Easiest cartridges to load for

Dildobaggins

Dildobaggins

Major Hide Member
Full Member
Minuteman
    • Jun 26, 2020
    1,042
    500
    #1
    Going to be selling my unfired Tikka 300 wsm barreled action soon. I feel like it's too much gun for what I'm doing. Kind of an impulse build.

    This would be for a bolt gun.

    Wondering what cartridge one would choose to load for? Looking for easiest load development. Possible. Would use the cartridge to hunt whitetail, black bear and possibly bore. Also, just plinking and shooting for groups from the bench. Max shots would be 500 yards. Majority would be between 1-400 yards. I currently hunt with a 6.5 grendel. Shot a deer last year at 300 yards and killed it, but penetration was not good at all. Also, have a 6br, but it's heavy as hell.

    Any recommendations?
     
    #12
    I aint got one, don’t hav ManBun, nor do I have a Rainbow sticker on my truck. But for what your describing a 6.5CM handsdown. Watch classifieds here and buy 3-400 rds brass and shoot. I’m older and I’m a 308 guy, but in current enviroment 6.5CM all way
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Holliday
    #13
    krw said:
    I aint got one, don’t hav ManBun, nor do I have a Rainbow sticker on my truck. But for what your describing a 6.5CM handsdown. Watch classifieds here and buy 3-400 rds brass and shoot. I’m older and I’m a 308 guy, but in current enviroment 6.5CM all way
    Click to expand...

    I am curious about this part of your post. I make fun of 6.5 all the time... not because it's a bad cartridge, but because it has achieved almost cult-like status in a short time.

    What about 'today's environment' is it that makes the 6.5 great to load for or better than venerable cartridges.

    Not attacking your statement. I am interested in the thought process. Call it intellectual curiosity or 'what am I missing?'

    Cheers,

    Sirhr
     
    • Like
    Reactions: RTH1800
    #14
    rumblesniper said:
    I think the .223 cal is best to reload.
    Click to expand...
    Once you get the cases prepped, it isn't hard. That case prep is another story

    M
    sirhrmechanic said:
    I am curious about this part of your post. I make fun of 6.5 all the time... not because it's a bad cartridge, but because it has achieved almost cult-like status in a short time.

    What about 'today's environment' is it that makes the 6.5 great to load for or better than venerable cartridges.

    Not attacking your statement. I am interested in the thought process. Call it intellectual curiosity or 'what am I missing?'

    Cheers,

    Sirhr
    Click to expand...
    Not having been reloading for long, it seems that there's lots of bullet weights and profiles that seem to shoot well out of any rifle.

    So far anyway

    M
     
    #20
    For what He’s wanting to do, the 6.5CM will chk all the bxs “better” than a 308 IMO. Higher BC bullets, less recoil, less powder. And for the game He is wanting to take at his specd ranges, the CM is spot on. And with the CM being everyones do all cartridge there is ammo and once fired brass everywhere
    With all that being said, I will never run out of 308 and 260 components. I went 260 route ‘15’? Yrs ago
     
    • Like
    Reactions: bforney1984 and Dildobaggins
    #21
    Shoots 700's said:
    what bullet did you use in the 6.5 that didn't penetrate well?
    Click to expand...
    120 eldm at 300 yards hit in the shoulder. No signs on the vitals that it was even hit.
    jakelly said:
    How do you know the WSM is too much gun, if you haven’t shot it?

    That aside, this is definitely a case for the 6.5 Creedmoor.
    Click to expand...
    I've shot one a few times. And I've watched videos of guys hunting with them and it seems to be overkill to me. Also, I've had shoulder surgery 4 times. Lastly the amount of powder, cost of brass and LRP are turning me off of it.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: camocorvette and jakelly
    #22
    6.5 creed for sure; if you have an action that supports prefits that can be swapped fairly easily and your budget allows for it, i’d have one barrel for each bullet for each role/application, assuming this would be a multi-role system (unless you can get multiple different types of bullets to shoot really well in one barrel)
     
    #23
    7mm-08 (minimum) or .280 Rem (maximum).

    ...Or, my favorite, the .260 Rem.

    Recoil is reasonable, accuracy is "minute of paper Plate at 1000 yards", and brass can be 260, 243, or 7-08. Just run the 243 or 7-08 through the F/L 260 die, and you have 260 brass. It likes H-4350 best, but H-4831 and H-4831SC are good powders (a tad slower velocities, but better, I think, accuracy wise), and I'm preparing to develop a load for 140gr and W748 or W760.

    Barrel lengths for the .260, 24" up to 28".

    If you want a "Thumper" consider .358 Win, also a .308 case derivative. Less recoil, the .338 Federal, also made on the 308 case.

    Greg
     
    • Like
    Reactions: ToKeepAndBear and roostercogburn98
    #24
    nn8734 said:
    6.5 creed for sure; if you have an action that supports prefits that can be swapped fairly easily and your budget allows for it, i’d have one barrel for each bullet for each role/application, assuming this would be a multi-role system (unless you can get multiple different types of bullets to shoot really well in one barrel)
    Click to expand...
    I think I'm going to sell the Tikka barreled action, and get a kelblys. Urban rifleman I think does barrels for them pretty cheap
     
    #27
    krw said:
    For what He’s wanting to do, the 6.5CM will chk all the bxs “better” than a 308 IMO. Higher BC bullets, less recoil, less powder. And for the game He is wanting to take at his specd ranges, the CM is spot on. And with the CM being everyones do all cartridge there is ammo and once fired brass everywhere
    With all that being said, I will never run out of 308 and 260 components. I went 260 route ‘15’? Yrs ago
    Click to expand...

    Well that was one of my thoughts... In this environment the 6.5 is the Golden Child. All the hype and publicity, etc. But I remember 12 years ago when the .260 was the greatest thing ever. Nothing was ever going to replace it. Lots of loads and calibers and even the ultra-conservative Finnish Sako was chambering rifles in the "Cartridge of the moment." And then zap... it was gone. And the 6.5 was the Cartridge du Jour.

    And before that it was something else... and I can't even remember what. Maybe was a 7mm 'something.' See how these popular cartridges last?

    Anyway, if I were to look at a 'best or easiest cartridge to load, it would be the .308, the .30-06, the 5.56.... Not because they are best but because in 'changing' environments, there are more components available to assemble good rounds and will be for a long time to come.

    Someone with some longer memory than I could probably go back to 1970 and list the "Hot Cartridge of the Day" for 50 years. Would be a fun exercise to see how many are still extant.


    Cheers,


    Sirhr
     
    • Like
    • Haha
    Reactions: Hickswr and Sieg
    #28
    Dildobaggins said:
    Going to be selling my unfired Tikka 300 wsm barreled action soon. I feel like it's too much gun for what I'm doing. Kind of an impulse build.

    This would be for a bolt gun.

    Wondering what cartridge one would choose to load for? Looking for easiest load development. Possible. Would use the cartridge to hunt whitetail, black bear and possibly bore. Also, just plinking and shooting for groups from the bench. Max shots would be 500 yards. Majority would be between 1-400 yards. I currently hunt with a 6.5 grendel. Shot a deer last year at 300 yards and killed it, but penetration was not good at all. Also, have a 6br, but it's heavy as hell.

    Any recommendations?
    Click to expand...
    Another vote for 6.5x47
     
    #33
    My favorite hunting cartridge is the .25-06. Depending on the bullet, you get an easy pass through or left just under the far skin with a really messed up boiler room. Recoil is easy, accuracy can be very good, and it does not suffer the hate that the 6.5 Creedmoor does. A neat rifle would have the fast twist barrels shooting the 133/135 Bergers. (Blackjacks too if available.).

    4EA90622-BAF6-4E5A-8F5A-D5436D82FEDD.jpeg


    But, that’s my favorite…your milage may (and very likely will) vary.

    Own a couple Creedmoors. Both are easy shooting and very tolerant of different loads. However, I don’t hunt with them so all I can say is, in my RPR I get crazy good accuracy with the Hornady ELD-X. (My hunting rifle in CM was a real bust, but the issue was with the rifle., same thing with the one and only .308, rifle I owned, it was the least good rifle I ever owned.).

    Brenda has had great luck hunting with her .243. We use Nosler Partition in it and get lots of penetration and lots of blood trail. A long throated .243 or 6mm Remington would be a great project. Just don’t let the .243 fool you, get a stock/chassis that you can live with. Even the .243 in an ill fitting stock is not that pleasant To shoot. So, that goes back to the 6mm Creedmoor. Keep loads a touch below max and barrel life should be acceptable.

    Finally, for something truly fun and wonderful and really light shooting, try the .250-3000. Nice little round. Lots of good .257 bullets. Just be sure you get/build one with a 1-10 twist.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: sirhrmechanic and Dildobaggins
    #34
    supercorndogs said:
    Na man, shoot black bears at 500 yards with a 223. 😳 :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
    Click to expand...
    “I’m gonna sell the perfectly adequate rifle I have now that already addresses every single complaint I had to post about in the first place and trade it for a smaller one that will do nothing for my legitimate complaints.”
    “ps, that will most likely use the same powder and primers that would/could be used in all the creed recommendations”
     
    • Haha
    Reactions: jakelly
    #36
    spife7980 said:
    “I’m gonna sell the perfectly adequate rifle I have now that already addresses every single complaint I had to post about in the first place and trade it for a smaller one that will do nothing for my legitimate complaints.”
    “ps, that will most likely use the same powder and primers that would/could be used in all the creed recommendations”
    Click to expand...
    300 wsm is overkill for whitetail imo. Also, large rifle /magnum primers for 300 wsm, compared to SRP for 308, 6.5CM, and the like, which are available all the time...plus, close to 1/2 the powder per round, along with way cheaper brass, from more manufacturers, along with a substantially lower amount of recoil in a 6.5cm, 308win, 7-08 etc. I've also had 4 shoulder surgeries. Its not going to be pleasurable for me to shoot.


    download (1).jpeg
     
    #37
    Dildobaggins said:
    300 wsm is overkill for whitetail imo. Also, large rifle /magnum primers for 300 wsm, compared to SRP for 308, 6.5CM, and the like, which are available all the time...plus, close to 1/2 the powder per round, along with way cheaper brass, from more manufacturers, along with a substantially lower amount of recoil in a 6.5cm, 308win, 7-08 etc. I've also had 4 shoulder surgeries. Its not going to be pleasurable for me to shoot.


    View attachment 8076433
    Click to expand...
    Tell me you have been shooting less than year, without saying you have been shooting less than a year. 🤣🤣

    Most 308 and 6.5 Creed brass use LRP. Also SRP were next to impossible to find a couple years ago. Also you are talking 40-45 grains vs 55-65 grains. More like 50% more powder.

    "Overkill." Now its too dead, shit... :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:

    6.5 Creed is going to have substantially less recoil, than the 300WSM. If you are looking for something that shoots soft, the 6.5 Creed with 120 class bullets and a Varget burn rate powder is a great choice.

    Or get a 223 for those 500y bears, common' man, they aren't that big. Plus you gots to protect them pic-a-nic baskets.

    da658289795df3531164383860982748.jpeg
     
    Last edited:
    • Like
    Reactions: spife7980
    #38
    When I first saw this thread, I was thinking about my 45-70 BPCR loads when I started. Fill that big case with fffg Black powder and seat a bullet. Too Easy.😁

    @sirhrmechanic was right on with 38 special too.

    I still roll back to 308 for a wide variety of suitable powders and bullets that will cover a variety of targets and ranges. Are there better cartridges for different applications? YES! But for component availability and the niche of JOATMON the 308 fills the check boxes.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Dildobaggins
    #40
    I also think that the 308 is easier to load than 223 because of the standardized barrel twists. I’ve handled 223s in the same model of rifle that have twists from 1:7 to 1:14. Talk about messing with your mind.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Dildobaggins
    #43
    Modoc said:
    When I first saw this thread, I was thinking about my 45-70 BPCR loads when I started. Fill that big case with fffg Black powder and seat a bullet. Too Easy.😁

    @sirhrmechanic was right on with 38 special too.

    I still roll back to 308 for a wide variety of suitable powders and bullets that will cover a variety of targets and ranges. Are there better cartridges for different applications? YES! But for component availability and the niche of JOATMON the 308 fills the check boxes.
    Click to expand...
    The 6.5 Creed uses a wider range of powders than the 308. You can use anything from RL15, Varget or 4166 to h4350, 4831SC, or RL26. There are a wide range of projectiles available, as well as factory ammo. And its easier to shoot because it kicks it less, and drifts less in the wind.

    I think its a more well rounded cartridge than the 308. I think the 308 and 6.5 are both a little better for hunting, than the fast 6mm stuff just because of impact velocity and meat damage.

    I like my 280, 162g 2780 out of a 21" barrel.
     
    #46
    supercorndogs said:
    The 6.5 Creed uses a wider range of powders than the 308. You can use anything from RL15, Varget or 4166 to h4350, 4831SC, or RL26. There are a wide range of projectiles available, as well as factory ammo. And its easier to shoot because it kicks it less, and drifts less in the wind.

    I think its a more well rounded cartridge than the 308. I think the 308 and 6.5 are both a little better for hunting, than the fast 6mm stuff just because of impact velocity and meat damage.

    I like my 280, 162g 2780 out of a 21" barrel.
    Click to expand...
    I will look into that. My experience with “new” cartridges has been the Grendel, but I can agree with your points. The 6.5c is just the newer version of my favorite cartridge the 6.5 Swede.
     
    #47
    Dildobaggins said:
    Curious on velocities with 178. I was thinking a heavier contour with a 20in barrel in 308 or 6.5cm
    Click to expand...
    I run 178 ELDX, Lapua brass, CCI 200 and 42.5 grains IMR 4064. 2600 fps out of a 20” LW barrel on my AIAT

    Killed many deer 100-550 yards and absolutely love the combo. Shot a bunch with my 260 and some with a 6.5 CM. I’ll take the 308/178 ELDX combo for inside 500 compared to the others
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Dildobaggins
    #48
    Dildobaggins said:
    Curious on velocities with 178. I was thinking a heavier contour with a 20in barrel in 308 or 6.5cm
    Click to expand...
    I get 2620 Varget and 2720 RL-15 in my 23" 308. Would be like 2580 or 2680 @ 20". For 500y hunting i would be looking to drive a 155 or 168 faster rather than going heavy for cartridge like the 178. You are going to get less wind drift by picking up some velocity despite loosing B.C, until you get father out than 500y.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Dildobaggins
    #49
    supercorndogs said:
    I get 2620 Varget and 2720 RL-15 in my 23" 308. Would be like 2580 or 2680 @ 20". For 500y hunting i would be looking to drive a 155 or 168 faster rather than going heavy for cartridge like the 178. You are going to get less wind drift by picking up some velocity despite loosing B.C, until you get father out than 500y.
    Click to expand...
    Think I've narrowed it down to a 6.5cm or 308 win. If I go with the 308, I'll do that. Maybe try some 150gr game kings or 155 eld. Going to run some numbers in ballistic calculators. I imagine a 150 grain would have 1,000ftlbs or more at around 500 yards?
     
    #50
    If you go .308 the bullet alone (155 -175) will weigh more than a 120 gr bullet and the 40 gr powder charge in a 6.5. That’s not the end of the world, but if it was my surgically repaired shoulder, I sure wouldn’t make an appreciable jump in recoil for an appreciable drop in terminal ballistics.
     
    Last edited:
    • Like
    Reactions: 260284, supercorndogs and Dildobaggins
    You must log in or register to reply here.

    Similar threads

    W
    Load Development for Big Bore Cartridges?
    Replies
    27
    Views
    710
    Hoser
    Hoser
    S
    Subsonic hunting
    Replies
    68
    Views
    1K
    paulrem308
    P
    E
    Hunting & Fishing Experimenting w/ different calibers on deer (Graphic)
    Replies
    54
    Views
    1K
    jbuck88
    jbuck88
    V
    Advice on Cartridge and Rifle (and a lot of other stuff) for High Accuracy Bolt Action Rifle
    Replies
    21
    Views
    516
    Dead Eye Dick
    Dead Eye Dick
    Devo10ate
    Where am I going wrong? .308 hunting load and general powder questions
    Replies
    12
    Views
    686
    Snuby642
    Snuby642
    Top Bottom
    Back
    Home
    Forums
    Merch
    Alerts