Yet another "What cartridge?" thread

[TexasTB]

7mm-08ai or 7mm-08 SAW. See West Texas Ordnance website.

162 ELDX @ 2850 fps in 24" barrel in short action

 

[HTJ]

I know these threads are posted all the time. I am just looking for opinions and mostly for someone to sell me on what cartridge to go with.

Anyway, I just picked up a Tikka action(standard bolt face) to use for a build. I know exactly how I want to set it up, but I am not sure what caliber I should go with. I already have a 6.5 creedmoor, 30-06, and 300winmag hunting rifles. I plan on building this to be a shorter barrel (22"), medium sized game (mule deer and antelope), and I'd like it to be a nice blend between light weight but still comfortable to be shot out far (goal is to be effective on game out to 800yards). I have always wanted a 6.5x284, but now that I have my 6.5 creedmoor, I was thinking along the lines of a 270win or a 280AI.

I plan on doing a Manners MCS-T stock, a 22" carbon barrel, and a swarovski x5 scope. I plan on suppressing it too, which is why I want a shorter barrel.

What cartridge am I searching for??

270 win! Great ballastics for what you described, very mild recoil, and just a great all around hunting round. 280 AI is great as well but if you have to buy factory ammo on a hunting trip, you can find 270 win just about anywhere where finding 280AI will be difficult and much more costly! You already have a 06, 270 will fill your gap much better. Good luck!

 

[264MHC]

Since you have a tikka action with the long action stop and standard bolt face, the intermediate length cartridges are a perfect fit. The factory mag will limit you to about 3.34 coal. I would be looking at the 284 or 284 Shehane pretty hard. 180s should go around 2800 from the Shehane in a 22" and be about 3.25 Coal, and be easily above the neck shoulder junction. Plenty of good brass options are available now and that would be pretty solid, efficient performance from the constraints of that action.

 

[Philward]

25 Calibre for the game you specified.

 

[Skimbleshanks]

280ai or straight 284win.

 

[Stokesrjsr]

My short barreled suppressed rifle is a 308 which I find ideal for this application, I have a 6.5-284 and 6.5 Creedmoor but for this application the 308 is superior to either. I shoot mostly the 168 grain Hornady ELDM which delivers a wide quick killing wound. Mine is a 16.5" barrel and delivers this bullet at 2650 FPS and 1/2 MOA or less.

 

[tooth doc]

I know these threads are posted all the time. I am just looking for opinions and mostly for someone to sell me on what cartridge to go with.

Anyway, I just picked up a Tikka action(standard bolt face) to use for a build. I know exactly how I want to set it up, but I am not sure what caliber I should go with. I already have a 6.5 creedmoor, 30-06, and 300winmag hunting rifles. I plan on building this to be a shorter barrel (22"), medium sized game (mule deer and antelope), and I'd like it to be a nice blend between light weight but still comfortable to be shot out far (goal is to be effective on game out to 800yards). I have always wanted a 6.5x284, but now that I have my 6.5 creedmoor, I was thinking along the lines of a 270win or a 280AI.

I plan on doing a Manners MCS-T stock, a 22" carbon barrel, and a swarovski x5 scope. I plan on suppressing it too, which is why I want a shorter barrel.

What cartridge am I searching for??

I believe you r on the right track. Another cartridge to consider in a short barrel is 7mm 08. Very efficient it short barrel and in long action u can seat bullets long. I also love the 280 ai. Fantastic cartridge, no downside that i can see. Good luck, and all these choices will be a gr8 tool for what you want to do.

 

[badbull]

I know these threads are posted all the time. I am just looking for opinions and mostly for someone to sell me on what cartridge to go with.

Anyway, I just picked up a Tikka action(standard bolt face) to use for a build. I know exactly how I want to set it up, but I am not sure what caliber I should go with. I already have a 6.5 creedmoor, 30-06, and 300winmag hunting rifles. I plan on building this to be a shorter barrel (22"), medium sized game (mule deer and antelope), and I'd like it to be a nice blend between light weight but still comfortable to be shot out far (goal is to be effective on game out to 800yards). I have always wanted a 6.5x284, but now that I have my 6.5 creedmoor, I was thinking along the lines of a 270win or a 280AI.

I plan on doing a Manners MCS-T stock, a 22" carbon barrel, and a swarovski x5 scope. I plan on suppressing it too, which is why I want a shorter barrel.

What cartridge am I searching for??

 

[Salmotrutta]

I'm not a fan of using the 270, 280, 30-06 case etc in the Tikka action if building a rifle. Tikka actions aren't very long. They are perfect for cartridges like the 6.5 prc, 7mm blazer, Sherman mags, etc. If you don't mind shoving the high bc bullets way down in the case than its no big deal. But if you are building a 280ai on a Tikka and using up case capacity with the bullet, you might as well build something like the 284, 7mm-08, etc. You could seat the bullet properly and have about the same capacity.

The .284 and 7mm-08 AI are very interesting ideas indeed (excluding the mag bolt face options for this build) - allowing for seating a high BC bullet such that there is minimal impact to capacity - working well in a magazine limited to 3.34". Back to QL to get the usable case capacities at a COL of 3.34", Assuming a 7mm 180 Hybrid - which is very similar in volume to a 168 LRX...

280 AI @ 3.34" usable capacity 62.9g
.284 Shehane @ 3.18" usable capacity 60.9g (about .29" of shank in neck)
.284 Win @ 3.18" usable capacity 58.13g (about .29" of shank in neck)
7mm-08 AI @ 3.05" usable capacity 50.6g (about .29" of shank in neck)

So when you run the numbers you really are not "loosing" case capacity with high BC bullets in the .280 AI - its still more than the other viable options and has a higher SAAMI pressure as well. Valid points can be made about efficiency or accuracy potential of the other options but the 280 AI appears to have more net capacity even with heavy bullets seated to a mag length of 3.34"

Even if you run the .284 Win at 64,000psi (not sure I would do that) you would get around 2860 fps with a 168 LRX and a 20" barrel - still a little slower (negligible) than a 280 AI with the same bullet, barrel and pressure.

Thanks for all the ideas - I would have never worked through these options otherwise!

 

[Zymurgist]

22' barrel and no extreme distances? In my eyes 7x57 Mauser would be a very good option. Originally with a 1 : 8,66 rate of twist it can shoot everything from 100 - 180gr without issues. Low recoil and fine accuracy are following additionally.

Or a 7mm-08

 

[35 Whelen]

I go with a .270 Win. It is a much better long range cartridge than it gets credit for. Very one likes to scream not as many bullet choses. The LR bullets available are good and many of the "standard" bullets work very well at long range. If people would just go ahead and use their .270's the bullet manufactures would take notice and make more LR bullets.

 

[longrangebob]

280 AI — as ur thinking Hunting - U can Use 280 Remington Factory Loads in a Pinch !!!
I love my 280 AI(s)

 

[westexhunt]

What do you call a 6.5PRC necked up to .284? That or 284 win.

 

[ATH]

A 20-22 inch 6mm Creedmoor would be great for the deer and speed goats you mentioned. 105HVLD's at 3000 are death medicine for critters.

At the ranges mentioned? No. I love my 243AI, I'm running 105s at 3280fps. No way I'm shooting an antelope at ranges mentioned in the OP. I'll do prairie dogs, and have, and if you look at the results you won't be excited to use it on medium game at that range.