Help me choose a cartridge

[Evan]

Absolutely NOT interested in 6.5 Creedmoor.

What do you suggest?

So you're not in the Secret club yet? Pirate can send you a talisman, if you'd like. http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/secret-creedmore-club.3956460/

How about a 20 Vartarg? I've got one being built now. You can't hardly find a bad thing said about them anywhere.

 

[jonbearman]

I would stick to the 6BR because there isn't anything special to get into it other than lapua or new norma brass and a standard boltface for .308 is ok. So if she would only do club matches you could bet a cheaper benchrest stock made out of anything to save that way too. The timney would be fine for clubbing too. I have 3 0r 4 BR's and the accuracy is outstanding so stick to making it easy and a scope like a used Leupold 36X would be righteous or even a weaver would be fine as well. Your current stock could be used but not legal for regular matches and too heavy so a used McMillan std benchrest stock which can be had pretty cheap would work great. Making a repeater out of it proposes somewhat of a problem, it can be done but is it worth it for bench shooting, I say no and again don't even know if that is legal in real matches. Use the KISS method and you cant go wrong.

 

[klmshooterk]

I know I love some "different" unusual calibers just for the sake of being different but that's because elk hunting is easy for me to do. So... at the risk of sounding SO "vanilla" I would suggest a non-assuming 30-06. Not very glamorous or exciting, but if this is a special hunt, you want something that will work. A 30-06 is hard to beat, that's why it's not exciting. Everybody has one. Because they work.

Find a Savage, or Remington, or Winchester 70 bolt action you like. Or even better a Ruger 77 or Browning with a Boss. Whatever fits your fancy with a 30-06 calibration and it will work good. Then buy a decent scope. It doesn't have to be fancy at all. Somewhere in the $200-300 range will be fine. I prefer the Nikon Buckmaster series, but that's me. I have had good luck with Weaver scopes and even cheap ones too, but that's me. Don't get carried away with the magnification on it. I think 2 x 7 is perfect, but the 3 x 9 is more common. Lots of them do the job.

Find some ammo that shoots good in your rifle with about 180 gr. That is perfect for elk. Make enough time to shoot it a lot. A whole lot so you're confident with it.

Best of all though...

 

[GSPV]

If you really want her to shoot short range benchrest with it, I’d buy her a used 6 PPC. They are always available.

If it’s intended to be more of a fun gun, the 6 BR is hard to beat. It’s stupid easy to load for. The main decision is slow twist / short freebore vs fast twist / long freebore.

 

[muleman69]

6BR,she will thank you forever