What is the best cartridge for drive hunts.

Here are the perameters:

1. Must have lead free bullets available.

2. Suitable cartridge for red deer, wildboar, fallow deer, mouflon sheep, roe deer, sika deer, and maybe whitetails and moose in Scandinavia/Finland.

3. Bolt action cartridge or single shot/double rifle calibers.

4. Suitable for 150 yard shots.

Question:
What is the best lead free cartridge for drive hunts?

These are most commonly available cartridges. There are others but these make the most financial sense.

Hunts will be high seat stand hunts (ansitzjagd, hochsitzjagd) or drive hunts (druckjagd).

Esoteric cartridges get expensive. 9.3x64 lead free ammunition is $150 a box.

Choices:
9.3x62, 9.3x74R
308 Winchester
30-06 or 30 R Blaser
7x64 or 7x65R
8x57 IS or 8x57 IRS

 

Hi BWW,

I have and use a 9,3x62. Here, at public land and properties ranches inside National Parks, to hunt exotics like Red and Fallow Deer and Wild Boar the next year will be mandatory to use no lead bullets. Crazy or not, it will be...!
I have a stock of 9,3 mm 220 gr FOX (made in Slovenia) bullets, plus bigger stock of BARNES TSX and TTSX, plus Hornady GMX in 250 gr. I have used mostly the FOX 220 gr at 2800 f/s. I think would be very good for your intended hunts. If not, the TTSX 250 gr at 2600 /2650 f/s would be.
Only one cartridge is allowed to be voted in your post. My second candidate would be the 30-06 with BARNES 168 gr TSX, or TTSX at 2950 f/s, or with 175 grs LRX, at 2850 f/S.

Good luck!

PH

Spears and arrows only…lead free

I really like the 7x65r and have taken boar with it using Fox 150gn lead free. I have also taken plenty of deer in UK with RWS 140gn HIT.

In Germany the most common cartridge for boar hunting is the 308 Win and most availability of lead free ammo. 30-06 and 7x64 also popular. 308 is easy to shoot and more than adequate for the majority of boar.

Some do like the 9.3x62 - it has more thump for big keilers but more recoil.