Hello Everyone

I was lucky to score one of the SS Left Hand 700 long actions on gunbroker this weekend. So i need to start a build.

So what caliber would you build on a long action. The gun will be for my son who is a lefty. I am right handed so it will be for him alone. He is not hunting age yet so caliber is up to me.

I am already collecting parts for a short action 257 Roberts build on a lefty 700 action. It will get a Wyatt mag box to give me a little more length. I have a custom Mauser 98 in the same caliber so he is going to get a matching caliber custom 700 for his first center fire rifle.

So what caliber should I build the stainless action on. 2506 is to close to the 257 and 270 and 3006 rifles are common enough in lefty that I could just buy a factory built on gun broker.

I could be talked into a 280 but it's not easy to find good factory ammo.

3006 is a common caliber but would be cool in a stainless lefty, not many of those around.

Lastly I plan to get into reloading so ammo should not be as much of a problem. I currently own 257,270,308,3006 rifles and plan to buy a 300WSM and maybe a 350Mag or 338Mag for my self

Thoughts on the SS build?

Thanks

This is cool. I will be following this thread. Is you son recoil sensitive? What will it be used for? If you plan on reloading and using it for deer I would say something like a 6.5x55 or 280. The recoil on those should not be too bad.

If it's going to be long action, the '06 seems to fit the bill, you're going to be reloading for yours, You'll have all the components, brass, dies yada yada,

load some reduced loads if needed at first, and the gun grows as he does.

a lefty SS '06, lacking no where.

Done.

to be clear there are two builds being done

257 Bob for deer sized animals

and the SS long action build for larger game

257 will be first gun till we are ready for more recoil

35 Whelen!

If you are looking for something "different" in a Long action ... 6.5x55, 270 tight twist, 7x57, 338-06, 35 Whelan, 9.3x62...

Personally, I would say a .270. If/when he "out grows" the .270 he should be able to choose his own "next rifle"...

JMO... YMMV...

338-06 is a great caliber

I'm old and have built lefty rigs for both kids. From what I've learned and doing it over again, I'd do as follows:

8 twist 243 winchester shooting everything up to 105 grain bullets. For cheap plinking for a kid, the 85 grain sierra killed a lot of stuff for us. No more than a #2 Hart type contour at 22" in a youth Rem stock. Upsize him later with a good one.

9 twist 280 remington at 23" no heavier than a #2 Hart again. I'd build the short action first with the short stock and give him till about 15 or 16 to see what size stock he needs for the long action.

With the rifles you own now, I would not even think about buying more till you had the reloading equipment in place and enough components for all rifles to wear out existing barrels. I'd buy the reloading stuff immediately for the existing rigs and the 243 before I thought about buying any of the long action build stuff.

Regardless good luck. My best days afield were with my kids and I hope your son enjoys it like my kids did. Make sure you have a good Remington 581 lefty 22 for him too.

+1000 ...

Thanks your post was very helpful. I will be using the 257 instead of the 243 but plan to buy a youth model 243 lefty to get the action so i will have the youth stock.

I have decided to do the 280 for the long action build . I am using hart barrels so the thoughts on contours of the barrels to use is very helpful

Yes I need to learn to start reloading and start buying reloading stuff . I wish I had a mentor to help me get started on reloading

I would build a 280AI if starting from scratch. Shoot reduced standard 280 until you have a pile of brass and then start reloading. The standard 280 in the AI chamber will automatically be a slightly reduced load.

My only quandary would be whether to use a youth stock or just wait till he grows into a standard length. For the .257 definitely a youth stock.

My oldest if I had guessed final stock length I would have been way off. He ended up at 6'4" so even my rifles are on the short side for him. Not an issue he shoots righty. Second son is about 5'10" so he can use my shotguns at least.

Since you're going to put a barrel on it anyway, may as well make it a 280AI. Then get started on your reloading.

Unless you want to go with something that will go thump, then run for a 35 Whelen. You can get standard calibers in guns ready to go. Since you have a build, build something you can't buy off the shelf easily.

Since several people have mentioned the 280AI . I have done a lot of research and reading on the AI.

It seems that there are several versions of the AI. The original AI that can shoot Remington factory ammo and thus get the fireformed brass to reload. Or the nosler spec that they took to SAMMI that is rumored to be headspaced slightly different than the original thus needing to stay with Nosler ammo. Opinions vary wildly about being able to fireform brass from factory in the Nosler version.

I would want the older orginal version so we could shoot factory 280 ammo if needed.

I was going to have hart do the barrel and chambering how to you find out what version the gunsmith you pick will use

Nosler brass will work in most Ackley chambers. The original is usually called 280 improved 40 degree, the Nosler is either
280AI Nosler or saami spec. I would be tempted to go Nosler and have it chambered with a crush fit for the standard 280 Rem. if starting from scratch. Then you could use either brass sources but with the Nosler spec dies for reloading.

Ask the folks at Hart what reamers they have and if there is any problem using the Rem. brass in the Nosler chamber.

Well here is the gun. Decided 270 win for a couple of reasons First I had a 270 sf barrel takeoff from a build for myself last year and I have plenty of brass as well. Just got a great stock from a forum member today. Needs to go to gunsmith yet to check headspace. Cost of parts so far including action 485.00

Ps sorry about the shoes first pics post in this forum

Looks good !

Thanks

Your stock was much better than your pics showed it to be. I like dark stocks

Thanks to you I now have a 338-06

And 30338 you help push me over the edge on this. All bought since your post. I spent a ton of time lurking and reading and a ton of money building bench and buying stuff. About 500-600 rounds have left my bench already.

All of you here are such enablers