Help with new rifle

iHUNT1822 · Feb 2, 2019

So I got the green light to buy a new rifle and I'm not sure what caliber I want a long range (1000 yards max) target rifle but also a hunting rig like it to be lower recoil but still able to reach out light enough to pack heavy enough to target shoot I know it's a lot to ask out of one rifle I was looking at the 7mms like 280ai
7mag 284 or maybe 6.5s like 260 6.5-284 and I should also mention that I hand load

grosventrehunter · Feb 2, 2019

My next rifle will be a 28 Nosler. Will do everything you mentioned.
Down side is finding ammo at times.

iHUNT1822 · Feb 2, 2019

>My next rifle will be a
>28 Nosler. Will do everything
>you mentioned.
>Down side is finding ammo at
>times.

Just reload lol
I also heard the Nosler where kind of barrel burners but that also might be hearsay...... enlighten me

archeryjh · Feb 2, 2019

Just recently bought a 7mm. Love it!! I would recommend a muzzle brake as well. Buy a good gun and spend more on good glass.

elkantlers · Feb 2, 2019

6.5x284 all day.
6.5's have excellent ballistics and they just flat out kill stuff.

iHUNT1822 · Feb 2, 2019

>6.5x284 all day.
>6.5's have excellent ballistics and they
>just flat out kill stuff.
>

Again barrel burner?? So I have heard no personal experience I could get a savage and do barrelseaps on the cheap but it's still throwing 300$ at a new barrel I would like one I just don't wanna replace barrels every 1000 rounds

iHUNT1822 · Feb 2, 2019

>Just recently bought a 7mm. Love
>it!! I would recommend a
>muzzle brake as well. Buy
>a good gun and spend
>more on good glass.

I was thinking about that on a savage LRH and it has a adjustable muzzle break I have a 300 win mag that has a muzzle break and it recoils like a 270 maybe a little less but is just annoyingly loud and muzzle blast is just as bad still good idea tho

junior · Feb 2, 2019

7mmstw or 28 Nosler. I have a stw. Its tad smaller case size than the 28 nosler and neither is considered a barrel burner keeping velocity at 3000. I love the stw caliber, and its very similar to the 28 nosler. Shooting targets out to a 1000, then these are what you want. I have 280 rem and 7mag also and they all have there place.

archeryjh · Feb 3, 2019

>>Just recently bought a 7mm. Love
>>it!! I would recommend a
>>muzzle brake as well. Buy
>>a good gun and spend
>>more on good glass.
>
>
>I was thinking about that on
>a savage LRH and it
>has a adjustable muzzle break
>I have a 300 win
>mag that has a muzzle
>break and it recoils like
>a 270 maybe a little
>less but is just annoyingly
>loud and muzzle blast is
>just as bad still good
>idea tho

That is the exact gun I own, the savage LRH. Has the recoil of a .243. Had my wife comfortably shooting 600 yds with it recently.

Coloradoboy · Feb 3, 2019

I personally own a lot of the calibers mentioned... As far as the nosler calibers go the only one I'd consider is the 30, but they really don't have a huge advantage over the tried and true 300 win and they don't achieve 300 RUM performance. I own a 26 and a 28 and yes they shoot, and kill stuff but they are throat eating SOB?s. Brass is extremely hard to find and expensive. On top of that I'm not a fan of nosler brass (typically what you can find in store) what so ever. Extremely soft and typically is only good for 3 firings tops with the kind of pressures the 26 and 28 generate. I'm not sure why the 6.5x284 is labeled as a barrel burner when it is the most efficient of the long action 6.5s and my favorite hands down. The first one I ever built has well over 1500 rounds through the barrel and keeps on plugging, most people never come close to that in a hunting rifle anyways. A 143 eldx or 140vld running around the 3000fps mark is a pretty good combo on about anything in North America. The new 6.5 prc achieves very similar performance in a short action option. I really like the 280 AI also. I built one last year off a Remington 700 action and it has became a great elk gun paired with a 175 grain eldx. I could go on for days but I stop there.

Coloradoboy

iHUNT1822 · Feb 3, 2019

So 280ai vs 6.5x284 it's also gonna be a long range pinking gun and a little bit for deer and antelope not so much for elk I gotta 300 Winnie for that ......good info guys

Coloradoboy · Feb 3, 2019

If you want something for plinking/deer and antelope gun. I would get a 6.5x47 lapua or 6.5 creedmoor. My 6.5x47 lapua is probably my favorite/most accurate gun I own.

Coloradoboy

Soccerdude · Feb 3, 2019

I just put together a gun you described. I bought a 300 win mag. Reload 178 eldx. Put a muzzle brake on it and it kicks like a .243. I bought a tikka t3x stainless. It's a shooter and light enough to pack around the mountains. Another factor was the amount of good factory ammo available in a pinch. Good luck..

iHUNT1822 · Feb 3, 2019

Well I guess it's not so much the rifle I am asking about it's more of a caliber options and the Creedmoors every one has got one I'd like to be different I suppose

junior · Feb 3, 2019

I have been playing with the 195 grain bergers in my stw. Pretty impressive the groups i have achieved at a 1000. Pretty tame load at right at 3000 fps.It does have a 1-8 twist. Tried the 180s in the 7mag with 1-8.5 twist and it shoot almost identical with the edge going stw. The 280 also has a 1-8.5 but went with 175 with it. Again dam impressive.
I have killed deer with all 3 of these, and to be honest I really see no difference with a well placed bullet. The edge at distance always goes to the stw. Inside 400 yards its a coin toss of the one id grab.
I do admire hp and 284 bullet so maybe im a little biased.
I should point out we shoot accubonds mostly for hunting and have had good luck with them, especially on crop damage permits. We've shot hundreds of deer with them.
What ever caliber you choose, be sure to have enough twist for the longer, higher bc bullets. The twist kills your lite weight velocity, but you gain accuracy for sure.

iHUNT1822 · Feb 3, 2019

I think I'm going with the 280 ai or 7mag I like the 7s and I've never owned one and I'd like to see how they do on critters at around 700yards ish

junior · Feb 3, 2019

Tons of bullets to choose 284...I almost buit an AI but decided to just go 280 since I had an action already....I've been eyeing a 7 short...called sherman wildcat..its gaining popularity but you would have to have it custom built with his reamer. Interesting nonetheless..would make a badass mountain rifle being short action. Think I wait until it gains popularity and brass...https://shermanwildcatcartridges.com/.

Coloradoboy · Feb 3, 2019

>Well I guess it's not so
>much the rifle I am
>asking about it's more of
>a caliber options and the
>Creedmoors every one has
>got one I'd like to
>be different I suppose

Exactly why I run the 6.5x47 lapua. 7mm is a lot of gun for plinking and deer/antelope if you ask me.
Here?s a standard 3 shot group out of my 6.5x47

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2019/27493f3932779811c49d39a979f165a11fa8e.jpeg

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2019/4213376525b55c54845458e4238c0a1187111.jpeg

junior · Feb 3, 2019

Coloradoboy...cant argue with the 47...they shoot great, with awesome barrel life! Its a Awesome caliber. I have reloaded for a buddys..he also has the creed. However its not what I'd recommend shooting deer 700+ yards in a hunting situation like the op is asking for. Just not enough energy at that distance for me. Its definitely a shooter though. Same goes for the big 7s and elk. The 300 win is a much better choice.IMO I am horsepower biased though.

Question for you if you don't mind. Have you ever had accuracy problems with the 47 in cold weather? We were target shooting one day when the 47 started having flyers. Was cold around low 20s. Warmed up the next weekend and it went back to normal. Has happened a couple different times. To the point I started turning necks and using bushing neck dies. All for nothing gained when cold.

We chalked our problems to the small rifle primers they use. Incidentally the creed had no problems with the large primers.Nor did any of our other rifles. They all to have the large or magnum primers.

Coloradoboy · Feb 3, 2019

>Coloradoboy...cant argue with the 47...they shoot
>great, with awesome barrel life!
>Its a Awesome caliber. I
>have reloaded for a buddys..he
>also has the creed. However
>its not what I'd recommend
>shooting deer 700+ yards in
>a hunting situation like the
>op is asking for. Just
>not enough energy at that
>distance for me. Its definitely
>a shooter though. Same goes
>for the big 7s and
>elk. The 300 win is
>a much better choice.IMO I
>am horsepower biased though.
>
>Question for you if you don't
>mind. Have you ever had
>accuracy problems with the 47
>in cold weather? We were
>target shooting one day when
>the 47 started having flyers.
>Was cold around low 20s.
>Warmed up the next weekend
>and it went back to
>normal. Has happened a couple
>different times. To the point
>I started turning necks and
>using bushing neck dies. All
>for nothing gained when cold.
>
>
> We chalked our problems to
>the small rifle primers they
>use. Incidentally the creed had
>no problems with the large
>primers.Nor did any of our
>other rifles. They all to
>have the large or magnum
>primers.

I've shot two deer over 700 yards now with it and taken a antelope at 987. All were one shot kills with 143 eldx?s. Thing has no problem ringing steel well past 1000 yards. I guess I was under the impression we wanted a gun that would get a lot of rounds down the tube, have great accuracy, be able to be a solid deer and antelope gun and be a easy/cost efficient gun to reload. The 6.5x47 is the champion in that in my eyes. But I own a 280ai also and have nothing but great things to say about it, it's just not the gun id choose as a plinking rig.
As far as cold weather goes? Are you using a temperature stable powder? I run H4350 and varget for mine and have never seen the thing shoot nothing but dimes if I'm doing my part. Those groups I posted were shot last week in below freezing temps.

Coloradoboy

Coloradoboy · Feb 3, 2019

If you wanted to build something different as far as 7mm goes I'd build a 7mm saum.

Coloradoboy

junior · Feb 4, 2019

H4350....Maybe a batch bad primers? Idk...its still fun gun...even with flyers it out shoot most.

RookieWYhntr · Feb 4, 2019

No such thing as a barrel burner in a "hunting" rifle. I would pick 6.5-284. No magnum bolt face and you can buy Lapua brass for it.

osu92 · Feb 4, 2019

Lots to like about the new-ish 6.5PRC considering the parameters you're interested in. I've got one and it's been great to shoot. I also have and shoot a .280AI. Also a great gun and way more enjoyable to shoot than any 7 mag I've ever shot.

Coloradoboy · Feb 4, 2019

>H4350....Maybe a batch bad primers? Idk...its
>still fun gun...even with flyers
>it out shoot most.

Possibly or bad brass. Mine really loves 39.5 grains of h4350 with a hornaday 143 eldx/140eldm, lapua brass, federal small rifle primer, COAL 2.700 (.10 off the lands) getting around 2850 FPS out of 26in 1 in 8 bartlein

Coloradoboy

elkantlers · Feb 4, 2019

I'm not seeing the 'Barrel Burner" effects on my 6.5x284. I've got 300+ rounds through it and still shoots .5" groups.

iHUNT1822 · Feb 4, 2019

I was just told that you'd get maybe 1000 rounds out of a 6.5x284 and then groups would start opening up drastically but that was just what I was told or read and the 7mm calibers can shoot a heavier bullet with higher B.C. I mean the 6.5 s can go heavier but you gotta get some weird bullets and I seem to be drawn to 7mm calibers I can deal with a little recoil but not like 300weatherby at least for a long range rig... but I'm not opposed to the fast 6.5s either

iHUNT1822 · Feb 4, 2019

Why would 280 not be a good plinking rifle

Coloradoboy · Feb 4, 2019

LAST EDITED ON Feb-05-19 AT 06:52AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Feb-05-19 AT 06:48?AM (MST)

1000 rounds out of 6.5x284 barrel would be caused by shooting a lot of high pressure (max loads) or poor barrel maintenance. If you want fast 6.5 you can go 26 nosler and watch the throat go out in 200 to 300 rounds and have a flaming hot barrel after 3 shots....
I personally don't plink with my 280AI just because it's more expensive to reload, more felt recoil and I treat it as a hunting specific gun. If you look into PRS or NRL shoots majority of guys are running 6mms and SA 6.5s because of how efficient they are at long range and they can handle 200 plus rounds through them at a time. I think you'd be pleasantly surprised how much fun a short action 6.5mm or 6mm are to shoot out to 1000 plus yards. My last build was a 6mm creedmoor and the thing is a riot to shoot and will probably be my go to on antelope this year. If you really want to go 7mm I'd really encourage you to look at a 7mm SAUM. It produces 280AI like or better ballistics in a short action option.

Coloradoboy

junior · Feb 5, 2019

LAST EDITED ON Feb-05-19 AT 08:20AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Feb-05-19 AT 08:04?AM (MST)

Never reloaded the 26, but man what velocity/pressure were you reloading to? That's crazy! One would think something was out of square, or your way over max pressure? I have heard similar about the 7mm ultra mag, but it at least made it to 500 rounds. The word was on it, to much unburned powder. Sand blasting IF YOU WILL!

I am on my 3rd STW barrel, averaging 1500 rounds per and at that time, near and over 3500 fps with 140s.
Some of my buddy's have over 2000 still shooting dimes, but they tamed the load shooting heavy's. That's the route I am headed now, 195 grains at 3000 fps.

Millsworks · Feb 5, 2019

My vote is the 6.5x284 Norma.
The 6.5 PRC is ballisticly close to the 6.5x284 but does it with less powder and slii better barrel life. Your budget won't buy a rifle in the PRC cartridge. But a rebarrel on a long action with a magnum bolt face would be $500.00 or less.
The 7mm WSM is the best 7mm cartridge out there, for all around performance. One could be had for less than $1000, but brass is very tuff to get.

Millsworks · Feb 5, 2019

>My vote is the 6.5x284 Norma.
>
>The 6.5 PRC is ballisticly close
>to the 6.5x284 but does
>it with less powder and
>slii better barrel life. Your
>budget won't buy a rifle
>in the PRC cartridge. But
>a rebarrel on a long
>action with a magnum bolt
>face would be $500.00 or
>less.
>The 7mm WSM is the best
>7mm cartridge out there, for
>all around performance. One could
>be had for less than
>$1000, but brass is very
>tuff to get.

Have to add....
The 7mm STW is a super great 7mm cartridge and you could probably find one for around a thousand.

If you are set on a .284 then that might be a good choice.