5 Best Cartridges & Calibers for New Hunters
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22-250 is a great round I used it to kill many of deer
Nothing listed accomplishes what a 7-33NOSLER WILDCAT CAN EXAMPLE A 190GRN A-tip seated fits out of the powder column in the shorter fatter nosler case loaded into a AICS detachable magazine thar only has a id length of 3.760" from a 30" barrel the 7-33 nosler launches 190 grn bullets G1 BC .838 at 3,200fps This out does all of the cartridges on this video delivering 1000FPE @1 mile (1760 yards) fact,
did you mean 6mm ? instead of 6.5 creedmoor ?
I have a pinned response from a backfire account.. Is it a scam?
amigo subtitule en español
If someone doesn't have cash to burn I always suggest 308, 270, 30-06, 6.5 creedmoor, 7mm-08 in that order. If they end up really enjoying hunting and shooting, down the road you can open up to 280AI, 6.5PRC, 7 Rem Mag, etc. If you're just hunting white tails, 243 is also a great way to go.
I started out with the 30:06 back in '80 when I started deer hunting. When the ammo shortage hit, went with the .308 Winchester,....not a complaint about that cartridge either, can find it nearly everywhere in my neck of the woods, '06, can still be missing from the store shelves.
.243 win is a great deer cartridge. Necked down.308 . The 30/06 is still the best do all cartridge that is available everywhere
Why would a new hunter buy into an archaic platform?
@@thedalillama simply because it works and is proven.
You are one of the few channels that makes these types of videos based on experience and logic, rather than reading some ads or blog posts and assembling opinions on it so good on you for that.
We have draw in youth hunts where I live and you should see what the dads bring out for their kids to shoot. 300 mags, 7 mags and all kinds of cannons just to shoot a white tail at no more than 200 yards max. I've seen them drop the gun when it goes off or flinch so bad that they miss by a mile. A .243 or a 22-250 is just about right for young people. Flame me all you want but theres no need in making a kid hunt with something thats gonna punish them.
200 yd Max you are spot on with those two choices. No need to ruin a new Hunter because of dad's ego in needing to have a big cartridge. I ruined my oldest boy for hunting by making him shoot a 30-06. It was just too darn big for him at the time. All because I was too cheap to go buy a new rifle.
Those are great choices. I would add a suppressed(if your state allows hunting with a suppressor)6.5 Grendel in a light bolt action. I have one for my "grandkids" to use, but I may claim it before they are old enough. Around 7 lbs, including the suppressor. The bare gun weighs 4 lb 10 ounces.
That's probably why back in the day, the .30-30 was a lot of people's first deer rifles.
Why would anyone "flame" that opinion? My first deer gun (6 or so) was a 30.06 and I know it made me flinch as a kid. Any time I shot a .270 or .243 I was more accurate.
A few years later on the other hand..
243
My wife is getting into hunting and we picked the 308. Less recoil than a 30-06, still elk capable, cheap to shoot, and it's available
Yup cheap plentiful ammo with a nice selection of weights. Buddy spends a bunch on ammo and doesn't really spend much time on the range.
One serious part you left out was the bullet selection for caliber. Which can regulate the recoil felt. The best all around is the 308. Hear me out. Its not the best at anything, but can do more than most at a low cost of ammo. New hunters can load a 110 grain round and get a deer, black bear. As they grow older they can step up the bullet size and hunt elk, moose. It truley is an all around cheap for cost hunting rifle.
Could not agree more, 6.5 prc has no business beating out 308
Also, cheap practice ammo!
@@brettbaker5599 And always in abundance in stock, even if its nato rounds.
@HorchataFan You mean with it's numbers on paper right? Cause new kid on the block has a LOT of catching up to do to reach the dominance that 308 has been dishing out for decades.
I completely agree. The newer stuff is definitely “better” on paper. But you can go from predator/small game to deer and antelope to black bear and sheep to dang elk and moose lol. In the same rifle.
As a new hunter, I went with .270 and I've been happy with it, and I don't know if there's a better option for new hunters looking for a "do-all" cartridge (short of handling brown bear). As a more experienced hunter and shooter, I'm now looking at expanding into the magnums with a .300 PRC. With those two I should be good for everything in North America and out to any distance that I can responsibly shoot. A faster twist barrel for my .270 is also in the works so that I can launch heavier monometal bullets.
270 is great. Correct bullet type and shot placement. That is the obvious. Hell, they used to take game with flintlocks. They knew how to shoot well.
I agree with your reasoning but I favor the 7mm-08 due to its low recoil and versatility. If I were to put more emphasis on availability I would probably go with the 270.
For almost 30 years I shot a 338Winmag for everything! Nowadays I'll grab a 7mm08 for everything and be extremely happy. From antelope to elk. The 7mm08 is a darn fine cartridge!
Spot on mate love the 7mm08 has never let me down cheers Yogi Australia 🇦🇺🤙🤙
I did a similar video a couple of years ago and chose the .308 WIN. Why did I choose the .308 WIN? I like short action rifles, for those who don't reload .308's are easy to find, recoil is still easy enough to handle even in smaller lightweight riles, wound channel's are sufficient, energy level's good farther away than 99% of hunters should shoot, don't like long barrels that add weight and have less maneuverability. The 7mm08 is a great cartridge, but still not the killer like the .308 WIN.
Always like your video's Jim.
7mm-08 if elk is a possibility, 6.5 CM if it's deer and smaller, and 30-06 if you want the widest variety of bullets.
6.5 works fine for moose, so i doubt elk is any issue.
7mm08 is trash. Low powered and bad ballistics. 7mm rem mag is much better.
The largest game I hunt is white tail deer in South Carolina. I use several cartridges. .25-06, 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Winchester and .243 Win. I have had great success with the .25-06. Low recoil, shoots flat, and cheap to shoot.
Solid list. I'm a big fan of the 7mm-08 (looking forward to elk season in a few months) but a new hunter can't go wrong with any of your top five (or six). Winchester, Tikka, Savage, and Ruger all make new rifles in 7mm-08 and I'm sure others do too. Ammo is easy to find out east but I can find it at my local Scheel's here in Colorado all the time as well. A novice hunter today could grab a Tikka T3x Lite with a Leupold scope, a nice sling, a decent soft case, and a few boxes of ammo and keep it under or around $1,000. Or grab a Ruger American with a Burris scope and keep it under $700. Lots of options. If the new hunter is only hunting deer and smaller game, then I'd probably have gone .243 Win. Cheers!
Just shot my tikka t3 270 today. If u hand load try 4831sc powder in 2506 3006 and 270. If you can get hands on hammerbullets there most accurate all copper bullets i found.
I haven't seen 7mm08 for sale in years
Weatherby vanguard and Howa 1500 are the best value hands down. Ruger American is cheap feeling .
@@sinistersilverado965 then you haven't been looking had zero issues finding one here
7mm08 is trash. Low powered and bad ballistics. 7mm rem mag is much better.
300 BLK, 30-30, 350 Legend and 243 are all good starter calibers for deer and hog. My neighbors kids learned on a 25-06. I have no experience with that caliber, but have to chance a guess that it isn't too bad on a young boy and girl. Would think 6.5 grendel and CM would work as well.
The venerable ‘06, load it up or load it down no other cartridge has the range of this old guy. Love it, it’s outlasted a ton of newcomers. Come on Jim, give me a break.
300wm is much more versatile than the 06 if you reload
@@rollandklontz Not sure, just looked at the Nosler Manual, agreed this is just Nosler but loads from 110 gr up to 220, WSM doesn’t go that light.
@@dancrane674 There is plenty of load data for 110gr bullets and 300wm.
But why would anyone want to load 110gr bullets in any 30cal?
Well the first answer is someone thought it worthwhile or there wouldn’t be a 110 gr bullet available. I thought about it for varmints (coyotes) but went with 22-250. Also, loaded my ‘06 with 124 gr Hammer Hunters for deer and antelope this year. The groups and fps is great. WSM is a great short action cartridge no question.
@@dancrane674
Just to clarify i am talkng about wm not wsm.
30-06 and 300wm are both established and fantastic cartridges and both are incredibly versatile but the 300wm is better with heavier bullets than the 06.
For young newbie’s, 7mm-08 is tough to beat…smacks relatively hard, shoots pretty flat, and is easy on the shoulder. Not to mention, it’s a short chamber.
Only real draw back is ammo availability over the last couple years. But even before that, it isn't as available as it's parent caliber 308.
@@mot0rhe4d40 so true…in fact, my most recent rifle purchase was a 308, for that very reason. I wanted the 7mm-08, but ammo cinched the deal
@@hikenmikes8262 I bought my oldest Her own hunting rifle in 243, I find myself second guessing not going 308. While ammo is starting to show up. 308 just has so many perks on its side.
Found your choices solid on the overall thought. I have better than sixty years afield and a round that makes you shoot well, that’s flat and fast is always my choice. The 25-06 has one shot kills 90 plus percent of the time. Taken elk, black bear, wild hog, deer of all sizes and all problematic critters. It’s one of those cartridges that performs way beyond paper numbers on game!
Very underrated, if you have never experienced one.
When I was deciding I narrowed down to 3 calibers .243, .300 bo, and 350 legend. I ended up deciding on the 350 legend. It shoots flat at range, low in recoil, cheaper than most cartridges, and is so readily available I could grab a box at wal-mart. Not to mention it’s a straight wall cartridge so it’ll be one that most people can use in regards to cartridge regulations
I decided for my first hunting caliber to go for the .308 Win. Both the .308 Win. and the .270 Win. offer deadly ballistics in shootable cartridges and rifles. The .270 Win. shoots flatter and hits harder, but for an all-around hunting caliber, I’m going with the .308 Win. That’s not because the .30-caliber cartridge is better, but because it’s more versatile. I like all the bullet and rifle options as well as the availability of practice ammunition. I live in South Africa.
I would say the 270 is best on list for a newbie. Deer elk bear antelope lots of copper bullet choices
257 Roberts it is a great intro cartridge that you can keep for life.
It was the inspiration for so many cartridges to follow. Loved by many. Truly a great cartridge. Should never fallen into the obscurity it has. Not dead though. You can still find ammo.
Shot a bunch of things for 30 years. I absolutely love the 7mm-8. I highly recommended it to most hunters
I am really glad to see the 7mm-08 in your final choices. I made that choice for my son’s first center fire rifle when he was 14. It has served him well in the deer woods. In fact, I find myself using it in lieu of my .30-06 quite a bit when my son is not hunting that day.
The best new caliber is the one you can readily get ammo for. Unless you handload and get actually get components. .308 Winchester is about the only one that readily comes to mind....
i agree
Just got one for my first rifle. Being off by 30 yards within 300 yards isn’t going to matter much
@@Eric-bh7jy awesome, you’re gonna be happy with 308 all around👍🏽
And in every platform. It would be just ahead of 270 & 30-06 for a new hunter because of the limited platforms they are currently in. Ammo for .308 is about the lowest priced and most available of them all.
@@Eric-bh7jy Great choice, 308 hits hard. Get some barnes ttsx bullets and hunt whatever you want within 300yds for proper bullet expasnion.
The ammo shortages really hit everywhere different 😂 7mm, 6.5prc, and 7-08 in my area is rare as hens teeth, 6.5 cm is hit or miss, 270 and 30-06 are available but quality ammo is hard to find, 6mm cm has been the only thing I can recall seeing constantly over the last 2 years but I can't say I've ever seen a rifle chambered in it on shelves
I just about said that’s how it is here in Montana. I agree.
@@ronlowney4700 been most everywhere from west of big timber and seen similar selections. I'm talking general box stores, cabelas, sportsmans, and Murdochs generally. The smaller shops are fairing a bit better but still limited unless you're shooting 308 or .223. What is available is 10-20 bucks a box more than it used to be even for stuff like federal blue box. Gun shows have great selections but they are outrageous on prices. I haven't seen a box of 7-08 on shelves in over 2 years and could count on 1 hand the amount of times I've seen new brass. 6.5 prc is only slightly better, I've seen it on shelves every 2-3 months for a day before it's gone and have yet to see new brass for it. 7mm is by far the most available of those 3 and I've only found one spot to have good stuff like Barnes and Hornaday on a constant basis and I wouldn't dare say where 😂
I'm still saying you were unlucky with that wildebeest, I know quite a few guys that hunt them very successfully with 6.5 creedmoor. I agree with your cartridge selection, but I would have kept the 308. New shooters must be careful of the magnum cartridges, try before you buy. Thanks for the great videos.
I picked .270 for my first bolt action center fire. I picked it for my second one too haha out to 300 it's just plain hard to beat. Add in the availability, load options, chamberings and even nostalgia, I think it becomes the one to suggest even out of the last 3
Good video. Sensible conclusions, though I’m going to disagree a bit. The task is a bit difficult because you’re trying to select a cartridge for a new hunter that’s also capable of taking class 3 game (e.g. elk). I usually think of first hunting rifles as being almost exclusively deer rifles on the order of 243, 25-06, or 6.5 Creedmoor. Those all keep recoil around 12 ft-lbs. I know you said 24-28 ft-lbs is where one has to watch out for a flinch, but I think it’s lower than that for newbies. A 30-06 (20-22 ft-lbs) is a lot of rifle to the uninitiated. Its recoil won’t bother some, but it will affect more newbies (and others) than care to admit it. For new shooters that just have to have an elk-capable rifle, I think the choices are: 308 Winchester, 7mm-08, and 270 Winchester-probably in that order. I share your aversion to using 6.5s on class 3 game. I know they can do it and have since the Swede, but I think there are better choices. Given ammo availability where I live, the 308 tops this list hands down in my opinion. I prefer my 30-06 to a 308, but I spent a lot of time unlearning bad habits the 06 gave me when I first got it (my first rifle). I recommend a 243 or 6.5 Creedmoor first, then a 7 or 30 of your favorite flavor once you’ve got the fundamentals and some confidence shooting game. Just my $0.02.
The 270 is a good cartridge. It’s definitely the flattest shooting of these three. I’m a bit sour on it for elk at the moment, however. My brother in law lost one last year on a hunt we did together. Wasn’t the cartridge’s fault. Appears to have been a combination of not ideal shot placement and poor bullet selection (150 SGK). Shot was only at 75 yards. We had good blood and what we think now was a single lung hit. There was a good blood trail in the snow for a while, and we tracked that elk for over a mile over a day. Never found it. Lots of things should have been done differently in hindsight. But that experience reinforced my preference for 30 caliber.
@@ronlowney4700 I tapped out my reply earlier from my phone and probably should have just waited. I don't disagree with you at all. When I said I'm "sour" on the 270 for elk, I intended it to come across as I was personally and unfairly dinging a perfectly good cartridge for an anecdotal bad experience that wasn't it's fault. Scores of hunters better and more experienced than I think the cartridge is great for elk. But bad experiences---even vicarious ones (my BIL flubbed the shot, not me)---still tend to leave an impression.
Not that I was really considering it before, but I will never be tempted to shoot a cup-and-core bullet at an elk in the future. It may work, but a better bullet is cheap (if imperfect) insurance. We knew to use premium bullets before, of course, which brings me back to the main reason I recommend the 308 for newbies: ammo availability. My BIL's options for 270 bullets last year were several flavors of 130 cup-and-cores, 150 SGKs, or 150 SSTs. None of those are as tough as I'd like for elk. He picked what he thought was best of not-great options. If he'd have been selecting ammo for 308, he would have had more and better choices (at least where we live). This year the discrepancy in options is even worse as 308 ammo choices are almost "back to normal" (except for the price) whereas most everything else is slim picking. There is something for most every major cartridge locally, but that something may not be what you want. Having lived through a couple of ammo droughts now, I tend to keep plenty of powder, bullets, and primers on hand for my cartridges to make it through the lean times. Unfortunately, my BIL did not have anything useful banked for his 270 so he had to buy what he could find. Another of the many lessons learned (or re-learned) on last year's failed hunt.
Here's a non-exhaustive list of a few additional lessons learned (or re-learned) the hard way last year: (1) Practice shooting how you hunt. 75 yards offhand is hard to do with adrenaline pumping if you don't ever practice the shot; (2) Don't shoot offhand if you can avoid it. The elk didn't know we were there, we had the thermals going in the right direction, and so we had time to get into a better position and use a tree. My BIL should have done so. He basically panicked and make a snap shot when he didn't have to; (3) Use a premium bullet; and (4) Give the elk some time if they run off. We saw lots of blood at the shot scene and so started tracking almost immediately. Dumb idea. We actually caught up to the elk a little later (he was running with some cows and calves) and busted them out again. I think he had bedded down and we bumped him. If we had waited an hour, I think we would have found him dead right there.
@@ronlowney4700 Thank you!
270 WIN FTW, good for everything including even moose (shot placement is everything) Flat shooting, just an absolute king of a round. can be reloaded down to shoot varmints or up to 150 grains or more. Point blank accuracy to almost 300 yards
.308 was mine and what I would recommend to anyone!
Mine (that I owned) as well, shot it from 10 years old to 44 years old. Still take it out for more open areas. Under 200 yards though, it's Grendel for me now.
I started chasing deer with a ruger .44 magnum carbine at 8 and killed my first one with it. So both of the above are a power upgrade...lol.
Solid list by 6.5 Creedmoor is easily on top - incredibly popular, light recoil, and extremely accurate. The .270 is also a great round but .30-06 or .308 is probably the most versatile hunting rounds ever made. My $.02.
6.5 is annoying boutique cartridge it’s made for paper target hunting. 30/06 is available everywhere
The 6.5 creed is a lie in a cartridge lol. People are doing way too much things with a 6.5. borderline unethical sometimes. This is coming from a guy who owns one. I'd rather use my 708
I was going to say 308, for all the reasons you mentioned, but then came around to the 270 and I don't even own one. Flat shooting, low recoil and good for everything.
Your comment on being around guns is spot on. I grew up around small arms and air guns. When I started hunting I got a 308 and went to an indoor shooting range the guy next to me had a 50 cal and it sounded like bombs going off. I could feel the shock wave through the plexiglass partition between us and it took me a good 30 minutes to compose myself. Even shooting since I was 4-5 years old didn’t prepare me for that 🤣😂🤣🤣
270 and 7mm rem mag 🔥 but I would love a 6.5 prc but the bullets are a little expensive
@@ronlowney4700 you are correct with ammo being hard to find. But it is one sweet shooting cartridge. Especially if you hand load, I get consistent 3/4 in groups will the Browning x bolt Western Hunter. Which has a very thin barrel on it. I've got a 30-06 270 6.5 creedmoor and a 308. I always find myself reaching for that 6.5 PRC for both deer and elk.
I can't believe you left off the 378 Weatherby.... great first cartridge for a new hunter
The 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5 PRC are just shorter modern versions of the 6.5x55 and the 6.5-264 Norma, not necessarily better just different. The Swede has about 100 fps advantage on the Creedmoor and possibly more if handloaded and fired in modern rifles. The pressures on the Swede are kept lower because there are so many ex military rifles with varying quality of steels used. The Norma started life as a benchrest competition cartridge but is a great hunting cartridge as well, it has a 250 fps advantage over the Swede and is neck and neck with the 6.5 PRC.
Gun and ammo manufacture are just trying to entice the public with new cartridges that have similar ballistics to cartridge that have been around for a long long time. They are just trying to make more money off of you.
I agree with you except the 25-06. That round is good for game up to elk with 120 grainer. I would have kept that one before the 243. Love the 243 but for game up to elk you get a bigger and faster bullet with the 06. Still pretty sound reasoning in this video.
Finally giving a little love to the 270 win? Lol. Thanks Jim for the video.
After watching my grandson drop several deer I have left the big gun club and now I am a huge fan of the 243 Winchester
Hear ya! I haven't mentioned my 243 up to this point in all the blabbing I've been doing on this thread but with a 100 grain Nosler Partition I'm pretty confident I could kill anything in North America but a Griz. I could kill a Griz but he might get me before he expired so I wouldn't try. ( I miss my 243. It's been at the gunsmith's for like three months trying to get the barrel threaded. That toad probably muffed the job and doesn't want to call me. }
I would recommend the 6,5x55 SE. I own a Sabatti Saphire chambered with it and i can tell it is a fantastic beginner cartridge.
The 6.5x55 Swede is go to hunting cartridge for whitetails.
My first center fire big game rifle was a Ruger M77 MKII all weather w/ iron sights, synthetic stock in 30-06. It is a very good rifle and the recoil is not terrible. I do not regret getting the 30-06. Since that first rifle I was fortunate enough to acquire several other rifles in various calibers.
My thought was to find a rifle / caliber that was very versatile and could be used for multiple situations and game animals. I settled on 30-06.
@@ronlowney4700 I agree.... I might even go with a 243 or 260. Obviously, I am an adult man.
.270 all day long. There’s just so many ammo options, and it is a pleasure to shoot all day.
Pretty solid list. However, I would have to keep .308 in the mix. The ammo is so readily available and it isn't a shoulder banger, especially if you reload for it. Love the 7mm-08 too but MAN is the ammo scarce as a Unicorn, at least in my neck of the woods. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on these great cartridges. Stay well and God Bless.
On the recoil front, the rifle matters a lot, too. I've got an old Savage 308 lever gun that kicks like a mule. My brother's 30.06 (unsure of make) handles recoil much much better. Then there is my Mother's sweet little Browning 308 that just doesn't kick like a high power rifle at all.
And Limbsaver pads tame monster rounds really well. 338 mag a buddy has is a dream to shoot thanks to his Limbsaver.
Savage model 99’s do kick hard for some reason. If that’s the same model.
Try putting on a good aftermarket recoil pad on your Savage 99: I did on my Savage 99C in .308 WIN, and now it has the same kick as my .270 WIN which is not punishing.
Out of that list, the cheapest I've seen in my area on the shelves is the 308 / 270 and 6.5CM. Can't even get 30-30 for less then $40, and that use to be $15 a box, and as far as reloading goes, best of luck to you getting primers, everything else isn't really an issue getting.
Anything within 200 yards with a 308 for a new shooter.
Bro, nice video with excellent aspects of consideration. In a later related video, or an updated version of this video, you should make significant mention of Reduced Recoil loadings now fairly common in Walmart and gun stores, for the 30-06. A Reduced Recoil loading of 125 grain bullets in the 30-06 isn't going to recoil much more than a 243 with a 100 grain loading, and cleanly take deer out to 250 yards or so. Then with added experience and aging, the shooter using the same 30-06 rifle can easily move up to a regular factory loading of 150 or 165 grain bullets, for longer shots on deer or even 300 yard shots on elk or moose in an accurate rifle/ammo combination.
A well known former resident of St. George, Brigham Young once said, "I'd rather have a good six shooter than all the lawyers in Illinois"!! Yea 2Amdt.
30-06 hands down. Can find ammo for it world wide. If they stock hunting ammo they will have 30-06. 116 years of rifles chambered for it. New hunters should not be taking 500 yard shots at game so the legitimate issues with long range power are not a real issue. Next would be a toss up between 308 and 270. If we have hunting ammo sales in the next couple of months, all the retailers will have lots of these 3 calibers.
Great points, and it was my choice as a new hunter and I dint regret it. But I was 20 and had experience shooting. I'd suggest 308 instead to mitigate recoil
I’m with you. Most hunters are probably hunting less than 150 yards. Especially here on the east coast.
If that's the only rifle a new hunter buys then I agree...new hunters eventually become seasoned hunters ..and the 06 is capable of 600 yd shots with the new LR bullets available for it now.
It's the one cartrige that will never due
Not so much availability as the deciding factor. It's versatility.
Much of what's available is FMJ imported stuff. Do you really want to go after a deer with a pointy FMJ .30 cal?
@@ronlowney4700
Depends where you live amd hunt ..if you live in grizz country and hunt deer and elk I think 06 would be a good starter rifle
I started hunting at 14 and shot an 06 in alaska been doing it ever since
But practiced with 243 before that
25-06 is flat shooting. I handload so factory cN stay on shelf. It's been around longer than the .270 without the recoil.
I have a 25 06 I found in a gun store a year ago. It was a mint condition Kleinengeunther. ( or spelling to that effect ) The guy was Ray Weatherby's chief designer at one time. It's a Texas thing these Kleinengeunthers. Beautiful gun. Looks like a custom Weatherby. Cloverleafs decent factory ammo. And it's not even free floated. Has little wooden pegs near the front of the fore end supporting its svelte tapered barrel. Soon's it cools down a bit and the pigs come out in daylight I gotta get it out and shoot it.
@@ronlowney4700 Nothing wrong with .270. Not likely going for Elk where I live. Black bear probably biggest animal to be hunted. The 120 partition will do just fine with Lil less recoil. And BC not really that important as shots generally under 200.
Still .270 is a great round . Have great day
After thinking about it for a little while I think the 6.5 creedmoor is probably the best for a new shooter up to your size game. 7 mm 08 if there's a possibility they're going to hunt elk or black bear. I never knew you used to be a lawyer 👍. Thank you
I’d agree although I’ve seen several 6.5 creed elk hunts end successfully
That is my thinking exactly
Great list, I’d personally give it to the 270 just because you could find ammo in a pinch just about anywhere that sells it. Other than that any of your top 3 would be an excellent choice.
Those are all great. Personally I think for a new shooter I would suggest 7 mm 08. For myself on that list I would take either the 6.5 PRC or the 270. And I love classic wooden steel so I would choose a Winchester model 70. Thank you 👍
I'm with you on wood and steel. Love my FN 'Winchesters'. I do get tired of babying them however. I should order composite stocks for them.
@@nohandle257 I wouldn't worry about it. If it gets a ding or something it's just character but I wouldn't be abusive but I wouldn't be overly cautious either
You have no idea how much I needed this video! Thanks!!!
New hunter Child, small person or full grown man? Youngster 6.5 Creedmoor or 7mm08. Full grown man 308
Fair point. Old, out of shape men need the slower .308 rather than its faster 7mm-08 cousin. 😆
My first gun was a 30-06. Great gun. Accurate* (see story) and will take anything down. Widely available and hard to beat in versatility witching 500 yrds on any game. But…. I was a young kid at the time, killed my deer just fine, but If I’m honest, I developed a flinch. Stopped hunting for a bit and then went into archery. As a 12 year old I didn’t like the recoil. As an adult I wanted to get back into shooting, and I got a 7-08 to learn the mechanics and unlearn my flinch. Love that gun. It has done wonders for me and it is a joy to shoot. Not much different then my daughters .243. Since the switch I have shot the big guns, 338 ultra mag etc. but grateful I took the time to swallow some pride and learn. Still have and hunt with the 30-06. Love your top 3. Hard to beat the 7mm-08 as a new hunters first gun. I can’t wait for the 7 prc to hit the floor. I think I have converted to the 7’s over the 30 cals. Keep up the great work.
great review. the offerings remaining @ 9:30 make a great list for consideration, and the final three (12:03) = can't go wrong
Depends where you are but a new hunter is also more likely to be after deer than larger game so I totally agree with the top 3.
Your top picks are the same as mine. I own 2 270win rifles and 3 7mm-08 rifles. Sold the 6.5 creedmore. We hunt fields in Maine out to 300yds. Step out of the fields and it's so thick and wet rabbits are backing out of it. We need good blood trails to beat the coyotes to the kill. If left overnight they will have it. Like the 243 the 6.5 needmore would drop deer at 300yds then they get up, run off, and no blood . They often only made it 200yds. but It would take hours to find them. I don't know if it's the calibers or that ELDX bullet but i will never hunt with either one of them again. With the 270 and 7mm-08 deer usually don't make it out of the field and if they do they're not far with plenty of blood to follow. With these calibers i have used a lot of different bullets with great success. For now we are using cx bullets and loving them. I may concider the 6.5prc because it might be the more in the 6.5 needmore. The 130gr. Cx 6.5 prc looks good to me. I also have shoulder issues and can't really handle much more recoil then the 270win anymore but for 20 pluse years the 270win and 7mm-08 has worked great for my family and I.
I'll say this for general hunting north American big game ..with the newmonolithic LR bullets now available for the 06 ..its now is a true 500 -600 yd rifle with the right optics and practice...and won't wear your barrel out after only 2-3000 rounds like magnums love the 7mm mag but
06 hands down for versatility in bullet weight selection if you never wanna own another rifle
@@ronlowney4700
63.5 grains of RL 26 and the 200 grain nosler accubond .588 bc and mv of 2700+ fps is still cruising at over 1800fps at 600 yds and still retains over 1500 ft lbs of energy as well still .plenty enough energy for moose or elk . All that out of only a 22 inch barrel !
@@ronlowney4700
I started at 58 grains and slowly worked my way up .at 63.5 grains I was getting 2740 fps so I backed off
And am at 2705.witj incredible accuracy Tbh no signs of excessive pressure even at 2740 the sweet spot semmed to be 2700 accuracy was sub moa at 100 in pre 64 featherweight .recoil wasn't much stiffer not sure if you've used reloader 26 but it gives great velocities and is cold temp stable which is great since I'm from alaska
@@ronlowney4700
You're absolutely correct about that regarding big magnums not killing any faster than the 06 using a good bonded bullet like the accubond .
I use the 200 grain accubond because of its higher bc of .588 at 2700 fps with outstanding accuracy as it has the energy out to 600 for reliable minimum expansion of that bullet (1800fps) and I now have a load that easily handles everything from deer to moose without question .
270 ftw
7mm 08 is a great cartridge to start and finish on! Rifle for life.
I sure like watching your channel a lot recently dude. I've always watched the main top eight channels or so on gun tube and it gets kind of boring after a while or not boring I should say but a bit stagnated. For some reason I hadn't come across your channel until recently and you really breathe new fresh air into the venue. Thanks for the hard work you put into this it is much appreciated. Remember to thumbs-up guys!
Remington seven in 7mm08.
Hard to find proper ammo selection here in Denmark though since not many people use it...
Barnes ttsx hand loads and was lucky to get a good deal on some core lokt and accutip.
Not sure you can compare Africa hunting experience to new hunters. A new hunter looking to go big game hunting is a bit irresponsible in my opinion. I think.243 and 25-60 are excellent first choice for North American hunting. 270/308 are more than adequate for anything in the Western Hemisphere. Love your videos keep them coming.
7mm-08 is the answer. 👍🏻 Great video as always Jim!
my first was a 25 06 and I would not change that. I love it
muzzle device to tame the higher power choices, coming back to this a year later some of the ultimate reloader set ups with longer barrel 6.5 PRC with their 156 grain berger load makes elk more likely
Eliminate all proprietary cartridges...any company that develops a cartridge and makes the rifle, or develops a new cartridge (hornady and weatherby come to mind) and does not allow ammo to be made without licensing. you get my point. That is why I will stay with the 243, 30-06, 308, 270, 300 Winmag.
Hahaha and here I am with my first hunting rifle being a 300 Blackout 😎
@@ronlowney4700 I chose it because I want to hunt white tails in VA this season. Short ranges and it suppresses REALLY well. Plus it's a Ruger American that takes AR mags, which is cool and lots of fun.
You can't go wrong with that cartridge. Just not going to shoot something very far away. You need to get a suppressor and run some 220 grain subsonic. Those are super quiet!
@@louiscapasso4452 I have it suppressed already. Subs are expensive so I've been plinking with 125g. Even with that, I can have a casual conversation while ringing steel down range. It's not "quiet" like subsonic, but it's only the sonic "crack" that you hear echoing, which mostly goes down range, and thus the gun is phenomenally pleasant to shoot suppressed.
@@letsgobrandon416 It's even more fun in an AR pistol. I highly recommend it since you already have a suppressor.
@@ronlowney4700 so do I, but you can't go wrong with a 300 blackout. Great for plinking, coyote hunting, you can make your feet hunt interesting and use it there. Suppressed and full auto it is amazing how quiet it can be. Honestly even though they're running thousand feet per second I wouldn't want to get hit by a 220 grain bullet.
My all time favorite is the 264 win mag. But... It is impossible to find premium rounds for it so if you don't reload your wasting your time. The 7mm mag shares the same case and is very popular with great cartridge choices. I would go with the 270 for first and maybe all around best rifle and I've never even owned one. If brown bear was on the menu, I would have to go with the 7mm or the 30-06. I would be comfortable with my 264 for browns but sure wouldn't recommend it for a first rifle. I've killed 8 elk and 1 mule deer with 9 shots with none taking another step with the 264.
Lol @ axing 308… it’s a pretty high performance cartridge especially with mono bullets. A 150 grain TTSX is moving at 2950fps from the factory Barnes load. I’d hardly call that slow. 308 has loads good for elk out to 500 yards, that’s more than any ‘beginning hunter’ needs and debatably as much as anyone needs. For a first rifle I’d say just look to the greats. 270, 30-06, 308. 300 WM or 7mm RM if you’re gonna hunt bigger North American deer species, 6.5 CM if you’re not gonna hunt the larger deer.
If you want to hunt, get one of the cartridges you mentioned.
If you want to target shoot/ plinking, get a 22lr. Ammunition is cheap
270 or 6.5 creedmore are my top choices and are pretty close ballistically for energy and velocity, but the 270 is better with both of those. I have killed everything from coyote to moose for the last 24 years with a 270. I just recently bought a creedmore strictly for recoil and my kids. I have a video of my 7 year old shooting the creedmore. She wasn't a huge fan but still shot it multiple times by her choice. But for now I'm going to keep her shooting the 223 since she really likes doing that. I think for a beginner the creedmore is the best if both worlds. Enough to kill anything in the lower 48 (yes even moose, they have been using a .264 bullet for moose for along time) and low recoil. I do believe no matter what you choose that premium bullets, shot placement, and being comfortable with the gun are the 3 biggest things to look for when hunting and shooting.
Please do the same video type for youth hunters.
7mm-08, 6.5 PRC and 270 winchester in that order. My niece didn't care for the 270 win because it was too much recoil. My first centerfire was one and I kind of agree, but you can't beat the availability of the ammo. Anywhere you find 308 and 30-06 you will find 270 win. I have two 7mm-08 and 6.5 PRC rifles but only one 270 win.
@@ronlowney4700 You are right. I should have. I'll probably build some reduced reloads for it and have her give it another chance.
@@ronlowney4700 I remember seeing those about ten years ago. Good luck with them now.
Purely based on cost of ammo and availability of ammo currently, I'd want a new shooter to be able to practice, and so unless they were rich, I'd definitely recommend .308, 6.5 Creedmore, or .270 Win. If all you wanted was deer and varmint hunting (coyotes, foxes, etc.), I'd recommend .243 Win (go 55 gr. for Varmint and 100 gr. Hornady Interlock or Rem Core-Lokt for deer).
@@ronlowney4700 I own a Savage 111 in .270 and that is my only big game gun. I have an AR and a .17 HMR for predators and varmints. Used to own a .243 Tikka T3x though and took deer with it and used it on rock chucks. Good gun and good cartridge. Next I’ll likely get a .308 or 7mm RM.
I think for your 5 the .30-06 would have to leave before the others. Just me, but it kicks depending on bullet choice, just as much as my 7mm Mag and isn't as good in the long range. I personally wouldn't ever suggest a 7mm Mag to a "Brand new" shooter either. I think the 7mm-08, 6.5 Creedmore and .308 Winchester are the ones most of my neices and nephews have cut their teeth on when asking me about what to get going. My nephew has 1 shot every single doe and buck he's taken since he was 12 with the .308. He only recently jumped into a 6.5 Creedmore to test it some.
I'd agree with .30-06. Not a lot of need for it with .270 as an option.
I think your love for the PRC has clouded your objectivity. Ammo is insanely expensive, if you can find it. And the new shooter won’t be reloading, but I want him/her to practice a lot. Also, I would discourage strongly the new shooter from thinking they should be shooting at game beyond about 200 yards, so ballistics don’t matter much. I want to encourage them to develop good hunting skills over good long range shooting skills. The lighter recoiling rounds you concluded with I can almost agree with, but I’d replace the PRC with a 6.5 creedmoor or 308. I’d probably knock the 7-08 off for lack of availability as well, though as a beginner big game round, there may not be one better!
I moved out West and decided to try hunting. I got a 300 Win Mag and my other hunting virgin buddy got a 45-70. I'm man enough to admit that mistakes were made. Thanks for the video. I'm looking at 270 now and will keep the 300 for if I ever draw an elk tag or need to shoot a T-Rex.
My two sons and I are getting the grandkids guns. Got 5 of them. 3 boys and 2 girls. We have been mainly concentrating on .308 Win. bolt action. We figure it's a great caliber to start with. If they want something different they can get it their selves. Boy will get cocky and get bigger guns for sure. When they get old they will be back to the .308. My oldest granddaughter will always use her .308 because she shot a big 8 point with it. She loves purple and l made her a really pretty 700 Rem with purple accents.We did get them all a .22LR, 20 gauge shotgun, 50 cal flintlock muzzleloader (it's a PA thing) and a .308.
Great analogy for the flinch lol. So true.
I'm recoil sensitive due to eye problem. Got rid of my big boomers recently. I now have a 6.5 Creedmoor, A 6.5 PRC and a 7mm 08. So your video made me feel pretty good. But been doing a lot of night hunting for pigs and coyotes and for that I have a 20" barreled AR in 6.5 Grendel which I love. Almost no recoil and kills pigs real real dead. We have an Aoudad problem here. They're eating up grain and alfalfa we feed our deer. Soon as it cools down and I feel like hunting in daylight I have to get after them. You think I should use the PRC or the 7mm 08?
Try them both and let us know which worked better.
@@chuckhardesty I'm actually experiencing some trepidation about it. I've watched Aoudad being skinned out and I've never seen such thick hide. We have some monsters on this place. Old boys with pom poms dragging the ground almost. I've killed lots of deer, including Axis, but never such an imposing muscular beast.
I hear the 6mm ARC is a fabulous all-around AR cartridge.
@@nohandle257 do you reload? If so find yourself some 140 grain Nosler Accubonds or Partitions. You can get those going fast enough to get through that hide with a 6.5 PRC. And they'll hold together to get the deep penetration you need.
@@louiscapasso4452 Thank you. Yes I do hand load. Love Nosler Accubond and Partition. I've been loading various bullets in 120 grn for hogs but I will take your advice on the 140s for the Aoudad. On a whim I did buy a box of stupidly expensive 130 grn Terminal Ascent. Wondering how those would do.
Depends on geography. 7mm-08 for the Southeast US. 7mm Mag for the CONUS.
A bolt action .243 is a perfect starter rifle with more than sufficient power for whitetail sized game when using sturdily constructed bullets. Not an elk rifle but we are talking about a cartridge for a new hunter.
Yes, with low and mild recoil. I think .243WIN should still be on the list
@@_cal_techie I had to laugh at some of the calibers on this list, 6mm Creedmoor and 6.5 PRC Good luck finding ammo for those two when you need it!
I started with the 30 ought 6 and a 300 win mag
great brake down and from your top 3 I would pick 6.5 prc
Decent final six, but you can't find 6.5 PRC anywhere. Not sure how that stayed on your list after the "availability" requirement.
The 30-06 with a 200 grain bullet will have a similar kick to the 7mm Rem with a 180 grain.
I think it ultimately comes back to the 7mm-08, 270, and 6.5 Creedmore.
I guess that may be a regional thing. I haven’t had trouble finding it lately, but 6 months ago it was very hard to find.
I bought a 340 Weatherby as my first rifle at age 15. I worked construction all summer for that gun. Now that I have 4 kids there is no way I could afford that today.
Lots of variables in "new" hunter and their quarry. 25-06 to 30-06. Take your pick depending on how and what they are hunting, and in many cases, the physical size of the person. Use reduced recoil loads, where applicable, for those first 20 rounds. Then, only if needed, go to full power.
I can get 270 and 30-06 at my local Walmart for $25 a box right now. Hard to beat that.
7mm-08 Ackley Improved would be good as it could eek out a little more velocity with the 160 grain bullets but still chamber and fire regular 7mm-08 factory loads.
Ackley himself considered the 308 family as already improved as it already had the minimal body taper. The shoulder angle ads very little case capacity and deemed it not worth the effort……
What would be cool is 7x57 Mauser and AI variety would be good middle ground on the way to rem mag
I'm a new hunter (coming into my third season) and I ended up going with the .308.
I bought my wife a new 7mm-08 and it is probably the hardest kicking gun we own but it shoots great it even kicks harder than my 6.8 western
I’ve introduced a dozen or so folks to hunting, here in Texas. The majority of them starting with borrowing our 9ish pound, loaded and scoped, Weatherby Vanguard in .30-06. I just sold that gun to one of these folks and replaced it with a Weatherby Mark V Hunter in .30-06, which is now right at 7.5 pounds loaded and scoped.
150gr .30-06 factory loads out of a 24” barrel seems to be not-too-bad for hunters who have no experience shooting guns, recoil wise. Many folks we introduced to the hobby bought lighter guns than the one they killed their first animals with (our old Weatherby).
I might be old fashioned when it comes to this one thing, but I don’t think the .30-06 can be beat. Hornady recoil management 125gr, if you absolutely must lessen recoil, though I was shooting 150s at 15 years old and 125# body weight lol.
Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but I would pick the .308 Win. Love the 7mm-08, but prefer the 308 options & availability. .270 Win. would be my runner up. You didn't share anything that would change my mind on that. If buying two rifles, .308 Win & .300 Win Mag would be my top picks. Wouldn't even consider anything else, nor would I have a desire to own anything else.
Hi Jim glad to see the latest video. My back really bugs me sometimes so I like lower recoil these days. I really like AR calibers, like 350 Legend, 6.5 Grendel, and 223. In Michigan, we really only have the small game, deer, and black bear. The 350 Legend has been getting quite popular here for deer and bear. 200 yards for the 350, and 300+ for the 6.5 Grendel on whitetail/black bear. I'll crack a whitetail at 200 with my 223. The GLFA 223 Wylde has become my favorite firearm, surpassing my loyalty to my old, trusty 12-gauge..
I was surprised that the 6.8 W was not dropped from the list for the category of number of firearm makers (as stated later in the video).
Conversely, I was surprised that the 280AI was dropped, there are dozens of rifle manufactures making rifles for his chamber.
Great discussion for sure!
The 243, 250 Savage, the 30-30 win. will do quite well for anybody that is a new hunter as long as they practice, practice, and practice some more, and keep the range down to 200 yds. or less.
The people saying that a 300wm is no big deal, are ones that have never taken a light weight hunting rifle without a break and tried to accurately shoot one prone. They are the guys that go out to the woods and shoot 3 rounds at an old TV or something off hand from 50 feet away. For the ones that do shoot one accurately prone, they are shooting a 16lbs precision rifle with a brake.
I keep wondering what gun I should buy and which caliber. Then I remember that I own a Romanian PSL in 7.62x54r also a Turkish 8mm Mauser, 30 30 lever action, SKS and a shotgun. Now I just need the money to get the license and get drawn. I also have a 300 blackout AR so I got a few rifles to choose from. Our couscous deer here are small and the firearms I have will shoot a mule deer and maybe an elk.