Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Would you chose the rifle or the cartridge?

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It's the rifle/cartridge combination that I look out for. Since I don't actually need another gun I can hold out until that perfect (in my eyes) match comes my way.

Part of the equation for me would be how I intended to feed said rifle. Since I’m pretty well set for life with .308 stuff: brass dies, powder, bullets, primers and so forth, choosing another round might involve a lot of expense and difficulty getting what I need.

BTW, don’t let anyone discourage your purchase of a BACO M70. Mine had a weak striker spring when I got it, easily replaced by me with the parts they provided, but is otherwise a very nice rifle, miles ahead of the two NH Classics my sons owned (but not for long) in fit and finish, and they now come with Bergara barrels. The trigger isn’t the old one, alas, but works just fine. Get thee to a dealer with one in stock and see for yourself. Might not be the one you want, but it’ll allow you to check the quality first hand.

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This all the way

Buy it, rebarrel it, and make it how I want it. Not hard.

Good topic!

I've done both. Wanted a 308, found a RAR in 308, bought it. Wanted a second LH M70 in 270, found one in 7mm Rem mag, got it (ok, wife got it for me) happy to have both.

Kinda reminds me of the old dirt track debate, "you a chassis guy or a drive train guy?"

For me I look at the rifle first every time.
The cartridge is second for me, because as was mentioned, there are many that overlap.
Cat

I don't really care what someone else would do.

Tony

That sounds like shoe shopping with the wife. Don’t buy FM pumps if you are looking for penny loafers…

I'm much more of a reloader than I am a gunsmith. If I'm looking for a rifle, and I see what I want in the wrong chambering, I'm going to ask myself "Can I make it work with the right load?" A 7mm-08 can do the work of a 308 WIN. 30-06 can do what 308 WIN can do. A 280 REM can do what a 270 WIN can do. Can a 243 WIN do the work of a 308 WIN? That depends on the work. Both will take a deer, but is this going to be an elk rifle? Will a 25-06 work? You've only got a little bit of overlap in bullet weights at the bottom end of the .308 spectrum. Is that enough?

Next thought: I'm generally unmoved by Tupperware. Plastic stocks are just not my thing. As a result, most of my recent purchases have been immediately re-stocked with a nice Boyd's stock, or I've found a wood factory stock that I liked online and bought it and then went shopping for a rifle to fit it.

Many years ago I decided I wanted a.22 mag. What I really wanted was a Winchester 94 .22m. I waited for the rifle to find me. What I wound up with was a CZ bolt gun at a great price. Some 20 years later, I still don’t have a 94. Passed on a lot of 94-22 lr along the way. (In hindsight I should have bought a few) But, I have been enjoying the CZ and the 22 mag ctg all these years.

Me too brother...to me, it's all about the delivery system, does the stock fit me? are the sights in alignment when I throw it up? do I have to think about the safety? do I have to think about trigger discipline...do I have to think about anything! other than the target? As for the cartridge...with the wonderful variety of components these days (barring political shortages)...taking the '06 as an example, it can be loaded accurately from .30 Luger velocities to .300 H&H...that is a pretty wide window by anyone's definition. For my money? Rifle, then sighting system, lastly cartridge.

Depends. Why did I want that rifle? Why did I want that cartridge? In the context of those answers, how close of a substitute is the available rifle, how close of a substitute is the available cartridge? Everyone's answer is different. My own perception of suitability of the substitute either rifle or cartridge might vary with the purpose.

I am somewhat in that situation right now. It is made worse / higher pressure because Oregon's measure 114 with its requirements appears to put a cutoff date after which I won't be able to buy firearms .. not drawing a line in the sand but for the moment I do not plan to get the "permit to purchase", I will just live with whatever I have when it takes effect. That date is vague because though the measure is caught up in court to be heard in June, legislation to implement the same conditions and more have been introduced in such a way that they can be approved in subcommittee, doesn't take a vote of the public nor even a full "floor" vote and it will take immediate effect if passed.

So despite all of that ... I'm keeping my money in my pocket 'til the combination I want becomes available fully understanding that I may never be allowed to purchase it. Compromise is a loss. My experience so far is when I've settled for "almost" just to have it now I've wound up dissatisfied and cost myself a bunch to trade into what I really wanted later. It would probably be different if I didn't have a couple guns that do the necessary jobs already.

I'd buy the rifle I want and rechamber to the cartridge I'd want. Done it numerous times. My preference is always something slightly different from the factory and this is how to get what I really wanted and not settle.

I've got everything I need for anything I'll ever hunt so it's pretty much about the rifle. But then the cartridge could keep me from getting it. I don't buy magnums. Example, was wanting something new a while back so hve a 700 at the gunsmith getting re-barreled to 260 Rem. Already have a 6.5x55 and 6.5x06, don't need another 6.5, just want one!

I think there are those of us who get bored and just want something new and invent necessity to convince ourselves that we must have it! Go for it!

If it was my first ever rifle, I might be inclined to choose cartridge over firearm, first.

With the overlap in my safes, I might choose the rifle first and compromise a bit on the chamber.

I would not spend for a brand new rifle and then go an additional $500, or more, to rebarrel it. Maybe if I found a great deal on a used one with very good condition.....

I'd been kinda shopping for a Model 70 Super Grade and came across a decently priced one with the French Walnut.

It was in 7mm Rem Mag, and I thought "Well, that's fine. It will work." Already had dies & components for the 7mm Rem Mag and some experience with the cartridge. But I'd have been happy with any of about a half-dozen different cartridges.




Guy

if you decided on a bolt action rifle the Winchester model 70 is an excellent choice but i would want a S.S. action , laminate wood stock , and i would buy a new 24 inch Brux barrel if the S.S. 30-06 barrel on this rifle did not shoot well with at least 1 - 1 1 /4 inch 3 shot groups at 100 yards after i glass bedded and floated the barrel.

For me it's both the rifle and cartridge combo. I consciously or subconsciously ask myself: "Is this a combo I could live with if I never owned another rifle?", or: "Could this rifle and I agree as a single rifle for all the medium to large/dangerous game I hunt or ever will applying a variety of handloads?", or "could this rifle and chambering make some money for me as an investment piecs?" While I've owned and used rifles and cartridges from the .22 Hornet to the mighty .458 Win Mag, my only interest as a handloading-hunter-outdoorsman for the past thirty or so years is in mid-bores to big-bores (.338 to .375 and a .45-70 or .458 Win Mag.). My latest purchase at age 87 was a steal on a new .375 H&H. Will it go hunting? I already have an excellent load for a bear hunt starting May 1st.

Bob
www.bigbores.ca