After seeing your existing battery:
.22 LR
.223 Remington
.25-06 Remington
.338 Winchester Magnum

I'm even more convinced you should go up in caliber to .416.

I don't see a gap between your .25/06 and .338, unless its a true long-range big game catridge. Any game a 120 gr .257 caliber can't handle turn to your .338.

quote:

Originally posted by Ingvar J. Kristjansson:
Brad that’s good advice but already have a 223. My current rifle battery is:
22 LR
223 rem
25-06 rem
338 win mag

There is a gab that I really need to close !

How does this 5 centerfire rifle battery look like to you? Does it make sense?

223 rem
25-06 rem
30-06
338 win mag
416 rem mag

Ingvar, That would be a perfect battery IMO!

... I'd get the 30-06 with a 21-22" bbl and no longer were it me.

quote:

This rifle will be my Nr. 1 hunting rifle but also needs to be a good back up rifle for my 25-06 and 338 wim mag.

Mathematically speaking 308 caliber fits the gap perfectly. There is no other perfect all around caliber IMO.

Find the rifle you like, then buy it in 30-06 or 300WM or one of the super mag boomers. Pick the power level or your choice. I would lean towards a 300WM.

The 300WM heavier bullet loaded to max will be a good back up for a 338 and a lighter bullet mild load would serve as definite improvement over the 25-06.

Does living in Iceland dictate availability of some cartridges? That should factor in to your decision also.

But most important is find a rifle you like.

Sdhunter ! There are in fact some regulations that dictate availability of cartridges in Iceland. Hunting with bigger calibres then 8mm is illegal in Iceland. For example one can not register a rifle bigger then 32 cal. (8mm.) if one intents to hunt with it in Iceland. That means if you wants to register a rifle in a calibre that is bigger than 8mm one has to hunt with that particular rifle abroad! So if you hunt abroad, sky is the limit to register big calibres!

well your battery is almost complete...minus the .416 and add the .458 win mag. instead.

Ingvar,

I'm sure you have considered the 8mm Remington Magnum. Why did you go with the .338 Winchester instead of the 8mm Remington?

Ingvar,
That's pretty interesting regulations.

I still think you should go with a 30 cal 06 or Win Mag. To fit between your 25-06 and 338 WM.

Unless.....you're thinking way bigger, then I whole heartedly endorse a 416 Rigby.

My simple rifle collection is 22-250, 270 Win, 338-06, 348 Win, 416 Rigby.

And a newly acquired Rem 700 Sendero in 300 WM. It just followed me home from the gunshop. Really it did.

Buliwyf ! Why did I go with the .338 Winchester instead of the 8mm Remington? Well locally there is really nothing that my 25-06 can’t handle, so for my hunting trips abroad I thought of a calibre that was pretty common (.338 win mag). If you loose your luggage with your ammo in Europe you will never find a store that have ammo for 8mm Remington Magnum but there are plenty of stores that have ammo for .338 win mag. I went hunting in Poland in December with my 338 win mag and I love it, absolutely my favourite rifle. But I really would like something bigger then 25-06, if I would encounter a big Polar Bear in Iceland something that happens maybe 1 in a decade
One more reason to by 30-06

Another vote for the .30-06.

The 30 06 just plain works.It's not fancy but it sure gets the job done.

here might be the dumbest suggestion but why not another .338 win mag. it will back up your .338 win mag beautifully and use the same ammo to boot .

just my .02

Ingvar,have no fear I'am here! The 338WM is good for everything.Don't buy a Sauer and buy a Sako or Remington instead.

Whew !!! Shootaway you had me worried for a while. Tell me about it, I have 3 sako´s (223, 25-06 and 338WM) Should I buy another one? Why not Sauer ?

I had a Steyr Mannlicher model m professionel and had a problem with the rotary magazine,plastic trigger guard,bolt handle interference,plastic trigger parts,fragile extractor,marked case heads,cheap scope mount screws.I am worried the Sauer might be the same.

I have 2 .30-06 in use: Great Round! Take that choice and You won´t get disappointed. And if You need anything larger: Take the .375H&H: Shoot s softer than the .338...

And: Take the Sauer 202 - it´s a great rifle:

30/06 or 300 wsm.

300WIN, tough to beat in a 30 caliber. Can do anything from varments to the great bears. But it is still about personal preference in a 30 cal. Vote me in for the Winchester. R.

Every huntable big game species -- and some others too! -- in North America has been successfully taken many times with a 30/06. This is probably true for the entire world too. I don't think that claim can be made for any other cartridge.

And if for any reason you don't reload, or your handloads get confiscated or lost or are otherwise unavailable, 30/06 ammo is the most widely available of all, and in a larger variety of bullet weights and types than for any other cartridge.

I guess the 30/06 is boring, but so what?

Not even close: .30-06

.270 is slightly bigger than the .25, so forget that.

The 7mm Rem Mag is a .280 that burns more powder and kicks more than a .280 Rem and you get only 150 fps more out of it vs the 280 Rem. Plus it's only .03 larger than the .25.

With the .30-06 you get one of the best all around calibers. If you reload, the bullet selection is staggering. The bullet diameter is 25% larger than the .25 and it can take anything in NA although I would hesitate to use it on bison or the big bears.

I know it's not between 27-30 caliber, but how about a .338-06. Use 210gr bullets with it and it'll be great back for .338WM for hunter bigger animals. You can then use your .338WM for just 225 or 250gr bullets. It'll be able to handle just about anything you'll run into. Great backup for smaller rifle too.

quote:

Originally posted by Ratltrap:
The 30-06 is MUCH more versatile than the 7mm Mag.

I'm "sorta" going to agree/argue with you

the 7mmMag is capable of playing "I can 25-06 better than you" with 110 or 120gr bullets
for "light targets" (antilope and small deer)
and it can "30-06" with 140-150 gr bullets
if you have the urge to shoot anything heavier
than 150's (heavier targets) you are better off with a 30-06, because nothing in a heavier bullet will ever make a 7mmMag a bear rifle, while OTOH 200gr (or heavier if you are a real diehard and Barnes does make a 250gr) does make a 30-06 into a bear rifle....

frankly I think if he already has a 25-06 and a 338Mag that there isn't much point to either a 300mag or a 7mmMag, because there really isn't that much of a "Gap" between those two that cannot be filled (perfectly) by a 30-06 loaded with 165gr bullets.

Though I will confess that I have a 25-06, a 7mmMag, a 30-06 and a 338mag myself, but then again I also have a 30-30 and a 45-70, so....

I use my 7mmMag the way most deer hunters would use a 25-06, because with an 8-32X scope on it my 25-06Sendero really isn't a deer rifle

AllanD

Ingvar, don`t put such a yankee calber in a good german rifle, take the 7x64!!
P.S. where are you hunting in Iceland? Reykjavik, Skagafjördur, Akueyri, East-coast?

Hehehe… I can see that you are somewhat familiar with Iceland ! I do most of my hunting in the north for ducks and geese ecc. (my uncle is a farmer in Skagafjörður and he has a nice land for that kind of hunting) and in the eastern part of Iceland for Caribou. I’m born and raised in Akureyri which is in the north, as you probably know ! Funny you should mentioned 7x64...... I finally decided on what calibre to choose and I’m going to order a Sauer 202 Select in 7x64 with an extra barrel in 9.3x62 for the driven hunt . The big bore rifle will then be next on my agenda to complete the rifle battery.

That is a wise decision!
Yes, I`m quite famliar with the last Wikings! I have a lot of friends on your cold isle(hestamadur), some of my horses are born on a farm in the Skagafjördur and some near Akueyri! If all things and persons from Iceland are as strong like these damned wonderfull little horses....

quote:

Originally posted by Ingvar J. Kristjansson:
How does this 5 centerfire rifle battery look like to you? Does it make sense?

223 rem
25-06 rem
30-06
338 win mag
416 rem mag

My battery exactly. Except my 223 is Ackley Improved version and my 338 is a 338-06AI.

How readily availble is the 06 ammo because that was my first choice. I now see that you are getting the 7X64 which I was going to ask you about. You could always get a 8mm-06 since that is the largest hunting caliber for your country.

Ingvar,

Are you limited on the # of guns that you can own? Perhaps thats the reason for the 202 switch barrel gun? I like those Sauers in any case.

You did mention that the main rifle would be ready for a polar bear. Suppose the 7mm would be a lot better than the 25 for sure.

My vote goes for 30-06 or .300 Win. mag.

Ammo is readily available in any store for 30-06 and in most stores for 7x64.
30-06 is much more common then 7x64 in Iceland that’s one of the reasons I choose the 7mm just to be a little different from the others. There are fortunately no limitations on numbers of guns which one can own in Iceland. It’s just so practical to have more than one barrel for the same rifle. I think that 7x64 with 175 gr. bullet can handle almost anything that walks… at least where I live.

Kimber Montana in 300WSM.

quote:

Originally posted by Ingvar J. Kristjansson:
Ammo is readily available in any store for 30-06 and in most stores for 7x64.
30-06 is much more common then 7x64 in Iceland that’s one of the reasons I choose the 7mm just to be a little different from the others. There are fortunately no limitations on numbers of guns which one can own in Iceland. It’s just so practical to have more than one barrel for the same rifle. I think that 7x64 with 175 gr. bullet can handle almost anything that walks… at least where I live.

my advice would be: Take the steel action, not the aluminum one, because if you change more often, the aluminum is not well for it. Also I have seen some damged threads in the aluminum action: steel is more durable!
Instead of the 7x64: why not taking the .270 win ?

[quote]Ammo is readily available in any store for 30-06 and in most stores for 7x64. 30-06 is much more common then 7x64 in Iceland that’s one of the reasons I choose the 7mm just to be a little different from the others.

As a general rule metric calibers are much more popular in Europe than the imperial calibers. Probably because Europeans made the switch to the decimal system earlier.

Most Germans that come to hunt in RSA pitch up with 7x64 mm for game hunting. There are others as well, but they seem to have dwindled - 7x57; 8x57; 8x60 and 8x68.

In Sweden and Finland I am sure the 6.5 x 55 mm is still the most widely used caliber - it is even used on Elk whereas we South Africans would frown upon using such a small caliber on such dig game. The 9,3's probably run a close second.

The 375 H&H is more of an African round that catered mostly for the British and American big game hunters long before the 458 Win (1956) and 458 Lott came about. The 9,3x62 was actually destined for German colonials in Africa.

I am under correction, but France and Belgium might still be under a ban with the 30-06 which is considered a military round.

The proliferation of various cartridges over the last decade, mainly in case design rather than bore size, received a lot of attention and effort to improve over the classic calibers of yesteryear. Only time will tell which ones will be around in another 10 year's time - think of all the WSM's, RAUM's not to mention all the Wildcats and the 'funny' bore sizes that are making a late entry such as the .325" etc.

To answer the original question ... to fill the gap between a 25-06 Rem and .338 Win Mag, and you being from Iceland and hunting the biggest Europe has to offer (elk & moose) I would go for the 30-06 Spr with 180/200 grain bullets. That is sort of being in the middle of the gap.

Warrior

The 30-06 is a good choice but for the 416 go with the Rigby not the Remington.

Well I think 30-06 and 7x64 are great choices. Both very flexible and have great selection of bullets, plus ballistics are very similar. The 270 is way to close to my 25-06. So it comes down to a personal choice I guess. I will certainly order the Sauer 202 with steel receiver. In the alloy version the rifle weighs only 6.3 lbs. I think it is to light to handle well calibres such as 7x64 and especially the 9.3x62 (the spare barrel I will order). I don’t think it would be very pleasant to shot with 286 gr. bullet!

30-06 One of the great 30 cailbers.

Hi Ingvar,

have you shoot the 9,3x62 before? I don´t like their characteristics very much! I have a .375H&H which shoots much more comfortable than the 9,3! Try shooting first...

The second choice will be a scope/mount combination, which allows to shoot 2 or more different guns with the same scope, so you are having 2 guns with 1 optic, which saves money for the optic... (no adjustment between changes needed!)

That´s what I suggest to be the better choice and You are free to use maybe as a second gun a Sauer 202 in Magnum action, suitable for a .375H&H for example...

If You are having questions, please contact me via pm!

Klaus

Yes I’ve shoot the 9.3x62 a couple of times (Sauer and Mauser 03) and they kicked less in a “standard†weight rifle then my .338 , really nice to shoot… I thought about the 375 H&H for a big bore rifle but my friend has a 416 rem. mag. and he suggested because I already have .338WM that I should go all the way and get my self a 416 something! I think thats very wise. I’ll be using the Sauer rifle with one scope to begin with (1.5-6x42 S&B with flash dot) and maybe later (when I have the money ) get another one with greater magnification for the 7x64 barrel.