My thoughts are, if you have been shooting a 30-30 most of your life, I don't see you suddenly going from probably a 150 yard max to a 800-1000 max range for a hunting rifle. I am going to be 300 yards will be a very long shot for you, maybe 400 yards. Just my guess. At those ranges, most bottle neck case, center fire rifles, will work at those ranges. A 6.5 Creedmoor would work great, 308, 30-06, 270, 6.5X55 Swede, 257 Roberts, 7mm-08. You could step up to a magnum caliber, if you thought you would likely shoot farther than I am guessing, even though the first calibers I listed are good for longer ranges than 400 yards. But a magnum caliber will kill better at all ranges, and or if you plan on hunting larger game, a magnum caliber would be a better choice.
Right now, picking a caliber you can find ammo for or bullets, brass, powder and primers for, might be the primary factor, in picking a caliber. Right now 6.5mm bullets are almost impossible to find, if you reload. When I am searching for bullets lately, the majority of the bullets I find are 6mm or 338 caliber.
I would spend some time, thinking about what you want to use the rifle for, then do some reading and figure out what calibers should work good for that purpose. Then search for ammo for the calibers you come up with and then make a decision. The calibers that used to be on all shelves all the time, 30 years ago, are probably not what was commonly on shelves 3 years ago. Right now, the stuff, that was not common 30 years ago, is probably the only thing you will find now days. I find more uncommon caliber ammo, than anything else for the last year. I have seen 300 Savage, 7mm RUM, 300 RUM, and multiple other calibers, I have not seen ammo for in years. Then many older calibers, such as 38-55, and 32-20.
Whatever you do, search for ammo, before making a decision. You might wind up with a gun, you can't get ammo for nor can you load ammo for. Also, I have found dies for many calibers are very hard to find. Some calibers if you find them, they will want a lot for them. I never figured I would ever load 380 ACP, but I have bought most all the pieces to do so. At this point 380 ACP, has been the most expensive caliber for me to get set up to load and I still don't have all the pieces I need. Things are just flat nuts right now. I have found more sets of 300 Weatherby, then for cheaper prices than the 380. I bought some 300 Weatherby dies for $45 shipped, they are some nice RCBS dies. I have seen at least four other sets of 300 Weatherby dies, but the all sold before I found them, that or the guy who had them would not ship them. When looking for 380 dies, if they were $80 or less, they were sold before I found them. I found numerous adds, that listed 380 dies, but they were sold before I found them. The only 380 dies I have found available for sale, either from an individual or a company, were $140 to $180 a set. For a few weeks the only 380 dies I could find in stock were some match dies for $178. Who buys match dies for a 380?
Right now, picking a caliber you can find ammo for or bullets, brass, powder and primers for, might be the primary factor, in picking a caliber. Right now 6.5mm bullets are almost impossible to find, if you reload. When I am searching for bullets lately, the majority of the bullets I find are 6mm or 338 caliber.
I would spend some time, thinking about what you want to use the rifle for, then do some reading and figure out what calibers should work good for that purpose. Then search for ammo for the calibers you come up with and then make a decision. The calibers that used to be on all shelves all the time, 30 years ago, are probably not what was commonly on shelves 3 years ago. Right now, the stuff, that was not common 30 years ago, is probably the only thing you will find now days. I find more uncommon caliber ammo, than anything else for the last year. I have seen 300 Savage, 7mm RUM, 300 RUM, and multiple other calibers, I have not seen ammo for in years. Then many older calibers, such as 38-55, and 32-20.
Whatever you do, search for ammo, before making a decision. You might wind up with a gun, you can't get ammo for nor can you load ammo for. Also, I have found dies for many calibers are very hard to find. Some calibers if you find them, they will want a lot for them. I never figured I would ever load 380 ACP, but I have bought most all the pieces to do so. At this point 380 ACP, has been the most expensive caliber for me to get set up to load and I still don't have all the pieces I need. Things are just flat nuts right now. I have found more sets of 300 Weatherby, then for cheaper prices than the 380. I bought some 300 Weatherby dies for $45 shipped, they are some nice RCBS dies. I have seen at least four other sets of 300 Weatherby dies, but the all sold before I found them, that or the guy who had them would not ship them. When looking for 380 dies, if they were $80 or less, they were sold before I found them. I found numerous adds, that listed 380 dies, but they were sold before I found them. The only 380 dies I have found available for sale, either from an individual or a company, were $140 to $180 a set. For a few weeks the only 380 dies I could find in stock were some match dies for $178. Who buys match dies for a 380?
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