Thread: A Rifle for Almost Everything.

The most modern chambering any of my rifles have is from 1957, the 223 next youngest is the 308 (52) then backwards in regular steps to a couple of methusalahs.
The invention of smokeless powder, the drawn case and the Spitzer bullet shape are the great leaps forward everything since has just been baby steps.
30 cal or there abouts was determined to have about the best sectional density and balance of performance velocity, recoil and range wise for military applications.
The progressive Scandinavians went with 6.5. Nothing new is really new and the old 6.5 swede in a modern action as a hunting rifle would still be every bit as good as a creedmore or whatever.

Originally Posted by scotty

think i was in that cave reading old hunting mags by candlelight mentioned in the earlier post while all that was going on........all my current and past rifle calibres pre-date that new fangled .308 thingy........

Greetings Scotty,
Speaking of old maps, I had a call from an old friend the other day. We were both MSC bush craft and firearms instructors years ago. He had been reading some old trip reports from the 70's and early 80's that used grid references for locations. The maps in use at the time were the old NZMS 1 inch to the mile series and the NZ mapping grid has changed twice since then. He had left his older maps with me after a clean up as he knew I was a mapophile (not a real word but means a lover of maps) and I rounded up the ones he wanted and sent them of. I am sure that he will be reading them in a comfy chair with modern lighting and a cup of tea handy rather than a candle lit cave. This made me wonder if the current electronic enabled generation even knows what a grid reference is, let alone how to use one.
As far as the .308 goes it was obsolete as an infantry weapon even when introduced but Winchester spotted that it was a .30-06 (or .303) in a handier package and I for one am happy that they did. It is only due to bone pigheadedness in the US military that it was ever developed in the first place.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by Marty Henry

The most modern chambering any of my rifles have is from 1957, the 223 next youngest is the 308 (52) then backwards in regular steps to a couple of methusalahs.
The invention of smokeless powder, the drawn case and the Spitzer bullet shape are the great leaps forward everything since has just been baby steps.
30 cal or there abouts was determined to have about the best sectional density and balance of performance velocity, recoil and range wise for military applications.
The progressive Scandinavians went with 6.5. Nothing new is really new and the old 6.5 swede in a modern action as a hunting rifle would still be every bit as good as a creedmore or whatever.

Greetings Marty Henry,
Your rifle cupboard must look a lot like mine. The difference is that mine has a T3 6.5 x 55 and it is everything that you suggest. Creedmoor ballistics are easily matched and there is plenty of room to seat the 143 grain Hornady ELDX close to the lands. A friend gave me a few of these to play with and the 6.5 with one seated close to the lands it looks a bit like the 6.5 PRC I was handed yesterday.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by Mauser308

I think the only thing better than a .308w would be a .30-284. Because you can chuck it in an intermediate length or long action, load the pill out and still have full case capacity which is where the .308 and .30-06 lose ground. And it doesn't have the other issues you get with the magnums and mini-mags...

You can do all of this with a 300wsm much easier

Originally Posted by Cooper

You can do all of this with a 300wsm much easier

But you could call the .30-284 a 7.5 x 55 Schmidt - Rubin, a cartridge fro 1889 that it closely resembles. I'm sure there would be some Brownie points in that. Imagine the conversation. What have you got there? A 7.5 x 55 Schmidt Rubin. A what? or What have you got there? a .300 WSM. Tosser.
Grandpamac.

Availability of factory ammunition should be a consideration. Little point in owning something obscure you either have to handload for or order specially and going on a 10 day hunt only to find your ammunition didnt come along for the ride.
Even in out of the way places you can find 308, 270, 6.5x55, and 708.

I can see the venerable 7x57 making a come back soon ..... under some god awful name drempt up by the marketing muppets at Hornady.

@grandpamac I'm disappointed that some hussy temptress calibre has swayed you away from the solid reliable "three-oh". I once looked up to you as an icon; but no more! Oh shit that's right; I just bought a .308 and am now having an illicit affair away from my "three-oh" too......

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

No, you need to go to a 338 or bigger diametre pill that is slow, heavy and can be easily run subsonic for the coming post election law changes that ban loud noises during the birds nesting season

45/70 it is then.... another oldie calibre...

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

@grandpamac I'm disappointed that some hussy temptress calibre has swayed you away from the solid reliable "three-oh". I once looked up to you as an icon; but no more! Oh shit that's right; I just bought a .308 and am now having an illicit affair away from my "three-oh" too......

Greetings Bumblefoot,
After working on a load series comparing AR2206, BM 8208 and AR2206H today I decided that some penance was required so I fished out a couple of 1942 DI .303 cases, deprimed them, reamed the crimp and part sized them to fit my scoped .303. These have been stored with 10 of their brethren that had already been loaded with 174 grain Hornady RN projectiles and 32 grains of AR2206H. They will be loaded when further penance is due.
Yours Respectfully,
Grandpamac.

Your absolution is complete my son.......

If I could only own one rifle it would be a 08 sized ish sized case shooting a 6.5mm pill. I currently have a .223 and a .308...
Remember the more sunlight you can let inside a deer the quicker it will die.

It's ridiculous to ask me to pick one. I have several pets

The wife asked me why I don’t own just one... told her it’s a myth to own just one!

Variety is the spice of life!

Well I personally am not one to dick around with these toy guns that seem to be all the rage....45/70 bush rifle and 338 lapua mag for anything over 150 meters.
Buggered if I'm tracking a wounded animal. Bang....2 steps max...fall over. Job done... thanks for coming