Advise on new rifle (caliber)

A

Amarillo.Mitch

Inactive
Hey all,

I know this a doozy for a first post...so forgive me. I'll try to put my thoughts in appropriate sections.

I'm looking for a new round...

I currently have and adore my 257 Weatherby and it's a hammer on deer sized game.

I'll probably never hunt elk sized game.

I'm wanting something that will be a hunting rifle, but "potentially" offer something different than my 257 Bee.

I currently own (not a big list)
  • 17HMR CZ (love target shooting with it)
  • 22lr CZ (enjoy target shooting with it)
    257 Roberts (custom) selling to help fund the new purchase

So I'm looking for something new and different...

I have all the reloading supplies in the world, but do not currently reload the 257 Weatherby, as I got a screaming deal on a butt load of 100gr ammo (brass will be used for reloading when I run out)

22-250 (legal in TX for deer)
220 Swift (legal in TX for deer)

240 Weatherby (close to same as 257, but I have shot the round and enjoyed it, but I "know" it won't do anything different, but seriously enjoyed it)

6.5mm
260 Remington (owned one before and enjoyed it)
6.5x55 (always enjoyed the round - shot a bunch, but never owned one)
6.5x284 (never owned one or shot one)
26 Nosler (haven't shot one)

7mm cartridges (as big as I want to go)
280 Rem
280ai
7WSM
7mm Rem Mag
7mm Weatherby Mag
28 Nosler (shot one, but don't know if the extra powder is worth the extra muzzle blast)

Also, please note that 'ammo' prices aren't a deciding factor. And, barrel life isn't a factor as well, as barrels are replaceable and if this will NOT be a "dedicated range gun)

Would ideally love a round that give me something different than my 257 Bee, but, if I get a chance to go elk hunting or another big critter...would happily get another cartridge/rifle, so please don't base your opinion based on the abstract possibility that I get to one day.

This will really be just a different rifle to take deer and/or Pronghorn hunting.
 
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Joe,
I don't either. My 257 Bee is all I "really" need, but where the hell is the fun in that?

Looking for something different and new. And, I'm not opposed to getting something that has overlap. I love rifles and want something new for the sake of something new.
 
I've been really wanting a 6.5x47 lapua for a little while now. It's a cartridge for the reloader who wants a low recoil tack driver accurate out past 1000 yards. Should have plenty of power for whitetail and pronghorn inside 500 yards and really still plenty of energy behind a 130 grain bullet at that distance to put a deer or pronghorn on the ground if you put the bullet where it belongs.

I like it because it's accurate out to distances that I have have to drive hours to really stretch it's legs, and most of the deer I shoot are well inside 100 yards, so I don't consider myself to need much more gun. Was designed for accuracy by lapua.

Load development is apparently boring as 1/2 moa or better is typical for most of them.
 
6.5x55 Swede. Goes very well with a Tikka rifle.

I've had two for seven years and I like them more than anything I've had before.
 
.257 Weatherby will easily kill elk, just run a 115 grain Barnes bullet or 120 grain Nosler Partition and you're all set.

One cartridge you didn't mention is .223 Remington, and that's one I'd seriously consider. Bolt action or AR it's a great cartridge and it's also TX legal. Cheap to shoot and cheap to reload, great for varmints to deer with the right bullet.
 
Personally I would go up instead of down. 6.5 - 7mm would be my choice.

I use a Type 38 arisaka in 6.5x50 jap and get a real kick out of it. I like it so much that I saw another one with a really good almost brand new bore for under $200 and had to buy it. Ok so I traded a 303 British Enfield for it but whatever.

I also like 7mm-08 but since it's not on your list 7mm Rem Mag
 
You said you seriously liked the 240 Weatherby, why not get a mate for your 257? For what you want everything you listed will do what you want.
 
All of your options except the 22's are meant for the exact type of use. If you really want to be different I'd pick one of them. I'd go with 223, in a fast twist barrel to shoot heavy bullets.

Or I'd seriously consider a 6.5. I like the Creedmoor, but pick the one you like. Hand loaded they all do about the same.

I know you like your 257 and at the muzzle they look impressive. The problem with any of the 25's is that no one makes decent bullets in that caliber. Muzzle velocity doesn't really count, impact speeds do.

A 143gr Hornady ELD from a 6.5 will start out 600 fps slower than a 117gr SST from a 257 WBY. But at 400 yards the 6.5 has slightly more energy and virtually the same trajectory. The 100 gr loads you're currently shoot a little flatter than the 6.5's, but not enough to matter. The 6.5's have more energy at all ranges.

The 6.5's use 20-25 gr less powder, have considerably less recoil and blast for better performance. Not a bad combo.
 
I'd go down. The 257 Weatherby may be the best all around cartridge for use in the lower 48. It has the oomph to get it done way on out there. It does it with a bit of fuss in terms of recoil, powder burn and expense. I'd look to the 22-250. It'll work well on anything from deer on down. It'll do it with less fuss. Recoil is such that you can keep the target in your sights when it goes off. It tends to be very accurate and is the flattest shooting of the commonly available 22s. It does actually give you something the 257 doesn't.
 
On your list, I have experience with the 22-250, 6.5x55, and 7mm Mag. The 22 may be legal, but it's not a great deer caliber. Being a popular varmint round, the twist rate is usually set to favor light bullets. I absolutely love the 6.5. Maybe the best "general use" caliber there is (that will get a conversation going!) but it is a hand loader's caliber. Your .260 is the "modern" equivalent, all the virtues and commercial ammo loaded to its potential. The 7 Mag was my go to for Idaho and Colorado hunting, successfully. Some folks are put off by the recoil and the "Magnum" label. The label means nothing, the recoil ain't really bad. I like it, but if I were starting today and looking for a 7 mm bore, I'd probably go with the .280. Always intrigued me. BTW, I'm building a custom .257 Bob on a Mauser action. Great round, but it sounds as though you're getting out of the quarter bore business.
 
Well, if you want something really different, and you are not worried about the cost of ammo or barrel life, go with the 6.5-300 Wby Mag! :eek: Out of all the rifles I own, one of my favorites is a 30-378 Wby. With the factory brake it is a pleasure to shoot and just down right fun!!

...but I grow my own loads. I couldn't afford to feed the beast if I had to buy store bought food :D
 
If changing barrels is not a big thing for you I would go with the 30-06 in a Savage model. Barrels on a Savage model rifle are notoriously easy to change. You could buy a barrel with a 1:12 twist that would allow you to shoot a 55gr bullet accurately. I use my 30-06 for varmint hunting as well as deer. It very versatile.
 
Quite often in the realm of hunting, theory does not mesh with reality.

If you know how big game animals die, you'll be guided by the light of reality.

Carrying heavy rifles up and down ridges high of the the Rockies ain't fun. After a day, rethinking equipment is a done deal. I've carried a 10 pound rifle up and down such ridges. I'm long past that now.

Buy a good quality, lightweight, 22" barreled .280 Rem and you won't need another rifle. If you're not going to need legendary penetration of the .284 caliber 175 grain bullet, a .270 Win is just as good.

Don't forget that long before mega magnums came along, our big game forefathers were killing everything in North American with the 7x57 & .303 British. It's all about what bullets destroy, not cartridge case capacity. A 150 grain 7x57 bullet through the heart of any big game animal is going to kill it. A 180 grain from a mega magnum through the guts of any big game animal will require a whole lot of arduous tracking.

After the 7x57 & .303 British were long taking care of big game killing, the US Army introduced the '06. After that, no other big game cartridge was necessary. But that wouldn't have been fun.

It might just be that for 99.9% of all North American big game hunting, the .308 Win is perfect. But .308 caliber ain't on your list. However, a lightweight 22" barreled, short-action .308 Win is a breeze to carry. Better still, a .308 Win will kill big game animals.

Were it me, I'd go with a 22" barreled .280 Rem. That's the way I should've gone when I bought my first big game rifle, a .270 Win. I'm back to using it for everything.

Might just be that we're already standing upon greener grass. The other side of the hill might just be an illusion of improvement.
 
I noticed that the 30-06 was conspicuous by it's absence. You might want to give that some more thought. It may not be flashy for even boring as hell but no matter, it always seems to work.
With that said, you mentioned the .280 Remington. A very good cartridge especially if you're a hand loader. I'm playing a bit with one at this point in time trying to find a load that it and I like. This particular rifle is a custom job and it's a bit finicky. Another 7MM I'm playing with is the 7x57 Mauser round. I like it but proper load data does not exist so one has to load it by the seat of their pants so to speak. Too bad the rifles that the cartridge originally came in are considered too weak for proper load levels. Still, I have three and working up "proper" loads has been a challenge and fun as well. Naturally YMMV. Of what you listed though, I believe I would go with the .280 Rem.
Paul B.
 
Of all the rounds on your list I would prefer the 280 remington. Since you reload you can adjust the power down for tx deer and full bore loads would work for the biggest game except large bears. But I am a 7mm nut. And I also like long actions as opposed to short actions. I think they are easier to load and feed a little smoother.

Second choice would be the 6.5x55. I have never owned one but read read lots of stories about the different 6.5s being used in Africa. Should make a dandy deer round.
 
Radically Different

From your list, it looks to me like there's a whole lot of redundancy. While I would rather have a 270 Winchester; there's really nothing it would do that couldn't be handled just as well with your 257 Weatherby, or 7mm RM, or what have you. So my advise it to go retro. Forget new; go classic. Consider a pre-1950 Winchester 30-30 or 38-55. They are better than you might think.
 
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