I’ve got a Kimber Montana In 30-06 I need to rebarrel, looking at these 2 options. Leaning towards the 240 Roy, looking to shoot Barnes bullets in either one. Going to be using it for hunting Texas Hill country deer, AKA not very big

If you were going to build a lightweight deer rifle in this caliber range, what would you do? Caliber, Barrel length, twist rate?

I asked myself a similar question, and my answer was:













The barrel is a Broughton 5C, 1:9 twist, throated for 103gn Hammer Hunter bullets. Should be good for anything up to mulies. It came back from Rifle, Colorado, just a few days ago, so I haven't shot it yet, but I am pretty sure it is going to shoot great.

Id do a plain old 6-06, 7.5 twist on a 1 or 2 contour. Inexpensive brass, ability to shoot about any bullet you want and no real detractors I can think of in the Kimber.

This^^^^^^^ or a 6.5-06 or 25-06. I just unloaded a stupid accurate Mark V accumark , 240 is too much of a tweaner cartridge for me and not unlike a 25-06.

.240 Wby,1-10" twist and 26" barrel.

I’m close to that, just thinking maybe 240 Roy, 26” barrel, 1-8” twist and running the 95 gr Barnes LRX copper solid at about 3500 fps. I figure after 200 yards it turns into a .243

What profile barrel is that and did you do anything else to get it down under 6#??

26" on an 84L? 6mm 10-twist hamstring instead of 8"? 240 'Bee instead of 6/6.5-06? Proprietary brass instead of Alpha, Lapua or....?

Wow.

The new barrel has the same contour as the factory barrel, albeit 2" longer. The barrel channel was enlarged a little to ensure the barrel would not contact the forearm, otherwise nothing was done to reduce weight.

Factory ammo is a must, I have reloading equipment but not enough time to do it consistently.

I’d buy 5 boxes of the factory 80 gr. TTSX loads and then save the brass for future work when I started to run low (years down the road)

Weatherby gets their brass from Norma, so it’s good stuff for 5-7 reloads. 6-06, 6.5-06 are out of the equation since I can’t get factory ammo.

Initial 100 rounds, plus 4-6 reloads Comfortably (some report up to 10 on Weatherby brass in their magnums) Will probably last the life of the barrel where I will probably rebore it out to a 35 Whelen and chop it to 21” or something. (That was my original plan with this Gun but I have a 338 federal montana that fills that rule nicely already)

What he said. Although I would definitely do a number 2 contour, they get that muzzle up to .60” to balance a bit muzzle heavy.

More capacity than a 240, great brass, ability to throat as per your wishes, pointy 6mm bullets, enough mag length in the Kimber. No down side.

Only downside would be that dies are higher than giraffe pussy for the 6-06 dies.

I have kicked the same thing around and landed on either a 25-06 if I had a standard bolt face or a 257 Roy if I had a mag action.

If you buy factory standard, absolutely. If you bought 30-06 bushing dies and about a .270” bushing? Still expensive but then you get great dies.

Just had a 6-06 done on a Kimber. I went with a 8 twist 24” Lilja that dupes the factory contour. Getting 3376fps with 108s and excellent accuracy. Easy button.

Disregard. Factory ammo being a must....Id rather 25-06 than 240.

If you choose the Weatherby, why not do a fast twist of you ever get the itch to shoot ELD style bullets?

Factory? I would probably go 8-twist 6.5 x 55. Although it still gets you back to handloading ultimately, then you can play with some long range bullets for fun. And it would work well in the magazine constraints of the 84L.

Otherwise, 25-06 all day.

Factory? .25/06. My neighbor has slain truckloads of deer, some pretty big and pretty far, with 100gr TTSXs. Twist it a little tighter if you think you might want to go heavier later.

Decide based on what YOU do, or want to do, not on pie in the sky stuff others push. I like 6mms myself, nary a .25 to be found here, but I load nearly every cap I pop.

Then there's the 1-8" or 9" .270..........🤔

You could play with that new 6.5 RPM by Weatherby too.

I need to give Shaen a call about converting a 270 Mountain Ascent in a regular Montana stock I have here not being used to 25-06 to discuss my options and timeframe. Thought I’d go with the Lilja factory dupe with heavier taper toward the barrel end, finished at 24” and 8” (unless he has a better suggestion and could get a good barrel faster). Planning to shoot 100 TTSX factory but twisted to be able to handload something different later on.

The rifle will be much more useful to me as a 25-06 as the 270 just sits there doing nothing.

We will see.

I like both cartridges a lot. The 240 is a not as common but I kinda like it that way. If you can afford to shoot it, do it. The WBY factory ammo I have used has been accurate in multiple rifles. However, another option would be to get a custom load developed from Superior or Copper Creek. I helped a friend get a load from Superior for his 240 WBY and it shoots awesome. After a sample pack or two, you then would have your load which you can continue to order as needed.


I would go with at least a 24" inch tube and 8 or 7.5 twist to shoot heavier, 6mm caliber deer bullets.

Never heard of it,or seen one. Hint. Congratulations?!?






Forced to speculate,I'd prolly keep an eye on freebore,due the tiny mag constraints involved and would surmise no more than .125" there. Mine would keep Lapooey Virgin neck clearance in mind too. Hint.



The Two Porty Roy cain't hang and the 25-TwatSix is laughable. Pass the Lapooey brass,'22 and 105 Hornie BTHP's. I've seen the .530 BC do some thangs and 3400fps don't suck. Hint.

I tend to dupe Montucky conours,though shorten the shank. Only Shaen would touch it,though I'd start with a bigger blank.(grin)

Just sayin'..........................

^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^

Between just your two choices, and with factory ammo a must........................there ain't enough ballistic difference between the two to even come close to justifying the .240 Bee.

build a 6.5x284 by far a better cartridge for a custom rifle ,Lapua makes 6.5x284 ,bullets for a 6.5 are easy to find and buy too. 6.5x284 will out shoot all cartridges listed in this post also

It's never not funny,when you gals do your best. Hint. Congratulations?!?

There's no answer in .257" bore sizing. The 'Bee has always been a steaming pile of schit,due literal design. Hint.

In fairness however,the Six-TwatSix scalps 'em all and by a goodly margin. The 25's cain't begin to muster the math,whether it Theory or Application. Hint.

The 6.5-284 is dismal and does a Montucky NO favors. If/when/where it is viable,something as simplistic as a 7-08 crushes it. Aboard a L/A Montucky .473",I'd be at ease with a 8" RPM or greater 7-08 in a 'dupe,for 180/'90's,but i don't infer that as being the impetus driven. Hint.

Though coming full circle,it's tough to whoop the L/A Montucky in .243" bore sizing,due Funtitude and of course Killtitude,if only because I shoot it all and then some. Hint.

Bless your hearts for Trying though.

Hint.

LAUGHING!..............

Well, I doubt I would build. I would sell and buy what I wanted because you could get a really nice rifle for what you would have into that kimber with a new barrel. You will be in that rifle for $1800?

For factory ammo Barnes, look at their LRX line and go from there. 6cm and the 95 lrx would be high on my list. 6.5 cm and the 127 lrx. 270 and 129lrx at 3140 if you wanted to stay LA.

Question: I am trying to decide between keeping one of two rifles - a 30-06 and a .308 Winchester. I want widespread and cheap ammo availability. 180gn pills. Factory ammo only. Primary criteria is easy easy easy. Which one should I keep?

Campfire answer: Sell both and get yourself a .473 Esoterica. You'll have to have dies custom made, and buy raw tubing stock to form your own cases, and swage your own 317.5 gn bullets with a special lead alloy only made in Nauru (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru) once every 10 years and only available on the black market due to import restrictions. But that cartridge is obviously the best choice given your criteria.

chinstone,

I'm not personally involved with condoning STUPIDITY,but it's funnier than fhuqk that you are...you "lucky" kcuhnt. Hint. Congratulations?!?

Pardon my simply shooting it all and then some,while you "get" to read about it and look at the pics. Hint.

Bless your heart for crying.

Hint.

LAUGHING!.................

How old are you dude? You cannot be an actual adult. Are you perpetually stuck in puberty?

You fed it after midnight...

Hard to beat a good 240WBY.

I think a .25-06 is a fantastic round. The 6.5 super duper shoot to the next zip code guns have actually been equaled and in some cases surpassed, but market hype keeps 'em spinning their yarn.

7mms and even .270s with custom barrels with 1:8 twists will send 170 grain Hi BC bullets as far as most any 6.5. The .25-06 with an even moderately tight twist will actually shoot a 120 grain bullet as far as most people need to be shooting at game anyway.

But if Berger or Matrix or some of the other custom bullet makers would get on the stick they could sell a lot of bullets. You can right now have yourself a .257 barrel made with a 1:9 or 1:8 twist. I had Krieger make me a 1:9 barrel for my .250 Savage and I shoot 115, 117 and 120 grain bullets in it exclusively.

All is lacking for the .25s to join the ultra long range club is these bullet companies to join the 21st Century and make some 140-150, yes even 160 grain VLD bullets for them. Then "INSTANT SUCCESS STORY!" Run those through a .25-06 or a .257 WBY and you're gonna blow almost if not all 6.5s out of the water.

Then again, not completely swallowing all this Long Range Hunting hog waller, I think a good .270 with 150 grain partitions or a good .280 or 7mag with similar fodder will kill all the animals allowed at as far as you can probably see and shoot ethically.

Pretty hard to beat a 25-06 if all you're shooting is factory loads. I have a 240WM and 25-06, I load everything so I can't speak on the factory offerings, but they both shoot lights out. I think you'll find more availability with the 25-06.

Unless you are shooting bullets heavier than 103 grains in the 240 the two cartridges are very close. The same is true for the 25-06 if twisted fast enough for the longest Hammer and Black Jack bullets then it will out range the 240 slightly. The factory consideration would make me lean towards the 25-06 but either will be almost ideal for Hill Country hunting.

My vote between to the two would be the 25-06.

Cheaper brass that is far easier to find, good bullet selection, great accuracy and deadly on deer. Yep, 25-06 for me.

I agree.

Mj,

I know Big Stick will agree with me on this , but of the 2 choices you're considering, go with the 240. It's simply a cooler cartridge and not everyone owns one. Sure, factory ammo choices are more plentiful for the 25-06, but Weatherby offers a handful of choices as well. Killing Texas Whitetails isn't exactly difficult, and certainly doesn't require a fancy bullet and a speedy twist rate to do so. Heck, even Weatherby's economy minded 100 gr Norma Spitzer factory load will whack the shiat out of a Whitetail beyond distances most people are comfortable....or even capable of shooting. The beauty of the 240 is that when handloaded, you can send 55's out the pipe at 4000 fps or a slick 105 at 3300, which will easily cover anything in Texas. In the end though, you won't be able to discern much difference in performance between the 2 cartridges.

Shame you don’t reload. Having a long action and not being a hand loader? Missing out on so much goodness. 280AI?!

Without hand loading I’d save my money and shoot the 30-06 with 150s on deer of any size and never look back.

Way too big for the small deer of Texas.

Why, you’re burning the same amount of powder, and less if you use reduced factory loads of which there are several in the 30-06. Let’s see $20/20 rnds vs $75/20 rnds. Which one is really the more conservative choice?

I had a .25-06, traded it some years ago.

I make .240 brass out of new W/W .25-06 cases. New, because fired brass is just too hard to form, new brass hard enough. Some say W/W brass is harder than Wby/Norma, so those W/W primer pockets should last longer.

Forming .240 cases requires a CH4D die and Imperial Die Wax plus some muscle power, even in a big compound press like the Redding Boss II.

I had traded for an HS. Precision SPL in .240. Sold the ugly 42 oz H.S. stock, dropped it in a 26 oz. McM Hunter's Edge. Big difference.

If building from scratch, I'd consider an 8 twist 6-06 over a .240 Wby. Less trouble forming brass and slightly more case capacity. If I was using a SA, vs. a LA, I'd probably go with a 6 CM. Never handled one, but those who have them speak highly of them...

I thought I was out of the .25 cal. business, then traded for a Brux barreled .257R in a LA 700. I really like it; it's a keeper.

Probably no "cure" for the Loony, "Support groups" like this are nothing but a pack of enablers...



DF

Sorry for derailing the conversation.....

Dirtfarmer; I assume that you would use .25-06 brass for forming the 6mm-06; do you think using .270 brass woud have any issues?

Thanks GRF

I'd probably use 25-06 brass. The less change, the better, not that .270 wouldn't work. You may have to trim,

I was making .257 Wby brass from 7 RM cases. Sometimes the necks would be a bit thick. I was told that using .264 WM brass may be better than 7 RM for that reason.

DF..

GRF,

I know you didn't ask me, but I owned a 6-06 for awhile and used 25-06 brass exclusively. One pass through a 6-06 FL sizing die and it was ready to go. No trimming required. For experimental purposes only, I tried 270 brass. Necks came out too long and too thick. 25-06 brass is definitely the way to go.

Good info.

What twist?

DF

Dirtfarmer, Wbyfan1; gentlemen, thank you so very much for your repsonses.

All the best.

GRF

DF,

It was an 8 twist, 26 in Brux.

GRF,

One more thing...If you have a lot's of 270 brass on hand and are thinking of building a 6-06, look at the 243 Catbird instead. It's a 270 Win case simply necked down to a 6mm. It holds a bit more powder, so is a tad hotter than a 6-06. Would be a fun round to shoot. 105 Bergers at 3350+, would be scary good!

Hard to beat that, twist and barrel maker.

DF

Bet loading dies wouldn't be cheap.

DF

Kenny Jarrett used to carry dies and they were not too bad at his bulk rate. If off the shelf or custom there would be a temporary ouch factor for the Catbird. I think they are in the "G" series for gotcha. The 6-06 is a little better but still up there. Whidden I don't think adds much of a surcharge as long as they have the tooling.

Had forgotten about Kenny Jarrett pushing that round...

DF

"Factory ammo is a must"...

Saw that half way into the thread. Had to go back and look for it.

So, do we recommend expensive .240 Wby ammo or hard to find 25-06 ammo?

And of the two, which factory version will shoot better? I never had to make that decision, although I've had both rifles, still have the .240.

OP needs to reload....

DF

OP does need to reload, no doubt.

In the mean time, MidwayUSA has 26 different 25-06 loads just a mouse-click away.

Good to know.

I’d probably go 25-06 as it’s more versatile.

But it depends on what the OP already has in his safe, what he’s wanting to use it for.

DF

FlimFlamMa'm,

Your bone deep Retardation is fhuqking HILARIOUS and your haste to tote STUPIDITY to places it's never been before,is rather impressive...you "lucky" kchunt. Hint. Congratulations?!?

REALLY enjoyed your "prowess" with,"specifying" a 9" RPM 250 Salvage,to squirt Nerf Balls at a Retard's pace,though that is your "speed". Hint. LAUGHING!

Swing for the fence and cite which 115,117 and 120gr .257" boresize projectiles,excite you so. Then extrapolate how adding more trajectory correction,more windage correction,more recoil and reduced terminal effects are "good" things in your book and be sure to weigh your crossed-eyes heavily. Hint.

Bullets matter wayyyyyyyyyy more than headstamps,despite your gross inability to attain a FIRST Fhuqking Clue about anything,other than what a window tastes like. Hint.

Now after the OP has changed more than a few thangs,she should perhaps keep in mind that a Factory 6 Kreedmire,will swat a Factory 25-06 silly. Might just be,because boolits matter and it's copiously frosted over the counter,with offerings that ain't Dog Schit fhuqking Junk. Read that again. Now one more time. Hint.

You Drooling Fhuqtards never disappoint,by simply doing your best and the collective inability to score an inkling,is fhuqking MAGNIFICENT.

Bless your hearts for fhuqking trying though.

Hint.

LAUGHING!....................

Safe has lots of Kimber Montana’s and a few Winchester’s and a Montana 1999 in the following calibers:

.223
.257 Roberts
264 Win mag
308
30-06
300WSM
338 Federal.

So I don’t need a long action 6mm-quarterbore at all but that 30-06 has been sitting on consignment at the local shop for like 2 years and If it won’t sell, I’d like to do something with it...