Most versatile hunting caliber?

[Vexxus21]

Every deer that I've taken with the exception of 1 has been taken with a .243, I love them

[herplover]

.243 sounds perfect for the purposes you stated above. I'd recommend a starter Marlin/Savage/Ruger American and invest in good optics.

I agree with the 243

[keystoneman 85]

25-06, load up or down to take predators, to deer, to bear

[kpw]

.30-06, it can do it all fairly well and what else can you get practice ammo for 50 cents a round?

[1990dtgl98]

Well I want to go with the savage trophy hunter package to start.

How much will a long action matter?

I think you guys have swayed me from the 7mm to the 270 or 30-06. But I'm wondering since savage has dedicated long and short action receivers... Would the. 308 be better than the 06?

[Rick41Mag]

No. The 308 has slightly less recoil with the same weight bullets and some might say a slight bit better long range accuracy, however very few shooters, or rifles are good enough to take advantage of it and the 06 has much more capability with the heavier bullets. I have an older (mid 60s) Savage 110 CL in 30.06 that will hold around an inch or slightly less at 100 yards with most loads I have ever tried. The best thing about it is it shoots to the same POA every time you pick it up, hot or cold, wet or dry no noticeable difference. The new Savages are supposed to be even better.

[ettorment1916]

How much will a long action matter?

I've shot, hunted with, and taken deer with both long and short action rifles and I don't see any definitive advantage/disadvantage for either action type.

Some will say that the short action is faster and lighter.... I'm sure this is true to some degree, but in my real-world use I could never tell the difference in either speed or weight of the action.

[ettorment1916]

I should also add that if you make your first shot count.... the speed of the action is irrelevant....

[Posit]

300 yards, deer and groundhogs? A 25-06 or .260 Rem and 6.5X55 Swede mentioned earlier, although the last two calibers may be more difficult to find.

I really can't see hunting varmints with the larger calibers mentioned (e.g. 30-06)... certainly will do the job, but way over the top. (How dead do you want a groundhog to be?) A 243 will do the job, but doesn't shoot as flat as a 25-06. If you have an uncontrollable urge for a larger caliber, then 270... another fast, flat shooting round.

[R L Suehr]

I have a savage model 11 with the accu-trigger and I love it. Savage is under rated IMO. They make some great and accurate rifles. Mine is actually in 7mm-08 and will cut holes at 200yds. Haven't got lucky enough to take a deer with it yet as I just got it last year and didn't get to hunt with it much. The 7mm-08 would make a good deer and smaller caliber but as others have said I wouldn't want to hunt much larger game with it. Factory ammo isn't cheap either and can be hard to find locall unless you want core-loct crap.