Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles What's your opinion on caliber for my new rifle?

Anyone with a Biesen/Burgess Mauser in 7 RM has to look hard for a reason to get anything else....I don't have to see it to know it's a beauty.Reading the posts,looks like the Roberts is gonna win here. Maybe worth considering just buying a Ruger Hawkeye. If I were in a lather for a Roberts, that's what I'd look at..

The 257Bob or a 7x57.

I find nostalgia don't get shot much.

John,

While logic can be a strong motivator, Emotion will win over it every time. Practical ballistics favors the 6.5x55, but It sounds to me like your heart is with the .257....

If it were me, I'd go with a medium bore. (8mm-.375) But then I'm a medium bore slut.

My best advice it to follow your heart. Go with the .257... In the long run, you'll be glad you did!

Grasshopper

I hunt with a .257 Ackley and a 6.5 x 47 Lapua and feel that is it more than enough for any deer I'll hunt.



Michael

Bobin NH,
You're right about the Burgess 7mm RM, it is a beautiful gun, and though my other two bolt actions shoot slightly smaller groups, it's the one rifle I have total confidence in. Besides being a gunsmithing work of art with nicely figured English Walnut stock,super clean metal work without any ornamentation and a classic old B&L Balvar 2.5 x 8 scope, it just comes up and hits whatever I am shooting at. Right from the very first shot it has boosted my confidence.

The only reason I am thinking about another rifle is because I have a really nice fancy walnut stock all checkered and finished for a Model 700 long action just sitting in my gun cabinet. So I thought for not too much money I could find an old 700 long action, re-blue it if necessary, add a Pac-Nor barrell in a caliber that suites, mount a Leopold 2 x 8 x 36 scope and there you go.

The reality to my hunting is that I could, and over some seasons have, just used the Burgess 7mm RM for everything from Antelope to Elk, Eastern Montana open praire country, NW Montana woods or SW Montana high country. And I believe there is someting to be said for just using that "old reliable" for everything because you and the rifle become "one" and hence more one shot kills. But the other side of the equation is that rifles are fun to collect and use.

So we try to justify more gun ownership by creating arbitrary categories for special hunting situations. Even though I know I am more effective with one of my bolt action scoped rifles, I grab the old open sighted Savage 99 for a walk in the woods. If I'm hunting Elk I carry the Burgess mauser, which will also work fine if a giant Whitetail happens to present himself. A lot of time I carry my .270 hunting deer but with a 150 grain BT I wouldn't hesitate on an Elk should the oppurtunity arise.

That leaves Eastern Montana Antelope and Mule deer hunting where the .270 and 7mm mag are fine, even perfect cartridges for the situation, but also an area where a relative flat shooting lighter fifle would be nice to carry and shoot. So rather than trying to pick the perfect rifle for the situation I am trying to find the perfect sitation for my Rem 700 Long action. If was a short action or a magnum it would be a much easier choice.

I guess I am torn between the .257 which I would use for Antelope or a .338-06 which I would carry for Elk. The reason I lean toward the .257 is because I love the Burgess 7mm mag so much for Elk.

Thanks for all of your replys, sometimes you have to go through this kind of exercise to clarify what was in your mind all along.

We certainly DO create arbitrary categories- but haven't you heard? We don't talk about that so's our wives don't find out that all we really need is a 30-06! Shh!

I like your idea of the .257 Roberts. Neat caliber. Me personally, I'd go 338-06 or better yet, .35 Whelen.

Are you going to install the P-N barrel yourself?

-jeff

No, my buddy Pete Forthhoffer is a great gunsmith and knife maker, he'll do the work and try to talk me into a 25-06.

John

Count me in the .257 Bob camp. Dad, is reason enough.

Add to that, the fact that the .257 "speaks" to you.....

Get the Roberts.

The .35 Whelen and .338-06 are both good choices, but you have two nice rifles that about cover them. You might do some checking on the new .375 Ruger. Good luck.

George

The 25-06 is a kitten, a magnum that ain't, and is equally spectacular with a 75 grn v-max or 100 grn tsx.
While you might not be able to eat right up to the hole, she recoils so light, you can watch the whole show.

If you hunt the Bob Marshall then a confrontation witha grizz could be a problem right? I deceided on one gun for that once in a lifetime money shot! Long or short range brush or the prairie. Big or little. 300wm

I got to say I have been fond of the 257 bobby for years and just a short time ago bought one. 100 rounds later I am a drooling teenager again. except now I got forty years experience as a teen.

To say I love it is an understatement
Randy

Why would you feel that anyone here has a better opinion than your own opinion? If you search for the Rifle/caliber that is prefect for you on this forum, you�ll be forever lost.

I've gone through 100+ now and still ain't got the answer. But a couple come close.......

Make up your own mind, the choice you make is OK by me.

Listen to your gunsmith, my friend, listen to your gunsmith!

It's always a plus when he's building what he suggested - he'll be that much more motivated for it to be perfect...plus, the 25-06 is a mighty fine cartridge!

DJ

Glacier: Believe me, I understand the illness.Rifles are too much fun to only own one or two, even if those are the ones you reach for all the time.Seems kind of pointless to build another elk rifle.The Roberts is likely the best choice, or the 25/06.

Not surprised at the success with the 7mag.Biesen built rifles to hunt, and in his day, there was not a better metal man than Burgess...

I'd either go up to a 9.3x62 or stick with a 257 or 250-3000.

Either way you go you will be a winner.

Ed

Mick,

You're right it is my own decision. It was just kind of fun putting it out there for everyone's input. I also thought I might get some new ideas such as the .338-06 which I hadn't considered. Actually I had this same discussion with my Dad prior to signing up here, and it came down to .257 or 30-06 with the tilt going to the .257. I forgot to mention that I don't have a varmit rifle, and we thought the .257 could perform double duty there.

We just had to put my Dad in an assisted living facility last month so I'm kind of grasping at any kind of connection, even an abstract one like using the same cartridge. I'm flying down to Denver to see him in a few days, I'm going to print out this thread to take with me, he'll get a kick out of it.

Now, what is my best sourse for finding a Rem. Mod 700 BDL LA, right hand. The stock was inletted and glass-bedded for my 1966-67 vintage, serial #296,xxx. Can I use any year action, or did Remington make changes along the way that would prevent a newer action from fitting into my stock?

The problem with using a .338 Win. on elk is that you will never use anything else once you use it...A 300 gr. Woodleigh at 2450 FPS for the black timber and a 210 Nosler at 3000 FPS for open country. My gun shoots the 210 3" high at 100 and the 300 dead on at 100. can't get any better than that. I also like the 375 H&H with 300 gr. bullets..These big bores bloodshot less meat on elk and deer than a .270 or its ilk, and I like that. the big guns also leave a blood trail a blind man can follow. The also will dump a big bull on his nose it you have to shoot him up the keyster...