Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Best Short Action caliber rife for Mule Deer/White tail out to 400 yrds????

.284 Win. Huge selection of 7mm boolits & just a bit more snort than the .308 based cartridges. Although the .308, 7-08, 6.5-284, .260, 25-284 are fine choices as well.

Factory rifle would be .308 due to a wider selection of off the shelf choices. Also, if a sub 6lb rig is wanted & moderate recoil is fairly high on the list of criteria, any of the milder recoiling .308 based rounds would surely do the job with ark filling aplomb. (Just really wanted to use those words together.)

I like the sound of that too

.243, .260, 7-08 are all fantastic.....donors for another .308 build


.338 Federal would be another I'd like to spend some time with.


Read more: http://www.rifleshootermag.com/2011/01/04/ammunition_338_101207/#ixzz23i3TsC6S

You'd do better to change the title to the worst S/A caliber to narrow it down.....

308/165s or 257/85-100-110

My 257 is LA but can be had in SA.

The 308 was designed to take advantage of smokeless powder advances since the 30-06 was designed and with a heavier/stronger rim and web so that it would fail less often when used in machine guns. I doubt that the guys who designed the 308, 7.62x51, cared in the least about how people might perceive their case design.

Jeff

.270 x .308AI...just cuz a .270 needed to show up somewhere in this discussion...

I had a friend start a build on one of these just as the 7-08 was getting its initial run in the press. As soon as he started looking at what it could do he dropped the .270 project and bought the 7-08.

That would be my choice.

Since you're criteria doesn't preclude using a SAUM, I'd opt for the 7mm SAUM in a factory cartridge or, maybe, a 25 SAUM in a wildcat.

Jeff

Reality is everyone has a favorite, but they all will get you to 400 yds easily and without even worrying about B.C.

It's really just about your rifle + your ability to get it done to 400 yards which really ain't that far away.

I'm currently running a .308 in a stainless MK V carbine and 7/08 in a Montana.

I shot a deer at 400 yds dead once, went about 25 yds after a 105 amax went thru both lungs, from a 6BR at 2850 mv.

Put good bullet thru vitals, and most any bullet 24-30 cal if designed for hunting will do the job.

The 308 is not my fav, but I know it's a solid choice.

Proven to 1,000 yds, a deer at 400 is a chip shot for a guy who knows his rifle.

I like the 130 TTSX in the 308 to that distance, less recoil and flat (within 1-2" drop at 400 yds vs. a 260/130AB load, when zero at 200).

That said, I personally like my 260s using 130AB, but it's subjective.

The cartridge choice is really the easy part here, anything based on the .308 parent case, if building from scratch then include the 284 win case and a host of wildcats. Part of the decision comes down to wether you handload or use factory ammo and really the rifle itself that you choose and what it is chambered in. Personally mine is a 20" Weatherby carbine that goes about 6lb 10 oz scoped and ready to go in 7mm-08

How so? It's a wannabe 280 Rem, but I like it and the 308 just fine.

I'd say 260 Rem because of light recoil, high bc and sectional density for the bullets, which to me, sounds about perfect for a lightweight, short action rifle. Scandinavians kill moose and bear with the 6.5X55 Swede, which is pretty much the same damn thing, different package, so it should kill mulies just fine, I know it kills whitetail, just used it last year. Or if you want real easy, buy a rifle chambered in 243 Winchester, my dad has used the same old battered 1973 Rem 700 BDL, 95gr Ballistic Tips, and IMR 4350 every year to kill large whitetail and mulies for the last 38yrs with great success. If you're gonna build one, I'd also recommend 6.5-284 or .284 Winchester. Then you'd have 6.5-06 or 280 power in a short action rifle, just make sure to install a 3" mag box.

Sorry to be so long getting back....been tied up.

It is my personal preference and here is why.

1. The 284 has larger powder capacity than 308.

2. The 284 bullets are sleeker, more aerodynamic, higher bc s.

3. The 284 bullets have higher sd, except for heavy 30 cals.

4. The 284W (280R, 270W) has higher velocities.

5. IF a SA hadn't been stipulated, I'd choose 280 or 270.


For comparison: some people EVEN like Dodge.

The OP, ratherbhuntin, said if you were going to build or buy;
IF building, production rifles aren't specified.

I don't know if anyone is chambering 284W in production rifles but as a handloader OR building a custom, it's irrelevant.

I LIKE higher velocity, flatter trajectory, harder hitting.


It's my personal choice.

It's the 400-yd part that's gonna getcha here.

To me, the best 6.5 choice in a short action.

My 6.5-284 is on a std. pre-64 and works great. The extra length lets me load 140's as long as I want to. I don't have a .284, but would think the same situation would occur if one wanted to load heavier bullets, longer than factory COAL.

IMHO,

DA

That would be a .25 Souper I think, bet that would be a fun one to play with.

With the new progressive powders, like RL-17, the Souper would be a fun project. I'm thinking it could be a real screamer with the right loads.

To answer the OP, the .308 is a super fine round. The 7-08 has a wide following. The .260 has a lot of potential. It would be hard to go wrong with any of the above in a short action. Just depends on what "turns yo crank"...

DF

.260, 6.5CM, 7mm-08, .308 - take your pick. If being able to buy factory ammo is a concern, the .308 by a mile. If not, any of the other three would make you smile. If you are going to run a 2.8" box, the CM is a little more forgiving. I run a 3" Wyatt box, and have my .260 throated accordingly. This also works well. I personally use and like the .260 for performance/recoil ratio.


John