Which rifle calibre should you pick? Here is the eGunroom guide of the popular rifle calibres currently on the market for pest, fox, deer, target and even big game shooting.
Whilst countless different types of rimfire and centrefire cartridges have been produced over the last couple hundred years, for the purposes of this article we will focus on the popular rifle calibres that you are likely to encounter on the shelves of your local gunshop. Whilst this is by no means a definitive guide, it will make a good starting point before you descend into the rabbit hole of rifle calibres.
This guide has been broken down in to the following categories of rifle calibres: rimfire (.17 HMR, .22 Short, .22 Long Rifle) and centrefire (.222 Remington, .223 Remington, .243 Winchester, 6mm PPC, 6.5mm Creedmoor, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .375 H&H Magnum, .416 Rigby).
Before choosing any rifle calibres you should ensure that they are: suitable for the intended quarry or target and the distances that you intend on shooting, ensure that you pick appropriate bullet weights, and be honest about your abilities as a marksman.
Rimfire Rifle Calibres
A rimfire cartridge has the primer located within the hollow circumferential rim at the base of the cartridge case (hence the name rimfire). When you pull the rifle’s trigger the firing pin will strike and crush the rim, sparking the primer compound within the rim, and igniting the propellant.
All modern rimfire cartridges are made on one of two different rim diameters:
Standard RIm (.275″ diameter)
- .17 Mach 2,
- .22 BB Cap and CB Cap,
- .22 Short,
- .22 Long,
- .22 Long Rifle.
Magnum Rim (.291″ diameter)
- .17 HMR,
- .22 WRF,
- .22 WMR.
.17 HMR
The .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire was introduced in 2002 by CCI/Federal (Alliant) and Hornady. Preliminary design work was originally started in 1989 by Federal Cartridge. The concept was to drastically improve rimfire magnum exterior ballistics and reduce potential ricochets, thereby improving its safety.
This round has a flat trajectory, however the lighter bullets can be affected by cross winds. The bullets breakup soon after impact making them a good pest control round.
- Bullet Diameter: .1725 in.,
- Standard Rifling Twist Rate: N/A,
- Overall Length: 1.349 in..
The .17 HMR is ideal for pest control and can be used for fox shooting, however ensure that your target is close when using this round for foxes (the general advice within the shooting community is well within 50 yards).
.22 Short
First introduced in 1856 this rimfire round is the oldest self-contained cartridge still in production.
The .22 Short makes a good close range pest control round. Unfortunately it will not cycle in semi-automatic rifles, so you will need to look for a suitable bolt-actioned rifle.
- Bullet Diameter: .225 in.,
- Standard Rifling Twist Rate: 1 twist in 24 in.,
- Overall Length: 0.695 in..
A good round for small pests at close ranges.
.22 Long Rifle
This is the rifle calibre that may of us will be familiar with and think of when we hear the word ‘rimfire’. It was introduced in 1887 and now comes in a variety of bullet weights and velocities.
- Bullet Diameter: .225 in.,
- Standard Rifling Twist Rate: 1 turn in 16 in.,
- Overall Length: 1.000 in..
The .22LR is a popular choice with both hunters and target shooters. Hollow point rounds are recommended for hunters whereas target shooters prefer solid bullets. This a great round for rabbits and other pests and has very low recoil.
Centrefire Rifle Calibres
The primer in a centrefire cartridge is located at the centre of the base of the of the casing, and unlike a rimfire this primer is a separate component. Centrefire cartridge cases can be rimmed, semi-rimmed, rimless, belted rebated. These cartridges are substantially larger and longer than rimfire cartridges.
Fun Centrefire Facts:
The smallest centrefire cartridge is the 2.7mm Kolibri pistol cartridge. This cartridge fires a 3 grain full metal jacket bullet at an approximate muzzle velocity of 700 FPS, and generates just over 3 ft-lbs of energy. It was designed in Europe and introduced in 1914, unfortunately it was not a commercial success and is no longer manufactured.
The largest sporting centrefire cartridge is the .700 Nitro Express. It fires a 1,200 grain bullet at a muzzle velocity of 1,900 FPS and generates 9,618 ft-lbs of energy. The .700 Nitro Express produces 305% more muzzle energy than the .30-06 Springfield.
.222 Remington
Introduced to the U.S. market in 1950, this cartridge was popular with varmint hunters for the next 20 years. All major ammunition manufacturers produced it and all major rifle makers chambered rifles for it. In the 1960’s the popularity of the .222 Remington took a hit when the .223 Remington was introduced. The .222 Remington’s accuracy made it a hit with bench rest shooters.
The .222 Remington offers good ballistic performance out to 200 yards.
- Bullet Diameter: .224 in.,
- Standard Rifling Twist Rate: 1 turn in 14 in.,
- Overall Length: 2.130 in..
This cartridge is not suitable (or legal) for shooting deer the UK, however it is a good option for fox shooting, other longer range pest control and target shooting.
.223 Remington
Introduced in 1964, the .223 Remington is a civilian version of the U.S. Army’s 5.56x45mm cartridge (note: do not use 5.56x45mm NATO rounds in a firearm chambered for .223 Rem.).
The .223 Remington knocked the .222 Remington off it’s perch as the popular varmint and bench rest cartridge.
- Bullet Diameter: .224 in.,
- Standard Rifling Twist Rate: 1 turn in 12 in.,
- Overall Length: 2.260 in..
This cartridge is not suitable (or legal) for shooting deer the UK, however it is a good option for fox shooting, longer range pest control, and target shooting.
.243 Winchester
The .243 Winchester was designed by Winchester and Warren Page, and introduced in 1955. In technical terms the .243 WIn. is a .308 Win. cartridge necked down to 6mm.
The .243 is often regarded as a good middle ground calibre for both deer and fox shooting (the UK’s Deer Act requires a bullet calibre of at least .240 be used for deer). The relatively flat trajectory of the .243 Win. adds to its popularity with hunters.
- Bullet Diameter: .243 in.,
- Standard Rifling Twist Rate: 1 turn in 10 in.,
- Overall Length: 2.710 in..
Bullets weighing 90 grains and heavier are suitable for deer whilst lighter bullets are suitable for fox shooting.
6mm PPC
A surgeon, Dr Louis Palmisano, and a tool and die maker, Ferris Pindell, combined their talents in the late 1970’s and set about designing, developing and introducing this cartridge specifically for bench rest shooting.
The 6mm PPC is designed for efficiency and accuracy. This cartridge proves the designers’ thoughts that a shorter overall case length and a wider body diameter would be inherently more accurate than the traditional cartridges that have long, narrow diameter configurations.
- Bullet Diameter: .243 in.,
- Standard Rifling Twist Rate: 1 turn in 14 in.,
- Overall Length: 2.1929 in..
Suitable for target shooting, fox shooting and deer shooting in the UK.
6.5mm Creedmoor
The 6.5mm Creedmoor was designed for long-range target shooting by long range shooter (and vice-president of product development at Creemoor Sports) Dennis DeMille and Hornady’s senior ballistics scientist Dave Emary. It was introduced in 2008 and was designed to provide a slight edge in ballistic performance over the .260 Rem, 6.5x55mm Swedish, and the 6.5x47mm Lapua cartridges.
Dave Emery has said that is is a superb target cartridge to 1,200 yards, and is also very effective for hunting game up to the size of American Elk and African Kudo to ranges of 400-600 yards.
- Bullet Diameter: .264 in.,
- Standard Rifling Twist Rate: 1 turn in 8 in.,
- Overall Length: 2.825 in..
Although originally designed as a target cartridge, the 6.5mm Creedmoor also makes an excellent hunting cartridge and is suitable for fox shooting and deer shooting in the UK.
.270 Winchester
The .270 Winchester was introduced in 1925 by Winchester, it has a flat trajectory, high remaining velocity, and excellent long range ballistic performance.
Some shooters do report that the .270 Win. does kick a little when fired, and there can be a significant muzzle blast (however this can be minimised with the use of a sound moderator).
- Bullet Diameter: .277 in.,
- Standard Rifling Twist Rate: 1 turn in 10 in.,
- Overall Length: 2.260 in..
The .270 Winchester is a popular range with highland deer stalkers and is often used for boar shooting too.
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 (generally pronounced thirty-ought-six) was eagerly embraced by American sportsman and it has become a popular choice all over the world since its introduction in 1906.
It has been used to shoot many species around the world, from deer to medium game to large bears.
- Bullet Diameter: .308 in.,
- Standard Rifling Twist Rate: 1 turn in 10in.,
- Overall Length: 3.340 in..
Suitable for deer shooting in the UK and other species abroad.
.308 Winchester
When it was introduced in 1952, the .308 Winchester immediately became popular. It’s ballistic properties were ideally suited for hunting and it’s accuracy made it ideal for competitive rifle shooting.
The small case volume and modest charges of propellant are efficient and provide a long barrel life.
- Bullet Diameter: .308 in.,
- Standard Rifling Twist Rate: 1 turn in 12 in.,
- Overall Length: 2.800 in..
Suitable for target shooting, shooting all UK deer species and even boar.
.375 H&H Magnum
The .375 H&H Magnum was introduced in 1912 by Holland and Holland. It is often said to be the classic hunting cartridge, and is popular in Africa where it is considered to be one of the best all-round cartridges (the .375 H&H is capable of taking all of the Big Five game animals).
Some Howdah handguns have even been adapted to a .375 H&H Magnum chambering.
- Bullet Diameter: .375 in.,
- Standard Rifling Twist Rate: 1 twist in 12 in.,
- Overall Length: 3.600 in..
A classic cartridge for hunting big game in Africa.
.416 Rigby
John Rigby introduced the .416 Rigby in 1911 and ever since it has been a popular choice for dangerous game hunting in Africa. This cartridge is accurate, reliable and has low recoil (it is often described as a big, soft push).
- Bullet Diameter: .416 in.,
- Standard Rifling Twist Rate: 1 turn in 16.5 in.,
- Overall Length: 3.750 in..
This is the classic cartridge for hunting dangerous game in Africa.
