260 Remington
6.5 Creedmoor
7-08 Remington
300 savage
308 Winchester
338 Federal
358 Winchester
One gun for all big game, mostly Wisconsin Whitetail
And perhaps, someday
Texas Wild boar
Irish Red stag
African plains game
Have had several 280s, a 338 win mag
This rifle is set up along the lines of a Remington model 7
Trim and light and handy
Any thoughts?
I would choose based on the what “is” not the “someday maybe”; if Wisconsin whitetail is the primary I would choose something that will get that done with the least amount of recoil since it is a light gun. Of your choices, I would likely go with one of the first three; and number two if I wanted to shoot factory fodder.
Why not change the barrel on your .243 to a fast twist 7.5 or 8 and shoot any weight up to 115 gr. there's nothing
more accurate than the 6mm, and there's nothing in the lower U.S. or Africa plains game you can't take with the .243 the .243 may not sound as sexy as some of the others you listed but it will do the job of all of them Rio7
I switched from the .243 to .260 several years ago for deer. I love the performance of that cartridge even with factory ammo. But, if you are thinking possibly of bigger game, I'd go .308 or split the difference with 7mm-08. And cartridge based on the .308 case has been a winner in every rifle I've owned.
In a lightweight like that, I'd go 20-21" 7mm-08. If a guy isn't a handloader, the argument can be made for the 6.5CM, due to the amount of factory ammo out there. Either is a winner.
I don’t know what else you have
But the 6.5 is just everywhere, cheap to shoot and low recoil.
If you want little more thump, the 338 federal would be my choice
If you re load, split the difference and do the 7-08
My vote is the 358 Winchester, 200gr SP factory ammo from Hornaday and Winchester will ruin the majority of North American game species day
.338 Federal followed by 7mm-08 Remington.
And half again on Thursday.
I am NOT a big 6.5CM fan. However, in a light rifle, primarily intended for WT deer, as a wise man once said, "The 6.5 CM connects a lot of dots..."
21 in 7-08 No. 3 contour
GreggH
300 savage or 358, jus because they're cool classics. I jave both a 6.5 and 708... but you can get them on such good sales right now, why not do that AND rebarrel to something you won't find on the shelf?
I went cheap when I decide to do something about a Model 70 243 push feed that would not shoot. Found a take off barrel in 308. New rifle now.
7-08
Never had one, but always liked it on paper. Just never ran into the right one at the right moment. Probably won't bother at this late stage.
Logically a 308 but a 7-08 is a fine round.
The Creed, used solely on great factory ammo right now. If you reload, any of the first 3.
The 300 Savage is a very mild mannered capable round. Just keep a couple boxes on hand.
g
.358 Winchester is what I’d do.
Another vote for the 7-08, and a 20" #2 should work well.
I’ve a .243, 6.5CM, 7-08 and a .358.......
Given the light rifle and minimal mag box, I’d vote CM all day long.
LOTS of great factory ammo that shoots lights out and is reasonable $$.
If you reload....CM gives you all the mag box without deep seating issues.
I think I have five elk with the Creed and two more with the .260.... no problem.
IF you get a chance to hunt Africa, as you stated. Just buy, borrow or rent a larger rifle, but take the CM too!
308.
You talk animal killing, and not long range. With that in mind.
The 6.5's aren't getting you too far from the 243.
The 300 Savage is not obsolete, but... and don't give you the potential
Of your platform. 308 can easily become 300 level.
338/358? Load a 200 in a 308 and show me the superiority of these two.
Unless, you want to shoot big stuff up close. And truly, the advantage doesn't
overcome the choices in bullets.
Sometimes, middle of the road, boring old standards are standards for a reason.
Skipped the 7-08. It's harder to make a case against.
Weight range is speedster to slammer. You have multiple performance
choices in each weight range from most suppliers. RN to VLD in shape.
I have a 243 M7 I have considered rebarreling for quite awhile.
7mm is what I think I want. To play with something new, enough 308's setting around.
Now, if you like something different, or
Always wanted a 358....
Go for it!
If one doesn't reload... I've noticed that the biggest bulk of available ammo on the shelves around here, seems to be 6.5 Creedmoor.. more so than the 06, 270, 309 and 243....30/30 is non existent....
358 WCF. I prefer a bigger hole.
Leave it as is. Or make it a .308
Why not stay with the 243? If you have shot the donor enough that it needs a re-barrel then you are familiar with the drop, drift, etc that there will be no new ballistics learning curve.
drover
308 for anything you might ever want
338 federal for the same but cooler
I had my model 7 .260 rebarreled to .338-08 (now called the Federal). Went from poking holes in game with long tracks afterwards to DRT.
There is more recoil and the rifle is fairly lightweight so a limbsaver grind to fit recoil pad took care of that. Also increased the barrel length and taper. It's a very capable rifle now.
If you are more interested in a bench shooter then get a heavy barrelled rifle in a small bore caliber with no recoil.
If you want the better big game rifle pick the .338 Federal or .358 Win.
If you just want to be the coolest guy in deer camp pick the .250 Savage or .257 Roberts.
All good choices. May as well get 4 rifles.
308 or 7-08 in that order. I have two 7-08s and one 308. I have two 30-06 so the bigger game is covered.
It depends a lot on what else you already own. There is a lot of duplication within cartridges. For example there is no reason at all to own both 7-08 and 308. Nothing one can do the other can't. Nothing a 30-06 will do that a 7-08 or 308 won't do.
The 6.5 CM and 260 can do the same thing if the 260 is custom built with the right barrel and if you handload. If someone owns a 260 and likes it there is little reason to change. But if you own neither there is no reason to choose the 260. It isn't by much, but 6.5 CM does everything a little better and does it with off the shelf ammo and rifles.
A 243, especially if twisted for heavier bullets is a great deer cartridge, but is border line on anything bigger. The 6.5 is the next step up that is capable on everything in the lower 48. It will kill anything a 270 will kill and at the same ranges. With recoil closer to 243 than 308.
708 would be my choice if the 243 didn't grab my trigger hard enough to keep it.
Just sayin, for the price of a re-barrel, you can buy an off-the-shelf sub moa creed, and still have the .243.
Just a thought.
.358 Winchester is what I’d do.
That’s what I did.
Rebored a pitted .243 Pre-64 Fwt to 358 Win.
Sent it to JES in Oregon. $250 included return postage, took little over a week. More shipping time than turnaround time. JES guns usually shoot very well.
Cheaper than a new barrel and you don’t have to do anything with original stock.
DF
260 Remington
6.5 Creedmoor
7-08 Remington
300 savage
308 Winchester
338 Federal
358 Winchester
One gun for all big game, mostly Wisconsin Whitetail
And perhaps, someday
Texas Wild boar
Irish Red stag
African plains game
Have had several 280s, a 338 win mag
This rifle is set up along the lines of a Remington model 7
Trim and light and handy
Any thoughts?
If you can afford an Africa hunt, you can afford several new rifle. Off your list, there's no cartridge that won't do what you want. Only three class's cartridge's I simply don't care for, not that they wouldn't work. have had my magnum's and will never have another! 270 is one I just never got close to one. Then there is the over 30 cal cartridges. 308 and 30-06 will pretty much handle every thing in North America and maybe even Africa if the shooter's does his job. If he doesn't, anything bigger simply won't help!
Picking from that list and understanding mostly this will be a Wisconsin deer rifle, I'd go with either of the 6.5's! Then again I have a real soft spot for 6.5's and actually also for 7mm's. 7mm-08 would work fine. There is simply to much over run in cartridge,s to tell anyone which would be best. The best will be what you like. Smaller the cal and lighter the bullet's equal less recoil to some degree. Smaller the caliber the lighter good game bullet's can be. Less recoil makes for lighter easier to shoot rifles but I think that is way over played. Actually except in really special case's, I think the only value for any cartridge under 6.5 is deer! Not that 24 and 25 caliber's won't kill game just as dead. But I simply like what I like!
If I was to get rid of everything but one rifle, that won't happen, I'd keep my 6.5x55. If I had a 260/6.5CM I'd probably keep that for no other reason than case's are easier to come up with than 6.5x55 case's. Choosing the just right cartridge and rifle is a totally personal thing!
338 Fed with a modestly low power scope
OH! HELL, I forgot only women and kids kill Deer and Elk , Moose, Bear, Pigs, ect. with a 243. Rio7
OH! HELL, I forgot only women and kids kill Deer and Elk , Moose, Bear, Pigs, etc. with a 243. Rio7
Yep.
Deer and pigs with a .223, and on a regular basis...
DF
Didn't know you hunted in Louisiana...
DF
Why not change the barrel on your .243 to a fast twist 7.5 or 8 and shoot any weight up to 115 gr. there's nothing
more accurate than the 6mm, and there's nothing in the lower U.S. or Africa plains game you can't take with the .243 the .243 may not sound as sexy as some of the others you listed but it will do the job of all of them Rio7
.243 with 100 gr worked just fine on moose, caribou, sheep, black bear for me.... Never really liked it tho. Still have that one.
I'd go .260 (did on a .244), 7/08 (what I was looking for when I found the .260 bbl), or .308.
To me, and I know this is my personal experience which is limited and contradicted by the experiences of others, I see a real difference in performance on game at right about the 7mm mark. Go with the 7mm-08.