1948CJ2A
Member
I'm starting to brainstorm for a project rifle to begin working on after the holidays. I have a relatively large collection of centerfire rifles. The older I get, the more the wildcat and less common stuff intrigues me. Here are the criteria I'd like to stay within:
It's early in the process but I'm currently leaning towards a 6.5-300 wby. The 6.5 is one of the few calibers that I don't have. I thought about a 264 Win Mag but I really would like to hold off for an old Model 70 Winchester. Plus, the 264 win mag is a little "too common" for this project.
I've also thought about a 6.5-257/270 wby but then I start to lean towards just hunting down a nice used Mark V in 270 wby, as they'd be so close (6.5mm versus 6.8mm).
Another path I've considered is a 30-378 wby.
All of these would be considered "overbore" yielding relatively short barrel life (compared to a 30-06 or a 270). That's not a big issue for me.
If I end up going with a wildcat, such as the 6.5-300 wby, I'll most likely pick up a Vanguard in 300 wby and rebarrel to 6.5. I imagine I'd buff the satin finish off the metal and go with a high-polished blue. I called Weatherby and they've got Vanguard Deluxe stocks (factory 2nds) for just under $200.
- Relatively uncommon cartridge
- between .244 and .350 cal
- Prefer belted magnum
- Prefer Weatherby or Weatherby variant cartridge
- Bolt-action
- Wood stock
- Scoped
It's early in the process but I'm currently leaning towards a 6.5-300 wby. The 6.5 is one of the few calibers that I don't have. I thought about a 264 Win Mag but I really would like to hold off for an old Model 70 Winchester. Plus, the 264 win mag is a little "too common" for this project.
I've also thought about a 6.5-257/270 wby but then I start to lean towards just hunting down a nice used Mark V in 270 wby, as they'd be so close (6.5mm versus 6.8mm).
Another path I've considered is a 30-378 wby.
All of these would be considered "overbore" yielding relatively short barrel life (compared to a 30-06 or a 270). That's not a big issue for me.
If I end up going with a wildcat, such as the 6.5-300 wby, I'll most likely pick up a Vanguard in 300 wby and rebarrel to 6.5. I imagine I'd buff the satin finish off the metal and go with a high-polished blue. I called Weatherby and they've got Vanguard Deluxe stocks (factory 2nds) for just under $200.
