I once a asked a few North QLD gunstores what they sold the most of, not including shotguns, and in this order it was

1. 22LR
2. 223
3. 308
4. 30-30
5. The rest of the common centrefires, 243, 270, 30-06, etc and 303 still got a good showing too.

I remember talking to blokes from Vic who felt 30-06 was higher on the list for them. Is this still the case? Up here it is seen but much less popular than the top options shown

I felt like when I lived in Canberra that everyone had a roo and fox rifle which was probably some kind of 204 Ruger, 223, 22-250 and that lot.

They had a lightweight deer rifle 7mm-08-30-06 and then those that worked on sambar regularly had some kind of cannon.

As an American in Australia I felt like every single Australian hunter I knew had killed about 50 times more animals than I would ever kill in a lifetime of hunting in America.

American gun writers write a story about a new cartridge blow through maybe 60-100 rounds of factory ammo on their test, and go and shoot a deer with it and call it a winner.

Australian gun writers shoot 300 kangaroos, and 200 pigs with it and are not sure.

6.5 Creedmore is getting talked about more these days by people I've talked to. Young troop wants to get into hunting and said he wants one, I tried to steer him to the 6.5x55

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:
I felt like when I lived in Canberra that everyone had a roo and fox rifle which was probably some kind of 204 Ruger, 223, 22-250 and that lot.

They had a lightweight deer rifle 7mm-08-30-06 and then those that worked on sambar regularly had some kind of cannon.

As an American in Australia I felt like every single Australian hunter I knew had killed about 50 times more animals than I would ever kill in a lifetime of hunting in America.

American gun writers write a story about a new cartridge blow through maybe 60-100 rounds of factory ammo on their test, and go and shoot a deer with it and call it a winner.

Australian gun writers shoot 300 kangaroos, and 200 pigs with it and are not sure.

BWW one of the few advantages of the Australian situation was pretty much limitless hunting. It has gotten a bit tougher in the last few years with less access to properties and our national parks often being protected areas. I understand our state of Victoria can shoot in national parks these day, someone will probably verify or correct me on that. In my state Queensland it can be harder, especially for new young hunters to get a start- the land is either national park, which is strictly no access for shooting, or privately owned. If they dont have family contacts or close friends with acreage, they beg and scrape to build the relationships to find places to shoot. Property owners are less amenable to random people shooting on their blocks of course these days due to hooliganism and the liability issues. How I understand the US works is many areas you are allowed to shoot in the parks, aka state or govermment land, as well as privately owned areas(with permission)

There is a season on Sambar in the Vic Alpine National Park. No other hunting permitted in any other National Park, and no hunting of other species permitted. So if you are hunting sambar in the ANP during the season, but encounter a pig or a fox, it is illegal to shoot them.

quote:

Originally posted by Karl:

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:
I felt like when I lived in Canberra that everyone had a roo and fox rifle which was probably some kind of 204 Ruger, 223, 22-250 and that lot.

They had a lightweight deer rifle 7mm-08-30-06 and then those that worked on sambar regularly had some kind of cannon.

As an American in Australia I felt like every single Australian hunter I knew had killed about 50 times more animals than I would ever kill in a lifetime of hunting in America.

American gun writers write a story about a new cartridge blow through maybe 60-100 rounds of factory ammo on their test, and go and shoot a deer with it and call it a winner.

Australian gun writers shoot 300 kangaroos, and 200 pigs with it and are not sure.

BWW one of the few advantages of the Australian situation was pretty much limitless hunting. It has gotten a bit tougher in the last few years with less access to properties and our national parks often being protected areas. I understand our state of Victoria can shoot in national parks these day, someone will probably verify or correct me on that. In my state Queensland it can be harder, especially for new young hunters to get a start- the land is either national park, which is strictly no access for shooting, or privately owned. If they dont have family contacts or close friends with acreage, they beg and scrape to build the relationships to find places to shoot. Property owners are less amenable to random people shooting on their blocks of course these days due to hooliganism and the liability issues. How I understand the US works is many areas you are allowed to shoot in the parks, aka state or govermment land, as well as privately owned areas(with permission)

Karl, it was changing when I lived there. I know NSW had some changes that had opened up state forest (Nov 2010- Nov 2013). I don't know the status of any of that today.

I hunted Victoria, NSW and a little bit in the southern part of the ACT. Mostly foxing and shooting roos on farms in NSW and the ACT. Shot F-Open most weekends at the NRA 1000 yard range near the airport.

The American situation has about 20 different versions of access. The most well known is the idea of public land ownership on National Forest systems, Bureau of Land Management administered lands, Military bases (there are quite a few that allow hunting), National Wildlife refuge administered lands, and then the states have public lands as well. There are non-profit held lands like the Nature Concernvancy that allow hunting, and private timber companies in the North Eastern USA, North Western USA and other places where you can pay to hunt for a small fee. We also have situations like Texas where there is very little public own land, and paying for some kind of a hunting lease is the normal thing to do. This is common throughout the USA, but most common in areas with shortages of public lands.

The problem in the USA is that all wildlife except migratory birds are owned by the state they live in.

Most states manage wildlife for one of three outcomes;
1. Quality experience. Lots of wildlife, open to a large number of hunters but no focus on trophy quality. But high success rate. These are typically only for the female of the species in alternate seasons to use below. As in October is buck or bull season and November is doe or cow season.
2. Trophy Quality. Lots of wildlife, open to a very small number of hunters focusing on trophy quality.
3. Hunter participation. Lots of hunter attendance with no focus on trophy quality or success rates.
They are also managed for mixed outcomes. In Washington they have spike tags for elk and they sell an unlimited number of them, cow tags are hard to get, and bull tags take years of applying to get all in the same unit.

We have almost all states except; Alaska, Idaho and New Mexico in the west and many back east. On some kind of silly points program, that was great if you got in on the ground floor but as time goes on it has become impossible to move anywhere as demand far exceeds supply, and the backlog of hunters with maximum points continues to grow.

There are tags for animals available over the counter, but this is generally not the case in every states. Some states are 100% lottery for tags.

I am from NZ

22LR & 223 or 222 have been most common for the last 50 years I guess.

I have been here 28 years and in the early days 243 Win was among the most common common caliber in Deer stalkers' club hunts. Around the late 90s it became 308 and the 7mm08.

I've seen that trend in the gun stores as well. the 270Win hangs in there at no 3 or 4.

You see more of the longer range & larger calibers in the South island.

I shot a lot of loaned rifles in New Zealand, for centrefire I saw lots of 222 and 243, and 7 Mag for the heavies.

Of course if Top Predator was around he'd screw up the average by shooting his 375 H&H or the Rigby for feral goats

It makes gradual and sometime temporary changes in the USA, and its geographical also..but your figures are about average over the years

222 then 223

30-30 then to the 30-06 and 270

308 came on with a bang.

7x57 and 7-08 showed a little pick up about this time but the 7x57 has been pretty consitant but not setting the world on fire.

The 25s barely hanging in there as well as the 338-06 and 35 whelen.

Elk hunters gradually moved from 30-06 and 270 to the .338 Win. and that is continueing at a steady move. Its here to stay., the others are not..

Surprisingly the 9..3x62 has a showing and seems to be catching on and deservedly so.

The creedmore is hotcakes and on the move, will it stand the test of time, maybe, maybe not, hard to say but Im betting on it even though its not my cup of tea..I sticking with the dieing 250-3000

Thats just the way Ive seen it over the years, right or wrong? who knows..Most of the AR members hang with the odd caliber as well as the gut nuts. I like the 250-3000, 25-35, 257 Robts, 7x57, 30-06 375 and 9.3x62 so Im not in the big loop..

The SSAA seems to think the .223 and 308 Win are the most popular calibres in Australia but I would think almost everybody has a 22LR.

Maybe 10 or 20 per cent of Victoria, however, is wooded mountainous public land, much of it inhabited by sambar and open to hunting without grovelling to land owners. Therefore, calibres like the .30-06, 300 magnums, 338WM, 35 Whelen and 9.3x62 are quite common down here.

Bit surprised that the .243 isn’t higher up the list. It still seems popular in Queensland for new shooters wanting an all purpose centrefire with low recoil. It’s proponents often don’t seem to want to chase anything larger than a once a year pig even when deer are on their doorstep.

quote:

Originally posted by GBE:
Bit surprised that the .243 isn’t higher up the list. It still seems popular in Queensland for new shooters wanting an all purpose centrefire with low recoil. It’s proponents often don’t seem to want to chase anything larger than a once a year pig even when deer are on their doorstep.

Yeah that is a top little calibre for the lady folk

If my family is anything to go by has to be 7mm-08. Just picked up another Marlin XS rifle in 7mm-08 for my third son who got interested in hunting after getting a GSP pup earlier this year and accompanying me on a pukeko drive (NZ gamebird) and the tail end of our duck season. He scored a few birds of both varieties using my shotguns and is hooked. In the process of getting his firearms licence and wants to accompany me and his two brothers on our annual duck shooting opening weekend and later winter tahr hunt next year.

I got a Marlin XS in perfect condition with camo stock, suppressor, very good Simmons scope, camo gun bag and sling plus a brand new box of ammo at a real good price for him. He just needs a bipod to complete the package.

I have an identical black stocked Marlin, the older boy a Rem 700 SPS and the youngest a Weatherby Vanguard all in 7mm-08.

All have suppressors and bipods fitted apart from deaf old dad who gave up his Rem 700 to the older boy, his bipod and Leupold scope to the younger and now purchased the camo Marlin for the middle boy. Bloody good on a hunt and in camp sitting back with a beer at the end of the day while the boys light up the fire and cook the meals.

I see more 7mm-08s on the range and in the field than any other cartridge these days.

Interesting that the 7-08 is prevalent in NZ, Eagle. The 6.5 Creedmoor is the easy winner here, with the .30-06 a close second among hunting cartridges, as this is elk country. See a lot of .308 brass, but much of it is military ball being run through Ar-10s and other semi-autos. Of course, the bulk of ammo fired at our local shooting range continues to be 9mm and .223.

This is a really interesting thread. I created a similar thread a while back.

Here in Northern Utah, everyone is obsessed with the 6.6 Creedmore. It is by far the most popular choice.
My son bought one and likes it but he is taking a .300 Win elk hunting this weekend

About 2 years back, I was at our local Sporting Goods store in Northern Utah- Sportsman's Warehouse. I was looking
at some rifles that were on clearance. There were 3 rifles I believe and they were 30-06 Browning X-Bolts or A-Bolts (I
cannot remember which). They had them listed for $275! If I am off on that price I am sure it was under $300 but
believe that this was the correct price. I asked the Sales Associate why they were so inexpensive. He told me that
they could not sell them. I am still kicking myself for not buying all of them. I never find new guns for deals like that.

Its hard to understand the thought process...

Jason, I worked at Sportsman's back 12 years ago. I have to admit I just never warmed to the Browning bolt guns. Can't say why.

I don't think anything much about the modern bolt-action Brownings, Bill, but would love to find a good old one with the Mauser action. Is it possible others are also still in mourning its passing?

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Jason, I worked at Sportsman's back 12 years ago. I have to admit I just never warmed to the Browning bolt guns. Can't say why.

First off, I’m the last person that you’d want to take gun advice from. However, I love the Browning action and do not know why they are not more popular. But, that’s another top8c in itself

quote:

Originally posted by Jason P:

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Jason, I worked at Sportsman's back 12 years ago. I have to admit I just never warmed to the Browning bolt guns. Can't say why.

First off, I’m the last person that you’d want to take gun advice from. However, I love the Browning action and do not know why they are not more popular. But, that’s another top8c in itself

They damn sure are accurate.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Interesting that the 7-08 is prevalent in NZ, Eagle. The 6.5 Creedmoor is the easy winner here, with the .30-06 a close second among hunting cartridges, as this is elk country. See a lot of .308 brass, but much of it is military ball being run through Ar-10s and other semi-autos. Of course, the bulk of ammo fired at our local shooting range continues to be 9mm and .223.

The 7mm calibre has always been popular here, with the 7x57 holding fort for a long time with the English BSA and European BRNOs being affordable rifles, both common in 7x57. In the magnums the 7x61 was surprisingly popular considering it was only available in the higher priced Danish Schultz and Larsen rifles. The 7mm-08 has taken over the 7x57 place and the 7mm Rem Mag likewise over the 7x61.

The 7mm Rem Mag is very popular here for those hunting open spaces and alpine regions with the 300 Win Mag about the same in popularity for the same type of hunting.