Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats What to rebarrel to??

If you had a Howa Mini Action rifle with a .223/5.56 boltface, what would you rebarrel it to for a coyote, PD, and occasional deer hunting rifle?

6x45

Considering a 6 TCU.

I would leave it as a 223 Rem. It will kill deer just fine within normal distances when loaded with the appropriate bullets and operated by a good shooter.

It’s not a 223 Rem.

223 fast twist with some freebore if it's legal to hunt deer with a 22 centerfire in your state.

If not, 6x45 with a fast twist.

I guess I should have prefaced this with the deer hunting aspect of this rifle would be way way down the line as I have a long list of rifles that would make it to the deer woods much sooner. That said, there are no caliber restrictions here in MS. I have also considered a fast twist 223 AI as an option.

6.5 Grendel or 6.8SPC are both good. I have used and owned both. My 6.8 has been exceptionally good for deer and antelope. Both of mine were made on AR rifles, but the round doesn't know of care if it's fired from an auto or a bolt action.

If you don't want to fuss around with the bolt face I'd agree with MT DD and just make a 223 out of it but use a 1-9 twist for good performance with 60+ grain bullets. Using the 60 Gr Partition or some of the 63 to 75 grain bonded or expanding solid bullets, the 223 does well on deer as long as you don't push it to a range the bullets fail to expand, and as long as you don't use a frail bullet that simply breaks up.

Not 1-9. Go at least 1-8, if not 1-7.

6 ARC

6x45 with a 9twist barrel. Awesome chambering and brass is cheap

Already have a 6.5 Grendel and a 224 Grendel, plus I’m going to stay with the original boltface.

There are no flies on the 223 AI and you can shoot standard SAAMI 223 in it all day long as accurate as the formed rounds will be - maybe better.... 223 AI is possibly one of the most efficient of the AI rounds and there are tons of excellent bullets available for it to do whatever chore you want it to do for you...

Doesn’t work with a 223/5.56 boltface.

That's what I get for getting in a hurry!!



Mike

In that case .350 Legend

25 Copperhead.
GreggH

I have a 6x45 and love it. One of my favorite deer rifles. If I was going to 223 I’d go to a fast twist 223AI. All the benefits available from a 223 and a bit more zip. I’m intrigued by the 350 Legend, but not the ideal coyote gun.

300 Ham'r

.222 Rem