***Long Action and .473 bolt face!!! What would you go with???

[jcvibby]

Hello Gentlemen and ladies if there are some!!

I need some more of your advise.

If you were to build a gun from a long action with a standard bolt face .473, what caliber would you go with???

Purpose of the gun would be this-

Tac Comp gun
Long range weapon for banging steel
Long range hunting
Paper punching

All you advice and expert opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

 

[ChrisNZ]

"Long range hunting "??
- as in 400? 800? 1200yds?
- Whitetails? Elk?
Has a big influence on the chambering you might choose.

A .280 or .280AI is possibly a flexible choice

Chris-NZ

 

[placek59]

+1 to the 280's
maybe look at the 6.5 swede too. If I were in your shoes and looking to do a similar build and only hunting whitetail sized game, those would probably be my top 3 choices.

 

[Steve Blair]

.284 Winchester.

 

[WYcoyote]

6.5-.284 Norma

 

[jcvibby]

Forgot to add I already have a 284.

Long range hunting for me would be 500-600 yards.

Banging steel at 1200 plus.

Shooting paper at 1000

Hunting would probably include deer and yotes.

I have a great hunting rifle so I am not too concerned on that part of it. Just wanted to include it in there as I want something that thumps.

 

[eddief]

30-06 just because it still can keep up!

 

[TonyR]

+1 on the 280AI or a 7X64 Brenneke if you want to be the only one on your block to have one.

 

[jr600yd]

6.5/06 It will do it all

 

[Gary in MD]

The 30-06 doesn't sound as fancy, but with the right loads, it will be as good as some and better than most with that bolt face. Hunting or target shooting......
Gary

 

[Minesweeper3433]

Dont forget to look at prices of reloading components! 6.5 swede is still much cheaper than any of the 308 offerings for brass from lapua.

 

[Larryh128]

+1 on a 280AI or build 2

 

[flatlander]

I'd vote for a 6.5x55 AI. I've been very pleased with a std. 6.5x55 in a 30" Palma bbl. on a Nesika K prone rifle, except for the need to trim cases regularly - due mostly to the body taper of the Swede. The AI takes care of that, gives a bit more velocity, and shoots every bit as accurately as the std. Swede. A long action would be perfect for the 6.5x55, and the cartridge is an excellent one for 1000yd. shooting with any of the 139-142gr. target bullets.

I've got a couple of 284s myself, and since you've already got one, I doubt you'd be any happier with a 280AI than you are with your 284.

 

[oldroper]

I like the 7mm so had 280AI and 284 build and I got two nice rifles but I also own others like the 30-338mag the 338mag case necked down to 30 cal. All three I use for deer/elk tag.

If I was looking to bang steel at 1200yds and not really worry about hunting I'd do the 338 Edge.

 

[tazzman]

.30-06 AI in a 28-30 inch barrel. Matches bolt face and gets near 300 win mag velocity.

Cheers,

Phil aka tazzman

 

[jbarnwell]

280 AI or 6.5/06 AI, you would be happy with both.

Jarvis

 

[glo]

I can't pass this one up. Here is what I would build for your criteria of Hunting, Paper and Steel:

Action: Borden; Timberline w/pinned recoil lug.

Cartridge: .284 Winchester.

Reamer: PT&G; call Dave Kiff for dimensions. You will need an extra long throat.

Bullet: 7mm, 180gr Berger VLD #28502; the seating depth will be .363” with a C.O.A.L. Of 3.34”.

Barrel: PacNor; Stainless Steel, Super Match Grade, Light Palma couture (finishes 30”), with a 3 Groove 1:8 twist.

Powder: H4831; estimated muzzle velocity 2750fps; for Hunting at 600yds, 2061fps impact velocity, 1698ft-lbf and IPF492; for Paper at 1000yds, 1660fps: for Steel above 1200yds, 1127fps/speed of sound @ 1660yds or just 120 yards short of a mile.

Recoil:10lbs rig; 14ft-lbf and RIF23 (equivalent to a .308).

P.S. Many years back I had Clymer grind me a long throated .30-'06 reamer to hand the 220gr Sierra MK bullets. I believe Dave Manson of http://www.mansonreamers.com/ was the shop foreman at that time. By the by, Dave Manson is as good a reamer maker as any. He can grind anything.

Anyway, I got a magnum length bottom metal for my R700 LA action chambered in .30-'06 Springfield. No other changes were made and I went from a 3.34” to a 3.66” C.O.A.L..

 

[Laurie]

with a 1,200yd requirement, a 7mm would be my first choice - but then, you already have a 284.

The question is whether .280AI or .284 Shehane would give you that much extra performance. They'd certainly have the advanatage of sharing bullets and some components with your existing rifle depending on which you went for.

.30-06 / .30-06AI throated for the new 230gn Berger Hybrid would do a good job too, but that throating might restrict you if you want to use lighter bullets effectively in your tactical shooting etc. The recoil is going to be a lot stiffer than with the sevens and that could be an issue in some jobs too.

Is brass loss an issue in the tactical role? AI versions and Shehane look less attractive if that's the case. What sort of annual round count would you have through it, and is barrel life an issue? If the count is high and barrel life therefore matters, 6.5-06, 6.5-284 and 6.5X55AI become less attractive options.

 

[glo]

Don't sacrifice case capacity because the rest of us are brain washed to think a .308 length cartridge belongs in an SA action and an '06 length cartridge belongs in an LA action.

Be bold!!! Buck the common trends. Stick a SA length cartridge in an LA action. 8)

 

[Steve Blair]

Cartridge: .284 Winchester.
Reamer: PT&G; call Dave Kiff for dimensions. You will need an extra long throat.
Bullet: 7mm, 180gr Berger VLD #28502; the seating depth will be .363” with a C.O.A.L. Of 3.34”.

That OAL would only give you about .135 shank in the neck. A .220 freebore, like my PT&G .284 Win and Shehane reamers, provides an OAL of 3.220 when a 180 VLD is just touching. At that length, there is .255 shank engagement. It is also a good freebore length for the 180 Hybrid.