Caliber advice

[Reloder28]

I am a dyed-in-the-wool 7mm fanatic. I have owned/shot all but four of the 7mm cartridges. No experience with 7x57, 7 RUM, 7 STW or 28 Nosler.

I would suggest 7 Wby as I have extensive hunting & load work with mine. My maximum self-imposed hunting range is 600 yards. None of my barrels exceed 24".

7 RSAUM
Just now getting started with load work on a brand new rifle. It is the match for my 280 AI & if the RSAUM meets the accuracy/velocity level of my AI, the AI may begin to collect dust.

7 Weatherby - My favorite
Took an Elk with a 140 @ 3400 fps but mostly hunt with a 3000 fps load for lesser animals. Taken many Axis with 150's @ 3250.

300 WSM - Ballistic twin of the 7 Wby
Took a Red Stag & a Pronghorn Antelope (overkill) with a 165 Accubond. I am currently running 155 Scenar's & am in love with terminal performance as well as accuracy & downrange ballistics.

 

[5gauss]

I would pick a number of what you think is "hits like a hammer" energy (1200,1500,2000,2500lbs,etc) then list out the cartridges. From that list I'd pick the one with least amount of recoil. You will always shoot more accurate with the less recoil than with more. With today's bullets and powders there is no reason to shoot crazy recoiling rifles, especially if shots are inside 600yards.

You really have several options...decisions decisions.....just decide on one you like with enough ebergy etc to do the intended job...good to go but could be tough choice..

 

[BigJohnH]

.308 done deal.

 

[Overkill338]

You really have several options...decisions decisions.....just decide on one you like with enough ebergy etc to do the intended job...good to go but could be tough choice..

I think it all comes down to $$$. It's all in how fast you want it to spend. Do you want to be able to pick up off the shelf ammo if your ammo doesn't make it where you are going? Are you not going to travel, and use a full custom reloading setup with proprietary brass? It's all in how much $ you want to shoot.

 

[Reloder28]

.308 done deal.

I don't disagree at all. My 308 Winchester's push 155 Scenar's to 2900 fps. But, I still like the added horsepower of my 300 WSM's.

 

[Alibiiv]

MSP, I am considered to be "Ole School", and will stick with that if it makes some feel better; I'm not into the new designer cartridges. I do like the older cartridges because many of them are time tested, and....they work. I have a 35 Whelen, 358 Winchester, 45-70 and a .270 Ackley Improved<because I wanted one instead of the 280AI. With that I am thinking about a new build, I presently have a Ruger 77 chambered in 30-06; I like Ruger 77 actions. So....been kicking around just do a build with truing the action (blueprinting), a good trigger, and putting a good barrel on it and chamber it to 30-06; they work. Or another good cartridge that I like is the 338-06; hits like the hammer of Thor, a good bullet selection and about the same recoil as the 30-06. Trajectory wise, with a 225 gr bullet, the 30-06 and the 338-06 are about the same, only the 338-06 delivers a bit more punch. I believe that just as important as the cartridge is the bullet selection for the game that you want to hunt. With all of the new bullets that are out on the market today, bullet selection seems to be as important as cartridge/caliber.

 

[5.56×250]

300 or 325 wsm . Compact rifle/plenty of punch to 600yds for elk/moose

 

[FamilyH]

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 think you will need a caliber of 338 or larger to do what you want. Check them out , a 35 Whalen my do just fine for you

 

[skipglo]

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?

What do you perceive the difference to be between the two and why not 300 wm?

 

[WahooYahoo]

I've always been a "recoil junky", I always figured it was because I was 6' and 140 lbs most of my life. So it "pushed" me more than hit me. Now that I'm back into shooting, I'm 180 lbs, so we will see how that goes. Recoil is a very complex topic though. For me, I don't even start taking extra breaths to pull the trigger until free recoil goes above 40 ft/lbs or so. Yet I had a cheap package Savage 110 in 7mm Rem Mag that left my shoulder looking like it was married to Bobby Brown lol

That 7 mag, and setting the scope on a guys 375 H&H Winchester Super Grade is the most I've punished myself. He was shooting it in a lead sled against my advice. He learned why, the gun cant move, so the scope moves in the rings. He gave me $50 to set it back up for him. LoL

I built a Remage in 7 rem mag, 7.75lbs and a Limb Saver recoil pad. Shooting it is like kissing a pretty girl. It's an honest half-minute gun with 180 ELD and H1000 in an 8 twist Kreiger. However, I have a friend with a Sendero in 7 rem mag with the factory stock and hard-as-a-hammer recoil brick. Despite its 11lb weight, I won't shoot it. Every shot is like a kick to the face.
With 600 max range, your field is really wide open. I am a .284 guy to the bone and I prefer to stay away from the extreme fringes. I love .284 for its wind performance and super slippery very high BC pills, but these characteristics aren't super valuable below 600yds.
If I had to choose a <600 yd medium/big game cartridge I'd probably still choose the 7mm Rem Mag, load to that lighter node at 2720 ft/sec with the 180 ELD (closer to 1/4 minute), enjoy a longer barrel life, less recoil, fantastic terminal performance and be done, but there are a LOT of cartridge choices you could consider. I'd overlook the Noslers and mega-super magnums. They have nothing to offer at less than 600 yds.

 

[skipglo]

I was gonna say my custom 600 yard rifle is a 6.5 creed. Lol but he said hit like a truck. So creeds our.

He said hit like a hammer ..not a truck!..creed will hit like a hammer...not sure you could throw it 600 yards though!

 

[jasonco]

If all you want is 600 yds, any factory 7RM will do, with premium ammunition. BC at that range, is just starting to become a factor, at 600. SD(sectional density) and repeatable accuracy would be more important here.

 

[ofbandg]

I'm with Alibiiv. I shoot a 338-06 that puts 180 to 185 grain premium bullets out there at 3000fps from a 22 inch barrel. It has proved very effective on game of all sizes. I still carry my .375 in big bear country but that's simply to reduce the pucker factor. For anything else the 338 will do.

 

[Overkill338]

I'm with Alibiiv. I shoot a 338-06 that puts 180 to 185 grain premium bullets out there at 3000fps from a 22 inch barrel. It has proved very effective on game of all sizes. I still carry my .375 in big bear country but that's simply to reduce the pucker factor. For anything else the 338 will do.

A 180-185 from a .33 has less BC and SD than a 180-185 from a .30. I'd throw it away if 180s is all it will use. Plus I have a general disgust of anything -06 based. Since I was a kid that's all I've heard 30-06 this, and 30-06 that. Hell with those M1 Garands in WW2, I'm not sure why they needed tanks, artillery and airplanes. 1 shot from a .30-06 will cause people to implode into a black hole, animals to vaporize, tanks to explode and airplanes to go down in flames. Plus it shoots 10,000 yards with no drop and the wind is afraid to blow on it. #&$% the -06, and any of its demon spawn.

My father in law gave our son a Savage in 270, I made him leave it there and got him a .308 to replace it.