Calibers: A .243 By Any Other Name is a 6mm
In my last post I briefly mentioned that the diameter of the bullet is partly responsible for determining the name of a cartridge. Specifically, this is referred to as being the caliber of the cartridge, and can be measured either in inches or millimeters. Other conventions that are used in naming cartridges include the year it was introduced, the case used, the amount of black powder the cartridge was intended to hold, the company which introduced it, and/or descriptors such as magnum, which denote relatively increased power over cartridges of the same caliber.
Generally speaking, calibers range from about .17 caliber up to about .50 caliber, though there are (uncommon) exceptions in either direction. Within this range it is possible to divide the available calibers into loose groups based upon their intended purpose, with .17 through .22 generally being used for small game or varmints, 6mm through 7mm for roughly deer sized game, .308 through .338 for roughly elk sized game, and .375 through .458 for large, dangerous game. The primary reason that these categories can only be called "loose" groups is that some cartridges are considered to straddle two categories, depending on the bullet chosen.
Within each of those loose groups of calibers there are certain cartridges which are better suited to their intended purpose, or are more popular than the others. What follows is a list, in ascending caliber size, of my choices within each category, along with a little information about each one.
For small game, rabbits for instance, you can't do much better than a .22 Long Rifle. It was introduced in 1887 and is one of, if not the most popular cartridge in the world for both rifles and pistols. Its one limitation, if you can even call it that considering the intended purpose of the cartridge, is that its effective range is less than 100 yards.
For varmints, nuisance rodents, coyotes, and similar pests, my choice is the .223 Remington. This cartridge was introduced in 1964 and was adopted and renamed the 5.56x45mm by the US military one month later for use in the M16. This was primarily a result of the military's desire to adopt a less powerful round with more controllable recoil for use in automatic fire weapons while increasing the number of rounds that could be carried within the same weight allocation. A side effect of its adoption by the military has been that it became instantly popular among recreational shooters, which in turn has resulted in inexpensive ammunition. It is important to note that while the 5.56x45mm round is based on the .223, and the two have almost identical external proportions, the military uses a thicker diameter case and a different chamber design than the .223, resulting in possibly unsafe pressures if one were to attempt to fire a 5.56x45mm round in a rifle intended for .223 ammunition.
For deer and similar sized game my choice is the 7mm-08 Remington. It was introduced in 1980, though it had existed in an experimental form since about 1958. The primary advantage of the 7mm-08 over other similar cartridges is that it gives very good performance with very light recoil, and a shorter than standard length, which results in a shorter overall length and less weight in rifles designed for it. This is a good example of a cartridge which is named after the diameter of the bullet it uses and the case used. In this case, the bullet is a 7mm one which has been placed inside a case originally designed for the .308 Winchester. This is described as "necking down", or reducing the size of the opening in a case's neck so as to use bullets of a smaller than intended diameter.
For elk, moose, black bear, and similar sized game my choice is the .30-06 Springfield. Originally developed by the US military in 1906 (hence the -06 part of it's name) and remained in service up into the Vietnam War until it was finally replaced by the .308 Winchester (7.62x51mm) beginning in the 1950's. Partly due to the long military life of the .30-06 it has remained one of the most popular and most versatile hunting rounds ever devised. The recoil level of the .30-06, while not extreme, does approach the upper limit of what most shooters find comfortable to shoot without developing a flinch.
For large, dangerous game including brown bears up through elephant my choice is the .375 Holland and Holland Magnum. Introduced in 1912 and originally called the .375 Belted Rimless Nitro-Express it was only the second example of a belted cartridge ever to be commercially offered. The case which was developed for the .375 H&H Magnum has subsequently been used in other cartridges, including the extremely popular 7mm Remington Magnum and the .300 Winchester Magnum. The .375 H&H is considered by many to be the best all-around choice for African game, and is, in fact, the legal minimum caliber for certain areas. It's primary drawbacks are that it recoils almost twice as hard as the .30-06 and ammunition for it can be quite expensive, however, if you are going after something of that size it really is worth putting up with physical and economic expense in exchange for the assurance that you've brought enough gun.
Stay tuned for the next installment, titled "Trajectory: In the Parabola of Fire".
Generally speaking, calibers range from about .17 caliber up to about .50 caliber, though there are (uncommon) exceptions in either direction. Within this range it is possible to divide the available calibers into loose groups based upon their intended purpose, with .17 through .22 generally being used for small game or varmints, 6mm through 7mm for roughly deer sized game, .308 through .338 for roughly elk sized game, and .375 through .458 for large, dangerous game. The primary reason that these categories can only be called "loose" groups is that some cartridges are considered to straddle two categories, depending on the bullet chosen.
Within each of those loose groups of calibers there are certain cartridges which are better suited to their intended purpose, or are more popular than the others. What follows is a list, in ascending caliber size, of my choices within each category, along with a little information about each one.
For small game, rabbits for instance, you can't do much better than a .22 Long Rifle. It was introduced in 1887 and is one of, if not the most popular cartridge in the world for both rifles and pistols. Its one limitation, if you can even call it that considering the intended purpose of the cartridge, is that its effective range is less than 100 yards.
For varmints, nuisance rodents, coyotes, and similar pests, my choice is the .223 Remington. This cartridge was introduced in 1964 and was adopted and renamed the 5.56x45mm by the US military one month later for use in the M16. This was primarily a result of the military's desire to adopt a less powerful round with more controllable recoil for use in automatic fire weapons while increasing the number of rounds that could be carried within the same weight allocation. A side effect of its adoption by the military has been that it became instantly popular among recreational shooters, which in turn has resulted in inexpensive ammunition. It is important to note that while the 5.56x45mm round is based on the .223, and the two have almost identical external proportions, the military uses a thicker diameter case and a different chamber design than the .223, resulting in possibly unsafe pressures if one were to attempt to fire a 5.56x45mm round in a rifle intended for .223 ammunition.
For deer and similar sized game my choice is the 7mm-08 Remington. It was introduced in 1980, though it had existed in an experimental form since about 1958. The primary advantage of the 7mm-08 over other similar cartridges is that it gives very good performance with very light recoil, and a shorter than standard length, which results in a shorter overall length and less weight in rifles designed for it. This is a good example of a cartridge which is named after the diameter of the bullet it uses and the case used. In this case, the bullet is a 7mm one which has been placed inside a case originally designed for the .308 Winchester. This is described as "necking down", or reducing the size of the opening in a case's neck so as to use bullets of a smaller than intended diameter.
For elk, moose, black bear, and similar sized game my choice is the .30-06 Springfield. Originally developed by the US military in 1906 (hence the -06 part of it's name) and remained in service up into the Vietnam War until it was finally replaced by the .308 Winchester (7.62x51mm) beginning in the 1950's. Partly due to the long military life of the .30-06 it has remained one of the most popular and most versatile hunting rounds ever devised. The recoil level of the .30-06, while not extreme, does approach the upper limit of what most shooters find comfortable to shoot without developing a flinch.
For large, dangerous game including brown bears up through elephant my choice is the .375 Holland and Holland Magnum. Introduced in 1912 and originally called the .375 Belted Rimless Nitro-Express it was only the second example of a belted cartridge ever to be commercially offered. The case which was developed for the .375 H&H Magnum has subsequently been used in other cartridges, including the extremely popular 7mm Remington Magnum and the .300 Winchester Magnum. The .375 H&H is considered by many to be the best all-around choice for African game, and is, in fact, the legal minimum caliber for certain areas. It's primary drawbacks are that it recoils almost twice as hard as the .30-06 and ammunition for it can be quite expensive, however, if you are going after something of that size it really is worth putting up with physical and economic expense in exchange for the assurance that you've brought enough gun.
Stay tuned for the next installment, titled "Trajectory: In the Parabola of Fire".