Favorite "Do it all" rifle caliber

[big honkin jeep]

Pretty sure most everyone would agree that a 12 gauge shotgun would be the most versatile firearm ever created. Not much else that even comes close.
So I made this about rifle calibers.

When putting together a "Do it all" rifle to meet my needs for just kicking around the woods in and out of trucks, 4 wheelers, tractors, and just leaning in the corner at camp I chose a .308 and cut the rifle down into a carbine.
What's your favorite that covers most of your needs? Any specific reason why?

[CBIshooter]

9 inch. 300 BLACKOUT AR with suppressor
220grn. SMK

[psharon97]

The rifle caliber that meets most of my needs would be a 260 remington. I can form brass really easily if I'm in a pinch, can take it out to 1400 yards if need be, flat shooting, just does everything I need it to do. 6.5 Creedmoor would also be a another caliber I would go with.

[celltech]

I have stuck to the trinity of .223/.243/.308 Overall the .243 is the most versatile with the wide range of bullet weights I can load...and it does not beat you up from shooting it. But it's not cheap to shoot compared to the others.

[BB68]

243 would probably be the most practical, as I think all states with centerfire deer seasons allow them. The states that dont have a minimum caliber requirement then I would pick a 22-250 which is my favorite. The biggest benefit it has, largest cartridge you can watch bullet impact with, which is a must on a p. dog town.

I gave my son a 243 for his first rifle because of the deer hunting issue and yet provides days of blasting prairie dogs with ease too.

[Stumpkiller]

One for all? Everything from running bunnies and flushing grouse or flying geese to moose? Hmmmmm.

What I do use for grouse to deer is a 16 gauge. But mine happens to be a flintlock single shot fowling gun. ;-)

I guess a shotgun with multiple barrels would do. My 11-87 can do upland game with a vent rib to deer at 250 yards with a Hastings full-rifled barrel with 4X scope.

Thank God I don't have to use just one. I thing six is about minimum to "do it all" properly.

I also note that I have killed everything from grouse and bunnies up to whitetail with my recurve bows. ;-) A lot of fun, too. Guys like Ben Pearson and Howard Hill took mice to elephants to flying ducks and large fish with bows. That's why I keep my skills honed with a bow (practice almost daily year-round). No one knows when you are using a bow. Especially a quiet traditional bow.

[Robinhood]

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[yobuck]

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Gotta admire the workmanship at least lol.

But the original question wouldn't be one id care to live with.
Sorta like asking a bass fisherman what his favorite lure is.
Or a mechanic his favorite wrench size.
If I lived in Alaska I think id be apt to say 30/06.
living in New Mexico it might be a 6.5 or a 25/06.
I think rifles are more like lures or wrenches, one size just don't work at least for me.

[Travis98146]

Just about anything in .50 cal. BMG. That way you are safe if attacked by an elephant or just want to shoot that quail over there.

[want2ride]

7x57 or 6.5 creedmoor. They can take just about anything.

[Frontier Gear]

Favorite do all for what and for where? Is ammo availability a factor? If so, then I would say 308. You can head shot a rabbit at 100 yards with a 308 and still have all the meat for stew. Otherwise I would probably say 6.5 Grendel, 7mm-08 or 30-30 for this area (depending on if I wanted it in an AR, bolt action or lever action). Most of the animals around here can be easily taken with those three calibers. The 243 is a bit too small of a projectile for my taste. I prefer something over 110 grains.

[obssd1958]

I'm on the 30-06 train. Bullet weights from 100gr. to 220gr., in bolt action, pump, or semi-auto (full auto if you can afford the tariff). Capable of taking just about any game.
Doesn't get much better!

[Orr89rocz]

Tough question. Lol. In PA, the only things to hunt with rifle are deer, coyote/fox, and bear and i dont hunt bear nor do i chase coyotes. My latest build was suppose to be my do it all deer rifle, capable of stand hunting, spot n stalk and longer field range work if need be but gun turned out slightly heavier than what i wanted. Still not bad tho. Its a 20” barreled 257 roberts with a boyds laminate on it. Can use for varmints as well if need be. 87-120 grain bullet range capable of anything i will encounter, even short range elk if i ever go

[JASmith]

If “everything” means hunting any animal on earth, then what would we use for whales?

If we restrict to land animals, then one needs to search for the minimum caliber allowed for larger animals. I think some African countries require at least the .375 Magnum. My dad used his for rabbits too.

If we constrain to the North American continent, then a 30-06 / .308 are good bear medicine and get used on the occasional mouse.

The lower 48 is 6.5 country.

The .243 is all-purpose medicine south of the Mason-Dixon line.

...and the deer in Texas tend to like the .223.

The guy who said “12 Gage”;is closest to covering all land animals, especially if it is equipped with an adjustable choke that accommodates launching slugs and sabots.

[Frontier Gear]

I'm on the 30-06 train. Bullet weights from 100gr. to 220gr., in bolt action, pump, or semi-auto (full auto if you can afford the tariff). Capable of taking just about any game.
Doesn't get much better!

I like the 30-06, and a one caliber "do-all" rifle. I'm just not sold on the idea that a wide variety of bullet weights is going to help me any. In my experience, most rifles don't like all bullet weights and even if it does, they do not all have the same POI. So it's not like I can load 220gr ammo in my rifle for elk and then switch to 100gr for coyote and expect to hit the dog at 200 yards. I'd probably miss unless I re-sight in my rifle. At which point, I would have been better off with having two different rifles. Sure, I can kill a coyote with a 220gr 30-06, but I may as well forget selling the hide. Not to mention that the recoil is quite stout for shooting small game. I guess what I'm saying is that a wide variety of bullet weights isn't as important to me as having the "correct" bullet weight. Correct meaning one that is accurate, heavy enough for the "larger" game of the intended area, and isn't going to punish my shoulder unnecessarily. I live in Washington state and JASmith has the right idea. Medium power and medium bore is about perfect for most animals in this area. Grizzly bear and moose being the exceptions but you aren't allowed to shoot those anyways (your only allowed one moose tag per person, per lifetime if you are lucky enough to draw a tag).

[mudpig]

I like the 270. It'll get the job done from varmints to bear/elk. Shoots flat and not much recoil. :D

[Orr89rocz]

I like the 30-06, and a one caliber "do-all" rifle. I'm just not sold on the idea that a wide variety of bullet weights is going to help me any. In my experience, most rifles don't like all bullet weights and even if it does, they do not all have the same POI. So it's not like I can load 220gr ammo in my rifle for elk and then switch to 100gr for coyote and expect to hit the dog at 200 yards. I'd probably miss unless I re-sight in my rifle. At which point, I would have been better off with having two different rifles. Sure, I can kill a coyote with a 220gr 30-06, but I may as well forget selling the hide. Not to mention that the recoil is quite stout for shooting small game. I guess what I'm saying is that a wide variety of bullet weights isn't as important to me as having the "correct" bullet weight. Correct meaning one that is accurate, heavy enough for the "larger" game of the intended area, and isn't going to punish my shoulder unnecessarily. I live in Washington state and JASmith has the right idea. Medium power and medium bore is about perfect for most animals in this area. Grizzly bear and moose being the exceptions but you aren't allowed to shoot those anyways (your only allowed one moose tag per person, per lifetime if you are lucky enough to draw a tag).
Well with regard to bullet weights and poi, if you handload and can find good loads that work with a variety of bullet weights, you can shoot them all and note poi groups. You can have a scope with a zero setting for one load and a hand book of adjustments required for the other loads. Quickly adjust and get back to zero for your base load fairly easily

[Frontier Gear]

I just ordered a Savage Axis II compact in 7mm-08 to be made into a jeep gun. Kind of the same thing as a "do-all" rifle. Our town gets its water from up in the national forest. The water comes down in wooden pipes. Its been that way since 1905. Most of the wooden pipes have been sleeved with PVC now, but you can still see the wood in places. You drive as far you can in a Jeep or ATV, then you hike in about 1/4 to 1/2 mile the rest of the way on a goat trail to the water source. I have to go part way up there at least once a day to keep things maintained. During the spring run off we have to go all the way up almost daily and check on the source. Bears, cougars, coyotes and wolves are all prevalent in the area. In the past I've carried a 1911 or .44 mag for protection and a small .22lr rifle or Ruger Mark 4 for grouse during the season. I'd like to pack a small rifle though that would double as bear defense and as coyote medicine. Then I would ditch the side arm (except for the .22 pistol during grouse season).

The new Axis II is pretty impressive for the money and should fit the bill well as a short and lightweight rifle for my daily water inspections. It will most likely get a small scope or a red dot and the barrel may loose a few inches. I like the new stocks on them. The triggers are nice and the magazines are much better than the Ruger American rotary mags.

https://i.ibb.co/G7qkTW9/IMG-4746.jpg (https://ibb.co/gyxwVSd)

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https://i.ibb.co/9NzQSFH/IMG-4765.jpg (https://ibb.co/mG1fgL5)

[squirrelsniper]

I have to choose the 308. The 243 and 6.5 Creedmoor are definitely in the running, but I pick the 308 due to the ability to go up in bullet weight and hunt anything in the lower 48.

[BillC.]

.375 H&H. anything big or small anywhere in the world out to 300yds. does not expand on thin skin, does not damage meat. just a bit heavy for a mountain rifle