Hello all, some of the threads i have seen have got me thinking about a new rifle build, just not sure what caliber to go with that best suits the purpose. I have an affinity for the Model 70, and would like to stay with calibers that have been manufactured by Winchester (RIP...) over the years or have a case head diameter that is compatible with a Winchester produced bolt-basically, i am looking at a round to be used for long range target shooting and hunting of medium game, perhaps pronghorn or sheep-ive narrowed my selection to 25-06, 7mm Rem mag, 7mm-08, or 270 Win (Havent ruled out 270 Weatherby)

Barrel length, i plan to run at least 24, perhaps 26 inches (A good super grade fills the bill nicely there, especially in the 270 and 7mm mag, as Win already made them, and they are pretty good barrels to boot)

Which of the calibers i mentioned would perform best, given the randomness of hunting, variables in weather, etc,? All have a pretty solid reputation for long range accuracy (I know, get one of each!) I would like to avoid 30 cal rounds, as that will make me say "forget it" and stick with my 30-06 (need an excuse to build a new rifle here hehe) If there are any calibers i did not mention, that would be relatively easy to load for, im all for suggestions there as well.

Any advice would be appreciated, Azure

Just being limited to those you've listed, I'd have to go with the 7 RM.

Otherwise, would give consideration to the .264 WM.

Based on your comments I agree with kdub and think the 7Rem Mag is the best choice. The 270 would be fine but the 280 Rem would be better.

Frank

If sticking with those rounds chambered by Winchester, I'd vote for 25-06 for what you say you want to hunt. 7mm RM would be a good choice, although I'd only choose it if you can make use of the extra 50 yards or so of range "advantage" over the 30-06. If you are not ruling out the 270 Wby Mag, then consider the 257 Wby Mag!

If you're looking for flat trajectory take a look at the stats for the 270 wsm. Pretty impressive. The right bullet weight for the the type of hunting you're doing as well.

Hi Azure,

"I have an affinity for the Model 70, and would like to stay with calibers that have been manufactured by Winchester"

"i am looking at a round to be used for long range target shooting and hunting of medium game"

"If there are any calibers i did not mention, that would be relatively easy to load for, im all for suggestions there as well."


I would suggest what kdub did and recommend the 264 Winchester Magnum.
This is a cartridge that was brought out by Winchester.
The .264" or 6.5mm bullets have very high Ballistic Coefficients for the long range target shooting you want to do. There are alot of 1000 yard bench rest guns built to use this size bullet.
I would also recommend a 26" barrel for this fine cartridge.

Good Shooting!
Slufoot

How serious are you about the long range target shooting? That's a different kettle of fish than hunting, for sure.

Recoil isn't your friend at the shooting bench. Most of the really good target rounds are made up on the .308 Win case, or the .284 Win, FYI.... often with special twist barrels to handle specific bullets.

I think I would go with a standard .25-06 or .270, myself.

I think 264 win mag would be a sweet gun to have, personally

I've got back Kuntao on this. The 270wsm posts some fabulous numbers. Take a look sometime. Just my 2 cents.

Hello all, some of the threads i have seen have got me thinking about a new rifle build, just not sure what caliber to go with that best suits the purpose. I have an affinity for the Model 70, and would like to stay with calibers that have been manufactured by Winchester (RIP...) over the years or have a case head diameter that is compatible with a Winchester produced bolt-basically, i am looking at a round to be used for long range target shooting and hunting of medium game, perhaps pronghorn or sheep-ive narrowed my selection to 25-06, 7mm Rem mag, 7mm-08, or 270 Win (Havent ruled out 270 Weatherby)

Barrel length, i plan to run at least 24, perhaps 26 inches (A good super grade fills the bill nicely there, especially in the 270 and 7mm mag, as Win already made them, and they are pretty good barrels to boot)

Which of the calibers i mentioned would perform best, given the randomness of hunting, variables in weather, etc,? All have a pretty solid reputation for long range accuracy (I know, get one of each!) I would like to avoid 30 cal rounds, as that will make me say "forget it" and stick with my 30-06 (need an excuse to build a new rifle here hehe) If there are any calibers i did not mention, that would be relatively easy to load for, im all for suggestions there as well.

Any advice would be appreciated, Azure
wHAT ABOUT A .243 OR 6MM? tHESE CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT AND THEN SOME. a 243 OR 6MM IS JUST A HOT SHOT OF THE 7MM-08.

Please use lower case when responding to other posts.

I have a 7mm RM and a .25-06 and the .25-06 is 10x more enjoyable to shoot. (Due mostly to recoil levels)

If you're wanting to buy just one rifle to handle all your listed needs, a 7mm RM is king of those you listed though.

Sorry K-dub, My mistake, looked good though.Q-harley.

Sorry K-dub, My mistake, looked good though.Q-harley.


Sometimes think that "flat shooting" is getting to be an obsession.

Must look at it oddly; I just can't get excited about small differences. Figure a 5 inch group at an honest, measured 500yards (and that would take a mighty good rifle and shooter to achieve).

Now given that your bullet can land 2 1/2" high or 2 1/2" low, then a trajectory "advantage" of 2 1/2" really doesn't mean all that much.

Now most people can't shoot 5" groups at 500yards...more like 12"...so unless the trajectory of one round is outrageoulsy better than the other, there isn't a whole lot of advantge.

That's just one warped point of view.


BTW: considering the game you intend to shoot, a .270, .280, or 25-06 would do the trick just fine

I shot a .270 Wby Mag for many years. With it, I killed deer, elk, pronghorn, boar and a couple of very unlucky coyotes who thought they were safe at a quarter-mile away... :p

Anyway, I can't really imagine a better long range rifle than one chambered for the .270 Wby Mag. However, ammo is ridiculously expensive and shooting out your barrel is a very realistic proposition if you practice very much at all.

I would, as has been suggested, take a good, hard look at the .270 WSM if ammo costs aren't an issue. It also functions well with a 24" barrel.

If ammo costs are a concern, a good ol' .25-'06, or .270 Win would be hard to beat.

I really think that a .260 Rem or a 7mm-08 Rem are very logical choices, here, as well. They aren't far behind the others at all. And with practice, they're capable of taking the size game your thinking about at awfully long ranges.

For what you're looking for, I think the best choices are:

A 6.5 mm such as the 264 Win Mag or 260 Rem (the 6.5's have some great BC's).

25-06

270 Win or WSM, the 140 grn Nosler Accubond has a BC of 0.496 and the 150 grn Hornady SST has one of 0.525.

280 Rem

7mm Rem Mag

If you want to shoot a lot, I'd lean towards some with the lighter recoil.

I am real happy with my 7mm WSM as a long range upgrade to my .30-06s. With the lighter bullets, it will do anything the .270 WSM will do. Plus it gives you the benefit of 160 and 175 grain offerings for Elk. Recoil is very light in my Model 70 classic laminate.

Well thank you all very much for the responses, seems that the 25-06, 264 win, and the short mags got lots of nods, as did the Weatherby magnums and 7mm RM.

I plan to use one of my model 70 recievers for this build, and unless i come across a super grade at A) an awfully attractive price or B) one that has been damaged, yet the barrel remains useable, i will be getting a barrel made for this rifle, i do plan to use a 26" barrel for this build, maybe someone can recommend a barrelmaker?

Ammo costs are a secondary concern, the reason i will likely avoid the short mags, as well as the various cartridges based on the 308 case (i do want a featherweight in 7mm-08 for hunting in PA) is that i already posess a magnum length action, and have an old 30-06 that could be used as a donor if needed. I dont have a short action atm, tho if i see any for sale i do intend to buy them (price considered of course)

As far as long range "target" shooting, i do not plan to shoot in any sort of competition, but would like to be able to make nice little patterns at my 300 yard range at our local club, as well as use this rifle for coyotes and chucks in the summer.

Seems any of the calibers i am considering (and am now considering the 264 win) should do nicely-may avoid the Weatherbys as i have heard they are hard on barrels, how is 7mm or 264 for barrel life? Thanks, Azure

A couple of choices not mentioned are the .284 Win and the 6.5 x .284 Norma. The 6.5 version of the cartridge is awesome at long range, and should be perfect for your applications.

They don't kick much, either.

maybe someone can recommend a barrelmaker? Azure

If price is not a concern, Krieger Barrels (http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/)is as good as it gets now for cut rifled barrels. He is located in WI and provides unchambered barrels or short chambered barrels.

Frank

Wow! Thanks for the link, those prices look quite fair to me for high quality barrels. Plan on calling them tuesday, methinks!

Throat erosion is an issue with the .264. Same for the .257 Weatherby. There are no free lunches with hyper velocity rounds. I've not run enough rounds through my 7 WSM to see it become an issue. For 300yd target shooting and coyte hunting, you may not need a magnum at all. A 25-06 or good ole .270 would be fine. If your building, a .280 Ackely improved would be my choice. Good luck!

Douglas, Lilja and Hart are all good barrels, Shilen makes a good tube too

Of your choices, I'd go with 7RM. That being said, I'm a glutton for punishment, so decided to build a 6.5-06 Ackley to chase distance & ballistics.

I agree with others about 264 WM. There's at least 20 of us in the Continental US who think they're pretty cool. ;)

I agree completely with ribbonstone: the whole thing is silly. The differences in drop among all those cartridges is less than the thickness of the reticle at ANY range.

Unless you can hold to less than a reticle width, and your rifle can shoot to less than a reticle width, the choice is moot. Paper ballistics are fine - if you only shoot paper animals.

Feel a little stronger about wind and bullet drift...can spend the $ for a range finder, but so far, ther isn't any wind-finder.

But even there, if the differnce isn't large, it will pass unnoticed.

We aren't dealing with single points, are dealing with circles that are of the group size that rifle and shooter produces. IF at the range we're looking up in ballistic charts the group is 5", then think in terms of a 5" circle. Differences in trajectory between two cartridges are like over lapping circles.

(Hay...don't blame me...grew up when they taught set-theory in math class and made us draw out those Venn diagrams.)

Hello all, some of the threads i have seen have got me thinking about a new rifle build, just not sure what caliber to go with that best suits the purpose. I have an affinity for the Model 70, and would like to stay with calibers that have been manufactured by Winchester (RIP...) over the years or have a case head diameter that is compatible with a Winchester produced bolt-basically, i am looking at a round to be used for long range target shooting and hunting of medium game, perhaps pronghorn or sheep-ive narrowed my selection to 25-06, 7mm Rem mag, 7mm-08, or 270 Win (Havent ruled out 270 Weatherby)

Barrel length, i plan to run at least 24, perhaps 26 inches (A good super grade fills the bill nicely there, especially in the 270 and 7mm mag, as Win already made them, and they are pretty good barrels to boot)

Which of the calibers i mentioned would perform best, given the randomness of hunting, variables in weather, etc,? All have a pretty solid reputation for long range accuracy (I know, get one of each!) I would like to avoid 30 cal rounds, as that will make me say "forget it" and stick with my 30-06 (need an excuse to build a new rifle here hehe) If there are any calibers i did not mention, that would be relatively easy to load for, im all for suggestions there as well.

Any advice would be appreciated, Azure
Given your parameters, For overall long range target as well as hunting application, I'd give the choice to the 270 Winchester.
That long case is smooth as silk to chamber and eject in the model 70 and the accuracy is excellent. I have a Remington 700 and a Sako in that caliber. Both are sub-moa and the Sako will just about makes three rounds touch at 100 yards.
With the 130 grain SST's, it is a burner at long range.

Having said that, I am the new owner of 6.5/284, which would also feed well in the Model 70. So says my Smith-

The written word on the 6.5 bullet says it all. Just google the caliber and see for yourself. It has made its bones on long range shooting, and if you put a 26" barrel on it, you're right where you want to be with your parameters.

My 6.5 rifle has been shot only five times at the range, and the 120 grain Noslers are the only bullet I have used. But I've loaded up some 129 SST's and am waiting for good weather to go to the range. The accuracy with the Shilen barrel on it is supurb.

Good Luck!

Quote

“Flattest shooting cartridge”

“Hello all, some of the threads i have seen have got me thinking about a new rifle build, just not sure what caliber to go with that best suits the purpose. I have an affinity for the Model 70, and would like to stay with calibers that have been manufactured by Winchester (RIP...) over the years or have a case head diameter that is compatible with a Winchester produced bolt-basically, i am looking at a round to be used for long range target shooting and hunting of medium game, perhaps pronghorn or sheep-ive narrowed my selection to 25-06, 7mm Rem mag, 7mm-08, or 270 Win (Havent ruled out 270 Weatherby)

Barrel length, i plan to run at least 24, perhaps 26 inches (A good super grade fills the bill nicely there, especially in the 270 and 7mm mag, as Win already made them, and they are pretty good barrels to boot)

Which of the calibers i mentioned would perform best, given the randomness of hunting, variables in weather, etc,? All have a pretty solid reputation for long range accuracy (I know, get one of each!) I would like to avoid 30 cal rounds, as that will make me say "forget it" and stick with my 30-06 (need an excuse to build a new rifle here hehe) If there are any calibers i did not mention, that would be relatively easy to load for, im all for suggestions there as well.

Any advice would be appreciated, Azure”

Then you go on to say “As far as long range "target" shooting, i do not plan to shoot in any sort of competition, but would like to be able to make nice little patterns at my 300 yard range at our local club, as well as use this rifle for coyotes and chucks in the summer.” Quote


Got to say you leave me a little confused. You ask essentially about "the flattest shooting cartridges" then talk about 30-06's 7mm-08's. 300 yards is not long range shooting.

When you start talking about guns that are meant to shoot 600 to a thousand yards your getting into long range shooting. Any modern centerfire shooting the cartridges you initially mentioned will work to 500 yards. In fact the 308 Winchester provide excellent accuracy to those distances.

Flat shooting cartridges such as the 300 Win mag and the 6.5-284 have established some impressive thousand yard records. I'd sure be looking at cartridges being used for that type of long range shooting for guidelines.

If you've got a long action (one that will take cartridges as long as the 375 H&H) think about the Remington 7mm STW. This is an exceptional long range cartridge, the 7mm Ultra-mag doesn't gain much on it.

As far as I'm concerned the Rem 300 Ultra-mag is probably the flattest shooting long range cartridge on the market. It's hard to beat 3380 fps with a 180 grain boattail bullet. No comparison to the initial cartridges you mentioned. My second choice would be the 300 Win mag. Got to say I'm a magnum fan so this is definitely a biased view.

Given your restraints in wanting a cartridge Winchester introduced under 30 caliber your left with a fairly short list for a medium length (30-06/300 Win Mag) action. The 264 Win mag, and the 270 are about all that is left.

.270 gets my vote

I really like the .270win but could think of a few others that would be good rifles to have in the future :)

Have always wanted a 25-06....now that's a flat shooter off the '06 family of cartridges. Someday I'll have them all LOL!

The flattest shooting round (far as I know) is the 7mm Rem Ultra Mag.

But of the ones you have listed, and for what you are doing, a 7 Mag or a 7 WSM (unlisted) would be just fine.

Although I would agree the 300rum maybe the flattest shooter of the bunch I think anyone whose shot one would also agree that it has bone jarring recoil. When comparing it's ballistics with a 270wsm there is a 1 inch difference in trajectory at 500 yards.
Personally I'll take a rifle I can shoot comfortably

All of you keep veering off the choices given by the original poster - namely, 25-06, .270 Win, 7RM or Weatherby.

All of you keep veering off the choices given by the original poster - namely, 25-06, .270 Win, 7RM or Weatherby.
[QUOTE]
If there are any calibers i did not mention, that would be relatively easy to load for, im all for suggestions there as well.

Not to be argumentative here but this is the exact quote from the site.
Seeing that 270wsm is loaded by winchester I thought it fitting that that it be chambered in a refurbished model 70 but really, quite frankly, I could care less what he decides.

Hello all, some of the threads i have seen have got me thinking about a new rifle build, just not sure what caliber to go with that best suits the purpose. I have an affinity for the Model 70, and would like to stay with calibers that have been manufactured by Winchester (RIP...) over the years or have a case head diameter that is compatible with a Winchester produced bolt-basically, i am looking at a round to be used for long range target shooting and hunting of medium game, perhaps pronghorn or sheep-ive narrowed my selection to 25-06, 7mm Rem mag, 7mm-08, or 270 Win (Havent ruled out 270 Weatherby)

Barrel length, i plan to run at least 24, perhaps 26 inches (A good super grade fills the bill nicely there, especially in the 270 and 7mm mag, as Win already made them, and they are pretty good barrels to boot)

Which of the calibers i mentioned would perform best, given the randomness of hunting, variables in weather, etc,? All have a pretty solid reputation for long range accuracy (I know, get one of each!) I would like to avoid 30 cal rounds, as that will make me say "forget it" and stick with my 30-06 (need an excuse to build a new rifle here hehe) If there are any calibers i did not mention, that would be relatively easy to load for, im all for suggestions there as well.

Any advice would be appreciated, Azure
Target 500 Zero 250

25-06 36.65 drop, 115 core lock ultra

7RM 30.01 drop, 140 PSP Boat tail

7-08 36.71 drop, 140 Premium Accu Boat Tail

270Win 33.13 drop, 130 Swift Scirocco

No info on 270 Weatherby

I would go with with the .270 Win. You certainly don't require any of the magnums mentioned for the game you're planning on hunting, and needless to say magnums are not particularly popular with target shooters!

Winchester model 70 super grade in 270 Winchester!!!!

It just can't get any better than that!

I have purchased several barrels from Krieger in Wis. and they installed a .475 caliber barrel on my .375 H&H action, doing a very good job mind you. Just food for thought OK.

Now on the calibers for hunting medium size big game at long distances, I will give you my picks in order.

1. .270 WSM with 130 grn bullet for mule deer at 3250fps!

2. 7mm magnum using a 160 grn bullet for elk at 3100fps!

Ammo is easy to find out West or handload your own as I do.

Azure:
Everbody else is giving advice so I supose I might as well.

You have a .30-06 that will fill the bill for most big game that you'll hunt so why not build a varminter that will fill in if you need it to?

The '06 will kill any deer sized critter out to 300 yards if you can do your part, and quite frankly so will all the other cartridges mentioned. So what do you need?

My brother has a .25-06 that works nicely on varmints and deer. A neighbor thinks the .257 Weatherby works best. The 6.5's should probably be a maximum caliber if you want some overlap, yet a cartridge that gives you something you don't get with the '06.

I got caught up in the old .270 and .30- 06 debate years ago and decided through experience that there really isn't a nickles worth of diference between them. Maybe there once was, but new powders and components have shrunk these diferences to be more in our heads than in actual performance in the field. Quite frankly I wish I would have spent the cash on a "heavy" varminter, rather than a rifle with equal ballistics.

Just my thoughts, Have fun deciding, thats the main thing.

Regards,
Gene

If my opinion means anything, I know where you're coming from. My vote is surely for the 25-06 for standard calibers. It will surely reach with any magnum round. And if you need a magnum, The 264 Magnum is the longest reacher for the recoil out ther. The 7mm Rem. doesn't really beat the 30-06 enough to matter. The 270 WSM only beats the Standard 270 by very few fps while burning a fair bit more powder. In some published articles the .270 win. beats the .270 WSM. Usually with 130 grain bullets. And the .300 Win. Mag. which I own and love, kicks too hard for all but killing. My votes are for either 25-06 or .264 Win. Mag.

A warm feeling comes over me when I recall my days as a boy (circa 1961) drooling over the Winchester brochure featuring the new "Mod. 70 Westerner" chambered for the newly developed .264 Win. Mag. cartridge. If I'd been twice the age and my bank account had been a 100 times heftier I could have bought one. The .264 proceeded to get bad-mouthed by the fuddy-duddys that thought it was "over-bore capacity". Turns out they didn't know jack poo of what they spoke. Lately the .264 is known to be a cartridge that was way ahead of its time. Don't use the mod. 70 action unless it is a pre-'64 by the way. Rem 700 actions are very popular starting points with many gunsmiths I hear, and my understanding is 26" is the optimum barrel lenth for the .264.
I think I've just talked myself into my next rifle chambering choice!!
-Ed

The .264 Win Mag is a well-kept secret...
If you'd like to build a Winchester tack driver and pay hommage, this would be a head turner once you have the gun tweaked up.

Remington is now making a stainless Sendero in .264 Win Mag. mine is lightly modified...

I too feel it hard to respond, it is true that the 30-06 and 270 are close to some degree. I have both and prefer the 270, only because if I need a 30 caliber rifle, I use my 300 Winchester magnum.

I think the 25-06 is somewhat a myth as being a longer range round than the 270, just look at ballistic tables using a 117-120 grain bullet in the 25-06 and a 130-140 in a 270, the real advantage the 25-06 has is as a heavy varmint rifle.

If you want something that is faster than the 30-06 by a significant margin, then the 264 Winchester magnum is about as good has it gets. The 7 STW is a larger caliber 264 for all practical purposes and does have an advantage as a long range heavy game rifle, but if you are mainly hunting deer size animals, including sheep and goats, the 264 is hard to beat.

If you are going to use a 24 to 26” barrel, then I think the short action cartridges are only worth having if you mainly want to target shoot. I have a 260 Remington bench rifle and the same caliber in a light mountain rifle. I would rather have a 260 Rem and a 30-06, but that is my purposes.

My advice would be choose between the 270 and the 264 magnum.

hey all, i read the majority of the answer on this forum,

there was alot i would be in total agreement with so far on this q/a. although, as usuall i need to put my 2 cents worth in. as for a loyal following in manufacters calibers, some folks following winchester/remington ect. this to me is admirable. although i tend to stick to the numbers. men for decades have argued the most optimium performance for the best reach and touch some one cartidges. (or long distance caliber choices)..... i personally have cut the playing field into a couple of arenas.... first hunting cartidges have to put in distance by the average abilities of the average man. small bore the hot .22s that most men have to choose from for varmints everything from crows to coyotes, prarie dogs, ground hogs, maybe the occasional wolverine , or badger. these animals are preferably small so the hot .22s serve extremely well ... as for the distance of the choices most of these small hot rounds are good to about 400 yrds max some farther all with outside variables interacted. as for the larger .25 and up is i would say 500+ and farther the larger you go. but thing you must understand is the average man/shooter abilities are less than thses figures no offense to anyone out there... you need to understand that for the any one given person out there whoes even come close to dabbling in serious long distance shooting, knowes that you need to have decent equipment. On top of that you need to have ample time logged in on shooting more than just status quo. as for larger animals on this continant other than elk an the occasional brown bear. most animals are between 150-350 lbs.. This gives ample oppurtunity to choose over several calibers from .25 and up all depending on what your personal preference with in reason.. now as for my personal idea of the three most optimal perfomance rounds for distance/witch
are proven three in my opinion. for all targets 400 yrds and less i find that turn the .223( i realize i will get alot of flak from this comment for more than a few reason but i find the round to have proven itself in the field for me time and time again) .... for targets 400-600 yrds i turn to 25'06 (my personal favorite) or (for those people who have preference .270.. )please understand that 600yrds is max distance in most case senario for the .25 cal and the .270) 600 yrds+ the conversation then becomes very simple. .30 cal(.308 my personal favorite) and up this now has shaped itself to a couple of different things here. bullet weight/ caliber /configuration ..... first as we al should know lighter grain bullets fly extremely flat. but they lack the weight necesary to sustain themselves for longer distances. not to mention in the real world then conditions most of us shoot in adverse conditions. which means it only proves newton laws of physics ... adverse conditions will affect object in motion 100 times out of 100 times... so understanding that means that (weight/ over distance = stability) it decrease a flater trajectory .. so we trade one for the other.. but it gets us from point A- to point B with the desired result... again though i would like to stress the fact that true long distance shooting takes excellent equipment, as much in the field cituational shooting as possible which usually invovles either a set area where long distance targets can be placed . or what i tend to find people who are able to varmint hunt alot such as prairie dog shooting or ground hogs , coyotes, these targets allow for alot of shooting typicaly and very true life cituational shots to take place. i personaly would add that everyone has there own way of going about things.. i ma just throwing out some of things i do .. i tend to log as amny shots as i can including everydetail i can .. i try to write how much sleep i had/ how tired i was or alert that time i was shooting.. what the weather was humidity/how cold. whether or not i was hungry other things on my mind. how well i was able to put things out of my mind to focus on the targets at hand. other distractions ambient noises.. anything that would be less than ideal setting... anything that would be considered to be a obstacle to over come.......... this is what i found worked for me .... i also logged landscape. hills grades obviuosly distances weather fronts ect...... continueses shooting following some sort of system that gives you some sort of guideline to adhere to.... so to conclude this long winded message i hope you all found some thing worth while from my rambling and thought process.. please let me know what you think if you think of something i forgot to add please feel free to reply and add on to my ramblings. also i really could of added alot more to this message but didn't for time reasons... so anyway good luck and good shooting!!! Karl J a.k.a. Joekid25

Heyya Monty-

What model is your Harris bipod...I wanted the short-stubby, but ended up w/ the model w/ 6 inches legs that extend to 11 inches.

that's the Harris model S-BRM 6"to9".

monty

I dunno, I've liked what I've seen out of the 6.5x55 sweede or the 260 remington. Maybe if you wanted to handload you could do a 6.5 x '06. The 6.5's have a natural tendancy to have very high balistic coefficiency. Bc and accuracy at long range are best friends. The other hot rod that I have been looking into is a .223x308. Run heavy bullets - 80grs, and a fast twist barrel - 1:8. I'm looking to do the same as you are sometime soon, mine will be either an 6.5x55, 6.5 wildcat, or a .223 wildcat.

I've been looking at the 7mm STW thinking that would be an AWESOME long range caliber if you could hang on to the rifle after you touch the round off! I was also thinking it would be awesome to neck a 300 Win mag down to 243 or even 223 for a long range varmint gun, but would either have any advantange over a 22-250? In all cases, I think one would want to load medium to heavy weight premium bullets so as to not just blow them up! The only thing I have against the 264 Winmag is that Lyman 48th only lists one bullet weight for it, but then, it does have other bullet weights listed for other .264 dia. grooves such as the 6.5X55 and 260 Rem. Oh Well, I have plenty of time to dream...I will probably never be able to afford to build a wildcat. [:(]

Kansas - I have a customized Ruger M77 (tang safety) chambered in 7mm Dakota. This is a 404 Jeffery case shortened a bit and necked down to 7mm. Velocity wise, it sits right between the 7mm Weatherby and the 7mm STW. It has a preference for the heavy 175 gr Remington Core-lock bullets and performs best at ranges of 300 to 350 yds, the longest I can shoot with any degree of certainty anymore.

Last mule deer I shot with it was a little over 200 yds. Dang near took the whole offside shoulder/leg off. Talk about a bone cruncher! :eek:

that's the Harris model S-BRM 6"to9".

monty
Thanks again.

Azure....I have several of those calibers you mentioned ( in modle 70 Winchesters) and a bakers dozen or so besides those you mentioned. However, when it comes to being serious about Looooong range hunting, I depend on my 7mm Remington Magnum with 160 grain bullet. The rifle has a 6 x 24 scope and compensator built inside. All I have to do, is dope the wind and range the distance. I recently took a coyote at over 600 yards with this setup.

I truly do have a fondness for the 25-06 of mine, which is a model 70 like 90% of my bolt action hunting rifles. I also put together a wildcat in the 300WSM with a 6.5 diameter projectile on top but my 7mm Mag is more accurate at ranges past 500 yds.

I have had very good success shooting long range using Hornady's 162 grain bullet in the 7mm caliber. It has a BC of .725 and an SD of .287. Cheer's ;)

What Hornady 7MM bullet has a bc of .725? The 162 grain A-Max has a bc of .625..........