Most efficient single shot round?

[wolfe28]

Good evening;

Just because I'm curious, what do you think the most efficient round for a single shot is? By efficient, I mean: legal for at least deer sized game in most states (although being able to be used for a variety of game would be a plus), and uses the least amount of powder and lead.

For me, I would probably vote for a 357 magnum (you are welcome to disagree). 158-200g for deer, 125g for small game, and reasonable velocities with 12-18g of powder.

Okay, fire away.

D

[Good Cheer]

To answer your question, I have to look at it from the stand point of how far away would I need it to do the job.
Back just before the smokeless fad caught on Paul Mauser had done the testing, put together the most efficient black powder cartridge he could and came up with a 9.5mm bottle neck. Being a cast kid I duplicated his efforts for smokeless and came up with about the same thing.
Reckon form follows function no matter what the calendar says. Here's to yah Paul!

[hardy]

Hi,30-30 springs to mind Cheers,Mike

[jmort]

Efficiency and the .308 are synonymous. Love the .357, but not enough juice at 100 yards in some states.

[dtknowles]

I vote for .357 Maximum. Room or a little more powder and heavier boolit when you need it and will fire .357 mag or .38 special for when you need less.

Tim

[shredder]

I agree with all the choices so far and I will add one more. .44 mag. For shots within 100-150 yards it is the exact duplicate, in a rifle, of my muzzle loader's favorite loads. I can tell you they will kill just about anything that walks inside of 100. I am talking about the Hornady 240 grain and 300 grain xtp at 1600 and 1400 fps approx depending on your load, your rifle, and it's barrel length.

Unconventional for sure, foolish to some, but a sure killer to those who have used it.

[shredder]

I would also like to offer up the hoary old .303 british. A rimmed round, it is ideally suited to the sometimes weaker extraction found on singles. Loaded to original specs it has accounted for every thing that walks, crawls, flies or swims. Lots of power for even the biggest stuff with the right bullets. A lover of cast boolits as well. A modern version of the .303 chamber without the notoriously loose military tolerances should just about make it the #1 overall pick I reckon.

Next!......

[Jupiter7]

Efficient? 300aac blackout comes to mind, pretty much all charges are under 20grs, uses magnum pistol powders, small rifle primers and tons of options in .30 cal molds and j words. Also allows for easy neck sizing vs. straight wall pistol cartridges.

[Iowa Fox]

Here's what I can tell you from my empirical experience with the Contender & Encore using straight wall cases in rifle barrels that I own. The 357 Max is OK but the 375 Win and 44 Mag are oh so much better. I can't use a bottle neck case for deer in Iowa but if I could I would like to try the 7MM Thor bullet in the Contender chambered for 7MM TCU. I'm not sure if Indiana is a straight wall or bottle neck case for deer.

[williamwaco]

+ 1 for the .30-30.

I love the .357 but it is not as versatile as the .30-30.

From the standpoint of the cast bullet reloader, there is very little difference between the .30-30 and the .308.

Of course if you want a real thumper, go with the .358 Win.

[canyon-ghost]

There are so many efficient cartridges, you can spend a lot of time there.

[DeanWinchester]

Second the vote for 30/30 or .358 Winchester

[DeanWinchester]

+ 1 for the .30-30.

I love the .357 but it is not as versatile as the .30-30.

From the standpoint of the cast bullet reloader, there is very little difference between the .30-30 and the .308.

There's one very distinct difference. The length of the neck. This gives the ole 30/30 a very big advantage.

[wolfe28]

Here's what I can tell you from my empirical experience with the Contender & Encore using straight wall cases in rifle barrels that I own. The 357 Max is OK but the 375 Win and 44 Mag are oh so much better. I can't use a bottle neck case for deer in Iowa but if I could I would like to try the 7MM Thor bullet in the Contender chambered for 7MM TCU. I'm not sure if Indiana is a straight wall or bottle neck case for deer.

IN is a straight wall state, and 357 mag is as small as they'll go. If it was different, I'd be all over a 6.5 or 7 TCU.

D

[Mk42gunner]

Efficiency and legality are two very different things. The .22 Long Rifle is very efficient, but the only place I know of it being legal for big game in recent memory, is certain places in Alaska when used by Inuits for swimming caribou.

The .22 Hornet is legal in Missouri for deer, and uses less powder and lead than the .357 Magnum. Is it as good a choice? Not in my opinion.

Same with the .25-20 and .32-20, they will work if everything goes right, but remember Murphy's law.

As you go up in bore size, lead use goes up faster than powder usage.

The .357 isn't bad, not legal in some states for deer, but will kill them with the right shooter.

If I had to pick one cartridge for single shot rifle cast boolit deer hunting, I think it would be the .35 WCF. It has a rim for the extractor to grab and is a bit more powerful than the .35 Remington.

Robert

[ktw]

Just because I'm curious, what do you think the most efficient round for a single shot is? By efficient, I mean: legal for at least deer sized game in most states (although being able to be used for a variety of game would be a plus), and uses the least amount of powder and lead.

Its not a cartridge gun. It's a flintlock, roundball twist muzzleloader. Cheaper per shot than most cartridge guns and almost doubles the length of your deer season in many states.

-ktw

[smokey496]

I vote for the 30-30. Load it light or load it heavy.

[kenyerian]

44 mag gets my vote for a straight wall case.

[Clay M]

Efficiency and the .308 are synonymous.

.308 also get my vote for efficiency. It is also my favorite cartridge.

[jmort]

"I vote for the 30-30. Load it light or load it heavy."

The 300 ACC Blackout is a good pick. The .30-30 nominations make sense. But there are similar loads for the .308 up to 200 grain boolits in Lyman's Cast 4th and the .30-30 ends at 170. I know you can probably go heavier than 170 grains with the .30-30, but the .308 works well with cast.