Hunting Caliber Picks Compared: What Fits Which Game and Gun

Two guys at ClassicFirearms sat down to walk through the hunting cartridges Americans actually buy and shoot, and the conversation is less a countdown than a case-by-case breakdown of what works for which animal, which gun, and which hunter.

Key points

• .22 LR stays relevant for small game, pest control, and teaching new shooters, even if it's not glamorous.
• .223 Remington offers low recoil for varmints and coyotes, and the hosts note it can stretch to whitetail where state law and shooter skill allow it.
• .300 Blackout gets credit for versatility between supersonic and subsonic loads, especially for suppressed hog hunting, with the hosts comparing its grain weights to 7.62x39.
• 8.6 Blackout didn't crack the main list but gets a mention as a rising round built on a necked-down 6.5 Creedmoor case for elk and moose-sized game.
• .30-30 Winchester and .308 Winchester are framed as the old guard and current king, respectively, with .308 called one of the most dependable all-around deer cartridges still in wide use.

Quick take

Nothing here is shocking if you've hunted for a while, but the video is a solid refresher on why certain calibers stick around: cost, ammo availability, recoil, and the simple fact that shot placement matters more than ballistic bragging rights. Worth a watch if you're weighing a new hunting rifle purchase or just want the reasoning behind the usual suspects.

Watch the full video: ClassicFirearms