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What is the Most popular and widely used big game cartridge in Europe?

65x57, 9.3 russian, .300 Win Mag would be my guess. A lot of people shoot deer and wild boar with 12 Ga slugs.

Hard to know what happens abroad but the 7x64 is popular in Belgium, it is apparently the most common caliber in France and is certainly popular in Germany. This could make alot of users.

No doubt it varies in different countries. When I hunted red deer in Norway in 1996, I expected to see a lot of 6.5x55's. I ended up hunting with about 20 various Norwegians, and I think ONE used a 6.5x55. The most common caliber was .308!

The 7x57 and 7x64 were the most common in trhe Czech Republic when I hunted there in 1993, but a couple of years ago in Ireland the rifle I used belonged to my guide: a Heym .25-06 with a 3-12x Schmidt & Bender with a multi-dot reticle. He had taken fallow deer out to 600 yards with it....

Data from field studies on my laptop (n ~ 7000), representative for Germany, shows .30-06 Springfield being the most commonly used cartridge. This is backed by verbal accounts from ammo manufacturers on sales.

From my sample of scandinavian hunters coming to hunt wild boar, .308 and 6,5x55 are the most favorite.

Arguing favorites lest one forget the mechanism of how success can become self perpetuating.

Most widly used may just mean: "Good enough, and available - or legal". Nothing more, nothing less.

As cognocenti everywhere know, arguing the field effectiveness of .270 Win vs. .30-06 is silly.

Especially solely based on these terms - disregarding any aspects of terminal ballistics and anatomy.

The US distributor for Heym operates out of a gun shop not far from my house. I was there one day and handled a SR21 in .25-06 with a classic stock and was pretty impressed or maybe "tempted" is a better word. They are slim, trim, well made, nicely handling rifles. Great balance and I would say about 6.5 pounds. I did not like the newer straight-pull action nearly as well though.

CMG, "Good enough, available -or legal" works for me. I plan to travel out of the US to hunt more over the next few years and am curious as to ammo availability worldwide.

If France is possibly in your plans, thinking about hunting there or transiting there with your gun, avoid any former military caliber.

Desert,

Yes, the SR21 is a VERY fine rifle. I have hunted with both the standard and straight-pull rifles and while the straight-pull may (or may not) be a little quicker, both are VERY accurate as well as nice-looking and precisely made. In fact I own an SR21 in .300 Winchester Magnum.

In fact despite the exchange rate they are a real bargain for the money, with near-custom quality in the wood and everything else. The trigger is great, as is all-around functioning, as you might expect from Germany. They even have really good iron sights.

The only problem with Heym in the U.S. is that some of their stylistic details don't appeal to America, such as the detachable box magazine. Also, Heym has never really "gotten" marketing in the U.S. Their double rifles sell pretty well among that crowd, but the bolt rifles not so much. Despite that, I like them very much--obviously.

I have handled a few of the Heym doubles and really liked the 450-400 in those rifles. Just not real excited about the $15K entry price. Would rather spend that kind of money on a good hunt or two (or three).

The same day I was handling SR21s, I handled an original ".275" Rigby Mauser. The Heym's trim stock, handling and balance felt a lot like the Rigby.

I actually came close to buying a Heym double a couple of years ago, but then a little piece of sanity whispered to me and said, "Spend the money on hunting instead."

i guess it will wary alot from place to place

Norway:
6.5x55
.308
.30-06

its a toss up between these 3 cartridges.

Good point raised by GV... if you front up to France with a .223, .308 or 30.06 you wont get kissed on both cheeks by the gendarmes !

more like a kick in the derriere !

When I was in France (a few years back now) it was interesting to see that you could buy a Garand in .270 but not 30.06 !

I suppose this is also why Ruger chambered some Mini 14's in .222. (some of these made their way to Australia where I bought one ....hoping it would shoot better than the .223.... but it didn't !)

Do any other European countries prohibit military calibres ?

From what I've seen in Germany, these are the most popular, hard to pin down which would be thee most popular though:
30-06
7 & 8 x 57
9.3 x 62/64

There is no question in my mind that the R93 is faster than any turnbolt I've ever used Waidmannsheil, Dom.

Yes in France this is true for auslanders (foreigners), however if I'm not mistaken the French themselves can use the 30-06, weird. I'm not 100% sure, but think there is some kind of restriction in Switzerland, but it may be against specific calibers and not military calibers.

Frenchies can't use it, they need a special authorization which is NEVER delivered for hunting.

OK, that was it then, he had some special permit and must have been a sport shooter. But, I see there's a whole lotta difference between shooting a 30-06 at paper or deer

Some laws just do not pass the common sense test, yet every country has a bunch of them!

Just a few years ago, a special authorization was needed in Belgium too (yet possible to obtain). Now that the old 06 is easier to own for hunting, 30-06 seems to become a best seller for bolt action rifle purchasers.

It would probably be the same in France (but it also would make the 7x64 more difficult and costy to obtain).

Hi everybody,

My very best wishes for 2010 full of health and joy.
Want to answer about the most used calibers in Europe. In France 7x64, 9,3x62, 9,3x74R, 8x57IRS, 300Winch Mag, 7Rem mag, 270/300WSM for hunting mostly in semi-auto, double rifles and Blaser R93 (20000 sold in 15 years). You can own 223,308,30-06, 8mm Mauser, for target shooting but with licences and this licences don't allow you to hunt with this calibers. For people in the US you must understand that problem with old military cartridges is not the caliber but the presence on our soil of ten thousands of "war souvenirs" in perfect state of use but illegaly owned: M1 Garand, M1 carbines, BAR, Browning 30calMG,Bren and german MG34 and 42. The war period cartridges are of no use, mostly rusted and too old, but if you sell new cartridges all this stuff can go fire and can atract a lot of not so good guys; so all the miltary calibers are forbidden and will stay like that for a moment. For sure this law does'nt block the black market, gangsters and drug dealers buy full auto firearms from the former Yougoslavia or eastern countries but politians are what they are... In Europe it's seem that 30-06, 308, 6,5x55, 7x64, 9,3x62 and 9,3x74 are the most used calibers for hunting.

You mean tell me that your countrymen didn't turn in all those MP-40's into the government? Why how can this be I thought Gun Control was a way of life in France. Gee' maybe those Frenchmen have more sense that I would have thought. Just Kidding you Marseille, I would not have thought the reason for they ban on fine sporting cartridges like the 30-06 is what you say. We Americans tend to forget since we were never invaded, except for the War of 1812 and the Poncho Via thing. And then Occupied and then invaded to be liberated. So no ammo, some how if guys have the will to keep said guns, I would think they would be able to get there hands on ammo too. Then again here in the States its pretty hard to get your hands on good crepe's ammo we have guns we have what we don't have is good crepe's . You have a great new year too. Ditto's on the Politicians too, spot on.