Beautiful rifles.I'm a HUGE fan of the model 70--but what I've never understood is how the Ruger 77 has been completely overshadowed by it--in some respects I view it as a more refined 70. My model 70 in 270 WSM and my model 77 in 35 whelen. If I HAD to choose between the two--as much as I love the model 70--I'd probably take the model 77 in 35 whelen.
Extremely interesting choices..222 Remington
.358 Bellm
.444 Marlin
Thanks--they are a couple of my "sweetheart" rifles.Beautiful rifles.
Agree with the M77.
Good choices Jack.22 MAG
.243
.308
- Jack
I have been toying with the 7mm Rem Mag. With a brake I hear it has less recoil than a 270 w/o a brake.1. 6.5x55 swede for anything.
2. .270 win for anything...
3. 7 mm rem mag for bigger anythings..
USAF Ret said:I have been toying with the 7mm Rem Mag. With a brake I hear it has less recoil than a 270 w/o a brake.
I have brakes on everything. I have a torn up right shoulder and a titanium rod in my neck, so recoil really does hurt. 270 without a brake is about all I can handle.Not much difference between recoil of the .270 and 7mm Rem to begin with shooting the same bullet weights. A brake should significantly lower recoil down to that of a 7mm Rem Mag well below the levels of a .270 Win. However, you then have the noise issues of dealing with a brake.
Only Three Bolt-gun Hunting Calibers - Which Ones?
If you could have three bolt action rifles for hunting in different calibers...small, medium, heavy...small as Coues deer and antelope up to moose, what would they be?
Originally Posted by Jack O'Conner View Post
22 MAG
.243
.308
- Jack
Good choices Jack.
I see your point. 22 Mag is a little small for the game I was mentioning, but another fellow said 22LR has taken everything. I am sure, but neither would be on my list. My comment on good choices, for me, is the lower recoil stuff. 243 and 308.I don't see where the .22 Mag (or the .2LR) is a good choice that answers the OP's question. Not saying the .22 Mag won't work on Coues Deer (which often are about the size of a mediumlarge dog, but where is the Rimfire LEGAL to use to hunt deer?
We're talking sport hunting, and if its not legal to use, its not a good choice.
308. Cheap and available ammo and can load up to 180 grain.
Great points. No doubt, if I could only have one hunting caliber, it would be 308.You can load any .30 caliber bullet there is in a .308 Winchester. That includes the 200,and 220s, or even heavier, you just need to make allowances for them.
What you can't do is drive a 220gr slug as fast as you can with a larger capacity case like the 06 or the .300 magnums.
with a 220gr in a .308 you can essentially duplicate the .30-40 krag in a modern short action rifle. And the Krag has killed dead everything that walks in North America, including record size grizzly bear.
Don't know what idiot came up with the idea that you can't use 220s in a .308, but its BS. 180s will do anything most people need done, but you absolutely can use 220s if you want to, and they WILL WORK.
USAF Ret said:I have a torn up right shoulder and a titanium rod in my neck, so recoil really does hurt. 270 without a brake is about all I can handle.
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44 AMP said:Don't know what idiot came up with the idea that you can't use 220s in a .308, but its BS. 180s will do anything most people need done, but you absolutely can use 220s if you want to, and they WILL WORK.
A .308 will definitely handle 220 grain RN and FB/BT spitzer bullets, but it might struggle with VLD style bullets over 210 grains if you have an 1:11 or slower twist in a .308 Win. If you have a 1:10 twist or faster you can usually get away with the VLD bullets, though you might run into COAL issues.
Good info. No free lunch. I like that. Heavier bullet, loss in velocity but more energy at shorter yardages.Something to consider, a rifle built for the general average range of ammo common might be viewed as suboptimal when using specialty bullets with something other than the common length and weight.
COAL issues even with very long bullets are not an issue other than you might not be able to get what you WANT.
What I mean is, a very long bullet must still be seated to the 2.800" standard, or a bit more, if your specific rifle will allow it. If this results in more of the bullet protruding into the powder space than you would LIKE, (and even if you need to adjust your powder charge for that) its not an issue with the ammo, its an issue with getting what you'd like vs. what you can have.
This is the whole point with people saying "you can't use 220s in a .308" or something similar. Since those folks can't get 220s to go as fast as they want them to go from a .308, they claim you "can't use them" and that is patently FALSE.
There's no free lunch.
That doesn't mean there's no food, or that you can get what you WANT, it just means that whatever it is that you do get comes at some kind of cost.
I have some short action Remingtons, book says they're 1-10" twist. I have a Browning BLR, book say that one is 1-12". I have an M1A, Wiki says its 1-12" (standard GI barrel).
My loads have to fit and feed from the magazine, so I don't load "long", or use vld type bullets. Have 220 RNs I've loaded for the Krag, I'm certain I could find an adequate load for them in the .308, if I had the desire and a practical use for them. They might not shoot the smallest groups from a 1-12" but if they shot minute of big game, that would be good enough for my use.