Thread: Calibre for goats and occasional deer?

A handful of guys I know and have been out with that spend more time hunting than quiet a few of us put together including me just use 308 its not very trendy but it just does the job they are one rifle guys who don't have a collection for every different animal they will shoot and they just use factory ammo

Exactly what deer243 said, totally agree, start smaller and learn to shoot, .243 is an awesome round or .223 for that matter. No need to go big ... Worst thing you could do is jump into a big caliber like a .270 . 308 and develop a flinch

.243 all the way man. Hornady 95g sst's and go hunting.

308 is not a "big" or hard kicking caliber. Thousands of kiwi hunters learnt to hunt and shoot with lightened 303 smle with steel or brass butplates.

308 is a fantastic learners caliber,cheap ammunition available anywhere and modest recoil.

However for mostly goats I would recommend the 223 even cheaper to shoot and almost non existent recoil while still being plenty of power for the job.

For shooting goats I would choose a .223 any day. Also .223 is a good calibre for deer as well. I have shot many deer using a .223

I always laugh at a .308 or .270 being referred to as a big banger or big kicker! Seriously, harden up!

You could do a lot worse than this

Tikka M690 RH 6.5x55SE | Trade Me

Maybe a tad more expensive on ammo, but it's not exactly a bankbreaker of a round, and there's probably several chaps on here who would help you load for it, making it lots cheaper. Just my $0.02

Originally Posted by Tommy

You could do a lot worse than this

Tikka M690 RH 6.5x55SE | Trade Me

Maybe a tad more expensive on ammo, but it's not exactly a bankbreaker of a round, and there's probably several chaps on here who would help you load for it, making it lots cheaper. Just my $0.02

shit thats nice im a 6.5 man

243 over a 270 and there are many reasons for that decision.

if you are mainly looking at goats the .223 is great and cheap to run as is the .308 or the 7.62x39mm if ranges are going to be short.

7.62x39 or 44mag will do the damage on goats deer an pigs at close range and be cheap to run too. Other wise slightly longer ranges 243 708 or 308 or 3006 if ya feel the need. Not 270 or a tikka.

Definately .308 i just got a 100 rounds from the russians in wanganui for $118 including postage and I rate that shit over a lot of brands youll pay $40-50 for 20. Recoil isnt noticeable.

If your a new shooter and planning on shooting goats its most likely after your first shot, the rest of your shots will be either trying to hit a moving target or making a quick shot while the animal pauses, bigger calibers dont make you a better shooter but they give you a bigger margin of error.

In terms or meat damage a bigger caliber is not necessarily going to bugger your meat, for instance I shot a 60lb pig on friday night, 50m broadside on straight behind the shoulder, slotted perfectly between 2 ribs, obliterated the internals, no exit 0% damage.

Ive owned 223, 243 and 270 before i got a .308 and never looked back, ill be the first to tell you Im not a perfect shot but the my current rifle- rem700 sps 308 with factory iron sights hasnt failed to drop anything ive pointed it at in the last 7 years

Hey MightyBoosh, I agree with the guys who say "don't go too big too soon" but if you've done a lot of shotgun shooting you will likely know how recoil-sensitive you are.

I'd say it's between the .223 .243 and .308...only reason I leave the .270 out is that it burns a lot of powder for the bore size and will be hard on your barrel if bombing-up goats. Speaking from experience!

If you hate recoil and want to shoot a lot of cheap ammo get a .223

If you tolerate recoil OK and want to shoot a lot of cheap ammo get a .308

If you don't mind a little bit of recoil and want the ideal calibre for goats + odd deer get a .243...ammo is more expensive. Try the Partizan or Highland or Winchester "3 boxes for $90" deals.

Perhaps someone could let you shoot a typical lightweight .308 (eg.Tikka T3) and see how you go.

If you read the original post he said between 243 and 270
That leaves either 308 or 6.5
I would go the 6.5 for accuracy, reliability and cost/availability of ammo

Remember opinions are like arseholes

The top one 308 T3 Tikka. Short as . Gunworks specially build suppresser. 125 Noslers going real fast
Light as ,accurate as and hits real hard . Also loves the Belmont HP 130s
Nothing survives this baby !! Shoot off the shoulder no problems .
Recoil non existent with light fast loads. A not too expensive semi custom
very usable and accurate .



The bottom is same but not as short or cool as the top one

The Belmont ammo is so cheap I have been known to shoot Rabbits with it