[histed]

I have both a 30-06 and a 308. .308 won't do anything that the 06 can't do better BUT the 06 takes more powder and has (somewhat) more recoil. Plus it's a long action. There is nothing I intend to hunt that a .308 won't work for, NO, I have no intention of hunting big bears in Alaska, so we're good. So I'm thinking (VERY dangerous) maybe sell the 06 to finance something else. 7-08 looks interesting, as does 6.5 Creedmore. OR I could finance a 1911. Point is, should I actually get rid of the 06? Or the .308?

 

[greg_r]

OR I could finance a 1911

Never a bad idea

Depends on what the ‘06 and 308 are ?

 

[histed]

Never a bad idea

Depends on what the ‘06 and 308 are ?

.308 is a Savage Axis. 06 is a 111 Trophy Hunter (Savage). Both are South Paw actions. Very accurate with the right loads, but no collectors by any stretch

 

[greg_r]

.308 is a Savage Axis. 06 is a 111 Trophy Hunter (Savage). Both are South Paw actions. Very accurate with the right loads, but no collectors by any stretch

I prefer short actions over long actions, so the `30-06 would go if it were me.

I am, however the fan of the single shot, so I have always thought if I could get a few more fps out of a rifle with changing nothing but the chambering, I will choose the long action cartridge.

I picked up a model 11 Savage in 260 Remington. that might be a cartridge you might want to look at. I think it has advantages over the 6.5 CM for the hunter who keeps their shots to 300 - 400 yards or less. Honestly, except for wind drift, the 260 is superior, or at least equal to the 6.5 out to about 700 yards. Much too far for the average hunter to be shooting.

 

[histed]

Sounds interesting. I rarely shoot more than 75-100 yards, except at the odd groundhog. Is ammo a problem for the 260?

 

[greg_r]

Sounds interesting. I rarely shoot more than 75-100 yards, except at the odd groundhog. Is ammo a problem for the 260?

I have not had the rifle that long Only about 3 years. Cartridges were actually more available than some others during the drought. 6.5 CM I noticed was not to be found, but all of the gun shops I frequent had some 260. My guess is new old stock. `

The .264 never got much love from the American shooters until the 6.5 CM came along. Sure, there was high praise for the 6.5 Swiss, but that’s about it. I had two 6.5 rifles. An Arisaka and a Carcano. I found the 6.5 cartridge to be effective on deer. Way beyond what its paper ballistics would indicate. I wanted a Remington Model 7 Laminate chambered in 260 aRemington from the day it was released. It never happened. I also have a set of 6.5/308 dies. From Paw apaw’s gunsmith shop. I always wanted an AR 10 in 260 Remington, another that never happened. The Savage M11 is working for me.

I have taken 11 deer with the 260 Remington, 3 feral pigs, 1 coyote, and 25-30 whistle pigs. The cartridge has proven itself to me. Deer and pigs with the Hornady 129 grain interlock, the coyote and groundhogs all fell to the Hornady 95 grain VMax. RL19 has been the powder of choice. I only bought 1 box of factory, that was Federal Premium, but at $2 a pop, that made this cartridge a natural for reloading. I had a bit of 270 brass that I ran through the 6.5/308 dies, trimmed to length and annealed.

‘The savage M11 is not svelt like the Remington Model 7 but it will work.

 

[moona11]

Never sell a gun. You will regret it later.

 

[greg_r]

The Ruger Hawkeye Compact Laminate is another rifle that has had my eye for several years now. Another one that I want but never really pursued. I guess I need to get off the pot. It’s available in 243 Winchester, which I am not a fan of, 7mm / 08, which is probably the best cartridge for the rifle, but I would load it to 7mm Mauser levels, and 308 Winchester, another fine cartridge but I would likely load to 300 Savage levels for this rifle. It would make a great rifle for the east of the Mississippi hunter who doesn’t hunt over Beanfield. It has a short length of pull, and only a 16.5" barrel, which is why I would probably download the cartridges, to reduce the sound signature just a little bit.

 

[greg_r]

Never sell a gun. You will regret it later.

Not bad advice, but I would trade a long action bolt for a short action bolt in a minute.

 

[histed]

Never sell a gun. You will regret it later.

I keep thinking that same thing. I had a Browning BLR that I sold years back. Still regret it. But.... Of course, I COULD get another barrel in 260 or 7-08 or... Best of both worlds?

 

[RACHGIER]

Look at it this way. I have a 24" fuck you from a distance .308. I have a 20" .308 Remington 770. I built a true M40 on an R700 action. I just built an ultralight 16" AR10 in .308.

My Ruger American 30-06 sits in the rifle rack and only comes down for cleaning and a few shots a year to make sure it's still on point.

 

[CamoDeafie]

The only time a 30-06 shine was the 220gr soft point hunting rounds available mostly only in 30-06 cases.. although this was true 60-80 years ago. Since then, new powders, new techniques in bullet construction, have made it so that supersonic 180s can do as much damage as subsonic 220s... you can load 7.62x51 and .308s with 220s for subsonic thumping, and still have a shorter action. Sure you could hot rod the 30-06 case capacity and get stupid velocities with lighter bullets but.. why? I don't know if any 30-06 on the market has a twist suitable for lighter than 180gr bullets?

 

[Think1st]

There aren't many stories of the 6.5 Creedmore taking a lot of deer-sized game. It seems to be more popular with people shooting steel or paper targets at 500M and beyond. Your post seems to indicate that you have some deer-sized game in mind. Running on that premise, that 7-08 might be the better choice for a new cartridge if you feel like you must have one. With that being said, I'm with @moona11 regarding the sentiment that you shouldn't sell a gun. Keep the. 30-06, and just save up for the new gun.

Also, a new rifle cartridge doesn't sound like it's going to give you any new capabilities to handle what you already do, so that 1911 might just be the better way to go.

 

[CamoDeafie]

There aren't many stories of the 6.5 Creedmore taking a lot of deer-sized game. It seems to be more popular with people shooting steel or paper targets at 500M and beyond. Your post seems to indicate that you have some deer-sized game in mind. Running on that premise, that 7-08 might be the better choice for a new cartridge if you feel like you must have one. With that being said, I'm with @moona11 regarding the sentiment that you shouldn't sell a gun. Keep the. 30-06, and just save up for the new gun.

Also, a new rifle cartridge doesn't sound like it's going to give you any new capabilities to handle what you already do, so that 1911 might just be the better way to go.

I've been looking for 6.5 Grendel ammo at good prices relatively (read, not higher than online retail or local Sportsmans Warehouse prices)...

At the last two gun shows I went, only thing "6.5" were the 6.5 Creedmore. It's everywhere. Whether it means it's popular, or it just has more supply, I don't know.

 

[greg_r]

I keep thinking that same thing. I had a Browning BLR that I sold years back. Still regret it. But.... Of course, I COULD get another barrel in 260 or 7-08 or... Best of both worlds?

Yep, if I had a BLR and sold it, I would still be kicking myself…..just sayin.

 

[greg_r]

I had a Browning BLR that I sold years back. Still regret it.

Maybe you already know what you want to do. Resurrect the BLR. Seems like you are interested in the 7mm/08 Remington cartridge. The BLR would be the way to go in the modern lever action.

I am a sucker for pepper laminate and stainless. Browning has you covered there too, plus its a takedown.

For a modern lever rifle Henry Repeating Arms is the only other game in town. Not available in 7mm/08, but it is available in 308.

And the 223 Remington has not been mentioned, and it’s not pepper laminate and stainless, but the Henry Long Ranger Express intrigues me. The 65 grain Sierra would be deer and pig medicine, while the Speer 52 grain hollow point would work for whistle pigs and coyotes. (I love the "plop" that bullet makes when it hits meat) 16.5 inch barrel. Is it the modern Trapper?

 

[histed]

I never thought of the Henry. And I do love the 1911. Guess I'll keep the 06 and squirrel away a few bucks here or there until a nice 1911 falls in my lap. Gotta have an ambi safety. Dang it guys, I may have to go back to work just to feed this habbit

 

[Rufus Nathaniel REDD]

histed,
why get rid of anything...if you want a new-to-you calibre...jes switch barrels....takes a barrel, a barrel vise &
an action wrench...usually EZ to find take-off barrels for cheep...after you have the tools...its calibre of the
Day in 15 minutes

Savage rifles make for the EZ-ist of all switch-barrel rifles...




REDD

 

[ajole]

You’ve got everything you need already.

The only reason to go to 7mm or 6.5mm is to reduce recoil. And that’s not a bad thing.

I know guys that hunt with any of the four….any of those cartridges have killed everything from pot guts to elk, with the right bullet.

 

[Delbert]

The only time a 30-06 shine was the 220gr soft point hunting rounds available mostly only in 30-06 cases. Sure you could hot rod the 30-06 case capacity and get stupid velocities with lighter bullets but.. why? I don't know if any 30-06 on the market has a twist suitable for lighter than 180gr bullets?

EDITED:

I don't know. I have a late 2000's model Mossberg ATR100 in 30-06 w/I believe 24" barrel that will cloverleaf 4 rounds @ 100yds if the wind and my part are in sync with using off the shelf Remington 150gr Corlokt. Yes it will shoot well using 165 and 170gr Corlokt's also, but just not as well, with opening the spread to around 2-3". Still well within dinner plate kills of deer if they're not at 2-300yds to put some meat on the table, but why use them when better accuracy is the name of the game.

I wondered many years ago why this cheap costing rifle would do so well and once found online that Mossberg had used Shaw barrels, but couldn't confirm. What rifle twist they used I don't remember, but 1:14 comes to mind, but if it does have that less 1/4 to 1/3 rotational twist in there when a barrel manufacturer runs their rifling bores through to make the twist just a bit slower for the lighter bullet grains, then this could make all the difference compared to other barrel makers of same caliber.