Caliber advice

[Vol1975]

7mm mag or almost any .30 large bore caliber. Depending on recoil, and what u want to do with it as far as game there is a ton of options. You might as well have said what not to use.

Either way don't think u will go wrong with any magnum caliber out to 600 yards.
One thing about it if you reload that opens the door even more. Some really good powder on the market compared to 16 years ago. Makes a lot of standard calibers shoot like magnums.

 

[therifleman556]

LL! Must still be at work, just wait for it.

I thought he posted this from another account

.308, 20" barrel, very lite and will thump just about everything.

 

[KurtB]

Just about any standard cartridge would do 600 yards and in. Kind of wanting to smack something large with my 18" barreled 30-06 shooting 155 scenars. The 7mm Remington I was using was very effective using 180 ELD past 600 yards as well as the 195 EOL.

 

[Overkill338]

I am looking for advice on caliber for a custom build.
Max range: 600yds
Game: Medium to large sized game
Rifle Specs.: Barrel length less than 26 inches (I want the rifle to be easy to maneuver and carry but hit like a hammer)

I was originally thinking 300 WM but with a barrel less than 26 in I don't think it would be a good choice. What about 300 WSM?

I've seen tests with 20" .300 WM. They still well out perform a 308 with a 24" barrel.

 

[Overkill338]

Here is a test where they took a 300 wm down in several steps from 24 to 16. 20" was 140 fps slower, 16 was 300 fps slower. I'm actually thinking about cutting my M77 MKII down to 20"-22" to stiffen the barrel up.

In this test, it actually gained velocity when going from 22 to 21 inches. I guess that was the point where the bullets friction evened out?

https://rifleshooter.com/2013/12/30...rrel-length-change-velocity-a-16-300-win-mag/

 

[bdlesh]

I'm thinking of building a 338 Sherman. I wasnt a big fan of Wildcats until I joined the group and reading the post changed my mind. Looking to have 24-26" barrel and composite stock of some sort. I really want a walnut stock, but think the composite would be better in the elements. That should be a pretty good elk rifle for me.....if I get to go

 

[CUTTER1]

A 28 Nosler throated to shoot Berger195 in a 25" is about as do it all as you get, IMHO. One of my favorite M-O-A Rifles is the Summit in 28!
Also agree with a short barreled 338 Sherman or 338/375 Ruger as they are Hammers.

 

[Overkill338]

Also agree with a short barreled 338 Sherman or 338/375 Ruger as they are Hammers.

Like the .33 Nosler ?

 

[CUTTER1]

Like the .33 Nosler ?

Have the shot one yet but it should work well? In 338 I love both the RUM and Lapua. Have an all carbon light wt 338AI and just working on loads with 300 Berger and it is going to be a hammer! A friend just got back from Africa and took a custom 6.5x284 and only thing he shot with it was a Warthog, everything else he took was with Custom 375 Ruger with 22" barrel in the 14 days he was there! His wife shot a few things with 6.5 but took a big buff with the 375 Ruger. They shot 60 rounds thru it with great results.

 

[Overkill338]

Have the shot one yet but it should work well? In 338 I love both the RUM and Lapua. Have an all carbon light wt 338AI and just working on loads with 300 Berger and it is going to be a hammer! A friend just got back from Africa and took a custom 6.5x284 and only thing he shot with it was a Warthog, everything else he took was with Custom 375 Ruger with 22" barrel in the 14 days he was there! His wife shot a few things with 6.5 but took a big buff with the 375 Ruger. They shot 60 rounds thru it with great results.

Yeah, it does look like it does well. When I was tinkering on a 30-375 off the Ruger case, the Quickload numbers had great promise. Quickload got the estimate about 50 fps off, but not bad for guess work. A chamber reamer is all that's needed to convert a 300 or 338 wim mag to 30 or 33 Nosler. Since I never finished my wildcat and they did, I'm going to see about converting this M77 Mkii to 30 Nosler.

 

[CUTTER1]

Yeah, it does look like it does well. When I was tinkering on a 30-375 off the Ruger case, the Quickload numbers had great promise. Quickload got the estimate about 50 fps off, but not bad for guess work. A chamber reamer is all that's needed to convert a 300 or 338 wim mag to 30 or 33 Nosler. Since I never finished my wildcat and they did, I'm going to see about converting this M77 Mkii to 30 Nosler.

Should work

 

[ehryk]

For 600 max, any of the standard length .260/6.5s will do fine as well as .270, .30-06 or .308. This will allow you to keep the rifles weight down without beating yourself up at the range.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Yep, .338

 

[msp21]

Here is a test where they took a 300 wm down in several steps from 24 to 16. 20" was 140 fps slower, 16 was 300 fps slower. I'm actually thinking about cutting my M77 MKII down to 20"-22" to stiffen the barrel up.

In this test, it actually gained velocity when going from 22 to 21 inches. I guess that was the point where the bullets friction evened out?

View attachment 139071

https://rifleshooter.com/2013/12/30...rrel-length-change-velocity-a-16-300-win-mag/

I thought it was recommended that 300 WM be barrelled in a minimum of 26 in. That's why I mentioned 300 WSM.
Will a short mag be more efficient than a long mag with a shorter barrel?
I do want to run heavy for caliber bullets.