What Caliber Do you shoot?
11-30-2008, 01:28 PM
#21
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Coralville, IA. USA
Posts: 3,802
RE: What Caliber Do you shoot?
All of my past hunting has been with various .50cal muzzleloaders. This year I took my first rifle deer with my Savage 114 .30-06 shooting 150gr Core-loks. It did one heck of a job on the 110-125lb doe that I took with it. Dropped it in it's tracks, but did a lot of meat damage because I hit it a little farther forward and clipped the back 1" of the shoulder roast. Lost about 1/3 of the right shoulder to bloodshot and bullet fragment (the core-lock came apart). I'm saving for a Browning BAR, which will be chambered in .25-06 or .243 Win (probably .25-06). My first choice would be 7mm-08, which the BAR Short-Trac will be chambered in in the spring. I really want the Safari grade which, according to the Browning service rep I talked to at the plant, Browning has no plans to offer the Safari in 7mm-08, just the Short-Trac. I don't have anything against the matte aluminum receiver of the Short-Trac, but I just really have a thing for scroll engraved blued steel and select walnut stocks. Browning blueing is, IMO, the finest of all the factory firearms makers.
Mike
Mike
11-30-2008, 02:36 PM
#23
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Coralville, IA. USA
Posts: 3,802
RE: What Caliber Do you shoot?
ORIGINAL: bigbucks98
ppl should start looking at the 6.5x55 swede! Kinda like a 260 rem. but outshoots it by a long shot! The two companies that i think make them the best are HOWA and CZ
ppl should start looking at the 6.5x55 swede! Kinda like a 260 rem. but outshoots it by a long shot! The two companies that i think make them the best are HOWA and CZ
Most published load data also keeps the pressure levels way down so as not to risk blowing up the small ring Swedish Mauser 96's. The .260 Rem, on the other hand, runs at typical .308 pressures and is made with the strong, modern actions in mind. My Hornady 6th edition has the 140gr 6.5x55 loads running in the 2500-2600 fps range with a 29" barrel Mauser Model 96, while the .260 Rem data shows all the 140gr loads running in the 2700fps range out of a 24" barrel Remington m700. 5" of barrel makes a significant difference, and I'd estimate that with a 24" bbl, the 6.5x55 would be running at least 150-200fps slower than the published data.
Now, that being said, if one handloads, and has a modern bolt action rifle, and is willing to experiment beyond published load data for the Swede, performance can probably exceed the .260 Rem because the 6.5x55's case is a little bigger. But without a good ballistics lab, the amateur handloader does so at their own risk.
Mike
