Need help what caliber?

[Freezer]

I have a 1909 Arg Mauser that has a customized action.  Now it's time to finish the job.  I've decided on a Shillin barrel but not the caliber.  I have great interest in the 6.5 but I'm not closed minded.  I currently have a custom Rem Model 7 in 7 TCU, an excelent 200yrd deer/black bear gun, a Rem 700 in 280 Rem and a Savage 99f in 308. I'm thinking of a bean field gun.  Calibers I'm considering are 6.5x55, 260 Rem, 6.5 Creedmore, 6.5-06 and 338-06.  I don't mind the long cartridge but wounder if the action will accept the long heavy bullets.   Quarry is Blacktail, whitetail, Black bear and someday antalope and elk.  Thoughts?   

[drdougrx]

Hey....just some thoughts.

Beanfield rules out 338-06 unless you do an AI but even then, not really a long range shooter.  If you like 6.5, what about a 257WBY, though I suspect your bolt face may need alot of work.  A 6.5-06 also sounds good, but...a 270 might be better ballistically or more importantly, available in a pinch.  BTW...I've loaded and have taken big animals with the 160gr Nosler Partition...an awesome penetrator!  There's your elk load and a 130/140gr whatever...there's your beanfield load.

Just some thoughts.

[charles p]

Back in the mid 80's I also wanted a beanfield rifle.  Turned a 700 into a custom Shilen match barrelled 280AI with a 26" tube.  Put it into a McMillian stock and did all the usual receiver and bolt work.  Topped it with a VLX Leupold and the darn thing probably weighs 11+ lbs now.  It soon became a safe queen because it was long and heavy.  I got what I thought I wanted but it turned out to be not what I needed, and certainly was an "unfriendly" rifle to carry or use in a box stand.

Just my two cents worth.

[Freezer]

Charles, I centianly understand that one!  I will not be going with a heavy barrel.  I don't intend to take mulitple shots in the field so I'll depend on cold barel accuracy.  I expect the gun will weigh about eight pounds so it won't be a woods carry piece.  In addition it will be the only nice looking gun I've ever owned so I'll be a little more carefull where I use it.  If my wife starts hunting with me it wil be her distance gun and her primary will be the Rem M-7 7TCU.  The Arg was a gunsmith student project gun.  It has a nice dark stock with inlays, great checkering, and beautfull lines.  The bolt has been turned and tuned.  The Safety has been changed to a tuumb tang and the trigger polished and tuned with no take up, creep or over travel.  The pull weight is set and 2.5 pounds.  Alas it has it's origional military barrel that has been lathe turned, it's of different contour than the stock and is in the white.  Thus the rebarrel project.  My gunsmith friend will true the action set the barrel, chamber and blue the gun.  I'm not a fan of recoil and really don't want to change the bolt face yet want a versital gun that is capable of goods distance shots.  I'm an experenced hand loader so availability of brass isn't an issue. 

[Mikey]

jmtcw - the 6.5x55 or the 260.  6.5-06 would also be good.

[mannyrock]

  If you already have a full size Remington 700, with a good barrel, in .280 Remington, then you already have the beanfield rifle you are looking for in spades, and it will cover all of the animals you listed.  You are wasting your money by buying another rifle. 

[Freezer]

    Mannyrock, I would agree to a certian point.  I have a Savage 99 f in 308 for woods to 300 yrds and the 280 for 100 to 500yrds but I always wanted a custom mauser!  I bought this one a few years ago for $100.  I don't need it, I want it!  In addition I don't own a nice looking gun.  I refinished my 99 just to slip on a shale slide first time I took it out.  The Rem 700 was sold to me by an ol' boy who took pitty on a broke butt.  It was his elk rifle that he said, " was carried more than it was shot" and it looks it.  I could refinish this rifle and make it look good but I'd never erase the generosity of this kind gentleman.  Will a heavy bullet in a 6.5-06 fit the Arg action?

[vabowhntr]

I would lean towards the 6.5-06, but the 6.5x55 would be a good choice as well.   I would love the mod 7 in 7tcu, that will be my first "custom" rifle. 

[Freezer]

    The 7 TCU is a very nice gun shooting a 140gr Sierra Game King at 2400fps and holds 1/2 inch or better if I do my part.  Alas iti's a 200 yrd gun.  It wears a 2x7 leupold.  Where I hunt I'm on the menu so I generaly carry the Savage 99f.

[Mikey]

Freezer:  I've not seen lots of info on heavy slugs (160s) in the 6.5-06.  Somehow I think that round was made for long range target work and not a lot of attention seems to have been paid to hunting with it. 

I could be talkin' out my smokepole too but I would think that if you might use the heavier slugs in your 6.5 bore you might want to consider going with the 6.5x55 Swede.  The Argentine action for the 53mm length case might be a lot happier with a 55mm length case than a 63mm length case (06) and you could load the heavies to the length that makes you happiest.  You should be able to do the same with the 260. 

[Barstooler]

Sierra and Hornady manuals both have loads for 160gr in 6.5-06.  Personally I see little reason to load anything above 140gr for hunting applications.   Mine gives excellent accuracy with 120 to 140gr and have never fired the 160s.  If you build one, make sure you have a least a 1:10 twist if you opt for heavier bullets.  Never saw the reason to opt for a 6.5X55.  I started shooting 6.5s with a 256 Newton.  If you want something in between the 6.5-06 and the 6.5x55 you might go that route.  Newton is a little shorter than the 6.5-06 but has better case capacity than the 6.5x55.  You can get dies from RCBS and brass is available or you can form your own cases from 25-06 or 30-06 brass.  The Newton would likely fit in the 1909.

Good luck with what ever you decide.

Barstooler