Recommend a new cartridge

[EchoM70]

Alright, So I've been cleaning out the gun safe, sold a few rifles and now I'm looking to replace them with something new and different.

As of right now I have rifles chambered in the following cartridges:

-7mm-08 Rem

-.280 Rem

-.308 Win

-30/06 SPRG

-25/06 Rem

-.270 Win

I just sold a .338 Win Mag and 7mm Rem mag and .300 WSM recently and I'm not really looking to replace them with another magnum.


I will use the rifle for deer hunting with shots ranging from 50 to 300 yards and it has to be a modern bolt action.

I'm leaning toward .260 Rem or maybe get another .243 Win, .338 Federal also seems interesting. I'm just looking for something different to play around with and really don't know where to look. I would prefer not to overlap in performance between the new cartridge and what I already have. Like I don't want a .257 Roberts because I've already got 25-06 Rem.

So what would you guys suggest???

 

[Abel]

6.5x55

 

[H&Hhunter]

6.5/06

 

[EchoM70]

Abel and H&Hhunter,

I've thought about both the 6.5x55 swede and the 6.5/06 A-square. My only problem would be finding a modern bolt-action rifle chambered for them. As far as I know CZ-USA is the only one making a 6.5 swede with some Tikka's floating around. The 6.5 A-square to my knowledge doesn't have any factory offerings. I don't really want to build a custom rifle or change a barrel but I guess that could be an option.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[SlowFuse]

Looks like you've got good coverage on the 308 and '06 family of cartridges. Maybe a centerfire 22 like a 22-250. Or maybe the other side of the spectrum, sticking with the 06 trend: 35 Whelen. If you reload: 338-06

I notice now you mentioned deer hunting. The 22-250 may not be legal for that in your state, I wouldn't recommend it for that purpose...

 

[RPRNY]

Tika, Sako, CZ, Howa all 6.5x55SE available. Howa may have discontinued in recent years, but they are out there.

I would add .260 Rem and;
7x57 Mauser for consideration - although with the 7mm-08 you have a sweet cartridge in the same park

 

[RmB]

22-250 or.. a .223

 

[Gunnerboy]

6.5x55

 

[meanmrmustard]

22-250 or .223 would kill deer that far. But, I tend to use them for that purpose no further than 200.

I will be the chink in the chain, and suggest something better.


.260 Remington.

 

[SHR970]

You already have so much overlap that by your criteria there isn't too much out there.

On one side you have the 243 Win. and 244 Rem. on the other you have the 338 Fed. and 35 Whelen.

8mm is going to be in the 308 / 30.06 range as well as the 303 and 7.62X54.

Unless you look for something really out of the ordinary like 9.3x62, 6.5x64 Brenneke, etc.

 

[X-Rap]

Looks like you have big game covered, I would not be without a 223 or 22-250. Or both.

 

[oneounceload]

You already have a lot of overlap/redundancy between the 7-08, 308, 270, 280, and 30-06

For accuracy and the ability to take deer out to 250 yards, the 6mmBR or 7mmBR would work and be a fun project. While the 260 and 6.5 are great cartridges, you already have the 7-08 to cover that ground.

As mentioned, a 22 CF or 243 would work nicely as well

 

[Abel]

Yeah, a 223 or 22-250 would be good. Or a 243. But I think that your logic of ruling out the 257 Roberts stinks, simply because you have both a 308 & a 30-o6.

Make it a Bob.

 

[RPRNY]

Hey, I just noticed that 35 Whelen wasn't on your list, or 9.3x62. That gets you up above the 30 cal family but below the 375 H&H bruisers.

 

[pbrktrt]

The Hornady 6.5 Creedmore is an interesting round.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

.260!

 

[dubya450]

338 fed without a doubt of it were me

 

[pdd614]

Doesn't get more modern than a tc icon in 6.5 creedmoor.

 

[Hollerpoint]

.222 Rem in a nice old model 700 or new Tikka

 

[Clayne_b]

I think my next gun will be a 6.5 Creedmoor!

 

[TurtlePhish]

.375H&H Mag

 

[beatledog7]

45-70 Gov't (but prbably not a good choice outside 150 yds, and I don't know of any in bolt action)

 

[HankB]

I would prefer not to overlap in performance between the new cartridge and what I already have.

Uh . . . considering the overlap of the six cartridges you've listed, this is a joke, right?

Really, you've only got two ways to go: up and down. With a .25/06 you've got the .257" bore covered, and 6.5mm at .264" isn't much different, so that pretty much means going down to 6mm . . . and in my book, it means a .243. (The various .22 centerfires may not be legal everywhere for deer, and some are marginal for 300 yard shots on big game even with good bullets and shot placement.)

That leaves moving up. I'd keep away from proprietary rounds like the .338 Federal and stick to something more common . . . .35 Whelen is a good round. If you handload, a .375 H&H can always be downloaded with lighter bullets in the 220-235 grain range for something that's reasonably flat shooting over 300 yards, more than adequate for deer, with very modest recoil . . . and yet with full power ammo you can take an elephant.

If you're considering a wildcat, something a bit out of the ordinary, the .375 Whelen is an interesting round I wouldn't mind playing with myself if I had the time . . . its uncommon without being outlandish or requiring a lot of case forming pain.

 

[Torgy]

If you want a flat shooting round, perhaps for mule deer, you may want to look into a .257 Weatherby Mag. It's been a while since I looked at ballistics, but I believe it's the flattest shooting round available. If they no longer make it, that means I'm old, and I apologize.

 

[R.W.Dale]

Dupe