meat or even make shot placement more critical because some bullets don't perform well at the high velocities of close ranges.

I hadn’t considered that. I did more sitting and waiting than shooting when I used to hunt.

 

[Bloodloss]

I’d like to get something where I can use irons and a scope, so I’ll probably get a Pic rail with some offset BUIS on. The range can vary widely where I am, <50 to more that 200 yards

Right on. I didn't know your experience level with firearms so I was suggesting simplicity. A lot of folks underestimate the value of a good rifle with iron sights. I only began to appreciate them after learning the ins and outs of scopes and experiencing every optical mishap along the way.
Any thoughts on what bolt action yet?

 

[H0kieengineer]

Right on. I didn't know your experience level with firearms so I was suggesting simplicity. A lot of folks underestimate the value of a good rifle with iron sights. I only began to appreciate them after learning the ins and outs of scopes and experiencing every optical mishap along the way.
Any thoughts on what bolt action yet?

Thinking a Savage 110 Tactical with a 24” barrel.

 

[Bloodloss]

Thinking a Savage 110 Tactical with a 24” barrel.

Nice! A little heavy for chasing whitetails. Thinking of building a "do it all" gun?

 

[1911bphil]

That will be a heavy rifle. Consider the weight when you have to carry the rifle and the deer back to your transportation. A medium barrel and 20" long will save a lot of weight.

 

[H0kieengineer]

Nice! A little heavy for chasing whitetails. Thinking of building a "do it all" gun?

Just about. I like the detachable box magazines and that it should be a pretty good target gun, so practicing should be enjoyable and not a chore.

 

[H0kieengineer]

That will be a heavy rifle. Consider the weight when you have to carry the rifle and the deer back to your transportation. A medium barrel and 20" long will save a lot of weight.

8.5 lb before a scope. There is also a 20” version that takes off a pound. I’m going to hunt on a buddies farm, so weight is less of a concern. I can easily leave the rifle, handle the deer, and come back to grab my gun later. Figure the 24” gives me a bit of extra velocity, but I’m open to changing my mind and going with the 20” if it’s worth it.