@odonataI absolutely love my 6.5x55 SE. It's a great round that I've gotten a lot of good results from. Earlier this year, I got a quote for a new left-handed Sako 90 Bavarian in that chambering. I was actually on the phone waiting to order it when I balked & decided to pause on a new rifle purchase. But completing that purchase & shooting lighter bullets out of it is definitely a viable outcome of this process. I now have a LOT of good options to choose from. My smallest bolt action rifle is the 22-250. My next bolt action rifle is a 30-06. I just had a desire to put another bolt action between those two so that's why I limited the caliber selection in my original question. I also wanted to hear what the AH brain trust thought should go there. Y'all have not disappointed with the copious feedback.
Begara started making left-handed 6.5 PRC rifles so that is definitely a viable option. Right now there's about ~200 LH Weatherby's in 257 Wby on GunBroker so that is an easy option as well. They all have synthetic stocks which has not been my preferred choice in the past and 26+2" barrels.
I prefer the term "discriminating gentleman with good taste" but I guess "picky" is sufficiently accurate as well. It's only gotten worse as the number of empty slots in my safe has dwindled. "Super picky" is probably the more accurate description now. "Annoyingly picky" would also work.
I got a vain thing about my dance partners being pretty...
Honestly the best shop factory rifle I has was a Steve’s modle 200 in 223
@hoytcanon
@Flbt
Save money and end up with two new rifles!This is the most affordable option. The best part about it is it doesn’t add an additional rifle to my safe. So I could start a new thread about another rifle I don’t actually need & buy that one instead.
Look at a 6UM from Unknown Munitions. They can build it for you in a a lefty, so no issues. Shooting a 115g DTAC at around 3200 in an 18" barrel. Brass is available from ADG.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.
@steve white
The situation is not different in correct-handed shopping, and there can be the added dilemma of too many choices.
Even when I’m spending your money, it’s not an easy decision. 25/06, 257 Wby, or 6.5x55 are all brilliant choices.
I shoot .243 at deer. Flat shooting sumbitch.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.
Oh, by the way, keep us updated - I enjoy hearing the updates and seeing the rifles people end up with. It’s (almost) as much fun as having a new rifle myself
@odonataFinding cast-on, left-handed SxS shotguns can be a challenge too so it was nice to see the 20-gauge Fabarms Autumn has that option. I had a chat on the phone with one of the guys at Joel Etchen Guns about it but it would be nice to get up there & check it out in person. I was in Pennsylvania this past weekend but on the wrong side of the state.
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The big wild card in all of this is I'm transitioning from a working career to retirement & I'm kind of making it up as I go along. So it'll be interesting to see exactly where I land & what my lifestyle is going to be like once I resettle elsewhere. At the moment, all of my firearms are in storage waiting for me to sort things out. I'm typing this from a sailboat in Virginia right now.
In a previous post where I had asked for help, I came back months later & gave an epilogue on my progress once I made a final decision for this very reason. People often take the time to share their expertise only to never know if it was used or not. It's always nice to show that their valuable input was appreciated once it was put to good use.
