I need some rifle advice!

[RainDodger]

Ok, guys, hit me with an opinion! I'm not a new shooter, I've been around the block and a handloader for ~40 years. I have a yearning for a new rifle.

I have a small gap between .243 and .30-'06 that I'd like to cover, and I'm tending towards perhaps a .25-06 or a .270. I will be handloading for whatever I buy - I rarely buy factory cartridges. It will likely be a bolt gun, primarily for range/stationary work.

Between the .25-06 and the .270, what do you guys think? Or maybe should I just go to .308?

 

[esheato]

260 Rem, 6.5x55, 7-08....Any one of those are perfect for that middle ground 308 sized short action gun.

Between the two, I'd go 25-06....270 is too close to 30-06.

Ed

 

[Gunfighter123]

I would just get the .308 if you don't already own one ----- very easy to find factory ammo , is a US/Nato rd. so you can find surplus ammo , and it will do everything a .270 will do but a bit better.

 

[cbrgator]

.308 is awfully close to 30-06. Doesn't really fill the gap you are talking about. Even .270 is pretty close. I'd say the best tweener is 25-06. My opinion though, 30-06 is so versatile and can be downloaded adequately to cover that gap in and of itself, but if you must have a new caliber I'd go 25-06.

 

[RainDodger]

So far, you guys are thinking like I am. I toyed with the idea of replacing a long-sold .257 Wby Mag, but then I looked at the cost of brass and put that idea out of my head.

I'm tending more towards the .25-06 I think. I shot a .257 Roberts a while back and it was very enjoyable, but I think the .25-06 has it pretty cleanly beat.

 

[Water-Man]

6.5x55 is perfect!

 

[Speedo66]

Find yourself a Swedish Mauser in 6.5x55.

Great gun, great cartridge.

 

[USSR]

6.5x55 is perfect!

+1.

Don

 

[627PCFan]

+ on 6.5x55

 

[okierifleman]

The 25-06 is one of my all time favorites. But its just one step above the .243. Consider the 7mm-08. Great ballistics out of a short action and a great variety of bullets available both in factory and to the handloader.

 

[azyogi]

If you reload the 25.06 will use the same shellholder as the 30.06. I use a lee hand primer cause I like the control and feeling the primer pocket this way. I find questionable cases cause I have a better feel for the pocket on a hand primer than priming on the press. So it's just my opinion but I'd go with 25.06 for that gap.

 

[RainDodger]

I'll look into both the 6.5X55 and 7mm-08. Thanks.

 

[Mr. T]

Go to the .270

I'd go to the .270, because if worse came to worse you could always use 30.06 brass for .270 rounds if brass ever became a problem.

 

[DRYHUMOR]

I'd go 6.5x55 also.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

6.5x55, .260 rem, 6.5-284 norma, .25-06, .257 Robts, probably one of those.

 

[litman252]

Well I have the .25-06 and the 6.5x55, they keep the 30-06 in the gun safe for 11.75 weeks a year............... It still only comes out as a loaner or backup rifle.......

I'd go with either, I can't find a bad thing to say about both of them so flip a coin. IF you want a short action, .260 or 7mm-08 would be great ones.

Happy Hunting....
Tony

 

[bpl]

What will you be using it for mainly? Deer, presumably, but anything else? Do you hunt mainly from stationary positions, or do you hike? If you move around a lot, maybe a nice lightweight rifle in a short action caliber like .257 Roberts, 260 Rem or 7mm-08 Rem would be a good choice. Remington Model 7, Kimber 84M, Ruger Ultralight, etc. Of those, 7mm-08 Rem is the most available and probably the most versatile. Otherwise, I don't see the 270 Win as filling much of a different role than your 30-06, so maybe the 25-06 would be the better choice of those two.

 

[Quickdraw Limpsalot]

Since you said you'll be shooting hand loaded ammo primarily, I've gotta throw the .257 Roberts into the mix.

 

[RainDodger]

Yeah, I have shot a .257 Roberts and it was one sweet shooter. Man... lots of good ideas. Thanks a lot, guys. Now I really don't know what to do! (I guess if this is the most serious problem I have, I'm ok. )

 

[FLNT4EVR]

260 rem is nice , brass can be formed from 243, 7mm-08 ,or 308 , it has a great ballastic co-efficient and is an excellent long range round in the right rifle . If not then definetly the 6.5 X55 . A cartridge that has out performed it's paper ballistics for decades.

 

[RainDodger]

You know, so many of you guys have mentioned the 6.5X55, I'm going to go dig into the loading manual a little bit more. At first glance it didn't seem like something I'd be that interested in, but I'm going to look again. Too many of you are talking about it.

I've also thought that maybe it's time to build the rifle myself, from the action up. That way I could get the components I want. The only problem there is, if something's not quite right, there's nobody to blame but myself!

 

[gunnutery]

I would just get the .308 if you don't already own one ----- very easy to find factory ammo , is a US/Nato rd. so you can find surplus ammo , and it will do everything a .270 will do but a bit better.

I agree to go with the .308, however, if you go with the surplus ammo (which according to the OP he probably won't), make sure your gun is rated for the Nato 7.62x51. When I was new to shooting, I didn't realize the differnce between .308 Win and 7.62. The first shot through my Savage 10FP locked up the action and I had to have it sent in. Fortunately they didn't charge me a thing for the fix. They made sure to send a little note with it saying not to use Nato stuff.