Son wants a long range high speed rig Which cartridge?

The Savage LA bolt-face may not minimize options to 6.5 PRC and hearing much activity looking at 6.0 PRC. If you can swap bolt face, then I'd go with the Creedmoor lineup: 6 Creed is a real beauty and really rocks short and far - recoil and accuracy is excellent. Of course the 6.5 is a rock star for all occasions and exciting interest with 22 Creedmoor that will rival 22-250. The 284 family is also (very) nice - next level up 6-284, 6.5-284 which shoot very (very) well. Of course, up again another level - where I do love my belted shoulder hugging family: the 264WM, 7RM and 300Wm, and I generally only take these big boys out for longer stretches, like the next ridge line over. So many nice calibers out there and so little time.....each having their own personality and where they really excel. It matters where your interests are, BR paper, PRS gong or hunting - not really one size fits all of them perfectly, much like horses for courses.
 
If you want unique and handload, 25x284.

-Lapua brass
-131 BJ bullets will run right with the 150 class 6.5s and stomp the 6s bc wise
-3200 fps without running a magnum
-very manageable recoil
-131s will hammer anything up to deer (some will say elk, though I won't), use 115 Bergers and you would have a varmint laser
-he's a teenager, so having a new wildcat shooting a new hot bullet will give him some cool factor at the range
 
Oldschool280 said:
i have a savage long action doing nothing. I have a 300 win barrel that is a takeoff from a 116 that is unfired, but he wants something unique and without crazy recoil (he's 13) but he's not tiny 5'10 150. I'm thinking maybe santa could bring a new barrel or something. I see one company has every dang cartridge available ready to ship! We handload so not worried about availability too much. Thinking 6.5 -300 bee? 26 nosler? 264 winmag 6.5 or 7stw? Decisions decisions. Anybody shoot these without a brake and can give feedback on the way the shoot i'd appreciate it.
Click to expand...
I agree with many recommendations here but, to throw another one into the mix, how about a .257 Weatherby magnum. You can get the rifle in the $600 range and up but the ammo is a little harder to find but not really a problem. That caliber is very versatile with ballistics in the .270, 30.06 range and not heavy on recoil.
 
I dont know if your not being concerned about availability includes wildcats or not, but of it doesn't, I would take a good look at the 6.5 Sherman. It has 264 WM performance on a 270 W parent case. It will easily run a 156 Berger at 3150' with less powder than the WM and give you less recoil and better barrel life. Cases are easy to form ( much like the A. I. and reamers and dies are in stock.
Ive killed 25+ bull elk, moose, black bear, and countless deer with the 6.5.
If you want more pop, I have a 280 sherman, same case as the 6.5, that will outperform the 280 A.I.. The 280 A.I. is a great round though and does give you the factory ammo option. Call me if you wish. Good luck with your build!
You can check it out at shermanwildcatcartridges.com
 
If you're looking for your son a good, accurate, and fast rifle have a look at either of these cartridges....I have the 7 and built a 25 in the STW case. My grandson was shooting my braked 7 when he was 9 years old and he's a little feller. Since I built the 25stw.....NOBODY touches that rifle! I NEVER thought I'd take anything over my big 7, but this big 25 is stupid accurate, no recoil with the brake, and Lord Jesus is this thing fast with the 85gr GS Custom HV bullets. I took a very big Mississippi beanfield doe at 730ish,at the dairy farm we have leased, DRT with an 85gr bullet, but I'm quite sure that the "speed kills" had a big factor in it. I will not post my load data, but the load I use is not the top load for this gun, the 85gr GSC HV is running 4100 and just a tad of change. The Bore rider bullets of Gerards are definitely the reason I can get what I am out of it. I have a 116gr load I shoot in the big 7 that is also very accurate and very fast as well. GSC's HV's are a little pricey but I will pay it all day for the performance I get for speed,less pressure,and they perform very well on game. You can take a wooden dowel and tap one of these bore riders down the barrel of rifle, as to the no pressure problems with his bullets....And NO Gerard does not give me a discount for saying this...LOL
 
Oldschool280 said:
i have a savage long action doing nothing. I have a 300 win barrel that is a takeoff from a 116 that is unfired, but he wants something unique and without crazy recoil (he's 13) but he's not tiny 5'10 150. I'm thinking maybe santa could bring a new barrel or something. I see one company has every dang cartridge available ready to ship! We handload so not worried about availability too much. Thinking 6.5 -300 bee? 26 nosler? 264 winmag 6.5 or 7stw? Decisions decisions. Anybody shoot these without a brake and can give feedback on the way the shoot i'd appreciate it.
Click to expand...


My $.02 6.5-300 or a 257 Bee love em both. Can load them mild to wild. The bc for the 6.5 is better for 1000 yard range but the 257 is flat as well out to about 600 yards.
 
Blaketh said:
My $.02 6.5-300 or a 257 Bee love em both. Can load them mild to wild. The bc for the 6.5 is better for 1000 yard range but the 257 is flat as well out to about 600 yards.
Click to expand...

That was true until last year. Now there really isn't an advantage. The 156 Berger and the 131 BJ are almost identical bc wise. The 156 will just hit a little harder (on both ends).
 
Oldschool280 said:
i have a savage long action doing nothing. I have a 300 win barrel that is a takeoff from a 116 that is unfired, but he wants something unique and without crazy recoil (he's 13) but he's not tiny 5'10 150. I'm thinking maybe santa could bring a new barrel or something. I see one company has every dang cartridge available ready to ship! We handload so not worried about availability too much. Thinking 6.5 -300 bee? 26 nosler? 264 winmag 6.5 or 7stw? Decisions decisions. Anybody shoot these without a brake and can give feedback on the way the shoot i'd appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Why without a brake? 6.5/300 Weatherby or brand new 6.5 Weatherby RPM...both very cool
 
Just a suggestion,,, would it make sense to utilize the bolt & action that you have and go from there...

Down load or tap it kool with semi tame loads,,, then bump them up over the following years as the young man expands...

Big savings in the build if a person uses what is there...

Just an idea into the mix of things...
 
Yeah man, 6.5 PRC or the newfangled Wby 6.5 RPM...
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog...-rpm-cartridge-and-mark-v-backcountry-rifles/
I also like the 28 Nosler, just because. That said, my personal Favs that get used 5-1 from other safe queens are a Sako 85 Greywolf in .260 Remington and a Fierce Custom CT Carbon Edge in 7mm-08. Lightweight, handy and pointy and very accurate...kills stuff without fanfare:)!
 
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