odonata
AH enthusiast
As far as rifles go, I really have everything I require to do all the hunting I'm currently considering. While I don't need to buy any more firearms, unfortunately that doesn't negate the desire to add more of them to my safe. 
I have this one small gap in my lineup that I keep telling myself doesn't need to be filled. But for reasons unknown, it annoys & my mind keeps returning to it. At the small varmint end I have a nice left-handed Cooper that is chambered in 22-250 Remington that I shoot 55gr bullets out of. Then there's a jump to my Ruger No. 1A chambered in 6.5x55 that I shoot 140gr Partitions from.
Because most of the hunting I do is at moderate distances in the brushy southeastern woods, the fact that I don't own a rifle chambered for something light, fast & flat-shooting that's bigger than my 22-250 hasn't really been a problem. But as I start to ease into retirement, I hope to expand my range a bit so I thought I would ask for some opinions so I can mull over some options. Here's the criteria:
I want the bullet to be in the 90~117gr range. Lighter or heavier than that & I have other options than a new rifle already available to me.
I want a rifle that is larger than 224 (22 cal) and smaller than 308. So 6mm, 243, 257, 6.5mm, 270, or 7mm would be good choices. While some of these are obviously appropriate for the projectile weight I'm interested in, I'm curious if anyone is doing something on the edges (e.g. How low can you go weight-wise with a 7x64 Brenneke?).
It would be nice if the bullet / caliber combo was good at taking something antelope-sized at longer distances than I currently hunt at. Based on my shooting ability & eyesight, I doubt I'll ever pull the trigger on anything that is over ~350 meters away except for a target. But I guess that might change based on ideal conditions or how flat the round shoots.
You get bonus points if the round you suggest is available in a left-handed rifle.
In the past, I've come close to buying a left-handed 25-06 on a couple of occasions only to pass for various reasons. A 257 Roberts has a nostalgic appeal but no one ever made a left-handed rifle in that chambering so I would have to rebarrel or get a custom (not a problem!). I pondered over a custom LH Cooper in 6mm-284 for a while because the price was really tempting but I hesitated because it was an uncommon chambering. I have eight falling blocks so I would prefer this to be a bolt action. Some of the larger calibers like the 270 or 7mm have some lightweight bullets like a 110gr Barnes but it would be nice to hear if someone is shooting something like that & how well it worked. I assume someone will recommend the 243 Winchester just to annoy @Bob Nelson 35Whelen. The ubiquitous 6.5 Creedmoor is a viable LH option but I feel like I would be slighting my beloved Swede if I bought one...change my mind.
I have this one small gap in my lineup that I keep telling myself doesn't need to be filled. But for reasons unknown, it annoys & my mind keeps returning to it. At the small varmint end I have a nice left-handed Cooper that is chambered in 22-250 Remington that I shoot 55gr bullets out of. Then there's a jump to my Ruger No. 1A chambered in 6.5x55 that I shoot 140gr Partitions from.
Because most of the hunting I do is at moderate distances in the brushy southeastern woods, the fact that I don't own a rifle chambered for something light, fast & flat-shooting that's bigger than my 22-250 hasn't really been a problem. But as I start to ease into retirement, I hope to expand my range a bit so I thought I would ask for some opinions so I can mull over some options. Here's the criteria:
I want the bullet to be in the 90~117gr range. Lighter or heavier than that & I have other options than a new rifle already available to me.
I want a rifle that is larger than 224 (22 cal) and smaller than 308. So 6mm, 243, 257, 6.5mm, 270, or 7mm would be good choices. While some of these are obviously appropriate for the projectile weight I'm interested in, I'm curious if anyone is doing something on the edges (e.g. How low can you go weight-wise with a 7x64 Brenneke?).
It would be nice if the bullet / caliber combo was good at taking something antelope-sized at longer distances than I currently hunt at. Based on my shooting ability & eyesight, I doubt I'll ever pull the trigger on anything that is over ~350 meters away except for a target. But I guess that might change based on ideal conditions or how flat the round shoots.
You get bonus points if the round you suggest is available in a left-handed rifle.
In the past, I've come close to buying a left-handed 25-06 on a couple of occasions only to pass for various reasons. A 257 Roberts has a nostalgic appeal but no one ever made a left-handed rifle in that chambering so I would have to rebarrel or get a custom (not a problem!). I pondered over a custom LH Cooper in 6mm-284 for a while because the price was really tempting but I hesitated because it was an uncommon chambering. I have eight falling blocks so I would prefer this to be a bolt action. Some of the larger calibers like the 270 or 7mm have some lightweight bullets like a 110gr Barnes but it would be nice to hear if someone is shooting something like that & how well it worked. I assume someone will recommend the 243 Winchester just to annoy @Bob Nelson 35Whelen. The ubiquitous 6.5 Creedmoor is a viable LH option but I feel like I would be slighting my beloved Swede if I bought one...change my mind.
