What chambering would you go with?

[txfireguy2003]

Here's the background:
I picked up a 700 stainless in 25-06 with plans to restock it and make a nice little middle weight whitetail rifle. Problem is, I can't get the damn thing to shoot beget than 1.5-2moa. I'm going to trey a couple more loads, and a different scope, and I'd that don't work, I'm going to rebarrel. Now, here's the thing, I have a goal of owning a center fire rifle in every common bore diameter from 17-30 calibers, and I'm down to needing a 17, 20, 25, and 27. Now, since this is a long action, it's too much for a 17 or 20 caliber round, so I'm down to 25 or 27 calibers for this one, and I'd like to keep it in the mid weight range for hunting. Some rounds I have considered are:
25-06 and its AI version
257 Roberts and its AI version
270 and its AI

What else is ou there in those bore diameters that's appropriate for a .473 bolt face long action?

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[evans1010]

My first 4 deer were killed with a Charles Daly (commercial Mauser) 25-06. None of those 4 have been topped since (15 years, 8 whitetail and 5 mule deer) when it comes to impressiveness of the kill. True bang flops, truly the most humane hunting kills I've ever made. I am a true believer in shot placement but I've made better shots since without the dramatic effect of that little 120gr PEP Winchester factory load.

Long and nostalgic way of voting 25-06

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[Sonic Crack]

You could open up the bolt face and do a magnum. Im waiting on a reamer for an improved version of the 257 Weatherby mag.

 

[wapiti16b]

I've killed lots of Mule Deer with a 25-06 with 120 g NOSLER Partitions over the twenty years I owned one , most every one under 300 yards never flinched and one at 85 yards was hit so hard in the vitals the shock spiral fractured it's down hill front leg . The only downside IMHO is barrel life , around 1,100 rounds for my reloads but very good for a hunting only Rifle . I can't imagine a 25 cal. magnum lasting as long and with the limited projectile options out there could not justify going that route but that's just me from a hunting perspective .
All this being said If it were me and an AI was what I wanted I'd go 6.5/06 , 270AI or 280 AI . You did not mention 7mm as a choice but for pure hunting and bullet selection I don't think you'll find a better cartridge than 280AI IMHO . 270 AI would be a little more intriguing with some of the new heavy bullet options for longer range and larger game than white-tails and the 280 AI should fill the bill for all but the bigger Bears .

 

[TC308]

6.5 creedmoor should do fine on a long action, or a 6.5x284

 

[txfireguy2003]

I've killed lots of Mule Deer with a 25-06 with 120 g NOSLER Partitions over the twenty years I owned one , most every one under 300 yards never flinched and one at 85 yards was hit so hard in the vitals the shock spiral fractured it's down hill front leg . The only downside IMHO is barrel life , around 1,100 rounds for my reloads but very good for a hunting only Rifle . I can't imagine a 25 cal. magnum lasting as long and with the limited projectile options out there could not justify going that route but that's just me from a hunting perspective .
All this being said If it were me and an AI was what I wanted I'd go 6.5/06 , 270AI or 280 AI . You did not mention 7mm as a choice but for pure hunting and bullet selection I don't think you'll find a better cartridge than 280AI IMHO . 270 AI would be a little more intriguing with some of the new heavy bullet options for longer range and larger game than white-tails and the 280 AI should fill the bill for all but the bigger Bears .

Yeah, I've already got 6.5 and 7mm covered, and it will be a purely hunting rifle, the only reason for a slightly heavier barrel on this one is to handle the weight of a suppressor better. I've got heavy tactical rifles and even though I'm not into competition rifle shooting I am into long range targets and hunting. This particular rifle will be dedicated to Texas whitetails (100-200 lbs or so) and maybe one day a West Texas mule deer and I guess throw in pigs and predators since they are always on the hit list . Shots with this gun will be inside 300 for sure, and most inside of 150, I've got other rifles for longer range work. If I decide to go after elk at some point, I'll take my 7 rem mag, or the 7 LRM I'm planning. I'm really leaning towards 25-06AI, low recoil, high velocity, but not too much overkill for these little deer down here. I was just looking for some other options that maybe I didn't think of. I wish there was a rebated rim case, like the 284 Win case, but in long action length. A 25-284 long would be a screamer of such a thing existed.

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[sierracharlie338]

257 roberts AI gets my vote! I have a ruger mark ii in a roberts and it puts the smack down on whitetail





Sierracharlie338....

 

[BurnOut]

Given the use stated above, what about 338-06?

 

[Stankydogfarts]

I have a nice heavy barreled 98 Mauser in .257 Roberts and love it. It's a great round to shoot and load for, but brass is not as available as .25-06.
If I were to do it again I think a .25-06 AI would be neat, especially with some 115grn Bergers.

 

[Rerun7]

Of the three listed I would go with the 270 just due to the availability of ammo for a hunting rifle. You can find that round in a lot of hunting shops if you get somewhere and are in a pinch. That's one of the main reasons I stick with .308 for my whitetail round.

 

[WoodrowAugustus]

Straight .25-06 or the AI version, for the parameters you provided. IMHO it is the perfect cartridge for Texas hunting.

And I think your goal of center fire rifles in every bore diameter from .17-30 is excellent.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I wouldn't have suggested any of them, but then I did some research into the .277 bullet diameter.

The Hornady site lists a .277" diameter 145gr ELD-X bullet with a G1 BC of .536, and some of my objections to the .270 started to fade somewhat. No mention on the site of any specialized rifling twist requirements, but there is a listing for Precision Hunting ammo being made in the chambering with this bullet.

That would therefore be my choice among the three chamberings you suggested.

Greg

 

[txfireguy2003]

Thanks Greg, I too have always disliked the 270 due to low BC bullet selection. That said, for this particular rifle, BC isn't critical since it will be used primarily for what I call point blank hunting. Most of my fellow Texas hunters would call it long range, but in my opinion, if you can dial in a maximum point blank range zero of say 250 yards, then just aim dead on and still hit out to say 325 without dialing dope, it's not long range. That's how this rifle will be set up, for me, my wife, a friend, lease member who forgot his ammo or has a gun malfunction, etc. I have options for long range rifles that perform outstandingly, but I'm very limited on rifles to just go sit in a stand on a rainy morning and pop a doe at 100-175 yards.

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[MATADOR]

Get the book "Pet Loads" by Ken Waters, it'll be right up your alley. Especially if you want to keep it a 25 cal.

 

[Engine 22]

I suggest rebarreling to the .25-06. It's a terrific deer cartridge. Why not?? It's a proven hunting round and it sounds like you just got a crap barrel. You have stated several reasons to keep it a .25-06, targeted game, hunting rifle, the .25 vacancy in your line-up,....

 

[txfireguy2003]

I suggest rebarreling to the .25-06. It's a terrific deer cartridge. Why not?? It's a proven hunting round and it sounds like you just got a crap barrel. You have stated several reasons to keep it a .25-06, targeted game, hunting rifle, the .25 vacancy in your line-up,....

I think the fellow smoke eater here is probably right, but being the man I am, I'm probably going to go 25-06AI, because.... well, I gotta be different.... yeah, I'm that guy. I like speed, heavy for bore bullets and high BC. My 6.5WSM is my long range hammer, this will be my short range hammer. The rest are just range toys mostly.

So, if I go with the 25-06AI, what twist should I run? I know 10 is common, but thinking maybe a 9 twist might help stabilize the heavier bullets a bit better. I know the factory tube doesn't like the 117gr SST at all, it stabilizes them and they are hitting the target point forward, no key holes, but damn the accuracy sucks!



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[steve123]

Well put Larry and good to see you here.

You're getting slightly nicer as the years go by, I'd thought more crotchier, not a bad thing because some of us like the old reliable, no BS, straight shooter.

 

[2c1fr]

Me if it were purely a hunting rifle I'd do a 270 Winchester it's a classic for a reason

 

[txfireguy2003]

Tough to get giddy about a 27-06 too,for like reason(s). Though superior to .257's as bullet selection goes,it pales to things on each side of it(6.5 and 7mm).

BSA sells lots of scopes too and some find that "soothing".

Hold the fluff.

Hint.

Ha, well I ain't no BSA user, them's fightin' words around here! :-D. And I agree, the 6.5 and 7mm bores have a greater selection of high BC bullets.....I have a few of those as well. I will eventually have another 270 of some flavor, and another 257 of some sort, as well as a 17 and 20 caliber center fire..... it's part of the goal. The rest of the diameters I have covered, some with multiples.

Please explain, as I don't know the answer...... from 0-300 yards, which is what this rifle will be used for, how is a 6, 6.5 or 7mm going to noticeably outperform a 257 or 277 govern the same case capacity and a target of whitetail deer, wild pigs, coyotes, bobcats and maybe an axis deer? I understand the argument for long range, 500+ yards, but for a lighter weight, moderate recoil, short range hunting rifle, do any of the listed bore diameters kill game any more dead?

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[txfireguy2003]

I don't disagree with a word you said. There's a reason so many folks are buying the factory built "match" rifles in 6.5 Creed and using them to hunt with as well, because they work and work well.

I normally don't choose my bullet first, I choose my intended purpose first, then build a gun around that purpose. If I was shooting at steel at extremely long range, I'd be looking at a 6.5, 7mm, 338, 375 etc. 1000 and in, I'm sticking with a 6.5 or 7mm, maybe a 6mm. If I was hunting brown bear, I'd start at 30 caliber and work up. For African dangerous game, let's start with 375 and up. Then pick an appropriate bullet, match bullets for targets, hunting bullets for animals, then pick a twist rate to manage that length bullet and get a barrel, decide on a case design and get an action to accommodate it...... It goes on. In this instance, I already have the action, but it shouldn't be too limiting.

It never surprised me that a 1000 yard rifle would also work at 100 and 500, maybe others, but not me. Again, I'm not saying that they don't perform quite impressively, all I'm saying is that I highly doubt I'll notice a difference between a 6.5-06, a 6-06, 25-06 etc for the stated purpose of this particular rifle, and I can guarantee that the other folks who shoot it won't notice a difference, except maybe in recoil. I'm not implying in any way that a 25-06 or 270 is better than the others at any range, except in the aspect that factory ammo is available, even if not satisfactory to my standards, if I had to, I could buy ammo. I'm trying to fill a caliber void in my collection, and at the same time gain a nice hunting rifle that anybody can use.

Maybe I asked this question on the wrong site, or at least the wrong forum, and maybe I didn't phrase it correctly. Let me try again:

What chamber do you recommend in .257 or .277 diameter, given a long action .473 bolt face. AI and other moderate wildcats included, but trying to take full advantage of the action length while sticking to a 25 or 27 caliber as those are what's needed to fill voids in my collection.

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[txfireguy2003]

I get it, different strokes for different folks I guess. I use every rifle in my collection, some more than others and for different purposes, but they all get shot. I've got home defense rifles, SBRs, kid guns, trainers, long range target rifles, medium range hunting rifles, run and gun rifles, cheap truck guns, you name it. I don't get into the big boomers though, so nothing bigger than 30 cal. What I don't have is very small caliber Varmint guns, 25 and 27 caliber.

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[txfireguy2003]

Don't be in such a hurry,to make bad decisions. There is nothing endearing nor glamorous,in building something that simply does NOT have a chance.

You are the one asking questions,not me...and now you are trying to give "answers". That was a rather rapid transformation.

Hint.

Slow your roll,take notes and apply same.

Re-hint.

And you were the one who apparently didn't read the original post, which specifically stated I was looking for a 25 or 27 caliber chambering. HINT

If I wanted a (another) 6, 6.5 or 7mm rifle, I'd have said so. I appreciate your knowledge, experience input, but as it's not relevant to my question, you can take it elsewhere. What is endearing to me is not something you can define based upon your personal likes. HINT

And something that "does not have a chance"? A chance at what? Killing a deer at 250 yards? Okay, whatever...... I'd point out that few if any of the chambers you mentioned are, or ever were, commercially available, while both 25-06 and 270 are quite popular killing rounds, maybe even one of the top 5 most popular in the case of 270, so I'd say someone has other opinions regarding their chances or suitability as hunting rounds. HINT

Drop and drift will be very similar with virtually any bore diameter in this case capacity and within my defined parameters of 250-300 yards.... they just ain't gonna lose that much velocity in that distance. At those ranges, BC is negligible, and quite frankly, at any distance, it's only one part of the equation, albeit a large part for long range. One must also take into account bullet construction for hunting vs targets. HINT

I know I'm giving up a bit of BC for the desired bore diameter, I'm fine with that, we often give up BC to get a bonded bullet for hunting, so step off your high horse. I'm not stupid, nor have I given any answers to my own questions, and neither have you. HINT

Hell, at 250 yards, off hand shots with a 110gr, 308 caliber projectile, launched slightly above 2000fps (haven't chrono'ed it, so not sure exact velocity) out of my wife's 300 blackout are simple. Go figure the BC on that short fat little bullet, I bet it's in the .2's G1, and yet, inside 250 yards, hits are easy. HINT

If you want your suggestions to be taken seriously, maybe try reading the original question and making suggestions that answer the question asked instead of trying to answer something else. HINT

I've read your posts on other threads and you have good information and I'm not disagreeing with anything you've said, just that you've not answered my questions. That and your delivery, while endearing to some, makes you sound like a pompous ass. HINT

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[txfireguy2003]

And he's the first to find my ignore list.

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