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Another "What Caliber" Question. #6510150 10/25/16 03:45 AM
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I honestly never thought I would ask for advice choosing a new caliber to build a rifle around but I am running out of ideas.

I was looking at the rifles I reload for and have decided I want to add a new caliber but I can't come up with very many modern cartridges that don't overlap something I already have.
About the only strict criteria I have is that I don't want to buy a special set of forming die to make the brass and nothing that uses a belted case. I'm also not really looking for anything with more power than the Edge.

I was kicking around the idea of a 20 or 17 caliber but decided that I would probably not shoot or hunt with them enough to keep my interest peaked. Right now I'm considering a 22-250 with an 60 grain bullet or a .35 Whelen with a 225 grain bullet. Whatever I end up with it will be built as a hunting rifle with a finished weight between 7 and 9 pounds.

So here's a list of what I already have

From left to right;
.338 Edge - 300 grain Berger Elite hunter @ 2853 f.p.s.
300 Remington Ultra Magnum - 210 Berger VLD @ 3004 f.p.s ( Just sold this rifle to a friend )
7mm Long Range Magnum - 180 grain Berger Hybrid @ 3023 f.p.s.
280 Remington - 168 grain Berger VLD @ 2717 f.p.s. ( Sold this one too )
7mm-08 Remington - 140 grain Nosler Accubond @ 2803 f.p.s.
6.5x47 Lapua - 140 grain Berger VLD @ 2818 f.p.s.
.243 Winchester - 105 grain Berger VLD @ 2929 f.p.s. ( Soon to be re-barrelled as a 6XC )
.243 Winchester - 87 grain Hornady V-Max @ 3304 f.p.s.
.223 Remington - 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip Varmint @ 3562 f.p.s.


Is there a cartridge that I have overlooked or should I just build either 22-250 or .35 Whelen?

Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6510158 10/25/16 03:56 AM
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I was gonna say 22-250 and a 75 Amax but you already mentioned it. 220 Swift would be fun. 22-243 is another on my list of interests. Since you sold you 300 you could get another 30 caliber.

Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6510160 10/25/16 03:59 AM
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Don't see a quarter bore in the list. Just a thought.

Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6510167 10/25/16 04:05 AM
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Not glamorous, but conspicuous by their absence are 308 Win. or 30-06. Great all around cartridges and wonderful in a 7 - 8 pound all in rifle.

Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6510171 10/25/16 04:07 AM
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Is 22 creedmoor brass available or do you have to shape it?

Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6510177 10/25/16 04:10 AM
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Run a 22 cal with a fast 8" or 7" twist to push the heavy 80-90 grain bullets in a 22 Creedmoor or 22-250. That would be awesome!


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Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6510238 10/25/16 10:50 AM
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Looks like you really don't NEED anything, but the .224 TTH is an interesting round. Not sure how tricky getting brass would be, though.


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Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6510245 10/25/16 11:03 AM
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Based on your criteria and current selection, I think I'd go 22-250 if I were u. But then again I love that caliber and miss having one.

Is 2717 fps around the speeds others get for a 168gr bullet in a 280 typical? I thought it would be higher. Does the 280ai offer more speed?

Last edited by Korean Redneck; 10/25/16 11:06 AM.

I'm a dude who likes long barrels!
Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: ChadTRG42] #6510259 10/25/16 11:18 AM
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Originally Posted By: ChadTRG42
Run a 22 cal with a fast 8" or 7" twist to push the heavy 80-90 grain bullets in a 22 Creedmoor or 22-250. That would be awesome!


Exactly the first thing that came to my mind.

I have a 1:8" .22-250. We shoot a 75 gr A-Max 3200 MV. The 22 Creedmoor will best that by 100 fps, I believe. And if memory serves, you buy 6 Creedmoor brass, swap out bushings, and neck it down. You ought to see what it does to prairie dogs!


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Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: rjd] #6510606 10/25/16 02:37 PM
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Originally Posted By: rjd
Don't see a quarter bore in the list. Just a thought.


That's what I was thinking. .250 savage.


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Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6510646 10/25/16 02:55 PM
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.30 Nosler
.35 Whelen
.22 Creedmoor
Other fast-twist .22


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Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6510712 10/25/16 03:31 PM
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Two completely different directions, but I would either do a fast twist 22-250 or something along the lines of a 45-70. You have distance covered I would probably go with an up close gun and lean to a lever gun of some kind.


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Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6510846 10/25/16 04:43 PM
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For easy brass reasons the 22250 would be my pick

Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6510890 10/25/16 05:06 PM
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As much as I like the 22-250, mine rarely leaves the safe after getting a 22-243, yes there is a performance difference. Brass for it is easy to find even though it is not factory loaded. Just run 243 brass through a FL sizing die and load it up.

The 22 Creedmoor brass can be from a few sources neck down one from the Creedmoor family or fireform the brass from 22-250 brass.

224 TTH like the 22-243 just run the parent brass through a FL sizing die and load it up.

Go with a 1:8 twist barrel for the 75 and 80gr bullets 1:7 if you want to run the 90gr ones. Of the 90gr bullets the Serria has a very thin jacket while the Berger has their thick target jacket and has to be above 3200fps for any accuracy at all from my 1:8 barrel.

In any of the 3 above you can run the 75 or 80gr bullets 3400 to 3500 fps and the lighter ones faster, quite a bit if you want to push it. Of course barrel life can become a concern to some as these are pretty over bore cartridges, but there is always some price for speed


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Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6511009 10/25/16 06:14 PM
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6-06 ai

Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: RedSnake] #6511252 10/25/16 08:41 PM
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For Texas hunting: 257 Roberts or 25/06

Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6511388 10/25/16 09:52 PM
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My vote would be fast twist 22-250.


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Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6511670 10/26/16 12:53 AM
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Man you got it covered.

Sharps Rifle?

Muzzle Loader?

How about a revolver???

Archery??

Suppressors for each rifle?

Golf?


Z-06 Vette????


SPACE FOR RENT


Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6511856 10/26/16 02:13 AM
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The 35 Whelen.

Not a long range firearm like most on your list - but inside 200 yards they hit like the hammer of Thor and are still quite capable out to 300 yards. I load 225 accubonds to +/- 2725 fps and 250 grain partitions +/- 2590 fps. Shot a black bear with the 250 partition at about 60 yards this fall and he did a somersault, landed and did not get up. This was with a boiler room shot - i.e both shoulders left intact (to save meat). When I dressed him his heart and lungs were pulped. After pass through the bullet punctured a 55 gallon poly barrel and stuck in the offside of the barrel with visible deformation on both sides of the barrel. We don't have hogs here but my guess is that it would be an awesome hog round.

Up at my camp I was target shooting using the 225 accubonds at 100 yards. Took about 12 shots at different spots on a target mounted on a 12 inch diameter sugar maple and the tree came down. Tree was slated to come down for firewood anyways but needless to say I had planned to take it down with the chainsaw after I was done shooting.

Last edited by Hirogen; 10/26/16 02:26 AM.

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Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6511945 10/26/16 02:58 AM
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Originally Posted By: rjd
Don't see a quarter bore in the list. Just a thought.

I thought about a 257 Roberts or a 25-06 but I could always load a lighter bullet in one of the 7mm and do close to the same thing the quarter bores do. While there is nothing wrong with a 25 caliber rifle I have never been a real fan.

Originally Posted By: jeffbird
Not glamorous, but conspicuous by their absence are 308 Win. or 30-06. Great all around cartridges and wonderful in a 7 - 8 pound all in rifle.

I have had a couple of 30.06 in the past and would like to try something a little heavier and harder hitting or lighter and a lot faster. As far as the .308, I like the 7mm-08 better.

Originally Posted By: ChadTRG42
Run a 22 cal with a fast 8" or 7" twist to push the heavy 80-90 grain bullets in a 22 Creedmoor or 22-250. That would be awesome!

That very setup was one of my early choices but i have quite a few rifles already built to shoot heavy for caliber bullets and was looking to stay somewhere closer to the middle as far as speed and bullet weight if I go with a 22 caliber. I am considering the 60 grain as a short to midrange varmint/prairie dog bullet. If i need the extra B.C., range or energy of a heavier bullet I can always step up to the 6.5x47. For the really long shots you should see what the 7mm LRM does to a prairie dog.

Originally Posted By: Korean Redneck
Is 2717 fps around the speeds others get for a 168gr bullet in a 280 typical? I thought it would be higher. Does the 280ai offer more speed?

2717 is a conservative, middle of the road velocity. In the past I have loaded it a lot faster but the brass was paying the price. You can pick up more velocity with the Ackley but I get bored having to fire form that much brass for the gain.

Originally Posted By: redchevy
.......... or something along the lines of a 45-70. You have distance covered I would probably go with an up close gun and lean to a lever gun of some kind.

Since I already have a couple of actions I am going to stick with a bolt action for this build. Since the 45-70 is a rimmed case that pretty much ruled it out.

Originally Posted By: QuitShootinYoungBucks
.30 Nosler
.35 Whelen
.22 Creedmoor
Other fast-twist .22

the .35 Whelen is one that I am really interested in. I think with a compact stock, a 20" barrel topped with a 2-7 x 33 scope it would be a great truck/thick cover rifle.

Originally Posted By: Buzzsaw
Man you got it covered.

Sharps Rifle?

Muzzle Loader?

How about a revolver???

Archery??

Suppressors for each rifle?

Golf?


Z-06 Vette????


I would love to have another Sharps but it would be just like the last one, a safe queen.
Already have a muzzle loader and shoot it just enough to stay proficient with it and maybe hunt with it one or two days a year.
A revolver would be interesting.
As far as archery, I bowhunted exclusively for more than ten years and still bow hunt every season with both compound and recurve bows.
Golf? Now this sounds interesting....Is there an open season on golfs and how do they taste?
Now the Z-06 would be fun but I'm already broke from building too many rifles and I sold my Boss 302 because I couldn't afford the tickets anymore.





I know how much everyone loves these "What should I buy/build?". I even hate them. In the past I would decide what I wanted the rifle to do, pick a bullet and velocity to do it with and then decide on the cartridge based on how much powder it takes, how hard the components are to find, etc. This time I just can't make up my mind.

I think right now I'm leaning towards the .35 Whelen. Is there another cartridge out there that is similar that I have overlooked?
I haven't ruled out a 22-250 with a mid-weight bullet. These things are just too much fun to shoot.

I have long range, big game covered with the magnums. Whitetails, mule deer and antelope are taken care of with the 6mm, 6.5mm and 7mm. Varmints and rodents are pretty much taken care of with the .223 and 87 gr. .243.

Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6511955 10/26/16 03:05 AM
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Originally Posted By: Ritter


I think right now I'm leaning towards the .35 Whelen. Is there another cartridge out there that is similar that I have overlooked?



I prefer the Whelen but the the 350 Rem Mag is virtually a ballistic twin. There is also the 9.3 x 62 - very similar as well. The Whelen gets my nod as you can always find brass in the form of 30-06 and neck it up. Most of my brass is 30-06 that I pick up free at the range as some guys just throw them out. Neck them up and than load them with a 158 grain pistol bullet that is loaded to about 1500 fps. I use this for varmints and to fire form the brass. After that it gets either the 225 or the 250.

Last edited by Hirogen; 10/26/16 03:10 AM.

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Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6512078 10/26/16 10:50 AM
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The Whelen is a good choice. Easy to load for, too.


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Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6512106 10/26/16 11:53 AM
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338-06??


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Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Drop Tine] #6512115 10/26/16 12:04 PM
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Re: Another "What Caliber" Question. [Re: Ritter] #6512484 10/26/16 03:25 PM
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7x57 throated and twisted for 193 gr bullets?

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