need to fill the gap between 30_06 and 375 H&H. have an very nice VZ-24 action, tend toward shilen barrels ( texas made!!!) not interested in a round that requires extensive action modification. don't want to get too exotic and limit my sources for reloading components...so suggest away....

thanks,

ned

The .35 Whelan was the standard answer to your question. Around here it's not cool at the moment but I know .35 caliber rifles are effective!

The darling now is the 9.3-62 mm.

376 Steyr? I built one on a Mauser action and it worked very well. Good bullet selection, great power, good availability of brass, dies, etc...

If DG is not on the menu then the .338-06 is about as good as it gets.

The 8x64 is a nice mid size caliber. It placks plenty of punch and easy to relod for. But the 338/06 would put you just about dead between the 06 and 375.

Along similar lines with recommendations so far, I'll suggest the .375 Whelen Improved. I recently finished a VZ-24 project in this caliber and I'm very please with the results. It shoots 250 grain bullets at 2500 fps and probably would easily go higher if I wanted. The cartridges feed perfectly and they fit in the 30-06 length mag box nicely.

No particular order.
30-06
9.3X62
35 Whelan
338-06
I'm in the middle of having two built right now on 1909 Argentine actions. These were the final choices. The 9.3X62 and the 35 Whelan won. The 9.3X62 and the .30-06 were my 1st choices. I even bought a Shilen .308 blank for the project. But after re-thinking the whole deal I bought another one in .358

I go back and forth every day since then wondering if I should have done the .338-06 instead of the .35 Whelan. But the truth is, you can't do anything with one that you can't do with the other. I know there is a lot of over lap between the the two I choose (9.3X62 and .35 Whelan), But I've always wanted one of each so what the heck. I've given up trying to justify my gun purchase decisions long ago. I've got a .30-06 that could have covered all bases long ago. I buy'm now because I want them.

Terry

quote:

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Originally posted by vapodog:
If DG is not on the menu then the .338-06 is about as good as it gets.

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You beat me to it.

I'd probably choose the 9.3x62. The 338-06 or 8mm-06 would be good too, expecially in an Ackley version.

I would suggest and also not in any order one or more of the following:

338-06
.338 Win Mag
.35 Whelen
.358 Norma Mag
9.3x62
But the one that I really want to have is the 9.3X64 Brenneke. I have a cardboard box full of bullets that were given to me by Maurice Ottmar and I was instructed to "go build one". The round looks like a .30-06 on steroids and it will fit in the magazine (might want to extend just a bit).

338 Gibbs

quote:

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Originally posted by Customstox:
I have a cardboard box full of bullets that were given to me by Maurice Ottmar and I was instructed to "go build one".

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Chic-

You do that too??

I've been known to build, or buy, a rifle because I had a set of dies, some brass, etc.

Yep, just give me an excuse....

One more vote for the 338-06. AI version if you're set up to reload.

All the 375s are pretty close to your 375 H&H and 8MM is too close to 30-06. If splitting the difference is the goal I'd go 338-06 or 35 Whelan, maybe 9.3 x 62 or 64 but that's getting back close to the 375 H&H again. Problem is everthing everyone posted is a great round.

338-06 works well I have the same set up in one. 35 whelen also would be fine.

Gary, I do that way too many times. I actually got the box of bullets, dies and some brass from Maurice because he knew I was interested in the round as he started the fever to own one. I also have the reamer. Now the only thing holding me back is good sense.

Two choices- .338-06 or 9.3x62. The deciding factor is whether you want to be closer to the .30-06 or the .375 H&H.

338.06 would be good...the 35 Whelen Improved would be better.....just my opinion since I have one.



Lost previous ID (whistler) in switch

I'd definately look at the 9.3x62 and the 375 Whelen if you might use it for DG, otherwise the 338-06 and 35 Whelen would be good choices.

.338-06, or the .375/.338, sometimes known as the .375 Taylor. I've got one of each and love them both....

MKane160

quote:

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Originally posted by Customstox:
Now the only thing holding me back is good sense.

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Heck, don't let THAT stop you!

.376 STEYR!!! !!

.338 win mag in your case when you would like to split the diff

I chose .35 Whelen

As a 35 Whelen AI owner I say go with it too. Mine is a great shooter (when it shoots, my busy butt hasn't gotten around to figuring out the sear engagment problem). I have 26" barrel and recommend that for a bit of extra poop if you don't mind the minimal difference in overall rifle length.

The 358 Norma would be killer though. I keep wanting to buy the very good priced ammo I see a guy at hte local shows has for it just so I have to build one. But with the whelen can't really justify another 35 until I get a lot of others finished.

Chic, good sense holding you back? I'm not buying that one!

Red

If you build a 9.3, you'll no longer need the .30-06 and the .375

I decided on the Whelen as well, although I still sometimes find myself thinking about a 338-06 or a 9.3X62. One neat perk about the Whelen is the ability to shoot pistol bullets for fun, but I wouldnt complain too loud about being "stuck" with either of the other two rounds mentioned.. Any of them will fill your VZ-24 with a neat simplicity.

338-06, 35 whelen or 9.3X62. I'm highly biased towards the whelen, as I'm a died in the wool 35 nut. The 35 offers such a huge selection of jacketed and cast bullets, that it is very tough to beat. Try a cast 35 pistol bullet of 150-180 gr over 12 gr unique, and you'll be grinning ear to ear shooting loads that don't recoil, have little report, yet the power of a 357 magnum. Or load a 225 gr X bullet to 2700 fps for most any game at reasonable ranges.

I would recomend against the ackley improved versions. I had a 35 whelen ackley built on a VZ-24. It did not feed smoothly, real world velocity gains are 50 fps, which isn't didly, and I had some case head sepperations from brass that had the shoulder set back on fire-forming. You also loose resale on ackleys vs std chambers, and dies are more expensive. The extra 50 fps isn't worth the effort, go with a 358 Norma if you need more speed, and you'll get a real world 200 fps boost.

Geez. Problem is, you don't need anything other than the '06 and H&H. But that's no fun, so, hmm....
Much as I like the 9.3x64mm case, it isn't the sort of thing you find at the corner sporting goods store, maybe a bit too "exotic," as you say.
I'd forget about bridging the power gap, b/c there isn't much of one in a functional hunting sense. I'd think more in terms of hunting style. Maybe a 400 Brown-Whelen with an 18" bbl, set up for cast loads, 300-350g FN's, say.
Or a 10.6x64 (9.3 Brenneke necked up), i.e., a Taylor with no belt. Or a Taylor for that matter. Or a 470 Win Mag - wonder if anyone's done that? Wouldn't that be a conversation starter?! 500g going maybe 2150 fps from 22" bbl? "Here Beary-beary, c'mere, Bear!"

ned,
this is a hard choice... when i made it myself i did the 358 winchester.. a COUPLE times...

us factory stuff, you've got
338 win
358win
35 whelen
350 rem mag

but, well, i would actually say go OVER 375 or UNDER 30-06...

say a 280 or a super 257 bob, or a 416 taylor or a 550 express

jeffe

quote:

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Originally posted by jeffeosso:

but, well, i would actually say go OVER 375 or UNDER 30-06...
jeffe

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Jeffe has a good point. The 30/06 and 375 cover the mid size and big bore pretty well. A 6.5x57, 243, 6.5/06 AI would all be great choices on the smaller end. Going with a small bore would give you a well rounded battery.