Light, flat & fast...What round should I choose?

[458JCE]

I'm a Weatherby fan. For fast and light I'd get the 240WBY (6-lug MkV action - I shoot 95gr Hornady SSTs at 3330fps and they kill really well) but the 257WBY is so much more and flatterer with 117gr Hornady SSTs. But the 257 has the 9-lug action and with a 26" barrel it would not be described as "fast and light".

My son, NZ South Island - 300m shot at some ridiculous altitude (just below the snowline). The 240WBY is in a MacMillan Edge Stock (pre change of ownership when they were still good stocks).

 

[JG26Irish_2]

@hoytcanon
The beautiful ones everyone wants.
The plain Jane's ars fine.
The slightly ugly give good and faithful service
But real ugly no one really wants but will have if'n their mates aren't around.
Just saying
Bob

I shoot benchrest a lot. Some with old rimfire rifles. One of our weekly rimfire night shoots is a outlaw match of only factory 22lr repeaters fired from only sandbag rests at 50y. We have three former national champions who are regulars in our club and if your rifle cannot regularly shoot 1/4" groups at 50y, you will not be competitive. I started a fad some years ago of shooting old Winchester model 52's in that particular match. Today half of the competitors now shoot a 52. The good ones with good ammo can win over anything. There are also Annies, Coopers, CZ's, etc. Over the years, I acquired about four of the nice old 52's, one that is in pristine condition I named "Pretty Girl" because it would only shoot good when I fed it the best Eley or Lapua ammo. I would tell the guy's "She expects you to feed her Champagne and Caviar before she will put out". But, the one I shoot all the time is named "Ugly Gurl" because it shoots great with any ammo and with really good ammo would win. She was beat up and bruised and had lots of wear and tear. The bluing was faded and the rifle was not much to look at. I would tell the guys, "You can feed ugly gurl anything and she is just happy to see you." Ugly rifles get to be ugly because their owners knew that they were the good ones and thus used them the most. My 2-cents.

 

[odonata]

For fast and light I'd get the 240WBY (6-lug MkV action - I shoot 95gr Hornady SSTs at 3330fps and they kill really well) but the 257WBY is so much more and flatterer with 117gr Hornady SSTs.

The 240 Wby is another LH rifle that is readily available & easy for me to acquire which is always an important consideration.

Ugly rifles get to be ugly because their owners knew that they were the good ones and thus used them the most.

My goal then would be to start with a pretty rifle & make it ugly through excessive use. I shoot everything I own. There are no safe queens.

If I was competitively target shooting, then low MOA would be paramount. But since I'm only striving for hunting accuracy and focused more on terminal results, there's a little leeway for me to favor my penchant for long-action classic cartridges that were designed before I was born. I know some shooters would roll their eyes at this next statement but I would have trouble spending money on a rifle that didn't appeal to me at an aesthetic & emotional level. Appearance & style (which is a personal opinion) is a factor that carries some weight.

This is especially true now that I'm down to the last few available spots in my safe. As Bob pointed out earlier in this thread, I've gotten super picky which is absolutely true. These final rifles are going to have to check a lot of boxes some of which will only make sense to me.

Like everyone else who took time to reply, thanks for the feedback!

 

[colorado]

270 Win beats them all

 

[baxterb]

270 Win beats them all

I was just thinking the same.... sounds like a 270 Win....

There is a great deal of 'what one will do, the other will also do' in this arena

 

[Wyit76]

I know this is an older post but boy everything you're wanting from this rifle is screaming 257wby or 25-06. Both cartridges fall into the exact bullet weights you've mentioned and both are fast and flat not to mention 2 of the all time greatest pronghorn cartridges. Load them with something like the 100gn TTSX or 90gn CX and you have a legitimate 350 yard hold on hair rifle

 

[odonata]

270 Win beats them all

It's on the short list! I love my LH Sako 85 Hunter in 30-06. It's one of my favorite rifles. Back in April, this same rifle in a used 270 Win was available at a Cabela's for $1,399. I'm head slapping myself for not buying it. Instead, I posted it in the "Good Gun Deals" thread in the hopes that someone else in these forums would save me from the temptation of buying yet another rifle. Obviously, that moment has passed...

I know this is an older post but boy everything you're wanting from this rifle is screaming 257wby or 25-06.

257 Wby & 25-06 are the two most popular suggestions in this thread by a large margin. So your opinion is supported by a lot of other posters on this forum. Fortunately, both of them are available in LH rifles.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

270 Win beats them all

@colorado
Have you been in the wacky weed again mate or just Genting senile.
The 270 is only any good because good ol Jack told them so.
Quarter bores were killin game before it was even a twinkle in his eye. The 25 Nieder (aka 25-06) was around before it then Roy improved in it in the 1940s
It's an od ball calibre two thirds the size of the 06 and two thirds as good.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I know this is an older post but boy everything you're wanting from this rifle is screaming 257wby or 25-06. Both cartridges fall into the exact bullet weights you've mentioned and both are fast and flat not to mention 2 of the all time greatest pronghorn cartridges. Load them with something like the 100gn TTSX or 90gn CX and you have a legitimate 350 yard hold on hair rifle

@Wyit76
The 100gn TTSX at over 3,600 fps is a hold on hair out past 425 yards.
Mine sighted 2.5" high at 100 zeros at 300 and is only 8" low at 400. So a backline hold depending on the size of the animal outs you out past the 450 marker.
Bob

 

[Wyit76]

@Wyit76
The 100gn TTSX at over 3,600 fps is a hold on hair out past 425 yards.
Mine sighted 2.5" high at 100 zeros at 300 and is only 8" low at 400. So a backline hold depending on the size of the animal outs you out past the 450 marker.
Bob

That's good to know. I ran the numbers I mentioned with a generic factory load and 200 yard zero. I have very minimal experience with Weatherby cartridges but the 257 has a fair bit of my interest lately.

 

[hoytcanon]

@colorado
Have you been in the wacky weed again mate or just Genting senile.
The 270 is only any good because good ol Jack told them so.
Quarter bores were killin game before it was even a twinkle in his eye. The 25 Nieder (aka 25-06) was around before it then Roy improved in it in the 1940s
It's an od ball calibre two thirds the size of the 06 and two thirds as good.
Bob

Watching two guys argue over which is better, the .270 or .25-06 is like watching midget wrestling...

 

[Muskox]

I love the 257 Weatherby, but I think I love the 25-06 more.

 

[Miletic]

Dear Odonata, let me give you my opinion. 7x64 was made years ago and was never intended for grains weighing less than 9gr. Hardly will his barrel-twisting stride carry lighter grains than that. In addition, I believe that the recoil and sound of this bullet would not suit you. Regardless of what you say that someone will get annoyed, I think the 243win is ideal for the distance you want. I use it a lot and it's awesome. I would also suggest 6.5creed, but you already have that (Swedis). 243 with Accu 90gr, ELD-X 90gr or Oryx 100gr will do it all without having to install suppressors or compensators so it doesn't break your head. If you want 7mm you might want to look at the .284 Winchester

 

[odonata]

Watching two guys argue over which is better, the .270 or .25-06 is like watching midget wrestling...

Not exactly the in-depth technical feedback I was expecting but all opinions are welcome!

Dear Odonata, let me give you my opinion. 7x64 was made years ago and was never intended for grains weighing less than 9gr.

Because of the obscurity of the 7x64 here in the USA, it was always a long shot choice. I only mentioned it out of curiosity & because a single left-handed rifle I would consider is chambered in it. I have a lot of rifles that shoot 9 gram (140 grain) bullets so acquiring another one that excelled at this weight would not be a goal. Since RWS made an 8 gram (the previously mentioned 123 grain) bullet, I thought it was worth inquiring about.

 

[Miletic]

In previous years, 7x64 was used as an official caliber in large state hunting grounds in Europe. The weight of grains used was 9.1g and 11.3g. Deer, bear and wild boar are mostly hunted with it. Along with 8x57 he was the most popular. 6.5x57 was used for light game, and those who had more money used 6.5x65r in their refracting rifles. Rws has Evo Green for 7 x 64 from 8.2g monolith. The question is how it would work in tubes for 7x64 (I'm not sure about this, I've never tried it)

 

[hoytcanon]

Not exactly the in-depth technical feedback I was expecting but all opinions are welcome!

View attachment 736804

I thought I made my point admirably...

 

[Schüler Jumbo]

The best cartridge that never was is the 6.5-06. The 6.5-06 Ackley Improved would make a sweet light, flat, and fast round.

 

[odonata]

The best cartridge that never was is the 6.5-06.

I had made a mental note that no one (until now) had mentioned the 6.5-06. Since I had posted that rebarreling my Remington 700 30-06 was one option I was considering, I thought there might be a fan of the A-Square round who would suggest that as a possible option.

 

[bimbo]

264WM

 

[hoytcanon]

264WM

I'm a fan... but you have to make it with a fast twist.