I've got several .30 and .303 caliber rifles. I'm looking to get something in the .270 to .22 caliber ranger for a varmint/maybe occasional deer gun. What cartridges does /k/ think are best? I do handload, but I'd like factory ammo to be available if possible.
I'm leaning toward .25-06, 6.5mm-06, or .270 because I love my .30-06, but I could be persuaded to use a different parent case. Something that would fit a shorter action might be nice. .220 Swift gives me a boner, but it burns out barrels too quickly. Give me some options and opinions, ladies and gents.
Should have waited for night /k/ for a real gun question requiring knowledge of firearms.
>>30155889
.243 win?
>>30155889
>.243
>.22-250
>.260rem
>6mm Remington
>6.5 Creedmoor
>.25-06
>.257 Roberts
>6.5x55 Swedish Mauser
>7mm-08
All of them make decent varmint rounds (though shooting .25-06 or 7mm-08 at prairie dogs and gophers is a bit overkill). Everything but the .22-250 has factory ammo that's fine for deer anywhere in North America (and the .22-250 can be handloaded to be a fine deer round or factory ammo for the smaller ones east of the Mississippi or stuff like Sitka blacktail and Cou's whitetail).
>>30156182
>>30156270
I'm liking that .243 idea. I want something over 3500 fps and that fills the bill. Ever shot one?
>>30156396
I own 2. Second favorite caliber.
>>30156396
>Ever shot one?
yes. I prefer 30-06 since I don't mind recoil and like having surplus ammo, but it was the perfect deer rifle for the 70 year old man that owned it.
>>30156428
What's your favorite?
>>30156430
I have lots of milsurp and I love it. I'm thinking of getting something that looks more like a modern sporter, so I figured I'd get away from .30 caliber in the process.
I also have a bubbaed 6.5mm Jap receiver with a 16 or 18 inch barrel with a good bore. I'm thinking about getting a bolt and having that chambered in something in a 6.5mm round some time. Probably a Creedmoor, but I'll have to do some looking on case specs and ballistics before I make up my mind.
Thanks for the help, and if anyone has more ideas on something they've shot, please feel free to chime in.
>>30156555
Favorite is .338-06AI. Slightly more powerful than .338WM but fits in standard actions, is cheaper to reload, and doesn't quite kick as bad.
But it's a wildcat.
>>30156768
That's a buffalo-killin' thumper there. I always kind of wanted a .35 Whelen Improved, same basic idea.
>>30156815
Cool thing is it can do more than just "thump" because of how wide of a range of bullets it'll shoot well.
>180gr @ nearly 3400fps for antelope inside 500m
>260gr for grizzlies/moose/airliners
>210gr for elk and caribou out to ~300m
The 180's are downright punishing to the shooter though. Very fast, violent recoil instead of a rolling push with the heavier stuff. Suppose it doesn't help my rifle weighs under 7lbs with optic loaded.
>>30156990
One of the reasons I really like my .30-06 is the versatility, but anything over 220 grains is a no-go. That's what has me thinking a .35 Whelen would be fun. A lot of good babies have come from that parent case. .308 Winnie is kind of the same way.