Which short action magnum?

[Goldengun]

Not clear to me what you are getting at, but if you like WSM cases 300 or 270, both will benefit from a 3.2-3.3" action to use the highest BC bullets and feed from the magazine. I find feeding is actually easier. McGowan makes 1:8 and a 1:7 .277 caliber barrels that are of very high quality and are made in reasonable periods of time. The twists are tight enough to stabilize the highest BC 277 cal bullets available. If you choose to chamber one of these in a WSM then the clearance between the leade and the bullet diameters should be about 0.0008" total. Leade length should be 0.150" long or so to give you enough room for adjusting bullet jump. The longer action will allow you to use long ogived bullets necessary to achieve the high BC without having to worry about magazine feeding.

I was responding to OP. However, understand what your saying and don't disagree, I'm just wanting to stay in a short action. So riddle me this? Would there be a problem rechambering a 6.8 to 270wsm and using standard 270wsm factory loads? Or hand loads to 6.8 COAL?

 

[jimbo111]

Before I build anything that requires a magnum primer I'd check on your local availability if it were me, that's holding me back on a build idea. I haven't gotten around to trying standard primers in my short mag yet but will some day! I had a 7WSM and 270WSM depending on your chamber and twist you may want to either go with a SAUM or Sherman Shorty. Me personally I liked the 270 Wsm over the 7wsm but purely personal. I never harvested anything but paper with either one. Just too many cartridges and too little freezer space.

I have WSM's in .300, 7mm, and 270, all shoot good and are easy to load for, they all like 4350 powder best of all. I also have a 6.5 PRC that shoots lights out. The problem with the PRC is that it loves Alliant RL 26 powder and right now I can get a kidney faster than that powder. Seriously!!

 

[Calvin45]

I have WSM's in .300, 7mm, and 270, all shoot good and are easy to load for, they all like 4350 powder best of all. I also have a 6.5 PRC that shoots lights out. The problem with the PRC is that it loves Alliant RL 26 powder and right now I can get a kidney faster than that powder. Seriously!!

I have opted to pretend Rl26 never existed at all, is a made up product. Doesn't drive me nuts that way.

 

[Salmonhead]

I would stay with something in 6.5mm, 7mm, or 30 cal simply for the availability of parts. In 6.5 I would lean towards the PRC, 7mm Id look at the SAUM, and 30 cal I don't really have an opinion on shorts, I have all long action 30 cal stuff.
If you just want to be different, there are piles of options, or have a wildcat spun up. If you actually want to shoot it, I would stick with what's available, and buy enough stuff to burn out the barrel when you find it.

 

[Hawkeye Pierce]

6.5 wsm.
More speed, more bullet selection.

 

[SteveBurton]

Looking at what you have to work with and the intended purpose, I would suggest the 6.5 SS. I have several 6.5 caliber rifles and if I had to do it over, I would go with the Sherman Short. It's built for loading longer bullets in a true short action, has head stamped brass and lots of bullets to choose from.
If not a 6.5, the 7SS would be my next suggestion. Again, built for a short action, brass and lots of bullets to choose from. Nothing wrong with the .277 calibers but bullet selection is not as great. I don't see it ever taking off like it's little or bigger brothers.
If you need factory ammo, go with the 6.5 PRC and be done.

 

[Ronald W Schaefer]

I should have said in my first post, I will be deer hunting in NC with no need for anything more than a 30-30 probably but there's a difference between a need and a want. Despite what my mom still says, I'm not old enough that my wants won't hurt me . I get the whole, a deer won't know the difference between the 270 Win or the WSM or lots and lots of other calibers but I like different cartridges. Gotta have options!

If you just want something cool and different go with the 6.8 Western. It is a shortened .300 Ruger, necked down to .277, very similar to .270WSM. But with its 1:8 twist it shoots very long pills at about 2900 fps and hits at 500 yds with the same energy as a .300 Win Mag. Very high BC and SD of 165 gr Nosler ABLR or 175 gr Sierra Tipped Game King makes it an excellent LR hunting or "gong" rifle. Who knows, you may want to climb out of that ladder tree seat and walk around in Northern New Mexico someday.

 

[nralifer]

I was responding to OP. However, understand what your saying and don't disagree, I'm just wanting to stay in a short action. So riddle me this? Would there be a problem rechambering a 6.8 to 270wsm and using standard 270wsm factory loads? Or hand loads to 6.8 COAL?

The factory loaded 270WSM will have short COALs because they use short ogive bullets snd seat them kind of deep to make them function in short actions. The short action will have a short magazine which restricts you on COAL unless you are OK with single feed then the throat leade and jump become limiting. Savage and American. Rifle Company have 3" long short actions which allow for a bit longer COAL than Kimber or Remington.

 

[Goldengun]

The factory loaded 270WSM will have short COALs because they use short ogive bullets snd seat them kind of deep to make them function in short actions. The short action will have a short magazine which restricts you on COAL unless you are OK with single feed then the throat leade and jump become limiting. Savage and American. Rifle Company have 3" long short actions which allow for a bit longer COAL than Kimber or Remington.

More specifically, I'm trying to understand and figure out if the freebore/throat/leade area of a 6.8 Western would impact bullets if rechambering to 270wsm, if the freebore/throat/leade area is unchanged, and only the case area is rechambered. Is that normally how a rechamber would work when going from a longer COAL to a shorter COAL? Is that COAl even relavant when rechambering? Is it even possible? Is there a difference in the freebore/throat/leade area between a 6.8 Western and a 270 WSM? Since a 6.8 fits in a short action, would i be able to rechamber to 270 and load bullets out to 6.8 COAL and still use off the shelf 270wsm ammo. I want to be able to shoot off the shelf ammo and handload heavy for caliber bullets to take advantage of the fast twist barrel a 6.8 has by rechambering to 270WSM? I know I can have a barrel chambered for what I want, but I want to save money and use the factory 6.8 Western barrel if possible and just rechamber if it would be functional. Obviously, I'm not that well educated and versed technically speaking. I know where I want to go, I just don't know how to get there, or if the road is even open!!