r/canadaguns • u/MasterpieceWise7742 • Jun 24 '26

Buy recommendations Best “do it all” rifle

I’m looking for advice on the best rifle for doing a bit of everything. The main use I’m looking for is coyote and deer hunting as well as a lot of target shooting.

I totally understand everyone is going to have a different opinion on cartridge but I’d love to hear what everyone thinks for my situation.

I currently own sks and a 10/22.

Let me know your thoughts! TIA

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76

u/FroBro243 Jun 24 '26

Bolt action .308Win is probably your best "do-it-all" rifle. I'm partial to the Tikka T3x myself, but there are plenty of good options on the market.

-26

u/mischling2543 Jun 24 '26

Hot take but .308 has been made totally obsolete by 6.5cm

27

u/CattleNatural5964 Jun 24 '26

There is no do-it-all rifle; regulations say you must buy a minimum of five, but preferably seven. It’s tough, I know, but that’s just the way it is.

8

u/mischling2543 Jun 24 '26

No argument there. 6.5cm bolt-action, 12 gauge, .22, SKS, and dealer's choice for the fifth

6

u/Lumindan Jun 24 '26

357mag / 38 SPL lever imo

1

u/MEmERDuDe21 Jun 25 '26

I got that, but I have 2 semi auto 22s and a bolt action, and for 12 Gauge I got a shorty pump and a semi, savage 110 predator bolt in 6.5cm, sks, Henry big boy brass .357, started buying at 17, it's been about 2 years this hobby is pricy

13

u/Trick-Goat-3643 Jun 24 '26

Only "obsolete" if you're planning to hunt 300+

3

u/Astro_Addict Jun 24 '26

6.5 is going to be my first big rifle, and I'm looking at the Sig cross as it's light weight and tacticool looking (plus it's at basspro and I get a discount there)

6

u/MoosedMilk Jun 24 '26

By the same logic 6.5cm has been made obsolete by 6 CM.

Especially with the new berger 120gr and its gnarly G7

-3

u/Duckriders4r Jun 24 '26

Baahaaa, 6 .5 has 156 and 160gr. How does 120 compete?

3

u/MoosedMilk Jun 24 '26

Because a 6CM will send that 120gr much faster than a 6.5CM can send a 153.5. With the Extremely good BC of that 120LRHT it has significantly less drop while retaining 100ftlb ish the same energy per distance of the 153.5.

3

u/GodsGiftToWrenching Jun 24 '26

I fail to see how. .308 launches a 168 grain stone at 2,700 fps, the majority of your shots when hunting are going to be within 300 meters. Taking that in mind if you zero at 200 meters with .308 that sets your drop at 9" at 300 meters. You're simply not shooting far enough to utilize any benifit of 6.5 bleedmoor as the .308 still has higher energy which when hunting is the primary concern for hunting. Any accuracy benifit os pretty moot as modern .308 rifles are moa or tighter and previous generations used hunting rifles that could be 2 moa rifles

TL;DR .308 is still inherently a better hunting round than 6.5 bleedmoor due to most hunting distances and energy retention

4

u/ReturnOk7510 Jun 24 '26

Laughs in 7mm-08

1

u/GodsGiftToWrenching Jun 25 '26

Man 7mm-08 is a laser beam and a wicked deer round. 7mm-08 and .270 winchester are essentially the boomer version of 6.5 manbun

1

u/ReturnOk7510 Jun 25 '26

Almost as much muzzle energy as 308, more past 300 yards, and shoots flatter than the Creed out to 400 or so.

1

u/GodsGiftToWrenching Jun 25 '26

Not quite true for the 7mm 08 although it is a bit flatter shooting. .270 though your statement is 100 % true, and based on Federals website comparing berger .308 to berger .270, the .280 actually outperforms .308 in energy at 200 yards

3

u/hawkeyewilikens Jun 24 '26

I think it’s going to be interesting to see the new federal 6.5 CM Peak rounds. If it truly takes the 6.5 creed into 6.5 prc territory for energy, it’s going to make it a very versatile cartridge. Use the peak rounds for big game, and use the conventional rounds for everything else.. You get the best of both worlds- very manageable recoil and great ballistics 90% of the time, and a bigger punch for larger game when you need it.

2

u/ReturnOk7510 Jun 24 '26

Until they release 6.5 PRC +PEAK and it does 6.5-300 velocities

2

u/hawkeyewilikens Jun 24 '26

My shoulder will stick with the 6.5 creedmoor thank you 🤣

0

u/GodsGiftToWrenching Jun 25 '26

That is true but at the same time, being constricted to using one specific load for a specific performance is quite limiting, especially if you forgot your ammo at home and have to go to a local hardware store to get ammo. The 6.5 manbun +peak will be neat though, I have a 6.5 as a target rifle (it was a gift) so I want to see how it performs there, I still prefer my .308's though as ammo is incredibly common wherever I go, cheaper than 6.5 typically and I know it's hold overs to 500 meters.

My buddy has a 6.5 PRC as a hunting rifle and honestly with a muzzle brake, it's not recoiling that much harder than my .308 does. I will say for big game like moose and elk, I'm still going for .308 because of the energy, especially if I zero for 180 grain ammo, or I'm just going to go to a magnum at that point as even 30-06 witha double lung doesn't immediately down an elk so 6.5 bleedmoor isn't going tk be better realistically. 6.5 + peak or PRC would be better though

1

u/Duckriders4r Jun 24 '26

Same brass necked down has less power? Only if you're talking bullets over the grane that a 6.5 is.

1

u/GodsGiftToWrenching Jun 25 '26

Yes... that is how it works. Common .308 loadings start at 150 grain, 140 grain is heavy for class for 6.5 hence why 6.5 PRC is commonly loaded in that. So although that round is the same case but smaller diameter it will lose it's energy quicker than the heavier projectile.

For compairison and using Federal as a source. Federal 6.5 bleedmoor with a 135 grain Berger hybrid hunters is going 1775 FPS vs my .308 Federal Berger Hybrid which goes 2700 FPS, my .308 has 2719 Ft Lbs of energy at muzzle and 1291 at 500 yards, the 6.5 loading has 2308 at muzzle and 1258 at 500 yards, so despite being the same case with a smaller projectile and a slight speed boost the 6.5 has over 400 ft lbs less energy and it stays below .308 energy put to 500 yards. That's compairing average for class projectiles as I cannot find a 168 grain loading for 6.5 manbun

1

u/ReferencePage Jun 24 '26

Probably wouldn’t want to hunt large game with a 6.5cm, it’s definitely an accurate cartridge but I don’t think it’s the most versatile, that either goes to the 30-06 or the .308 IMO

1

u/mischling2543 Jun 24 '26

I know guys who use it for moose and black bear just fine, and if you really want to do grizzly or above imo a .300win mag is more suited to that anyway

1

u/ReferencePage Jun 24 '26

Oh yeah you totally can, but the 308 is a better big game choice (more energy transfer/better wound channel), when talking about versatility I just don’t think it’s close, .308 can be between 110gr-220gr whereas 6.5 is limited to 90gr to 160gr. It can do everything the 6.5 can and more. Plus its cheap 🙏🏻

1

u/Dependent_Account603 Jun 25 '26

Unless you're hunting moose or elk

Actually now that the 6.5cm has federal peak ammo, it's upped it's game. Hopefully they bring this to .308.

0

u/boringlongbusride Jun 24 '26

Barrels wear faster all cost more 95% of shooters don't/can't shoot it at long enough range for the advantages to become apparent .308 is better all round 6.5 for long range