Let's say one was shopping for a Wincheser M70 Featherweight in .308 Win (or substitute your favorites) and you could only find M70 Featherweights in .25-06 or 6.5 CM or .243. Pretty much anything but the cartridge you want.

Would you buy the rifle you want in a similar cartridge (ie 6.5CM)?
Would you buy the cartridge you want in another brand of rifle?

Depends on what I planned to do with it. If the cartridge the rifle is chambered for can accomplish the use I intended for the rifle and ammo in that chambering was fairly available, I would do it. I would be less inclined to pay a premium for a rifle chambered for something other than my preferred cartridge though.

Obviously you are wanting a brand spanking new rifle. Why not a used 308 featherweight? Pre 64, XTR feathereweight and classic featherweight is what I'd be searching for. Not the new Browning. This is really not that hard. If I absolutely needed/wanted a 308w and I could not find (as strange as that sounds) the one I wanted, I'd buy a Tikka instead of the Browning. With that being said, there are PLENTY of great used rifles out there right now.

Nope. I'd either wait until I found the rifle I wanted in the cartridge I wanted. However, if I just wanted another rifle I'd get one of a different manufacturer in 308win. Every one makes the 308win.

This is me as well. I'm not looking for a new rifle at this time but I'm always looking if ya know what I mean. It was just a random thought I had. Then I thought it might be a good conversation topic

A M70 XTR Featherweight in .308 was my first rifle back in 1986. I've also had the thought if I had just stuck with that instead of trading or buying new rifles over the years I could have afforded a lot more hunting

if i was shopping for a featherweight and couldn't find a 308... i would consider a 30-06, 7-08, 7x57, 280 Rem or a 270 Win before the other 3 you mentioned... YMMV...

Yep

From the original three alternatives you mentioned, I would wait for a 308.

308 winchester is a must-have rifle. Shoot lots kind of rifle with little recoil. Affordable to feed, range rubbish brass everywhere, usually free or about $23-$24 per 100.

I'd rather have a ruger 308 over most other 308's. I shoot mostly 200 grain loads here in Alaska and like that 1:10 rifling ruger uses.

Over a decade ago, I had 200 grain partitions and 200 grain accubonds key holing a target at 25 yards, from a 1:12 barrel on a savage 99. I believe most model 70 308's are 1:12 twist, a no-go in my world.

Just adds to the versatility of the 308 winchester, that nice ruger rifling.

My standard ruger american is at the gunsmith right now, getting open sights and barrel chopped to 20". Need it to fit in a vertical scabbard underneath the handle bar of my dog sled, so 40 inches max length. Don't really want anything shorter than 20" though:

For what it is worth it took me over twenty years to find a good Brno model 21 in 7x64 Brenneke with round bolt handle.


Good luck convincing me it wasn't worth the effort.

A true Loony would simply build what is wanted, with a cartridge they designed, shooting bullets designed for the application.

I would make the rifle a higher priority than the cartridges, since there is so much redundancy/overlap within the spectrum of cartridges, particularly so within the spectrum of medium game cartridges.

What I want is almost certainly going to be different from what you want, so advice is given from the user's perspective and is seldom objective, as it is biased by the advice giver's experience.

If you're going to hunt medium game with your new rifle and don't have a preference about what cartridge that it is chambered for, it is hard to go wrong with popular cartridges like the 243, 6.5 CM, 270, 308, or 30-06. Cream rises to the top and popular cartridges are popular because they have proven themselves. As has often been said on this site, proper placement of a properly constructed bullet is far more important than the cartridge's head stamp.

I'm a tinker and since tinkers must tinker, very few of my shooting rifles are still in their cataloged configurations. I change stocks to better fit me physically and barrels to better balance the package or to make them handier.

No hard and fast rule here for me. Usually I just see some rifle that trips my trigger and if the chambering is something that interests me, or I think I have a use for,I get it. Sometimes I see a cartridge I really like and, if the rifle’s not a no go for some reason, I get it.

These days I’m trying to trim down the herd and it takes something of real interest. I am much less inclined to tinker with rifles and cartridges. I am much more attracted to nice Italian shotguns. They are simpler, more elegant, don’t require optics and will be easier for my wife to cash in when I kick the bucket.

I once passed on a beautiful, reasonably priced featherweight because it was in 7x57, not 6.5x55.

If the .308 and 6.5CM were side by side on the shelf, same price, same everything, I'd take the 6.5CM.

I’d buy the wrong chambering in the right configuration and order a barrel.

It would probably depend on what I was hunting. After a lifetime of deer hunting, I haven’t seen a pinch of difference in using a .30-30 to a .300WM or even arrows in the end result. Like Horse1 suggested, just get something with a similar bolt face and swap out the barrel with a better one in the chambering of your choice time and money allowing.

I always try to buy the rifle first not the cartridge, but I do consider the cartridge as well. Just secondarily.

Always the cartridge first for me.

Build don’t buy. The longest curve for me was knowing what actually works best for me. Now I’ve gone through a heap of rifles and build what I want. I think I got lost most of the way.

This.

Since you’re looking for new have it built or just rebarreled to what you want.

I’d like a prewar factory correct M70 chambered in .300 H&H. For a new rifle, if you really want it and it just has to be chambered in 308 Win buy what you can get and rebarrel it now or down the road.

👍

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.

^^^^^^^^^^
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

I bought a Winchester featherweight in .243 just because I thought it was a good looking rifle.

I wanted that rifle in .257 Roberts and couldn't find one. BIG mistake. I was never happy with that rifle and ended up trading it off less than a year later.

Thank goodness, I've learned to wait for something now, instead of making bad decisions. Old age has finally helped something!

Virgil B.

This just happened to me. I wanted an A Bolt Medallion in a short action. I preferred a 7-08, but would consider a 308, 243 or even a 22-250. I figured I could always rebarrel if the cal bothered me that much. I found one in 308, drug me feet a bit because it was over my self imposed limit by $100, and it sold. 2 weeks later I lucked into a 260, $150 below my max price. I never knew they were made in 260 and am anxiously awaiting it's arrival at my FFL.

Depends on what I'm looking to do. One year I wanted a M70 to make a 35 Whelen. Found a 270 and rebarreled it. Next year I wanted a M70 in 257 Roberts. Well I ended up with a M54 Target in 257R. My 308 is a Rem 700. Only ones that are not caliber dependent are my Mausers. For those I'm really just looking at the rifle. I'll make the caliber work in that case.

The cartridge……I’ll either find a satisfactory rifle or if necessary build one! memtb

To me, it almost always the platform for the intended application first. Cartridges are very simply bullet launchers. With today's super bullets, cartridge is of lesser importance than being able to hit the target from field positions - and said rifle must be capable of functioning in all types of weather.

As had been said, a rebarrel is about $700 away.

The sad thing is you pay that much for a rebarrel, when an off the shelf Tikka will outshoot your rebarreled rifle for the same cost: In essence, you gain nothing, but lose a lot. Also, if you rebarrel a rifle like what the OP is looking for, you reduce said value of that rifle. You take all collectability away. I still don't know if he's looking for a brand new BACO or a used model 70 featherweight?? He didn't answer my question on that subject. I'd personally just look for a used XTR featherweight, pre 64 fwt, or classic fwt. I recently saw a BACO fwt that had obviously been rebarreled. They wanted $650.00 for the rifle, and the shop sat on it for quite a while.

Also, vbshootingrange makes a great point about buying and then not being happy with said purchase. Eventually that will eat on you, until you undoubtedly sell it.

I also see a lot of waste you guys do when it comes to what you do to your rifles. I will go out and buy a used rifle, at an extremely good deal, fine tune them (which costs almost nothing) and have an exceptional rifle that shoots dime sized groups. It's all in how you look at things, but that's how I'd be doing it.

Kinda. It is easier to rebarrel than try to make a rifle 'fit' my dimensions. A rifle is only as good a deal as it fits the person and needs. A great shooting rifle that doesn't fit a person, or meets the need is way more expensive after you churn 3-4-5 of them. And what if said rifle doesn't shoot well? You either sell it (see my churn comment) or you buy another and try again.

Case in point: the Kimber Montana platform fits me well, serves my purposes almost to perfection. I had a Montana in 257 Robts I acquired in a trade. Trade worked out great for the other person. The 257 was a solid 1.5" gun on its best day. After $100 in components, it became a 338 Fed which now shoots subMOA with several loads and bullets. In the end, it was way cheaper for me to rebarrel than churn through a bunch of other rifles.

In my view after a guy has been doing this for a while he knows what works for him and what doesn't. To me it's still easier to pick the platform, then cartridge, and if that won't shoot rebarrel with a quality barrel and 'Smith. You end up with the platform you prefer and a cartridge that fits the need.

For me it's a combination of both.

Platform first, I can make the cartridge work. That does not usually work the other way around.

I have bought 2 new rifles in the past 2 years and they are both now gone,everythng else is used and not made in the last 15-20 years.

There are certain combinations of rifle and cartridge that appeal to some hunters, especially "mature" guys, such as:

Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1903 in 6.5x54 M-S.
Mauser Werke Model B in 7x57.
Remington 722 .257 Roberts, or even .244 Remington, or the 721 in .300 H&H.
Savage 99 ("pre-mil")in either .250 or .300--or for the real "mature" loonies, .22 High Power or .303 Savage.
Springfield 1903 sporters in .30-06, whether Griffin & Howe, Sedgley, or Springfield Armory.
Winchester Model 1894 or 94 in .25-35, .30-30 (or .30 WCF), or .32 Special.
Winchester Model 1895s in .30-40, or .30-06.
Winchester pre-'64 Model 70 Featherweight in .270, or "magnum" .300 or .375H&H. Or a .264 Westerner.
Winchester Model 71

The list could go on and on--and on, including such stuff as .35 Whelens by various manufacturers back when the cartridge was a wildcat,
or pre-'64 Model 70s in .22 Hornet or .220 Swift, or British double rifles in any Nitro-Express round from .450/400 on up, or whatever "classic combination you can some up with.

There are also some "classic" combinations of more recent rifles and cartridges, such as a Remington 700 in .280 or 7mm Express, an Ultra Light Arms Model 20, or one of the dozens of cutting-edge 21st century rifles in 6.5 PRC or whatever cartridge du jour.

Have owned most of these at one time or another, and have found they all kill stuff if you shoot 'em straight.

If it’s not exactly what I want, I will never be happy with it.

….even if it is exactly what I want I’m always able to add something or subtract something from “perfection” and then “forced” to commence my search once again. 😀

I really kick myself for getting rid of a couple of Kimber Montanas I owned. I’d like to find a stainless 338wm. 😀

Then I’d be done for good…..😂

For the longest time, I’d not consider a 270 in a Remington rifle, nor a 280 in a Model 70. Just didn’t seem the right match. Sometimes people are funny. Me, at least. 🤔

Here's one of my latest rifles, a New Ultra Light Arms Model 20 6.5-.284. It belonged to my late friend Tom McIntyre, the well-known outoodr writer who passed away a few months ago. I helped his wife with the gun collection, and bought several of Tom's guns.

Among his eclectic collection, I bought several guns. He had three NULAs, and this one appeared to be unfired. He also had a collection of about as many scopes, and one I kept was the one he was given when he was given the Zeiss Writer of the Year Award in 2012. Its a Conquest, which they apparently no longer offer, a 1.4-5.5x "slug gun model," with his name on it. I suspect Zeiss called it a 5.5x on the top end because it would appeal more to shotgun hunters, but it is definitely at least 6x, or a little more.

Anyway, I wanted both the rifle and scope because they were Tom's, and am working up handloads to take black bear hunting this spring. This is partly because we're getting a little low on black bear meat--but mostly because it was Tom's rifle, and scope.

Which is of course why many of us hunt with rifles that belonged to friends and family, even though they may not be the combination we might consider "perfect" for some supposed "job. And I am quite certain it will work, even though the cartridge might not meet somebody else's definition of a perfect bear cartridge....

Save some time and money and wait for what you want.

Big game cartridges are more alike than most will admit but you won't be happy if you hurry to buy the wrong one, for you.

Most any rifle will do the job but the Right one will be with you for a while.

We live in a time of plenty and instant gratification.... wait a bit for the right one.

Edit. Mule Deer, I'm sorry to hear you lost a friend. I'm sure he'd have been glad you are putting one of his rifle/scope combinations to work and remembering him.

Some of you also might be amused by going to the "Home Page" of 24hour, and clicking on my article "The Pursuit of Perfection."

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/the-pursuit-of-perfection/

Apologies. As I replied to HotSoup, I'm not really looking. This was just a random though I had and wondered what others would do in the same situation.

I could have as easily stated a Kimber classic in 7-08 or a Sako in 6.5x55.

I'm usually a 1) caliber then 2) rifle kinda guy.
Right now, I'm on a .22 Hornet kick, except NO H&R Handi!
I had one and loved it, but it was a real butt pain!
It would shoot a fly off an apple at 100 yards for 5 or 6 rounds. The next one may not be in the same county.
I killed a wider variety of game with that rifle than any other firearm I've ever owned!

I also love Ruger No.1 rifles, but don't want just "any" caliber.

I like 16 gauge shotguns, but will take a Win M12 in any gauge except twelve....unless it's to resell.

Oh well, that's just me!

I’ll play. What are you going to do with a 308 that you couldn’t do with a 6.5 Creed?

I probably wouldn’t go from short action to long. But unless there is some other motivation for having a 308 that we aren’t aware of, what’s the difference?

It's nice that you could help his wife with offloading the guns. I've done the same thing a couple times and it was always a thankless job.

I look forward to hearing more about this project & your hunt.

Lawdwaz,

This was far from a thankless job. It was not only appreciated very much, but helped her considerably--partly by eliminating some "friends" who were hounding her about Tom's rifles soon after he passed away.

Will be writing about the rifle in one of my upcoming rifle columns in Sports Afield, but also in Rifle Loony News, our on-line quaterly magazine available through www.riflesandrecipes.com.

Will also definitely be using it this fall for antelope, deer or elk.

Each cartridge is just another shade of grey. What one can do well, a dozen others can do as well.

That said, most of my rifles were purchased only because they were the first I found available in the cartridge I was interested in at the time. My primary interest has been experimentation and developing load data.

I can work up load data as well in a Ruger, as in Winchester, as in a Remington, or a Browning, or a Kimber, or an old Mauser for that matter.

Although my last purchase of a Winchester 70 Classic was strictly for the rifle. I did not wish to pay the prices for that rifle in 264, so I bought a 7mm RM and Pac Nor will rebarrel it.

I chose caliber.

30 years ago I developed a burning itch for a 308 in a 788.
The elusive, good for everything, beater, IDGAD about.

Nothing at the gunshot, but there was a decent 660 at an OK price.
A little Hook Nosed Haggling, and it came home.
Dropped in a Brown stock, I have no regrets.

I have always wanted a rifle in 7-08. I don't have a need for one and I can't use it for deer where I live. But, I always thought the 7-08 was a great cartridge. In this case, the rifle is secondary. For some reason the 7-08 is calling my name even though I already have a .243 and a .308.

kwg

You all must be right handed. These are not issues a left handed shooter has to deal with. When younger the options were few and far between and mostly long action at that.

Drawn in by Brand, model, wood, then caliber. Caliber has final say.

Just bought a rifle not the cartridge, I had been looking for a Cooper 270 win. with really nice wood for awhile and stumbled into a 280 rem. with the wood I wanted, never had a 7mm of any kind before but this rifle really turned my crank, it shoots fantastic.

As a left-handed shooter, I've had to get used to making compromises & acknowledge the fact that my options aren't as expansive. To answer the OP's original question, for me it really depends on what I'm trying to acquire & then I have to settle for limited (or no) availability. Sometimes I have a strong desire to acquire a particular rifle model (e.g. a LH Winchester Model 70) so I then have to decide what calibers do I want to add to my collection that are available for that particular model. Sometimes that decision gets flipped around when I want to acquire a particular caliber (I have a fondness for some of the classics) and then I try to figure out what rifle models were ever chambered in that round. Trying to locate a left-handed .257 Roberts or a .35 Whelen can be a bit like looking for a unicorn sometimes. Often I have to hope that an affordable custom just falls into my lap. It's fun to treat it like a scavenger hunt since I really have everything I need & I'm just browsing around to see if I'm lucky enough stumble across something cool that I want. Fortunately I'm fond of single shots so ambidextrous Ruger #1's & Winchester 1885's can sometimes solve this problem.

Ha I love this. I'm the same way. Its like dropping a Chevy small block in a Ford. Just wrong.

I bought the rifle not the cartridge...I already had a couple of 30/06's that were fine rifles. One was an FN and another was a Husqvarna. Neither had very good wood in the stock. I saw this rifle for sale and had to have it. I'm a sucker for a good piece of fiddleback walnut. Sold a couple of rifles once this one was in the safe. It's not going anywhere...

I would buy the rifle I wanted in the chambering I want.

I'm more of a cartridge person for practical purposes. For instance I find myself being far more interested in utility rather than nostalgia nowdays. My two main rifles have evolved to the 6.5 creedmoor and 223. The reason why is I can use Varget in both and CCI 450 primers I also use in both! With shortages and the pure BS of continually trying to supply different combo's I'm pretty much over. Meat in my freezer is the only thing I give two schitts about anymore. The platform is of importance to me as well but again utility is all I look for in platforms nowdays as well. The tikka t3 is my go to

The fiddleback in that wood does not get any better. Treasure this rifle.

If you practice enough to demonstrate competency, the right cartridge doesn't matter as much as the right rifle.
The right rifle will entice you to practice.

If I'm looking for a 358 I'm not settling for a 243. If I'm shopping for a Savage 99, I'm not settling for a Marlin 336.

My last 2 purchases were because I liked the rifle and the price. The first was a Winchester Model 70 XTR Featherweight 1983 vintage. The second, a Remington 7600 1981 vintage. Both chambered in 270 Win which, oddly enough, was a cartridge that was currently absent from my collection. The 7600 would have been more appealing to me had it been 30-06. I still jumped on it though given the excellent condition of the rifle. Chambering was irrelevant.

I agree with DD.

We all have our favorites, sometimes due to “rifle fit”, failed ammo or maybe because that’s what we grew up with.
I’m picky on rifles more than cartridges. But cartridges must be able to handle the game being hunted.

I’ve been looking off and on for a certain manufacturer’s model with a certain cartridge chamber for a long time. I don’t need it but I had one many years ago and was desperate for $’s when I was in school. I have similar chamberings in said rifle, but “not the same”.
In this case only one exact combination would work.

Rifles are stories. What kind of story are you interested in? What kind of story do you want to tell about yourself? Are you boasting before a boxing match? Entertaining around the campfire? Passing on something meaningful?

I think, our rifles say a great deal about us. I'll obsess about the details with the best of loonies - "It has to be this." But, I also think, that all the info and prejudices between our ears are better when tempered by a little serendipity. Recognize when the Seven Mad Gods of Loonyism are trying to tell you something. OP, get the 6.5cm and learn something, let the rifle have some influence on you and not just the other way around.

Fun thread, thanks!

Fun thread indeed. My last gun purchase was an unexpected sweet coincidence of me looking at CVA Scout V2 single shot takedown rifles that I've been admiring and discovering that they offer a 444 Marlin chambering in them. Which is why I bought one; so I chose both the rifle and the cartridge and couldn't be happier. Outside of lever guns the only 444 Marlin chamberings I've ever seen were in T/C Contender barrels. I've always admired the 444 as a woods thumper on whitetails and I reload 444 for my buddies Marlin lever gun. The 444 has been overshadowed by the resurgence of the .45-70, which had one foot in the grave back in 1964 when Marlin introduced their own 44 cal. version of a big bore, straight wall cartridge which I consider to be sort of a "kinder, gentler" .45-70. Or perhaps a "45-70 light". I don't need the extra oomph that's available with a .45-70 and now I have what's become a semi-obscure cartridge chambered in a nice break open single shot with a 25" barrel and a muzzle brake that still gives me great power for woods deer without getting to .45-70 levels. How's that for rifle looney rationale in regard to rifle and cartridge selection? I suppose it was the cartridge that pushed me over the edge, now that I think about it. ( Still not gonna send my Marlin .30-30 down the road, though).

Many years ago I bought the cartridge, and then the gun, about 35 yrs ago, that switched around. I've bought a few guns and changed them to a suitable cartridge, bought a few even though the cartridge wasn't really what I wanted, but, it'd work OK for the purpose, mostly because I'd be nuts not to grab it at that price, so to speak.

Back when I was buying Win 70s, I would by any I could find and then rebarrel to the chambering of choice.