Thread: Rifle/ caliber opinions for bush and mountain

Hi members.
What's your thoughts on caliber and rifle selection for bush and mountain hunting in South Island?
For bush hunting I'm kinda leaning towards 308

For mountain hunting with potential longer shots in windy conditions the 280ai has caught my eye The 7mm caliber seems to give a good wind deflection/ energy combination and since I'd like to go unsuppressed it kinda rules the magnums out

For rifle selection it's still a blank slate but requirements would be lightweight and stainless

Any insights would be much appreciated Cheers

300 wsm would do everything with authority

Originally Posted by Hornady ELDX

300 wsm would do everything with authority

and give you a bit of a kicking unsuppressed, esp in a light rifle.

I'm sure more than a few of us have spotted near mint 300WSMs for sale "only done 20 rounds"..

The way these threads often end up, not just here, is with votes for so many different cartridges that the OP is kind of overwhelmed. That and - much like Godwin's law and Hitler - someone inevitably starts shitting on 270.

Originally Posted by Pommy

The way these threads often end up, not just here, is with votes for so many different cartridges that the OP is kind of overwhelmed. That and - much like Godwin's law and Hitler - someone inevitably starts shitting on 270.

I think what @Pommy means is get a 270.

Seriously I use a 270win and have shot deer, tahr and wallabies between 5 and 320 metres with a 3-9 scope.

7mm08, boring and very vanilla, but works. 284win ticks alot of boxes if you are a handloader.

Originally Posted by Hunty1

7mm08, boring and very vanilla, but works. 284win ticks alot of boxes if you are a handloader.

+1 as much as I dislike it

Originally Posted by Hunty1

7mm08, boring and very vanilla, but works. 284win ticks alot of boxes if you are a handloader.

Exactly what I was thinking, I have a 280rem (non Ai) and it dose no more than a 7mm08 with factory


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Originally Posted by Steven1

Hi members.
What's your thoughts on caliber and rifle selection for bush and mountain hunting in South Island?
For bush hunting I'm kinda leaning towards 308

For mountain hunting with potential longer shots in windy conditions the 280ai has caught my eye The 7mm caliber seems to give a good wind deflection/ energy combination and since I'd like to go unsuppressed it kinda rules the magnums out

For rifle selection it's still a blank slate but requirements would be lightweight and stainless

Any insights would be much appreciated Cheers

....have you done any hunting before?

Have done quite a bit of hunting before coming over from SA, also done a good couple of trips with mates down here and it'sdefinitely a different game over here.... Had 308 and 30 06 and still have gear for reloading so getting into loading for different calibers won't take too much

The answer is the one you shoot best, and probably the one you already have.
Anything .243 and above will do it with careful shooting, anything above 7mm will do it will some assurance.
If you’re new to the game and want light, do not go with anything that has magnum in the name. Something T3 weight I’d suggest .270 max, to help you place shots well. The recoil can start to get up with light rigs, and doesn’t help when you’re shooting from weird positions up in the mountains.

.270 and suppress it...job done. yip there might be calibres that do it better....and faster...and with less noise,recoil,terminal mess.....but few that will do it with less fuss or bother.
If I didnt own a .270 it would be either a .308 or a 30/06 for eggzachary the same reasons.
pick your load for task at hand and you simply will not look back,take out the front wheels and animals will pile up and go nowhere..... job done.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

.270 and suppress it...job done. yip there might be calibres that do it better....and faster...and with less noise,recoil,terminal mess.....but few that will do it with less fuss or bother.
If I didnt own a .270 it would be either a .308 or a 30/06 for eggzachary the same reasons.
pick your load for task at hand and you simply will not look back,take out the front wheels and animals will pile up and go nowhere..... job done.

If you shoot for the front legs then a number of cartridges will do the job but if you are a meat hunter like me and go for the lungs then I would go 30/06 then 270 for the shock power. At the longer distances with anything slow your going to need a dog to find a lot of them. Just my opinion


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I've been following a very worthwhile channel on youtube called "Backfire" where the guys do real world unsponsored reviews on rifles and cartridges plus loads of handy comparisons and I'm quite set on the 280ai for a mountain setup caliber as I still have reloading equipment but that'll be reserved for later. As pointed out by few members the ol 308 does tick alot of boxes for me but so does the 30 06 except for added recoil on lightweight setup. Having had a brno ZG47 in 30 06 the recoil was quite manageable but it was also a heavier rifle. Good thing was just the versatility as I loaded 220gr for close bush and 180grs for longer range work. Guess I may have to take the scientific approach and flip a coin on that. Thanks for everyone taking the time to share their thoughts and experiences, really enjoyed the feedback!

45/70 GOVT and a big lobbing sight.