If you're having someone create a rifle of beautiful walnut and blued steel with a soul and class..............7x57MM all the way.

If building a heartless precision killing machine from stainless steel and synthetic, 280 Ackley Improved.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Another of my personal hunting rifle criteria is that I don't want something that someone else will have in the field. That is boring.
And I never take the same rifle twice; like women and shoes at parties.
Nor do I carry anything off the rack, except double rifles.
(I don't really have anything against the 270; just that it is common.) Please, no more hate mail.
Be unique.

While I’m a big fan of the .270 and have shot a lot of game including elk and Alaskan moose with it, and it’s what I voted for, I’ll throw a caliber out here just to amuse dpcd in keeping with his comments here. It’s not on the list and is a magnum, but a mild recoiling one.

Since 6.5’s seem to be quite the thing lately, I’ll just say .264 Win Mag. I Finally shot the barrel out of my old Pre-64 model 70 in .264. I just had it rebarreled and it’s damn near an entirely new rifle with a 26” Krieger Stainless barrel in #4 contour, the Brown Precision stock was pillar bedded, all metal cerakoted, new Timney trigger, and a Leupold VX5 in 3-15. It shoots a Barnes 127 grain LRX at 3,230 FPS, which is nearly 500 FPS faster than the creedmoor shoots the same bullet, and I get groups of .35” Given that it’s a bit heavy due to the barrel, recoil is less than a .25-06 I have.

It’s not common, it’s a significantly better 6.5 than the 260 or creedmoor, and is a noticeable step down from 30-06. It’s going on my desert sheep hunt this winter. Combined with a .338 win Mag, they’re what I do about 90% of my hunting with these days.

.264 diameter, 124 grain Hammer Hunter with 57.5 grains of RL-26 at 3245 fps out of my 6.5 x 280ai is a wonder to behold! The thing groups at 100 yards like the finest varmint rifles out there and even I find it hard to believe what it does at 325 yards and 600 yards (with 7.5 MOA of put) on paper!
It's a 264 Win Mag with a standard bolt face.
All puffing aside, it's a wonderful combination out of my 26" Proof Research Sendero Light with the Wildcat stock. It also sports the VX-5 3-15 with CDS zl windplex.
Okay, that was more puffing but I'm just so damn happy with that whole package.

I know, who cares?
Zeke

6.5X54 was my thought but since it isn't up I would say 260. If it was up I like the 223 as well, but not for big animals. Be Well, Packy.

When A new client wants a 30-06...kinda "Ah shit" goes thru my mind. Knowing full well the 06 does it all...He won't need another rifle!

I’m going to recommend the 6’s. I shoot the 6.5x55 Swede as my primary hunting rifle. My son shoots the .260 fRem, and the 6.5 Creedmore is just outstanding and isn’t going away. My .30-06 is for 180 grainers only, that’s the niche I use it for. I then use a .22-250 for my varmit gun and spring boar hunting.