Cartridge production vs. rifle caliber future

[Jbaldwin40]

It is the opinion of many people that the best option for deer/pronghorn is in the .257 caliber. I'm one of these people. 25-06 is my pick in the category because it's economical, easy to find (pre COVID), easy to load for and find supplies for (you can use any old 30-06 or 270 brass converted), flat shooting, has enough oomph out to 4-500 yards (if you so wish to shoot that far), and it's easy on the shoulder.
You can varmint if you ever get the urge, and it's enough for elk in a pinch, as well -- provided you use the right bullet and shot placement. Can't go wrong with it.
Plus, .257's a growing market, or at least it is in my neck of the woods.

If all that doesn't persuade you, the perfect deer bullet-- the Nosler Ballistic Tip-- is a real purdy shade of blue in .257.

I'm not fond of the ballistic tip after a couple bad experiences. Didn't leave a good blood trail, not very good penetration, took an extended amount of time to track deer, and lots of bloodshot when the deer were processed. Pulled all of the ballistic tips and reloaded with accubonds. Difference was night and day. Penetrated through the deer, good blood trail, deer were dead between 50 and 70 yards, substantially less bloodshot. 257 Wby Magnum.

 

[Don Fischer]

Reloading.... sounds like you guys are advocating for another expensive hobby. I tend to collect those and my bank account has the battle scars to attest it. That said, I have started reading up on the basics. Never thought I'd even consider it, but it seems like a pretty reasonable path given the state of things.

Ya know, I started reloading with a Lee handloader, you know the hammer type set. Cost me about $9 back then. Only about one thing I couldn't do with it and get the same ammo I get today I think, full length/partial re-size. Not required to use those little dipper's, use a scale! I suspect you could also adjust seating depth with some shims also. Bit more involved? Maybe but the end result could be the same for farless money. Actually if someone bought a press and only needed tools and held of on all the shooting, it sould still be a lot less expensive! What makes it expensive mostly is humans looking for perfection!

 

[Don Fischer]

Those having a problem finding 30-06 ammo I have a solution. Re-load and cast your own bullet's. I have a good number of jacketed bullet's for my 30-06 but if I needed I also have a mold for 180gr 30 cal bullets and several hundred 1# ingots of lead!

 

[hank4elk]

Those having a problem finding 30-06 ammo I have a solution. Re-load and cast your own bullet's. I have a good number of jacketed bullet's for my 30-06 but if I needed I also have a mold for 180gr 30 cal bullets and several hundred 1# ingots of lead!

OK.
But I'm still waiting for the -06 loader set up that my bro promised to send me,10 years ago. LOL
And There is the little problem of the other components that one needs like power, primers.
Hell, I'd pour my own copper at this point.

I chose the 30-06 to stick with 35 years ago, for ammo availability. That and it works.
Guess I should have gotten the hoard word years ago and stocked up.

I would pick up a 308 if I was starting over again. And hoard.

 

[PawPawWPG]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I’d like to buy a decent rifle here soon (southern Michigan, so already have my straight-wall) and had settled on the 7mm/o8, but also would like to be able to load for it going forward.

 

[FLS]

One of the best moves I ever made was buying a 223 bolt gun. Cheap to feed and fun to shoot and components aren’t too hard to find.
Same could be said for the 308.

 

[WildWill]

OK.
But I'm still waiting for the -06 loader set up that my bro promised to send me,10 years ago. LOL
And There is the little problem of the other components that one needs like power, primers.
Hell, I'd pour my own copper at this point.

I chose the 30-06 to stick with 35 years ago, for ammo availability. That and it works.
Guess I should have gotten the hoard word years ago and stocked up.

I would pick up a 308 if I was starting over again. And hoard.

Optics planet has 30-06 Nosler 180gr Partitions in stock. Just got 4 boxes in a week ago.

 

[hank4elk]

Optics planet has 30-06 Nosler 180gr Partitions in stock. Just got 4 boxes in a week ago.

Mine likes 165's but that will work.
So optic places can get it and...nevermind.

 

[buffybr]

One of the best moves I ever made was buying a 223 bolt gun. Cheap to feed and fun to shoot and components aren’t too hard to find.
Same could be said for the 308.

That's why a few years ago I bought both a .223 and a .308 bolt guns (Weatherby Vanguards). Brass is plentiful and FREE at the range, there are several mail order places where I can still buy lots of 1000 of .223 bullets for a little over $0.10 each and .308 bullets for under $0.35 each. 8# kegs of CFE 223 and Varget will fill a lot of .223 and .308 rounds and I stilll have a few thousand large and small rifle primers from pre Biden days.

I don't blast away ammo as fast as you can pull the trigger of their AR's like I often see at our range, but I love ringing the 200, 300, and 430 yard steel gongs at our range every week with my bolt guns.

 

[LopeHunter]

I think you all should switch to flintlock and learn to knap and homebrew gunpowder. Just sayin', it's the best guarentee you will get for the future.

Be sure to get a pot to piss in. Hard to homebrew blackpowder if don't have a pot to piss in.

 

[Don Fischer]

Sounds like you can find 308 bullet's without problem just not 30-06 bullet's. guess what both use the same bullets. I suspect this is another one of those things where someone is calling loaded ammunition bullet's rather than ammunition. The bullet is the thing sticking out the end of the case, not the whole cartridge. 20 cartridges in a box equals a box of ammunition in some certain cartridge. The cartridge is the case, bullet, powder and primer, not the dia of the bullet. A 30cal rifle, or even a .308 cal rifle could be anything from the smallest 30 cal cartridge to the biggest. 30 cal or .308 cal describes the diameter of the bullet.

 

[buffybr]

Sounds like you can find 308 bullet's without problem just not 30-06 bullet's. guess what both use the same bullets. I suspect this is another one of those things where someone is calling loaded ammunition bullet's rather than ammunition. The bullet is the thing sticking out the end of the case, not the whole cartridge. 20 cartridges in a box equals a box of ammunition in some certain cartridge. The cartridge is the case, bullet, powder and primer, not the dia of the bullet. A 30cal rifle, or even a .308 cal rifle could be anything from the smallest 30 cal cartridge to the biggest. 30 cal or .308 cal describes the diameter of the bullet.

Yep, I load cartridges for my .308s and my .300 Weatherby with bullets from the same box.