Bob257,
My experience with the Sierra 90gr HPBT was in the 257 Bob AI and I used it about 3-4 hunting seasons on Texas whitetail. Shots were taken on this game at 150yds or less. Past 100 yards I placed shots in the boiler-room only, never a shoulder shot. Under 100yds neck shots were attempted and had almost 100% success. I am very selective in the shots I take, broadsides only. As for neck shots, the tactic I use is when I am ready to shoot I whistle and get the animal to stop and look straight at me. I aim just under the white patch on the throat. Using this method I have been quite successful and have never lost a deer. Without looking back at the record book and if memory serves me correctly, I connected with 9 deer with 10 shots. My particular 257 AI groups 3 shots into 3/4 inch, plus/minus .05". Expansion at these ranges has been better than adequate I suppose as I have never found a bullet and there has always been an exit wound. This has been my experience with this particular bullet. Works for me.........Best regards, Ol' John

PS..I select a cartridge by the length of the action. IOW, a short action Rem 700 I will select a cartridge that will work without any action modifications,ie 243,260,7/08 or 308 or their AI versions. In a 98 Mauser, cartridges of 57mm in length or the great 6.5x55(the best of the bestest!!!). Long actions, Model 70 etc. then a cartridge of 63mm or there-a-bouts! I am a firm believer in the KISS principle when it comes to actions, cartridges, barrels-etc. Just my way of doing things..the simplier, the better, the less expense and reliable operation is my goal. Thats the way I see it....OJIH

[ 11-12-2003, 21:53: Message edited by: HondoJohn6508 ]

From your description, I can NOT imagine anything that will suit your needs more than a 260 or 7-08.
Either can do a lot of duities and act like a little gun or big gun and fill the gap between the Loundboomer and 223 quite well.

LouisB

Of course you know how opinions are!

I have to agree with the .260 Remington fans. I have a Browning Abolt in a .260. Recoil is light and it groups factory Federal 140 grain ammo right around 1 1/4" at 100 yards. It is a great deer slayer also. This will fill the gap nicely between a .223 and .300 Win Mag.

Thanks HondoJohn,
Since I just got the 25-06 I'll be experimenting to see what it shoots the best. It liked the 90 Grain Sierra when I was breaking in the barrel. I originally wanted to shoot bullets in the 115-120 grain weight in the 25-06. I have a Roberts that loves the 115 ballistic tips.
Thanks again for your experience. If the bullets are passing completely through, it can't be a frangible as people are telling me.

Bob257

If you have a long action, why bother with a short cartridge? The action would match up better with a 25-06, 6.5-06, 6mm-06, 240 wby mag. If I wanted a short cartridge, I would use a rifle with a short action to match it with. I think that the 25-06 would be the one I would choose based on what you want.

7mm-08 or 6.5x55
buckweet

Take your 223 and rebarell to 6x45 or the 6-223. It will do everything the 223 does and more. No muss, no fuss, just neck up the 223 and no other changes. No recoil and a good deer caliber out to about 200 yards. My XP shoots everything from the 55's to the 80's exceptionally well.
Jeff

If your in to reloading do what jsh said. I have seen it done alot. It will take down any thing from whitetail to woodchucks (groundhogs). 6x45(223 with a 6mm bullet) 6x47 (222rem mag with a 6mm bullet).

I think that you will like the results.

Ray

My choice would be a .243 if recoil is a huge issue or a .25-06 if effectiveness is higher on the priority list. The .25-06 is a great round and super versitle.

This has been an unusally interesting thread to read!!! Now for my 2 cents worth!!!
If I could only have one rifle(god forbid) it would be a 25-06! Varmints to deer it is a great round! Decent on the paper but you don't see many at a BR shoot!
The .260....great accuracy, mild recoil(my 14 year old daughter has one and loves it..2 deer, both 8 pointers, both over 16", first one 271 yards, second one 197 yards) easy to load for and did I mention accurate!
If I wanted to build the ULTIMATE deer, varmint, recoil friendly, ridicously accurate, short action, easy to carry, reloader's dream rifle, I would probably build a 7mmBR on a short stiff action(Model 7, XP-100) with a match grade barrel no more than 20 inches!!! Set it in a Borden "1 pounder" or Rimrock stock and away I'd go! One of these days..... GHD

As an owner of about everything that was suggested except a 25/06, and 6.5/06, I don't think you can go wrong in any caliber.

I like the 6.5 bore because it has the recoil of calibers with smaller bore sizes and had the bullet weights of larger calibers.

6.5 bullets are also made to open up at extremely low velocities based on all the old 6.5 cartridges, such as the 6.5 x 54, 6.5 x 52 Carcano, the 6.5 x 50 Arisaka, yet are also made to open up at the velocity of the 264 mag.

No other caliber has that range of velocity flexibility. Most hunting bullets from 120 grains and up have high sectional density for penetration and high BCs for flat shooting.

They are also very efficient on powder if you don't go any bigger than the 6.5 x 55. Anything over that seems to require a lot more powder for not much more velocity and gives a lot more throat erosion, because of all that powder you are blowing down the barrel.

Handloading, you can get a 100 grain partition clocking at 3300 plus ( duplicating a 25/06 in a smaller case) and in both you can get a 125 grain Partition clocking at 2950 to 3,000 fps, coming awfully close to a 270.

A hot loaded 140 grain bullet in a 6.5 x 55 will hit 2950, if it is long throated. A 260 will only give you about 2800 fps.

That is why the 6.5 x 55 and the 7 x 57 have been around longer than the 30/30, and are held in higher esteem by those who hunt more than just deer. I also shoot the 30/30 and love it, but it is no 260 or 6.5 x 55 or 7 x 57 on its best day.