Calibers to fill in a mid-range gap

[muleystalker]

Thanks for the info fredo, thats what I was looking for.

Hey swd, I hope your taking notes because think thats what you are going to be spinning up in that Kreiger Lt Palma for me pretty quick,lol
;D

 

[swd]

Fred and I have had a lot of conversations lately

 

[muleystalker]

Fred and I have had a lot of conversations lately

Ok , I gotcha. Lol

 

[JarheadAZ]

I have had some years to consider and implement the same decisions you have in mind.

My chosen calibers are .223 Rem, .260 Rem, .30-'06, and .280 Rem for beynd 1000yd.

The .223 can be effective (with more precise shot placement) for whitetail and coyote, I suggest handloading the Sierra 65gr Game King for peak accuracy, and employing a BDC scope and a Laser Range Finder, as I do. Using a Hornady 50gr V-Max and 26gr of Varget, the caliber becomes a lethal varmint chambering. Both of these bullets can be loaded to magazine length, and I have a very accurate 24" HB (Stag 6) AR upper that likes them.

I replaced my .308 with the .260 for 1000yd F Open. With the 140gr A-Max, it's an effective 1000yd match rifle. With the 140gr Nosler Partition, it's quite effective on deer, at least out to 600yd. With the Hornady 95gr V-Max it's absolute poison for varmints and coyotes well out beyond 223 effective range.

I would consider the .30-'06 to be a most versatile chambering, and I find I can do just about anything Id like to without using bullets heavier than 168gr.

IMHO, the 280 Rem is even more versatile. anything you can do with the .30-'06, you can do flatter and longer with the .280.

Finally, for brush hunting and whitetails I have a Win '94 Trapper Carbine in .44Mag with a Dot scope; very portable and effective within shorter sight distances.

In a pinch, country hardware stores around me can provide serviceable ammo far all these chamberings, although the .280 could take a bit longer to find. I reload all these chamberings, although the .223 Fed Fusion and Win Power Maxx loads are well worth considering as a first line ammo. In a pinch my commercial preference is fpr Hornady American Whitetail loads.

Greg Langelius

 

[Brians356]

I would consider the .30-'06 to be a most versatile chambering, ...

My dad always said that about the 30-06. Versatile and efficient. And he had a chance to demonstrate his conviction:

In fall of 1964 dad won a new rifle in an airshow raffle in Lewiston, ID, home of Speer and CCI, and where Jack O'Connor lived (and where I was born and raised). He was on volunteer fire duty, and I recall us both standing in the shade of the firetruck as his name was called out over the PA. I was 9 years old, and it seemed like a dream.

When dad arrived at storied Lolo Sporting Goods on Main Street, where O'Connor often traded, to pick up his prize, they handed my dad a pretty new Model 70 - in 270 Winchester. Dad wrinkled his nose and said:

"Thanks, but would you happen to have one in 30-06?"

"Well, yes we do, but it's last year's [1963] model, a Featherweight."

"Yep, I'll take that one."

 

[jbhotrod]

Id go for a Bartlein/Hawk Hill/Krieger/Brux/Mullerworks/Obermeyer 1:8" twist 24-26" length barrel in (Medium Palma/Rem Varmint/Sendero contours) on the low end up to M24/M40/Light Varmint on the high end(just my opinion on the range of contours you should be looking at) in a .22 BR for launching 75gr AMAX(and lighter bullets)

Along with a cut rifled barrel from one a the manufacturers I listed above in a:
26-28" 1:8" 6mm Dasher((Light & MedPalma/RVC/Tubb 2K contours) up to (Heavy-Palma contour is the heaviest I'd go for this setup to keep it from getting too heavy)) set up for 87gr V-Max and 95-105gr Bergers along with say ~90gr Game Kings or whichever welterweight/middleweight Hunting bullets suitable for deer(and whatever other medium/large game youre going for) THAT GIVE YOU THE MOST ACCURATE load.

 

[SierraCJ5]

I would consider the .30-'06 to be a most versatile chambering, ...

My dad always said that about the 30-06. Versatile and efficient. And he had a chance to demonstrate his conviction:

In fall of 1964 dad won a new rifle in an airshow raffle in Lewiston, ID, home of Speer and CCI, and where Jack O'Connor lived (and where I was born and raised). He was on volunteer fire duty, and I recall us both standing in the shade of the firetruck as his name was called out over the PA. I was 9 years old, and it seemed like a dream.

When dad arrived at storied Lolo Sporting Goods on Main Street, where O'Connor often traded, to pick up his prize, they handed my dad a pretty new Model 70 - in 270 Winchester. Dad wrinkled his nose and said:

"Thanks, but would you happen to have one in 30-06?"

"Well, yes we do, but it's last year's [1963] model, a Featherweight."

"Yep, I'll take that one."

Great story, and I sure hope you still own that pre 64 model 70!

 

[Brians356]

I would consider the .30-'06 to be a most versatile chambering, ...

My dad always said that about the 30-06. Versatile and efficient. And he had a chance to demonstrate his conviction:

In fall of 1964 dad won a new rifle in an airshow raffle in Lewiston, ID, home of Speer and CCI, and where Jack O'Connor lived (and where I was born and raised). He was on volunteer fire duty, and I recall us both standing in the shade of the firetruck as his name was called out over the PA. I was 9 years old, and it seemed like a dream.

When dad arrived at storied Lolo Sporting Goods on Main Street, where O'Connor often traded, to pick up his prize, they handed my dad a pretty new Model 70 - in 270 Winchester. Dad wrinkled his nose and said:

"Thanks, but would you happen to have one in 30-06?"

"Well, yes we do, but it's last year's [1963] model, a Featherweight."

"Yep, I'll take that one."

Great story, and I sure hope you still own that pre 64 model 70!

Well, Dad still possesses it, but he's 90 now, and can't shoot it. I had it for a while decades ago, and mounted 4x Burris a scope on it for him, but by that time his hunting days were over. It has no recoil pad, and it's a bugger to shoot off the bench. It developed a crack though the wrist area, and a chap at Lolo doweled and glued it. It was only ever used once in anger, on Thanksgiving day 1967 it harvested a whitetail doe near Winchester, Idaho. How's that for poetry? There's more to that particular hunt story, but I digress ...

It still had open sights, and Dad made the shot from about 80 yards. It'll be mine in a few years, but I have a nephew who has expressed an interest in it, and as he's the only one of my nephews who is a shooter, I think he'll finish up with it, sooner than later.

 

[JarheadAZ]

I was first acquainted with the .30-'06 as a Marine Recruit in early 1966. We had done boot camp with the M-14, but ITR (Infantry Training) was about squad tactics and used a bunch of very much used Garands. I recently read somewhere that ITR was still fielding Garands (really?).

I now own two bolt guns in the chambering (Axis II, and a push-feed Win 70), as well as a beautiful DCM pre-war Garand (September 1941, 5-digit serial).

I must be lucky, because they all shoot pretty near where they get aimed. The Garand is bedded, refinished, has improved sights, and a butt pad extension to accommodate my 6' 5 1/2" frame. The Win 70 did well in Sniper Comp in the late '90's, and won the local club deer rifle match a month ago. The Axis II is brand new and still needs its sighting-in.

Seems that between my two Older Brothers and me, there have always been '06's in the household for at least the past 50 years. These days I'm picking up from my oldest Brother on the .280, as well.

Greg

 

[1shot]

I started shooting LR with a Rem. 700 in 6XC/sorry Robert, 6SLR. For a perfect compromise I don't think a G,hog would have ever known the difference. I'm working on a 243 AI right now and without any tuning I'm getting 1/2"MOA. I'm not at the shop to give you hard data, but I've seen what an 87gr. A-max does to a G'hog at around 225 yards. (I put an 8 twist bbl for Mid-Range Prone shooting 105 JLK's and they say an 87 won't shoot because the twist is to fast. Go ask that hog I shot if it wouldn't shoot after you chase the buzzards away. The buzzards never got into a fight like they always do to get the big piece, that's because he looked like someone put some Tannerite down his throat before it got shot. I believe that the 243AI is about the middle of the road that you can get. That being said I was making brass back in those days for the 6SX. Now that you don't have to turn necks and blow out shoulders using W-W brass, in my opinion it;s nearly a toss up. Either way, you'll have fun.
Lloyd

 

[Webster]

You only need two rifles a 6BR and your 308 for bigger critters. A 6BR will do everything and more than a 17 or 20 cal.