As I gaze at the preponderance of rifles It struck me that my favorite chambering is 284. They come in all shapes and flavors from pre64 M70's, custom guns, the dreaded synthetic stocked Weatherby Ultra Light 7mm-08 to a Kimber SA 280. I'd hunt anything from Antelope to Elk with them. Lots of bullets to choose from esp if you reload.

In reality I like them all from the 22 Hornet to the 416 Taylor but I'm hopeless. What's your favorite?

.308, just being raised around everything 30 cal makes me partial to them. I've got everything from .22 all the way up to .458. But find myself reaching for my 30-06 more than anything.

Give me a .308 diameter (.308 WIN or 30-06 SPRG) or a .277 diameter (.270 WIN) - I've used a bunch over the years, but these had been my regulars early on and I've quit tinkering and returned to them over the last five or six seasons.

.308, with 7mm (.284) being a close enough second that it could surpass it at any time:)
Like duck said, a lot of the attraction is probably just years and years of owning and using .30s but my very best shooting and go-to rifle is a 7MM08.

John

27,28,and 30.

Above 30 I'm a one stop shopper.....375.

264

6mm then 264 then 35

Now come on Bob. He did say "favorite bullet diameter". If I had to choose it would be .308. Only because of the 30-06 springfield...

quarter bore...257, 257AI, 25/06...even the 25WSSM

Funny:

You can only have one favorite bore diameter. Not 3, 5 or 7.

I have lots of guns in many different calibers. I like them all and all of them have their attributes.

If I could only one have one that my life depended on to find food and protect myself with it would be a .308

Just me.

Being limited to only one bore size is the stuff bad dreams and nightmares are made of...

DF

NO one wants to think about having just 1 rifle, let alone just 1 caliber/cartridge....

165,168 gr 30 cal or .308, Was a one gun whitetail man for 30+ years, just wilted whitetails up to 225# and 300 yards like you let the air out of em, Bang Flop, just go get the truck and load em up, dont bother walking and checking if they are dead or not cause they go down so fast you lose em in scope! I had one that just acted like he laid down, all four folded under and head laid over on rack! Beware the one gun man! I have no idea how many cals I own now! very best WinPoor

The quarter bore is another favorite with a couple of Roberts, 257 WBY Ultra Light my go to Antelope rifle and a Cooper Varmint Extreme in 25WSSM. I had a nice custom 257AI but sold it to a friend in Houston. I have never had a 25/06 but never say never.

284 Win for me.

Mr GSP, The 25-06 is what Whinchester dupilicated to the foot with the 25wssm, They did it at much higher pressures! You will like the round! VB WinPoor

.277 hands down....

I suppose it would have to be a .308 diameter. But it would have to be a round nose projectile just because that's my favorite!

Favorite: .277 w/o a doubt.

That said, 6mm, 7mm, .308...I'd run any of them for anything I'm ever going to do and not look back.

But my go to rifles are both 270 Win flavored.

Savage deserves a good round in it like 300 savage or 303 savage... Hint...

Since the woodchucks are gone from the meadows most of my rifle use has been .30".

When I shot in centerfire competition at 200 yds I used a 6mm.



My rifles at the range that day. From the top.

Pre. 64 M70 custom 300 Win
Kimber 8400 270 WSM
Mauser 30-06
Ruger 77 Express 270

.223. Especially in a .22-250.

Mr Battue, I have a killer 22-250 if you need another,I have had some super accurate guns in my day and I put this one in the top 5!I have no idea who made barrel for Winchester but its not hammer forged and its hand lapped to perfection as is all the moving parts! It is a Custom Shop Sporter Varmint (1988 I think) and it puts any load Ive ever stuck in it in one ragged hole, the metal and wood is Killer! I have all paperwork, box even shipping sleeve and the original order form, then Custom shop work sheet and Letter. It had 9 rounds when I got it , less than 60 and Ive never hot rodded,, it all factory ammo, I will sell for whatever I have in it,AND throw in all ammo Ive accumulated.You will not believe how it shoots Winchester white box 40 round box cheap ammo..I give a 3 day SHOOTING check out as well! I'm starting a new cattle feeding operation and have a 100 long guns to move!!!Mr GSP can't buy em all!! the very best WinPoor

I'm sure yours is a shooter, but the Nula is a LW and shoots better than I can hold it with TTSX bullets and may shoot NBT's even better.

Good luck with the new operation.

99, you have some nice rifles there.. By your handle, I expected only 99's?

My favorite bore dia. would have to be .30... from the .30-30 to the various .300's those are my favorites...

But I in the course of a year, I shoot far more .224's than any other dia.. of those my .222, 223, .22-250 and Swift are my favorites..

Next in line would be my .25-06, but the .270 is a fine selection also... Had I found this .270 35 years ago, who knows..

.30 for me. I'm a cast bullet shooter and the selection of molds in that caliber far outweighs all the others. .22 is a close runner-up as favorite. Come to think of it, with 30-40 guns at hand, there are is only one between .22 and .30- a .25-35 Savage barrel for on my swap-barrel 1899 custom takedown, and that barrel gets cast bullets only also.

I tried, I can't do it...I love em all!

I have killed the most game in my life with the following in order. There are others but these are my top three most used calibers.

1) 30.cal .308
2) 270 .277
3) 7mm .284

My favorite in My Savage is .358 or 308,, never 303

I can make 100 arguments in favor of 284 dia and try to convince myself it's best but you just can't beat the 308 bullet selection and endless size cases to fill with powder and drive them..

I believe my favorite caliber is the .338... It is very closely followed by the .358.

I was wondering if that was the case... I'm thinking the cartridges are 338 win mag, mostly because of what it's harnessed in, and 35 Newton...

30 caliber for me.

I think that if I had started with the 270, then it would easily have been my favorite.

.338 all day, every day, and three times on Sunday for me GSP.

.277 closely followed by .308

.308 just because I really like that diameter and I'm trying to simplify down to .30 caliber.

Spot on. Love the 35 Newton. Both of them are just about the same for my purposes.

Have a 243 Featherweight, 308 Featherweight, 264wm Featherweight, 1950 270 standard and a 1952 300 h&h standard, all Winchester pre 64 model 70's. If I HAD to get rid of four of them, I would keep my 270. But I love them all.

Based on how many .35s have taken up residence at my house, .358. I'm very fond of 8mms and 9.3s these days as well.

You need a good 338 Alaskan...

A pre 64 model 70 chambered in 9.3x62mm would be bad azz and versatile as hell..

BSA, I do need one of those. Do not see many 338's here in Michigan.

Robert just found a nice 338 in a small gun shop. There here sometimes you just stumble into one.

The more you look at it, the 7mm starts to make more sense ... from the old 7mm Mauser, the mystique of the 7x57,the Brenneke and Sharps and Hart, the mild 7-08, the new kid in 280 Ackley, a few excellent proprietary cartridges such as the STW/Dakota ... all the way to the 7 mil mag and bigger has versatility that the 30 cal can only dream about ... personally I believe the 280 AI is the new 30-06.

I have a new .338 win mag and nothing to shoot with it in SW GA, Plus I want plastic stock, Im afraid of splitting a 55 yr old stock! v best winpoor

In answering the OP, if I have to cut back to 3 guns it will be my 52C sporter in .22LR, mod 70 target in sporter stock in 30-06, and model 12 in 12 ga..... Can live rest of life with those 3 and eat very well! God forbid!! the very best WinPoor

If You are a 7STW lover I had 3 ,best friend just bought one so I have 2 left, Im keeping the Laredo BOSS, Sporting Sharpshooter Custom Shop gun is for sale! I will make you a deal today! VB WinPoor
EDIT, Forget that I just noticed where you live! Jeeze, very best WinPoor

Thanks for the offer Winpoor! I'm one of the lefty crowd, and no problem buying out of the US, have a custom lefty 338WM which was done by Wayne from American Hunting Rifles... looking for a lefty Winchester model 70 ... anything in 270/30-06 etc ... should you have one just lying around,let me know! cheers, Porks

I was ambidexterity till I broke left wrist, even so I leaned RIGHT! LOL 25 years later the dam author is setting up in left wrist! Getting old is not for sissys!! I will keep eyes open for you a lefty mod 70, There was a nice old left mod 700 bdl at my local pawn shop for a couple years I picked up and looked at for about 10 times , trying to think who in my world shot left handed! v best winpoor

I always know when the LGS has a new lefty rifle in. The owner jumps up and says, "Hey how have you been? I have something over here I think you are going to like".... He's had a nice 6 digit classic left hand 300 win mag in his shop for 3 years now. He's down to $800.00 now and it comes with an extra stock.....I just don't like 300 win mags...

My favorite diameter has to be 257, it (257 wby) nicer kills with such authority, far beyond its skinny self should! Major down fall however, good long range bullets. Following that, 284, versatile and very slippery bullets, along with some fantastic pure hunting bullets.

I my 257 WBY Ultra light. Try some 155gr Accubonds behind IMR 7828.

I just got a Pre64 M70 in 250-3000 and will work up a load for that and it will be one of my deer rifles this year. I'll start with some Nosler Partitions 100 grainers and maybe go to the Accubonds in that as well.

All this 257 talk. I'd love to get a pre 64 or even a Ruger m77 257 Bob.... Hell, a Kimber of some sort would also be nice....

You could drop me off about anywhere big game is hunted, with a 7mm "something" and a 375 H&H,and i suspect I'd be OK.

I'd just make due with a plain old 30-06...

Gophers to grizzly bsa.

I think I read that somewhere when I was a kid.... Must still be true buddy... raybass, hope you are doing well my friend. Glad to see you posting here again.

Next to my 7MM Mausers the 257 is a favorite as well. Lots of Antelope, Muley's and Whitetails have fallen to the quarter bore.

One o my favorite prairie dog rifles is a Cooper Varmint Extreme in 25WSSM.

GSPfan: Alas, sadly, the good ole'timey folks at Winchester only offered a couple of cartridges in 22 caliber back in the good ole'days (from 1937 to 1964!) - and I think I lean heavily to the various models of pre-64 Winchester Model 70's in 22 caliber.
For collector interest, from me, anyway.
I have a number of Rifles in Standard, Varmint, Supergrade and Target Models in these two cartridges (22 caliber).
I still actively seek them out for "collecting", but have not shot my Model 70's in these (calibers) cartridges for many decades now.
I go through "changes" in my years but I have ALWAYS been a great fan/advocate/collector of "Varmint Rifles".
And I am sure I always will be.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy I also like the old Winchester Varmint rifles and have the varmint models in 243 and 220 Swift. On my recent Wyoming prairie dog shoot a M70 22 Hornet saw plenty of action as well. WinPoor is trying to talk me into a 243 target, it's a very nice rifle but I have two varmint rigs in 243 already.

GSPfan: I suggest you buy the 243 Target.
I have ONE of these Rifles and keep pretty close tabs on these models - they are rare!
I am suggesting you buy it as an investment/collector piece NOT as a shooter though!
I often daydream about how well (or how NOT so well!) my minty 243 Target might shoot - but I am now of the mindset that I will go to my grave NOT knowing that answer.
Its been a LONG time since I had a pre-64 Model 70 into a Dog Town.
The last time out with one I was on the border of Montana and Wyoming (just south of Quietus, Montana) at a remote "virgin" Dog Town. It was difficult to get to even with my 4x4.
I was up on top of a squaw tit type hill and was looking down on 50+ acres of dumb dogs with the sun at my back!
Aaahh... Valhala!
I was shooting my pre-64 Model 70 Varmint in 243 Winchester with a custom thumbhole stock and a Unertl 15 power scope atop it.
I wouldn't even shoot at the PD's within 200 yards and probably killed 4 or 5 at 500 yards plus that morning!
A great memory for me that!
I just refuse to diminish the collector value of my Model 70's anymore by Hunting with them.
I look upon my Model 70 collection as an investment or a savings account for the VarmintKids and the VarmintGrandkids.
My savings accounts sure have not been growing in value so I will let the Model 70's appreciate.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

varmintguy. To each their own... I love to enjoy/use my Winchesters. One of the reasons I've gotten rid of damn near everything else. I'll hunt them until they put me in the ground..

I'm a mix, I have some I use and some that will not ever see a deer blind. For the most part I use what I have....but the rotation back into use is a long journey:)

Yall dont rile Varmint guy up! I baby hell out of mine, but I end up with more safe dings than hunting ,shooting hurt! v best winpoor

Mine get safe dings too. I have no clue how it happens. Pisses me off too because I baby the hell out of my rifles. I don't know if the 270 is in there whipping the hell out of the others or what is going on in there!!!!!

Sometimes you need to separate the children for their own good of course. I'm convinced the people who make gun safes don't own guns. You can't get 60 guns in a safe that says it's a 60 gun safe. They don't figure in bolt handles (this is where most of my dings come from) or scopes. And if your a SXS shooter the spacing for the barrels isn't wide enough. I figure you have about half the useable space they claim to have.

My new 250-3000 which I put an older Redfield 3X9 wide angle scope on sits in the corner because there is no room:(

Before putting guns into the safe the metal gets a wipe down with some RIGS and then they are put into a gun/rifle sock. This seems to have eliminated my "safe dings". That being said, it is a PITA but much better then a new injury to the stock.

I used to get a lot of safe dings as well. Started putting everything in gun socks. That has really helped.

If you take it out and shoot it its SOLD very best winbroke
Otherwise i may trade it even for a nice hornet

.298 29 caliber is the ideal compromise between .30 and .284. And you can have pac-nor chamber one of their barrels for the amazing B-.29:

http://pac-nor.com/barrels/