Cartridge Candidates for 16-18 inch bolt guns

new camper said:
In a nutshell I guess that I am looking for a compact woods rifle that could also be accurate out to 300-400 yards for plinking purposes. I also want to be able to take shots at coyotes when they pop their heads out, which for me happens from 100-300 yards. I know that some would suggest the 30-30 with lever revolution ammo, but I prefer a bolt action rifle.
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Given that you aren't reloading, I agree with Taylorce1's suggestion. You're stuck with factory offerings which makes price and availability of ammo a major factor. Especially true if you plan to practice much. In this case, .308 is a no-brainer if you include deer, .223 if you don't. No other cartridges offer the variety of ammo choices from surplus bulk to ready-made match quality.
 
I got my CZ 527 in 7.62x39 on a lark. Its got a shorter barrel (think 16 or 18), and is very light. Its about 5.5#. I did put a scope on it, but it does have nice iron sights. I got it mainly to plink with, as I prefer lever actions. I wanted a bolt action 30-30, but nothing available new. I've really come to love the gun. Almost no kick, lower blast than my 308 by far. Its a beautiful walnut finish, and designed to shoot the cheap commie ammo with very good accuracy. That is Wolf, Tula etc. into 1.5 inches with no problems. It also does cast and your choice jacketed. I can easily get 125gr. going 2450, and 150gr. going 2300. Its not a 30-30, but comes closer than I would have imagined. The accuracy potential is as great as a good 30-30. I love the caliber. Don't judge it based on the AK's nature. It'll be good for closer range deer to 200 yards in a stretch, but easily used for targets to 400 yards. We've used it for several coyotes. Its a favorite because of its compact size and light weight. Its accuracy is hard to beat. Reload or no, its a great gun. You can buy good hunting ammo from Win, Fed., Rem., and Hornady among a few others.

 
6.5 Grendel
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No don't do it!!!!

Get something easy to feed. For a short barrel I'd go .308. Cheap, easy to find ammo, accurate and you don't loose much with a short barrel. Don't get something oddball.

Boomer
 
308 is great. I dont think I would go 300 black out unless you plan to suppress it (very cool on a hunting gun).
 
oups. I miss the "NOT Reloader" part


7mmbr is fun. I have a 19" heavy octagon bbl on a Mini Mauser. Got some nice loads with 120 hpbt and 3031 at about 2500fps.
 
mild

A 7.62x39 bolt rifle is extremely mild to shoot and actually sort of practical as a deer rifle if we're honest. Truth is, looking over my rifle kills for the past 10 years or so, there is not a one that could not have been just as easily taken with an x39 bolt carbne, and some were, including my biggest, at all of 19 yds.

Now...if you're a ROW, cutover, bean field shooter, you give up a lot to the high intensity ctgs, but if you hunt the woods and thickets, the x39 gives ABOUT 30-30 power, and that's enough if we'd only admit it.

Do I exclusively hunt the x39, heck no, I'm a rifle nut. And often I know that I AM going to end up on a ROW and take a rifle with more reach and glass.

And the x39 is not a 300-400 target rifle, that's for sure. Hmm? Pretty broad parameters. If you absolutely must have 300-400 target capability, the answer is .308, but it is in no way as comfortable to shoot as x39. My 20" Scout and Hog rifles in .308, are not abusive, but are considerably more gun than a x39 carbine.
 
Boomer58cal said:
No don't do it!!!!

Get something easy to feed. For a short barrel I'd go .308. Cheap, easy to find ammo, accurate and you don't loose much with a short barrel. Don't get something oddball.

Boomer
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I don't think the 6.5 Grendel is an oddball. Hornady, Lapau, and Nosler (soon) make brass for it. There are also a lot of 6.5 bullets in the 120 - 123 grain range. It should also be easy to feed due to the fact it is designed for the AR-15.
 
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I have a Remington 7600P in .308. It has a 16.5 inch barrel and shoots more accurately that I can hold it at 200 yards with factory pressure reloads. A bolt action in .308 with short barrel should do even better.

My favorite short barrel rifle is a H&R single shot that is reamed out to .357 MAXIMUM. It is very accurate and beats the ballistics of a .35 Remington with a 16 inch barrel.

Regarding muzzle blast, fellow club members have come up with a new rule, If I shoot either when other club members are at adjacent benches, they will shoot me and burn the body and noisy rifles. Both are death on chronographs set up close by.

For a factory rifle, the entry level would be a Savage hog hunter in .308. Higher end would be a Ruger compact stainless synthetic.

If you have the means to fit a stiff short barrel to an action and build up from there, that should be even better.
 
I would definitely go with the .308 or 7-08, both for their performance and component availability. You can use H4895 reduced loads in either, as well. I've burnt a lot of that stuff over the past 10 years and it's yielded excellent accuracy, whether loaded mild or hot.
 
300 whisper / blackout!

I got one of the AAC Micro 7s (16" barrel) & I LOVE IT. Light, quick & accurate. Has a nice trigger & is very soft on the shoulder even with handloads that would dismantle an AR. Muzzle blast is less than your average hunting calibers with 6" more barrel.
 
I had a Ruger Compact in 260. The barrel was 16.5 inches. It shot really good and was very light and easy to carry. Muzzle blast wasn't particularly bad. Think about that 260 caliber.
 
I have a 14 in bbl MOA Maximum handgun in .260 Rem.

I get 2600 fps with a 120 gr bullet.That will kill deer at 200 yd.

I agree,a larger bore than .260 is probably better in the .308 case family.

You might study the handgun silouhette cartridges as many work with the 14 in bbl length.
 
Three come to mind. I'd have a time deciding between 7-08, 7x57 or 6.5x55. Don't rule out some of the oldies. There is a reason they have been around a long time.
 
I don't think anyone's mentioned .300 Savage yet...

A rimless .30-30 +P

Hornady makes a Superformance factory load for it if you can find it.
 
I have a Ruger Frontier in 7-08, with a 16 1/2" barrel ...... if you handload, muzzle blast can be reduced in short barrels by selecting quicker powder than the top ones listed in the manuals, which are usually slower, as the test barrels are usually 22"-24" ......

Heavier, more efficient bullets also will allow you to get more energy with a more complete burn (although you have reduced velocity and greater recoil- Sorry, TANSTAAFL!).

I usually run reduced loads in mine (kid's gun) ...... 38 grains of IMR 4064 under a 150 gr soft point produces about 2400 f/sec, and recoil is manageable enough for my 10 year old to run out of ammo before he runs out of shoulder.
 
I know this is a little off-topic but I have to ask, what is "TANSTAAFL!" an abbreviation for?

By the way the OP stated earlier that he doesn't hanload
 
TANSTAAFL is the acronymn for "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch" ...... I first ran across it in R. A. Heinlein's The Moon is A Harsh Mistress" (good readin', that!)

And as for the OP not handloading, this is a fine reason to start!
 
Oh, ok the acronym makes sense now.

And as for the OP not handloading, this is a fine reason to start!
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Agreed. Once you start reloading, you will wonder why you waited so long.

I've heard the same thing about bullet casting, but I haven't taken that plunge.

Yet.
 
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