Welcome guest, is this your first visit? Create Account now to join.
  • Login:

Welcome to the NZ Hunting and Shooting Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.

Alpine Darkness


User Tag List

+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 5 12345 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 63
Like Tree81Likes

Thread: What calibre?

  1. #1
    Member hawkfish's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Cambridge
    Posts
    198

    What calibre?

    Im Emigrating to NZ at some point in August, Im selling my guns before I leave the UK and Im going to buy new when I get there (its a load less hassle). Im probably going to buy a Sako 85 stainless in a laminate stock (I dont like the rubbery bits on the synthetic), but Im un decided on what calibre. I will eventually buy more calibres, but it wont be for a while so just wanted something nice in a fairly good alround calibre.

    I appreciate there is no perfect calibre and everyone has their favourite, but Im just interested in what you guys would get if you were in my shoes? What ever I get it needs to be something that I can buy a good selection of ammo for off the shelf as I wont be re loading. I guess 308, 270 and 30-06 are all contenders and I have shot all of them, but I just keep going round in circles

    So what do you recon??.

  2. #2
    Member Kiwi-Hunter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Southland
    Posts
    837
    Where you are going to live? North or South will make a difference, that's to my way of thinking.
    The area you live will be your main hunting? that's in most cases with the odd trip away.
    What about water fowl? small game? large game? this has a direction as well to what you mite buy.
    I see the calibres you have made note of, which indeed are all find for hunting large game. The list of calibres is long for large game.
    Myself I like short action rifles and light, reason my build mainly and it used to be along day in the hills.
    What works for me, isn't bling to someone else, we all have our thing when it comes to rifles.
    Cost comes to mind I don't need to spend 3000 or 5000+ but to other it's not about cost.
    So I have given you the ball again. Answer some the questions to yourself then you will start to make head way.
    Join the NZDA when you get here that's a good start.
    There will be oh here we go again! with all there favourites rifles.
    What are you shooting with at the moment? if it works for you stick with that.
    Rabbits with a 3006 is just what we would call over kill, but hay it works
    KH
    The Voice of Reason, Come let us Reason together...

  3. #3
    Member hawkfish's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Cambridge
    Posts
    198
    Well over here I mainly shoot the smaller deer species and foxes with a 243, and once I am over Id like to have a crack everything but deer will be my main target species. I know a well placed shot from a 243 will do everything I need it too but Id like something a bit bigger.

    I will be mainly based on the north island and heading over to the south as much as possible. I have mates with 308's, 270's, 30-06's and 6.5x55's and they all have their merits, but just wanted some opinions from over there really....

  4. #4
    Ejected
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Tauranga
    Posts
    202
    A 50 cal & a hand grenade will pretty much sort you for everything.

    Or any of the calibres you mention if you want to be boring.
    PERRISCICABA and DanS like this.

  5. #5
    northdude
    Guest
    im a 6.5 man myself but you wouldn't go wrong with a 308
    sako75, mucko, mikee and 2 others like this.

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Posts
    20
    I love the .243 but have recently gone to 7mm08 in a sako 85. I notice the difference in recoil. Anywhere from 6mm to 308 will serve you well.

  7. #7
    Member sako75's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Supercity
    Posts
    4,945
    Northdude is onto it. Simple and concise. May as well lock this thread now before it turns to a shitfight
    Pointer, Toby and kidmac42 like this.

  8. #8
    Member Danny's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Central NI
    Posts
    5,052
    Quote Originally Posted by sako75 View Post
    Northdude is onto it. Simple and concise. May as well lock this thread now before it turns to a shitfight



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Dan M

  9. #9
    Member mucko's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Tauranga
    Posts
    12,624
    Quote Originally Posted by hawkfish View Post
    Im Emigrating to NZ at some point in August, Im selling my guns before I leave the UK and Im going to buy new when I get there (its a load less hassle). Im probably going to buy a Sako 85 stainless in a laminate stock (I dont like the rubbery bits on the synthetic), but Im un decided on what calibre. I will eventually buy more calibres, but it wont be for a while so just wanted something nice in a fairly good alround calibre.

    I appreciate there is no perfect calibre and everyone has their favourite, but Im just interested in what you guys would get if you were in my shoes? What ever I get it needs to be something that I can buy a good selection of ammo for off the shelf as I wont be re loading. I guess 308, 270 and 30-06 are all contenders and I have shot all of them, but I just keep going round in circles

    So what do you recon??.
    308 or 30/06 either one you can buy cheap or expensive ammo with good bullet weight range, the animal wont tell the difference.
    Muckos Shooting accessories and engineering https://www.facebook.com/aimnzengineering/

  10. #10
    Member hawkfish's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Cambridge
    Posts
    198
    Sorry I didnt want to open a can of worms, I was just after a few opinions that was all.
    sako75 likes this.

  11. #11
    Almost literate. veitnamcam's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Nelson
    Posts
    24,745
    Dont forget 7mm
    "Hunting and fishing" fucking over licenced firearms owners since ages ago.

    308Win One chambering to rule them all.

  12. #12
    Gone But Not Forgotten Toby's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Wouldn't you like to know
    Posts
    11,099
    8x57
    VIVA LA HOWA

  13. #13
    Sending it Gibo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    The Hill
    Posts
    23,164
    Quote Originally Posted by hawkfish View Post
    Sorry I didnt want to open a can of worms, I was just after a few opinions that was all.
    You asked over 4000 people

  14. #14
    R93
    R93 is offline
    Member R93's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Westland NZ
    Posts
    16,102
    You will be spending most of your time wondering where to go unless you have contacts and caliber will be the least of your worries. I would go 6.5 or .30 cal.
    If you do enough hunting you will run into plenty of people with the same interests and through those encounters most likely settle on something that suits your needs.
    Both islands have their attractions.
    You will need to pass through emigration everytime you come south as we have strict rules down here.
    Guys like Gibo just hang around the body search areas and don't actually venture south.😆
    I love hunting the sika and pheasants of the north bit so it is worth the scrutiny when I come back home.

    Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
    Last edited by R93; 17-06-2015 at 11:39 AM.
    Pointer, mucko, heinnz and 1 others like this.
    Do what ya want! Ya will anyway.

  15. #15
    Member mucko's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Tauranga
    Posts
    12,624
    Quote Originally Posted by hawkfish View Post
    Sorry I didnt want to open a can of worms, I was just after a few opinions that was all.
    if you were keen to reload i would suggest 6.5/06 but out of the three you listed either of the 30cals would be mint.
    Muckos Shooting accessories and engineering https://www.facebook.com/aimnzengineering/

 

 

Similar Threads

  1. calibre advice
    By sika77 in forum Firearms, Optics and Accessories
    Replies: 111
    Last Post: 27-05-2015, 01:34 PM
  2. What calibre
    By hawkfish in forum Hunting
    Replies: 65
    Last Post: 20-01-2015, 12:44 PM
  3. Which calibre for tahr?
    By Muel in forum Hunting
    Replies: 45
    Last Post: 09-09-2014, 10:44 PM
  4. .905 calibre
    By ARVOindustries in forum Shooting
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 07-08-2013, 05:47 PM
  5. What Calibre?
    By Cyclist in forum Firearms, Optics and Accessories
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 11-12-2011, 12:10 PM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Welcome to NZ Hunting and Shooting Forums! We see you're new here, or arn't logged in. Create an account, and Login for full access including our FREE BUY and SELL section Register NOW!!