Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Help me pick a caliber...deer only.

I'm having a rifle rebarreled, and can't pick a caliber. I'm stuck on a few and can't decide.

It will be used for deer and probably nothing else. I'd like something that doesn't have much recoil, but can still reach out across a clear cut to about 300 yds.

Available ammo is a consideration, but not a huge one becuase all 3 are availabe in most sporting goods stores. I do plan to load eventually.

Rifle is Win M70 Classic Ftw, ss/walnut. 30-06

Here's what I'm thinking.


6.5x55 swede

7x57 Mauser

.25-06 Rem

It's a shame that coins don't have 3 sides...

I'm goin' with the Swede.


Scott

Yes. Tom

TZone,
25-06. Your just necking down the 30-06 you have now and shooting lighter bullets. Great caliber.

Dave

My cousins shoot 25-06 and 270 Win for deer out west. I have seen either work great out to 400 yards. Since both are based on the 30-06 they would be an easy re-barrel job.

25-06 would be a very good round for what you are looking for.

280.

re barrel should be easy on all 3. Simple swap, from what I understand.

I was wondering who the first one would be to say that....I'd have laid odd's.

That was a thought for a while, but you can still buy that in a lot of different gun manufacturers.

I'm going for a little bit of a cool factor too.

Kinda hate to "waste" the length of a long action, but for 300 yard deer there may be better shorter choices. 7mm-08, .260.

Anyways, .25-'06, .270, and .280 are obvious options. Considered 6.5-'06? 6.5x57, 7x57 are interesting. .257 Roberts comes in both long and short actions. I know a couple people who've built 6mm remingtons on long actions wanting to seat out longer bullets.

Y' know, the '06 family case head is the same diameter as a .240 Weatherby's head and belt. You could go that route if you're just trying to be different. Or of course, 6x'06. Or, just to mess with folks, rebarrel as-is but have it marked 7.62x'06. Nobody should have to live through the indignity of owning a .30-'06 and having to admit it.

Tom

I'll have to say 280 also,

If that's the case, I vote 7mm STW.

Or, 264 Win if you want to get dorky.

I don't think that will work will it?

Don't matter none....they're not doing it for me. my longest shot to date is about 90 yds.

Oh, well, in that case..........280. grins....

7-08 is out...everybody's doin' it. Didn't really think about the .260.

.270/.280 are so close to the .30-06, that I might as well keep it an 06 if I do that.

So far, it' a tie for me between 6.5x55 and 7x57.

Whelen.

.257 roberts.
25-06 out of those listed.

How many times you gonna vote anyway? Must be an ACORN thing...

For deer, it would be hard to go wrong with either one. I'd be leaning toward the Swede.