I am dead set now on the calibers, it's time I gave a better explanation of the the reasons behind my choices.
.338 win mag - fluted semi weight 23" barrel - The idea here is that the "big gun" doubles as my long range heavy and my normal bigger game hunting rifle. The .338 will have two scopes, and two loads.
A Kahles K624i for shooting the 300 grain VLDs, on steel, and on game out to 1000 yards.
Then the hunting load consisting of a 225 Partition or TSX or something similar which will be paired with a Swarovski Z61.7-10x42i with stadia lines. This way I have a scope for use in driven hunts, and hunts where long shots beyond the reach of the stadia marks aren't needed or likely. This is, in reality most of my hunting. I would use this for hunting big pigs, or red deer, on driven hunts, or on an Alaskan hunt, and maybe even a mountain hunt where I thought there would be the need for a very long shot.
Then the 6.5x55 because they don't offer the 6.5-284 anymore, but I can always rechamber. This will wear a Leupold Mk 4 6-5-20 or a Vortex 4-16 HS-T and probaly shoot 130 or 140 Berger hunting VLDs. It will probably do the majority of the hunting where I hunt most, for fallow and roe deer, pigs and the occasional fox, as well as most of the mountain hunting chamois in the Alps, because it will have a standard weight 23" fluted barrel and a light scope.
Both are proven hunting and long range calibers, the .338 win mag isn't a thouroughbred long range cartridge, but the reality is that even though I have a range out to 1300 yards, and a few spots where I have poked out to 1940 yards, when hunting, I can only dependably make shots out to about maybe eight hundred yards. Which is fine and I still have room to grow.
I see the two as being far enough apart and having minimal overlap, but both being able to replace each other in a pinch, so neither is redundant.
I am also looking at the new NeoPod ultralight bipod to pair with both, I have both the Atlas and the Harris, and can't decide with one is better. I think the Atlas could be improved if they just changed the angles the legs can be set at.
The problem lies with chosing the safari barrel, which I was going to get in .458 Lott, but I love the .375 H&H and there is the legal requirement which puts it as the minimum caliber for dangerous game. It's just too close to the .338 to feel like a sensible choice, however I have a double rifle that covers the heavy hitting "stopper" category, so I could just get a .375 H&H and be done with it.
The safari barrel also uses the Swarovski scope, since I dont need that rifle to be ready to hunt all the time.
I'm looking at putting 11 rifles (all different calibers) and a handgun up to trade against these three barrels, so my life will be quite a bit simpler after this. I don't have the time anymore to reload for a heap of cartridges, or shoot the rifles I am selling/trading.
So that's it, this feels like a bit of a turning point in my shooting/hunting life, I hope I am making the right decision.
