"difficult" calibers

[Alibiiv]

Consider this my intro to the forum. Long time outdoorsman, Grandpa's rifle shooter with core-lokts, gun loving Tennesseean. I grew up under the impression shooting a paper plate was OK for accuracy at 100. Things have changed and quite frankly, I'm never content accuracy wise. I've shot some GREAT groups at 400 and less with factory ammo and rifles.

I've shot some competition pistol. This led to a press and the whole 9. Life happened, time was lost and said press was sold. Only thing I learned was resale SUCKS..

I've got a rifle that doesnt fulfill my itch but I feel like something good can come from it, the action?

I'm looking to build off a Tikka magnum action.
I "feel" a press is needed for the new round. I'm willing to try loading again and this time I feel confident I'll perform.

Question is : What makes a caliber "hard to load"?This will be my first. I'm a hunter and target shooter who has gained respect for lightweight rifles in that order.

I love the 30-06. I looked at building a 6.5prc but have opened to others minus CM. I'll entertain a 7 minus Rem, 260, 280 and 300 peak interest as well in all of their variances.

A) What makes it difficult to load? / B) Examples of difficult vs easy within these parameters?

Two threads in one : I'm looking for elk killing kinetic energy at 500ish (more is better), inherently accurate, reasonable cost to shoot, easy to load, fair bench gun (easy to kill any given weekend without killing my shoulder) at a lower weight. I'm not against using my long action for a short. Unicorn, right?[/QUOTE

 

[Alibiiv]

Finding good components (dies/brass/bullets/powder) for me are key. You can have the best caliber in the world, if the dies, brass, bullets or powder are not available the rifle cannot be shot. And...I consider the rifle to be as important as your reloads, and without a good rifle/action/barrel combination no matter how good the reloads are they will not shoot accurately. With that said the rest of reloading is pretty much repetitive work. I've never shot an elk, although I would like to that it probably will not ever happen. However IMHO if you really loved the 30-06 I'd go with it, an 06 is hard to beat hunting most North American game. I've shot numerous deer, bear and caribou with a 30-06 with excellent results. It's been around a very long time and I do not see components for this cartridge to ever go out of existence. I also like Ackley Improved cartridges, I consider the 30-06 Ackley Improved a tough/versatile cartridge to beat as well. I don't know what your budget looks like, there are a number of good manufactures out there who manufacture accurate, light weight rifles.

After I wrote the above message to you, I read your later posts that you already own a 7mm RemMag. With this said you have a magnum bolt face and as such, unless you want to change bolts, you are you are inherently confined to magnum calibers. If this is the case, in my opinion, you already have a good 500-700+ yard cartridge, 7mm RemMag. I believe that you will be hard pressed to find another cartridge that will outperform what you have described you are looking for in a rifle. If you're not happy with accuracy by all means send the rifle out to a competent gunsmith, get the action blue printed/trued, trigger reworked/replaced and rebarreled with a quality barrel. You can always find other calibers that will compete or beat the 7mm RemMag, however it/you will be hard pressed to find one that will meet your described wants and needs in an accurate rifle that is easy on the shoulder.

 

[cjuve]

Shorten the throats on large capacity overbore mags and you could find yourself with a finicky chambering...…...

 

[BLK]

Rifleman556 is dead on in my opinion. The 7mm Remington Mag is easy to load, great bullet selection, good brass available, and deadly out to 6-700 yards. I have been loading the 7MM for many years and love mine. You can put one of the new harmonic dampers on your barrel and tune in the accuracy for the load you desire to load also. They work great!! I got the old Browning Boss on my 7MM Mag and love it.

 

[James Hale]

Consider this my intro to the forum. Long time outdoorsman, Grandpa's rifle shooter with core-lokts, gun loving Tennesseean. I grew up under the impression shooting a paper plate was OK for accuracy at 100. Things have changed and quite frankly, I'm never content accuracy wise. I've shot some GREAT groups at 400 and less with factory ammo and rifles.

I've shot some competition pistol. This led to a press and the whole 9. Life happened, time was lost and said press was sold. Only thing I learned was resale SUCKS..

I've got a rifle that doesnt fulfill my itch but I feel like something good can come from it, the action?

I'm looking to build off a Tikka magnum action.
I "feel" a press is needed for the new round. I'm willing to try loading again and this time I feel confident I'll perform.

Question is : What makes a caliber "hard to load"?This will be my first. I'm a hunter and target shooter who has gained respect for lightweight rifles in that order.

I love the 30-06. I looked at building a 6.5prc but have opened to others minus CM. I'll entertain a 7 minus Rem, 260, 280 and 300 peak interest as well in all of their variances.

A) What makes it difficult to load? / B) Examples of difficult vs easy within these parameters?

Two threads in one : I'm looking for elk killing kinetic energy at 500ish (more is better), inherently accurate, reasonable cost to shoot, easy to load, fair bench gun (easy to kill any given weekend without killing my shoulder) at a lower weight. I'm not against using my long action for a short. Unicorn, right?

You say it is a Magnum action, so that will limit the choices, I have a 270WSM and a 300WSM, both on Magnum actions that shoot very well, I like the Long actions for bullet seating of heavy bullets. The only loading issue I have experienced has been every other loading I bump the shoulders back on the cases. The 270WSM is in a pre-64 Win. Mod 70 action, and the 300WSM is in a 700 Rem. action

 

[Wolf76]

I'd like to say that the 300 wsm or wm would really get you what you want. Easy to load for and has versatility to spare. Carry enough energy to kill an elk with ease at long ranges.
Make it a laser with 130 gr ttsx or make it a bulldozer with the 215 berger.
Brass and components everywhere.
A MB will mitigate the recoil nicely.

 

[Alibiiv]

You say it is a Magnum action, so that will limit the choices, I have a 270WSM and a 300WSM, both on Magnum actions that shoot very well, I like the Long actions for bullet seating of heavy bullets. The only loading issue I have experienced has been every other loading I bump the shoulders back on the cases. The 270WSM is in a pre-64 Win. Mod 70 action, and the 300WSM is in a 700 Rem. action

I wrote that the OP was limited to his choices because he had a "magnum" rifle/calilber. He was talking about how he loved the 30-06. When I read that he had a 7mm RemMag due to the fact that his bolt face was for a magnum cartridge, 7mm RemMag, he was limited to what he could build, "unless" he wanted to change bolts. Your .270WSM and .300WSM have a base diameter of .535 each, the 7mm RemMag has a base diameter of .532, thus the cartridges and bolt face are compatible, and yes means that the OP "could" build a .270 WSM or .300WSM on his action. However he could not build a 30-06 Government because the base diameter of the 30-06 is .483 thousandths of an inch; .052 thousandths of an inch smaller. With that it makes the bolt face too large, the extractor will not grab the base of the cartridge properly nor will it support the base of the case. Yes you "can" build, and oftentimes is recommended, a short cartridge on a long-action cartridge, "as" long as the bolt faces are compatible, or can be opened to accommodate the new rechambering. In this particular incidence, for me, the bolt face controlled what the OP could build on his 7mm RemMag action.

 

[STREGA]

It sounds like you are looking for the extremely exotic 6.5x55. It is very easy to load and is not finnicky with loading components. You can load it up or down depending on your needs. I tested RE26 in it this past fall and had 140 NBT's cranked up to 3100fps in my Encore. I do NOT recommend doing this as the primer launched out as soon as the action was opened. LOL Besides that bit of loading retardation on my part the point is that the old Swede can be safely brought up to near 3000fps with 140s if you really want to stretch it's legs. I have found that 41gr of IMR4350 topped with a 140 SGK is all that is truly needed to get most jobs done. Below are two of my Swedes.

 

[Dell]

Consider this my intro to the forum. Long time outdoorsman, Grandpa's rifle shooter with core-lokts, gun loving Tennesseean. I grew up under the impression shooting a paper plate was OK for accuracy at 100. Things have changed and quite frankly, I'm never content accuracy wise. I've shot some GREAT groups at 400 and less with factory ammo and rifles.

I've shot some competition pistol. This led to a press and the whole 9. Life happened, time was lost and said press was sold. Only thing I learned was resale SUCKS..

I've got a rifle that doesnt fulfill my itch but I feel like something good can come from it, the action?

I'm looking to build off a Tikka magnum action.
I "feel" a press is needed for the new round. I'm willing to try loading again and this time I feel confident I'll perform.

Question is : What makes a caliber "hard to load"?This will be my first. I'm a hunter and target shooter who has gained respect for lightweight rifles in that order.

I love the 30-06. I looked at building a 6.5prc but have opened to others minus CM. I'll entertain a 7 minus Rem, 260, 280 and 300 peak interest as well in all of their variances.

A) What makes it difficult to load? / B) Examples of difficult vs easy within these parameters?

Two threads in one : I'm looking for elk killing kinetic energy at 500ish (more is better), inherently accurate, reasonable cost to shoot, easy to load, fair bench gun (easy to kill any given weekend without killing my shoulder) at a lower weight. I'm not against using my long action for a short. Unicorn, right?

Good on you and welcome back to the fraternity! I've gone the full meal deal over the years. To keep it short, I presently have precision hunting / LR rifles in .308, .260, 7 mag. and .300 Win mag. I love em all! I have diligently worked on all of them, and their loads, from the ground up. Every one is a half MOA rifle out to 1000 as long as I do my part. I don't keep a rifle if I shoot better than the rifle. The ones I keep and love all shoot better than I do. I guess I would say they often "forgive" me for my perceived errors. A good rifle is the foundation of any long range adventure. Action, barrel, trigger, optics, and stock with proper inletting all being slices of the pie. Hey, it's only money! . Then load development is the next big adventure. Load development is obviously a very rifle specific deal and is truly the most fun for me. As far as ease of loading, I don't find one caliber easier than the others in the calibers I load for. I've killed elk, some very nice muleys and pronghorns with most of my rifles over the years. With proper shot selection and placement, my .308 has done exceptionally well on elk out to 600 yards. I'm partial to Berger bullets but that's just what has worked for me. My favorite elk specific rifle is my .300 Win mag. My .308 was used on a few elk during muley hunts when I had a controlled elk hunt tag in my pocket. I know we talk a lot about accurate wazoo long range rifles, loads, exterior ballistics, optics, etc. (and that's as it should be) but IMHO we don't talk enough about training, structured practice and getting to know that favorite LR hunting rifle like an extension of ourselves. Sounds a little zen like but I believe we owe it to the game we hunt. I guess it is but it's my favorite part (equal with load development) Nothing better than banging steel in any and all of your perceived hunting/shooting positions at all yardages within your personal accuracy standard. Only thing better is doing it with like minded friends and hunting partners. Anyway, glad you are back and this is a great forum. The folks on it are knowledgable, polite and always willing to help.

 

[wildcat westerner]

In trying to add some reasonable input to this question, I am troubled by some "oil and water" statements.The bolt face/action length specs suggest wsm length cartridges to me. You can mitigate recoil with some excellent muzzle brakes and Limbsaver recoil pads, but lets face it if you are going to be using this weapon for hunting you are going to be damaging your eardrums in the field. I have shot and owned some lightweight rifles. They are great to carry, but some weight in rifles is necessary to add some stability, and you speak of really longer range shooting for hunting. I remember long ago being asked about a 7mm magnum for Grizzly bear. When I asked when that shooter was actually going to go grizzly bear hunting, that ended that conversation. I have my own 800 yard range, and I find that most "talltalkers" when faced with a group on paper at 800 tend to be embarrassed. it's always easier to kill with a typewriter or computer. Short answer: there are really excellent, well developed 7mm bullets suitable for any case you wish to use that will fit in your action.

 

[Michael Sutton]

Consider this my intro to the forum. Long time outdoorsman, Grandpa's rifle shooter with core-lokts, gun loving Tennesseean. I grew up under the impression shooting a paper plate was OK for accuracy at 100. Things have changed and quite frankly, I'm never content accuracy wise. I've shot some GREAT groups at 400 and less with factory ammo and rifles.

I've shot some competition pistol. This led to a press and the whole 9. Life happened, time was lost and said press was sold. Only thing I learned was resale SUCKS..

I've got a rifle that doesnt fulfill my itch but I feel like something good can come from it, the action?

I'm looking to build off a Tikka magnum action.
I "feel" a press is needed for the new round. I'm willing to try loading again and this time I feel confident I'll perform.

Question is : What makes a caliber "hard to load"?This will be my first. I'm a hunter and target shooter who has gained respect for lightweight rifles in that order.

I love the 30-06. I looked at building a 6.5prc but have opened to others minus CM. I'll entertain a 7 minus Rem, 260, 280 and 300 peak interest as well in all of their variances.

A) What makes it difficult to load? / B) Examples of difficult vs easy within these parameters?

Two threads in one : I'm looking for elk killing kinetic energy at 500ish (more is better), inherently accurate, reasonable cost to shoot, easy to load, fair bench gun (easy to kill any given weekend without killing my shoulder) at a lower weight. I'm not against using my long action for a short. Unicorn, right?

I have been shooting and reloading competitively for over 20 years, from benchrest to 200 yds all the way out to 1000 yds. I have also been building rifles in that same time and they are all over the US. The number one thing to do to start is find you a Gunsmith/ Rifle builder that is very good and can put together a good combination of Barrel to Rifle and produce accuracy from the start. A Gunsmith that doesn't do the things required to be able to do this will only leave youvright where you started. The next thing is to educate yourself on ballistics and what makes some rounds more inherently accurate. When loading, keep in mind that speed isn't always better. I would rather tune a round down a few hundred feet per second if it meant making the bullet more accurate. A lot of people don't even consider sectional densities and Ballistic coefficients when choosing a bullet either. Very important. Consistency in the loaded rounds is also a biggie. Make sure everything is the same from round to round all the way down to case weight, bullet weight, charge weight. Make sure your bullets are seated to the same depth and are concentric. Not doing the little things will leave you frustrated. Education is the utmost important thing. If you don't know why your rounds are acting the way they are, you will never know what to do to correct it. I have found that bullets with the worst ballistic coefficient are the hardest to load and make consistent. You talk about the 6.5 PRC, well IMO the 6.5 has the best bullet ballistic Coefficient of any bullet, and I had a friend that was able to make dong hits with it in expiraments out to a mile and a half. That being said, I have also seen a .338 Lapua Ackley outperform one in 1000 yds. Pick your round, find a great Gunsmith, educate your self on loading for precision reloading and shooting, get quality components and powders. Even Primers can play a role. Lapua brass in my book are the best because the sort weighs, their all the same length, the internal and external flash holes are deburred. Just a very good brass. A little more expensive but you get what you pay for. When shooting ultra long range, a good ballistic calculator is a must. As is a good range finder. Remember your current weather conditions because they to play a part. I hope I didn't go too much into this subject, but I wanted you to see why it can be a little harder from one caliber to the next. Take care. I hope I gave you some info you didn't know.

 

[Kaptoe]

Been down this road with the 7 mag .Had a rem 700 and it shot ok but I don't really think it's the most efficient cartridge. For the amount of powder in the case it doesn't push the pills super fast .I switched the 7 to a 257wby and couldn't be happier with that change. Bullet construction allows you not to worry as much about blow up at 3600 fps. The 257 why is a nice option but for heavy game the 338win mag is a good option with high bc bullets and a wide range of loads to play with .I find my 338 win mag easy to load for and with H4895 reduced loads you can have a great medium game rifle with 180 to 200 gr bullets and you can load the 250s with Max charges for even brown bear

 

[Michael Sutton]

I also forgot to mention a really important factor. If you do not train yourself to become a better shooter, and practice, practice, practice, you won't be. I'm not just talking about shooting off a bench either. You should practice and train yourself to make ethical shots from every conceivable position you might find yourself in while hunting. A month before the season comes in is not doing your part to make ethical shots. It should be a year long thing. Education and training makes you a better shooter. Never shoot longer than you're not comfortable with because you are not doing your game any favors, including paper lol.

 

[TheLongRanger83702]

I should have clarified. 500 - 600 is minimal yardage I'd like to kill elk size game. Though I have many, budget wont allow for best rifle for this, that, here and there. I'm attempting to compromise. Ultimate goal is have the perfect hunting rifle that's most efficient at 1000 yard targets (my end goal) keeping it at comfortable weight out west.
I have a Tikka magnum action; what would you rebarrel to?

I thought the 500 yds was the top end too. Since this is actually the beginning yardage I'd recommend the cartridge I shoot. The 300 Win Mag. Of course I've done extensive work on it including the mounting of the Nightfore ATACR1 5X25X56 Scope. The longest shot to date was 1247 yards. Sweet. I own a Wilson Combat Super Sniper in .308 Winchester for hunting under 800 yrs. Same scope on it too.
Best wishes on your project.