My first choice is definitely for the 7x64 and its 7x65R rimed version; I own five rifles (3 bolt actions, 1 falling block and 1 kipplauf) in these calibers, which I have been using since the mid-70’s. With bullet weights ranging from 8 grams/123 grains to 11,5 grams/177 grains and flat trajectories, this caliber is perfectly suited to hunting all European game apart from brown bear by nowadays shock power / residual energy requirements; my rifles’ preferred bullets are the RWS KS in either 8 grams/123 grains or 10,5 grams/162 grains, depending on which rifle I use. Owing to its nationality I would therefore say “7x64 über allen” and the day I will make the wise decision to reduce the number of rifles I own, then I may keep the 7x64/7x65R ones only!

Second for me to the 7x64/7x65R comes the 6,5x57/6,5x57R; I own three rifles (1 bolt action, 1 kipplauf and 1 combination of the BBF-type) in these calibers, which I also use regularly for hunting. The bullet that gives best results with my bolt action rifle is the RWS KS in 8,2 grams/127 grains while both kipplauf and BBF perform best with the RWS DK in 9,1 grams/140 grains. In the same range of 6,5 mm caliber, I may in the future also use a bolt action rifle in 6,5x55 Swedish for mountain hunting, when an ongoing project will be completed.

For larger European game such as red deer I use a kipplauf in 9,3x74R. The 9,3x74R is a really pleasant caliber to shoot, with mild recoil only, which delivers really good results on larger game; I use either RWS KS bullets in 16 grams/247 grains or HIT in 16,2 grams/250 grains.

This is for what I use.

For what I also own but don’t use by lack of opportunities, I would mention the 8x57JS (the most versatile hunting caliber in Europe, as the 30-06 is in the Americas), the 8x68S (superb ballistics but too heavy rifles as all magnums are, suited for larger mountain goats/sheeps in Asia or bigger plains game in Africa, but not really required for European game), the 9,3x62 (I don’t use my bolt action rifles as I already use a kipplauf in 9,3x74R) as well as all Mannlicher Schoenauer proprietary calibers (I do love my MS rifles but I have other options when hunting).

Louis