Most versatile chambering for handloaders?

LOL - I've often thought the same about the 270 and '06! Yep maybe I'm a simple kind of guy, but when the numbers are compared....could not resist thinking "Now why did those need improving? And what did they gain?"

That said, seems as though the 280 Improved does crank it up a notch. Especially with some of the newer powders and higher BC bullets available these days. I haven't worked with this one directly but it just might be in my future...retirement age is approaching!

And..................this is where the fight started!:mad:;) Anything that the .280 Ackley Improved can do the .270 Ackley Improved can do or better!!! It may not be as popular because it hasn't caught on due to some 1950's bad press and old powders. .007 thousandths of an inch does not make that much difference when it comes to deciding which round is most effective for calibers. Wait a couple of years, some ammunition manufacturer, who has run out of new ammunition to manufacture, will check the market to find what has not been lauded, boasted and what IS dreamed about. Then the cartridge will receive an incredible marketing campaign, written up in every possible hunting and shooting magazine as the latest laser round in the world, that will drop and elephant at 1000 yards, and it will become the latest/greatest round of the 21st century, the .270 Ackley Improved Creedmore!! Please don't get me wrong the .280 Ackley Improved is an impressive round by all counts, however the .270 Ackley Improved is a round has gotten an undeserved bad rap for many years. My intention is not to bash any cartridge, it's just that the .270AI does not get the recognition it deserves.
 
For the handloader with cast lead, jacketed and solid projectiles to choose from, not relying on manufactured ammo.
From distances of 25-50 yards to say 400.

If you could only choose one rifle (chambering) for an all-around hunter (moose, elk, black/brown bear, deer and hogs), what would you choose?

In keeping with the spirit and parameters of your post, I'd like to share this reprint of an older Ed Harris article.

The venerable 30-06 chambering has slain enough game to be left only to the imagination, utilized by soldiers from World War 1 up to Vietnam.

The handloader is able to craft plinkers, hunting and match target ammunition from a myriad of combinations of projectile and powder combinations. My first 06 was a Savage used rack special, and is, with my loads, capable of .375 MOA groups (which is the extent of my ability these days - still abundantly sufficient for all the aforementioned needs).

http://www.grantcunningham.com/2012/04/ed-harris-americas-greatest-the-all-around-30-06/
 
And..................this is where the fight started!:mad:;) Anything that the .280 Ackley Improved can do the .270 Ackley Improved can do or better!!! It may not be as popular because it hasn't caught on due to some 1950's bad press and old powders. .007 thousandths of an inch does not make that much difference when it comes to deciding which round is most effective for calibers. Wait a couple of years, some ammunition manufacturer, who has run out of new ammunition to manufacture, will check the market to find what has not been lauded, boasted and what IS dreamed about. Then the cartridge will receive an incredible marketing campaign, written up in every possible hunting and shooting magazine as the latest laser round in the world, that will drop and elephant at 1000 yards, and it will become the latest/greatest round of the 21st century, the .270 Ackley Improved Creedmore!! Please don't get me wrong the .280 Ackley Improved is an impressive round by all counts, however the .270 Ackley Improved is a round has gotten an undeserved bad rap for many years. My intention is not to bash any cartridge, it's just that the .270AI does not get the recognition it deserves.

I'm OK with the .270 AI's status as-is.
 
In keeping with the spirit and parameters of your post, I'd like to share this reprint of an older Ed Harris article.

The venerable 30-06 chambering has slain enough game to be left only to the imagination, utilized by soldiers from World War 1 up to Vietnam.

The handloader is able to craft plinkers, hunting and match target ammunition from a myriad of combinations of projectile and powder combinations. My first 06 was a Savage used rack special, and is, with my loads, capable of .375 MOA groups (which is the extent of my ability these days - still abundantly sufficient for all the aforementioned needs).

http://www.grantcunningham.com/2012/04/ed-harris-americas-greatest-the-all-around-30-06/
Yes, the '06 is a great cartridge. The OP already has a .308, its twin until the bullets start to get heavy. Kinda like going from a .280 to a .280AI. The OP wants a dangerous game rifle that he can also hunt with at home, and plink with, hence the cast bullet request.
 
And..................this is where the fight started!:mad:;) Anything that the .280 Ackley Improved can do the .270 Ackley Improved can do or better!!! It may not be as popular because it hasn't caught on due to some 1950's bad press and old powders. .007 thousandths of an inch does not make that much difference when it comes to deciding which round is most effective for calibers. Wait a couple of years, some ammunition manufacturer, who has run out of new ammunition to manufacture, will check the market to find what has not been lauded, boasted and what IS dreamed about. Then the cartridge will receive an incredible marketing campaign, written up in every possible hunting and shooting magazine as the latest laser round in the world, that will drop and elephant at 1000 yards, and it will become the latest/greatest round of the 21st century, the .270 Ackley Improved Creedmore!! Please don't get me wrong the .280 Ackley Improved is an impressive round by all counts, however the .270 Ackley Improved is a round has gotten an undeserved bad rap for many years. My intention is not to bash any cartridge, it's just that the .270AI does not get the recognition it deserves.

Literally laughing out loud - you nail this one perfectly! The latest greatest round of the 21st century! Well said my friend!

Good that we can laugh at ourselves even when we know we'll take a bite of the next pie they serve!

And true - the data I saw on the 270 Improved was probably pretty old. Run it with new powders and pills, I bet you are correct - it'll do just as well as the 280 AI. Hey, who has more fun than we do?
 
Literally laughing out loud - you nail this one perfectly! The latest greatest round of the 21st century! Well said my friend!

Good that we can laugh at ourselves even when we know we'll take a bite of the next pie they serve!

And true - the data I saw on the 270 Improved was probably pretty old. Run it with new powders and pills, I bet you are correct - it'll do just as well as the 280 AI. Hey, who has more fun than we do?
All of his cartridges were good. Only recently have the big boys caught on that nearly straight walls and a sharp shoulder helped with both case life and throat erosion. Doesn't hurt ES either. If only he had todays bullets and powders to work with, no tellin what he would have come up with. the 257 was, and still is one of his best.
 
It's a great question for thought because none of us.... ever are going to be satisfied with one gun! That all being said I want it to shoot flat , hit hard and not to be to overgunned and not be to undergunned . Using 400 yards as the goal range and able to kill the biggest and most dangerous game in North America . Handloading to have the range and stopping power to cover a plethora of situations I will choose the 30 06 using 165 and 180 grain Nosler partitions. Yes it's not sexy or ultra bone smashing but will kill anything on the continent and I can shoot it enough to be proficient.
 
It's a great question for thought because none of us.... ever are going to be satisfied with one gun! That all being said I want it to shoot flat , hit hard and not to be to overgunned and not be to undergunned . Using 400 yards as the goal range and able to kill the biggest and most dangerous game in North America . Handloading to have the range and stopping power to cover a plethora of situations I will choose the 30 06 using 165 and 180 grain Nosler partitions. Yes it's not sexy or ultra bone smashing but will kill anything on the continent and I can shoot it enough to be proficient.


Pmacc60, Meet the guy that's "satisfied" with one gun! One hunting rifle that is. While there's a bunch of rifles and handguns residing with me,I've used one rifle exclusively since 1990....one caliber since around 1982. The rifle is light enough for a sheep hunt, shoots flat enough to be easily good to 600 + yards, certainly "not" evergunned (still confused about that term), adequate for everything in NA, and legal for most of the African Big Five.

And, it's pretty darn lethal with cast bullets, as well! So, I guess that I'm that anomaly...."the one gun hunter"!

Well, there ya go.....you have now, perhaps, have met the most boring, vanilla, hunter/shooter wandering about! ;) memtb
 
Last edited:
Pmacc60, Meet the guy that's "satisfied" with one gun! One hunting rifle that is. While there's a bunch of rifles and handguns residing with me,I've used one rifle exclusively since 1990....one caliber since around 1982. The rifle is light enough for a sheep hunt, shoots flat enough to be easily good to 600 + yards, certainly "not" evergunned (still confused about that term), adequate for everything in NA, and legal for most of the African Big Five.

And, it's pretty darn lethal with cast bullets, as well! So, I guess that I'm that anomaly...."the one gun hunter"!

Well, there ya go.....you have now, perhaps, have met the most boring, vanilla, hunter/shooter wandering about! ;) memtb

Well make that two of us. I learned on the 30-06 and I still hunt with the 30-06. About 18 years so far. Its all I need. But I do have wants that are getting scratched!
 
Yes, very well stated! I bought my first .375 H&H for Alaska and Africa around 1982. In 1990, I had a semi-custom .375 AI built.....continuing the dream. The .375 caliber has been my "only" hunting rifle since that first .375 H&H. I still haven't made it to Alaska or Africa.....but, I still have the dream! memtb

memtb neglected to reiterate the cartridge he is using is a 375 AI!

Very few of us "real men" left in the world today memtb! :cool: :D
 
Pmacc60, Meet the guy that's "satisfied" with one gun! One hunting rifle that is. While there's a bunch of rifles and handguns residing with me,I've used one rifle exclusively since 1990....one caliber since around 1982. The rifle is light enough for a sheep hunt, shoots flat enough to be easily good to 600 + yards, certainly "not" evergunned (still confused about that term), adequate for everything in NA, and legal for most of the African Big Five.

And, it's pretty darn lethal with cast bullets, as well! So, I guess that I'm that anomaly...."the one gun hunter"!

Well, there ya go.....you have now, perhaps, have met the most boring, vanilla, hunter/shooter wandering about! ;) memtb

Shoot a lot of jack rabbits, gophers and wood chucks with that "One Gun"? Ha ha.. just curious as a .375AI probably turns them to instant mist.. and one would never find any remains. Tough to help pay for school selling jack rabbits to the mink farmers. Hard to believe a guy just uses one gun. Particularly when he has several others in his gun safe.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 5 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.
Top