Best small center fire caliber

[Mikeyg]

I like the .17 Remington. It's a hot little round that can be very accurate. A 20-grain bullet can be pushed to over 4200 fps, and the 25-grain bullet breaks the 4000 fps mark, as well. Perfect for varmints.
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[pharmseller]

Handloader here.

.223 gets the nod.

75 grain ELDM at 2977 fps mv.

If the wind ain't blowing too bad I can shoot you, pretty regular, out to 911 yards.

 

[Bull72]

Trivia: The über modern .204 Ruger is simply the now "ancient" 222 Remington Magnum necked down.

I have not done enough research on this to know I am working way too much

 

[Bull72]

The thing is, gentleman and lady, that because of where you live and the way you live, all you need do is to waltz into the LGS of choice, do the BGC and walk out with the rifle of choice, and then, if you find it's not up to snuff, do the same thing all over again with a trade-in - ad infinitum.

Here in UK, if I decide on a calibre today, the paperwork and admin and cost entailed in doing it - not a lot, but enough to buy a box of bullets of choice - might take a few weeks, or even, if you are unlucky enough to live in more than a few counties, a few months. You might also be asked why you want that calibre in the first place...and, here's the thing, your application might just be refused altogether.

You buy US-branded rifles at about 2/3 or even 1/2 the price we pay - I know this to be a fact, since I live in both UK and the PNW during the normal year, and go to and spend money in a number of stores local to me in my time with you. Most times, though, it's pounds for dollars or thereabouts. Your thousand-dollar rifle costs at least fifteen-hundred here, often a deal more.

And for reasons totally incomprehensible to us poor shooters here, a rifle made in Finland, a spit and a fart over the North Sea and around the bottom of Sweden away, costs you about 25% LESS despite having cross the Atlantic Ocean AND the entire width of North America before it ends up on the rack in Cabela's in Tualatin.

My advice is to go exercise your RKBA and plastic purchasing device and buy a few that take your fancy.

Anything not up to your particular snuff can be disposed of on this very site by the simple interchange of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

The problem that I have is once I buy it I don't ever get rid of it I own guns that I have never even fired yet like my Remington 5mm mag rimfire I have owned it for over a year now

 

[Bull72]

Small?

How about the smallest cartridge ever factory chambered by one of the most famous rifle manufacturers in the whole world?

The .40-50 Sharps Bottleneck:

It launches a 400grain bullet at a blistering 1186 feet per second.
View attachment 887732

Versatility is its watchword. Prairie Dogs to Pronghorns, this cartridge will do it all.

View attachment 887741

(Sorry: They ran all us "small cartridge" guys out of Montana.)

I have never heard of this before

 

[Ridge Walker]

I like the .17 Remington. It's a hot little round that can be very accurate. A 20-grain bullet can be pushed to over 4200 fps, and the 25-grain bullet breaks the 4000 fps mark, as well. Perfect for varmints.
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Nice. For me the one I want to explore is the TAC 20 with 32gr @4100 fps and uses 223 cases. A whole lot of cheap fun I am thinking.

 

[Bull72]

Define "small."

I am looking into 20 calibers

 

[pharmseller]

I am looking into 20 calibers

Can you narrow it down to just two or three?

 

[tac]

Howsabout THIS one, then? It's the .224 BOZ, intended as a super-high velocity pistol cartridge for use with a conversion slide for the FB Browning GP35 or any standard M1911...

 

[Ridge Walker]

Howsabout THIS one, then? It's the .224 BOZ, intended as a super-high velocity pistol cartridge for use with a conversion slide for the FB Bronwing GP35 or any standard M1911...

View attachment 889570

Not a lawyer... but I thought AP handgun ammo was at the very least problematic in the USA

 

[tac]

Not a lawyer... but I thought AP handgun ammo was at the very least problematic in the USA

I don't live in the USA.

 

[Ridge Walker]

Very interesting. Handgun AP ammo is legal in UK? Huh wouldn't have thought that.

Over here we thought the Dunblane Massacre and resulting Firearms Act Amendment in 1997 served to essentially prohibit the private ownership of handguns in Britain.

 

[tac]

Very interesting. Handgun AP ammo is legal in UK? Huh wouldn't have thought that.

Over here we thought the Dunblane Massacre and resulting Firearms Act Amendment in 1997 served to essentially prohibit the private ownership of handguns in Britain.

You are correct, however this was not ever intended for civilian use and its development predated the Dunblane Massacre by a few years. It was trialled on a H&K HSP , a SIG 226 and a Tanfoglio of some kind. I got to shoot it on my privately-owned GP35 and it was a hoot to shoot, as they say.

Cartridge-firing handguns that still look like handguns are pretty much extinct on mainland UK, unless you are prepared to own them but not shoot them, or own them AND shoot them but keep at the place where you are allowed to shoot them under supervision, mainly to ensure that you're not enjoying it too much. Northern Ireland also part of the UK, has a lot of legal handgun shooters of ordinary handguns, and about 3000 or so CCW.

Me, I make do with BP revolvers and a thing that looks a lot like a Ruger Super Redhawk with a 12" barrel.

 

[Bull72]

Can you narrow it down to just two or three?

I am thinking about the original 220 Swift the 204 ruger but in the Browning a-bolt and 22-250 Remington

 

[CountryGent]

Best for what? Target shooting? Varmints? Other game? Defense?

In general, hard to argue with the .223 Remington / 5.56㎜; the popularity of said isn't an accident. There are some beautifully light handling rifles in .22 Hornet and it is a capable cartridge within its niche. The .22-250 Remington is a fun one. And plenty others too.

 

[Bull72]

Best for what? Target shooting? Varmints? Other game? Defense?

In general, hard to argue with the .223 Remington / 5.56㎜; the popularity of said isn't an accident. There are some beautifully light handling rifles in .22 Hornet and it is a capable cartridge within its niche. The .22-250 Remington is a fun one. And plenty others too.

My oldest son picked up a winchester model 70 pre 64 in 220 swift so now I have to get something to compete against it at the range mostly

 

[grapo13]

I don't have one, but from what I've read/heard the 22 creedmoor might be worth taking a look.

 

[Bull72]

My oldest son picked up a winchester model 70 pre 64 in 220 swift so now I have to get something to compete against it at the range mostly

Mostly target shooting but we do enjoy some varmint hunting ground hogs mainly

 

[AK0perator47]

I was thinking about the 25-35 Win… looks like a great cartridge out to 3-400 yards

 

[Gunner3456]

5.56/223. Great round (good enough for NATO,) ammo is cheap and plentiful, and also runs in my AR-15.