Thread: Choosing calibre based on ammunition availablitiy

Originally Posted by iambatman

Thanks everyone for the advice. In retrospect, the relative simplicity of Option C should have been a massive hint that getting a .308 was the right choice. I suppose I will just have to pick something else to obsess about until I get licensed.
Also thanks for the good information surrounding lead in the carcass. It sounds like traditional cup and core bullets might be acceptable, which would make it a hell of a lot cheaper. I'll get to on to the missus about it.
Finally, thank you to those who offered to walk me through hand loading. I very much appreciate it.
Thanks, everyone.

IAmBatman - I'm late to this thread but support what everyone else has said. I started with .308, have been around the block trying every other Calibre since and have come back to .308 for my regular hunting!! Its a great Calibre, while using which I have never missed an animal (and this is THE MAIN GOAL right?). The only other Calibre I sometimes use for larger game (e.g. Red Stag, Elk) is 7mm Rem Mag, but I have an absolute canon of an accurate rifle for this projectile, so just like using it.

I suggest you turn your 'obsession' to having the most accurate rifle possible once you get your FAL. Join the NZDA so you have access to a proper Rifle Range. I've gone from a 'shaky' 150m "bush' shooter to a very comfortable up to 400m shooter by putting proper time in at the Range. Being able to comfortably shoot longer-range massively increases your chances of a kill and your overall enjoyment while hunting.

You are correct, this will be my first rifle. I am very much looking forward to it.
Thanks for the advice, Grandapamac.

im loading 150gn soft points for a friend from PMC their $25 per50 projectiles and work really well makes a cheap loaded round

Originally Posted by Kelton

im loading 150gn soft points for a friend from PMC their $25 per50 projectiles and work really well makes a cheap loaded round

Where do you buy these? I use the Dyers which are great and cheap but would like some cheap softpoints for up close too

Originally Posted by Copelli

I suggest you turn your 'obsession' to having the most accurate rifle possible once you get your FAL. Join the NZDA so you have access to a proper Rifle Range. I've gone from a 'shaky' 150m "bush' shooter to a very comfortable up to 400m shooter by putting proper time in at the Range. Being able to comfortably shoot longer-range massively increases your chances of a kill and your overall enjoyment while hunting.

That's is great advice. One question I have, is it important that you practice with the ammo you are intending to shoot game with? I ask this because a quick look at Gun City's website shows 20 rounds of Syraikat FMJ ammo for $30.00. Federal blues are twice as much at $60.00 for 20, Federal Fusions even more expensive at $75.00 for 20.
Can you practice with cheap ammo, sending tonnes of rounds downrange to hone shooting skills, but then sight in and fire a few of what you will hunt with to familiarise yourself with it's ballistics? Or do you realistically need to do all of your practice with the cartridge you will hunt with?

Thanks.

Originally Posted by iambatman

That's is great advice. One question I have, is it important that you practice with the ammo you are intending to shoot game with? I ask this because a quick look at Gun City's website shows 20 rounds of Syraikat FMJ ammo for $30.00. Federal blues are twice as much at $60.00 for 20, Federal Fusions even more expensive at $75.00 for 20.
Can you practice with cheap ammo, sending tonnes of rounds downrange to hone shooting skills, but then sight in and fire a few of what you will hunt with to familiarise yourself with it's ballistics? Or do you realistically need to do all of your practice with the cartridge you will hunt with?

Thanks.

trigger time is great,any trigger time..even plinking with air rifle or .22lr is better than doing none...as to your question,back in SMLE days the point of impact would be way off between different brands of ammunition or bullet weights due to the rear locking action....MOST of rifles in my cabinet will pretty much print all loads in same group,admittedly a larger group than one type but definately coverable by playing card/cellphone at hundy....so go for it.

Originally Posted by iambatman

That's is great advice. One question I have, is it important that you practice with the ammo you are intending to shoot game with? I ask this because a quick look at Gun City's website shows 20 rounds of Syraikat FMJ ammo for $30.00. Federal blues are twice as much at $60.00 for 20, Federal Fusions even more expensive at $75.00 for 20.
Can you practice with cheap ammo, sending tonnes of rounds downrange to hone shooting skills, but then sight in and fire a few of what you will hunt with to familiarise yourself with it's ballistics? Or do you realistically need to do all of your practice with the cartridge you will hunt with?

Thanks.

You most definitely can. And you already have mentioned the different balistics of the rounds. So the fact you are already aware of that is ideal and as long as you use the right data to match the ammo then should be primo. I would say alot of people do similar.

Sight in with your hunting ammo, but you can practice with anything. Just be aware the point of impact may be different, but don't worry about that, you should focus more on group size, which may/probably will also vary between different ammo. Aim (no pun intended) for getting smaller and smaller groups with the same ammo.

Originally Posted by iambatman

That's is great advice. One question I have, is it important that you practice with the ammo you are intending to shoot game with? I ask this because a quick look at Gun City's website shows 20 rounds of Syraikat FMJ ammo for $30.00. Federal blues are twice as much at $60.00 for 20, Federal Fusions even more expensive at $75.00 for 20.
Can you practice with cheap ammo, sending tonnes of rounds downrange to hone shooting skills, but then sight in and fire a few of what you will hunt with to familiarise yourself with it's ballistics? Or do you realistically need to do all of your practice with the cartridge you will hunt with?

Thanks.

it seems intimadaiting but it will probably take you under two boxes to sight in then it only really matters where the first shot goes from that point onwards

22lr is a great way to practice, and with subsonic bullets and a suppressor on it they cause a lot less noise/nabour problems

better again is making some hunting friends and learning off them/using what they have and see if you like it

Originally Posted by iambatman

That's is great advice. One question I have, is it important that you practice with the ammo you are intending to shoot game with? I ask this because a quick look at Gun City's website shows 20 rounds of Syraikat FMJ ammo for $30.00. Federal blues are twice as much at $60.00 for 20, Federal Fusions even more expensive at $75.00 for 20.
Can you practice with cheap ammo, sending tonnes of rounds downrange to hone shooting skills, but then sight in and fire a few of what you will hunt with to familiarise yourself with it's ballistics? Or do you realistically need to do all of your practice with the cartridge you will hunt with?

Thanks.

You dont need to fire live rounds at a range for practice. A snap-cap and 10 minutes every night in the back yard practicing hold and field shooting positions - target aqiured, rifle up and snap off a shot will do more to improve your skills than shooting on a range. Practice until you are fast and the rifle comes up and aligns with the target as an automatic movement.

With the ammo and component shortage I'm starting to think twice about how much ammo I use. I loaded 50 7-08 with 120 Sierra (good bullet) as a cheaper deer and goat load not long ago.

Yesterday I took a Grandson goat culling and we shot a dozen (he shot 8), and I had shot a few over the proceeding days. 22 in total. Plus 4 deer. The odd miss and a few sighting in and only 15 of my "cheap" ammo left - and no 120 sierras left after that. You can burn through it.

As an aside, 17 year old James shot a goat at 500 yards. Grandad yapping ("tutoring") away in his ear helping him get the wind correction right. First shot spot on for elevation but not enough windage. Next shot got it. There's nothing wrong with the dialling of the Signature 3-15.

The 7-08 is a good versatile cartridge but I agree that in the current shortage environment 308 is it.

@iambatman Have you seen the two secondhand 270's for sale on the forum? A remmy and Zastiva. As factory rifles both will benefit from a polish with fine grades of wet and dry, a trigger adjustment and bedding but you will end up with a very good first rifle with either one. If factory ammo is what you will be using there is nothing that a 308 can do better than a 270 except for shooting big cattle beasts. For deer, pigs, goats etc near and far the 270 is easier to hit with. Handloading is over-rated for the average hunter now that a really good range of factory ammo is available IMO.

Originally Posted by iambatman

That's is great advice. One question I have, is it important that you practice with the ammo you are intending to shoot game with? I ask this because a quick look at Gun City's website shows 20 rounds of Syraikat FMJ ammo for $30.00. Federal blues are twice as much at $60.00 for 20, Federal Fusions even more expensive at $75.00 for 20.
Can you practice with cheap ammo, sending tonnes of rounds downrange to hone shooting skills, but then sight in and fire a few of what you will hunt with to familiarise yourself with it's ballistics? Or do you realistically need to do all of your practice with the cartridge you will hunt with?

Thanks.

@iambatman

Avoid that Syarikat ammo! Reading the description gives me goosebumps, 1970's Berdan primed ammo 'been around the world' etc. Having grown up in Malaysia I'd be apprehensive about shooting that stuff when it was new!

Just grab some Federal Blue box and sight your rifle in, check drops and windage out to 200m before heading out.

I believe practise is essential, a .22 rimfire or .223 (if you can find cheap ammo) will be better for that. Might find that shooting your .223 gives you so much confidence that you prefer to hunt with it.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by mikee

If you intend to shoot a little......buy a 308
If you intend to shoot a lot .........buy a 308
If you intend to reload ..................buy a 308
Its not trendy or new but it plain works.

Took me 36 years and buying / using / owning multiple other trendy calibres to work it out!

However if you want a rifle you cant buy ammo or components for .......buy a 6.5 something

Ha! Bet you by 6 years

Agree re the 308.

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

@iambatman Have you seen the two secondhand 270's for sale on the forum? A remmy and Zastiva.

I have browsed the secondhand rifles. I'll have a proper look once I'm licensed and can actually buy something from there.

The 270 is another chambering that sounded good in my reading, but everyone I talked to face to face recommended a 308, as well as most on this forum. I suppose if I buy secondhand then the rifle comes in the caliber it comes in, though if I buy new then I can make the choice. To be honest, I am leaning quite heavily towards the 308.