Son wants a long range high speed rig Which cartridge?

[Oldschool280]

i have a savage long action doing nothing. I have a 300 win barrel that is a takeoff from a 116 that is unfired, but he wants something unique and without crazy recoil (he's 13) but he's not tiny 5'10 150. I'm thinking maybe santa could bring a new barrel or something. I see one company has every dang cartridge available ready to ship! We handload so not worried about availability too much. Thinking 6.5 -300 bee? 26 nosler? 264 winmag 6.5 or 7stw? Decisions decisions. Anybody shoot these without a brake and can give feedback on the way the shoot i'd appreciate it.

 

[sea2summit]

Range and target (steel, little critters, big critters)?

 

[SealT5]

Mag bolt face only? Most anything can be tamed with a quality brake.

If a new bolt face is an option a 6x284 would run like a scalded ape. The 6.5mm version is pretty sweet too

Joe S.

 

[Rich Coyle]

7STW with a brake would be great. Never fire ANYTHING without hearing protection; whether it has a brake or not. Guns are loud!

 

[Deleted member 25294]

i have a savage long action doing nothing. I have a 300 win barrel that is a takeoff from a 116 that is unfired, but he wants something unique and without crazy recoil (he's 13) but he's not tiny 5'10 150. I'm thinking maybe santa could bring a new barrel or something. I see one company has every dang cartridge available ready to ship! We handload so not worried about availability too much. Thinking 6.5 -300 bee? 26 nosler? 264 winmag 6.5 or 7stw? Decisions decisions. Anybody shoot these without a brake and can give feedback on the way the shoot i'd appreciate it.

I'd stay with a not so crazy over bore 6.5, it'll be much more fun for him to shoot.
I love my 6.5 SAUM so I'll recommend that, or a 6.5 PRC

 

[HARPERC]

.264 Win Mag. Enough life to get him down the road far enough to want something else, and enough HP to impress him now.

 

[Coyote_Hunter]

6.5PRC will do the job. That's the way I'm going with a 7mm RM Savage 111.

With a 130g Swift Scirocco II @ 3000fps (less than max), recoil is under 17 ft-lbs, effective range is over 600 yards (2263fps, 1478fpe retained @ 7000 feet altitude).

A .270 Win with a 150g Long Range AccuBond at 2912fps is what Daughter #1 will be shooting this year for elk. Very similar to the 6.5PRC @ 600 with under 18 ft-lbs recoil, 2211fps, 1628fpe.

Drop and drift with both are comparable - -47.2" and 15.6" for the PR and -53.3" and 16.2" for the .270.

By contrast, a 26 Nosler or 6.5-300 Bee will run about 3300fps with 22 ft-lbs recoil and use a lot more powder. Flatter shooting, yes, and call it 2460fps and 1730fpe. But drift is only about 1" less at 600 yards, if that, and ammo and brass will be more expensive than the .270 Win or 6.5 PRC.

Although we chose a .270 and a 150g LRAB @ 2912fps for Daughter #1, I anticipate my Savage build will be a 6.5PRC after evaluating a ton of options. The 26 Nosler was rejected for the reasons listed above. The .300 PRC was interesting but too long for my Savage 111 magazine. In the end it came down to the 6.5PRC provides the range I need with the retained energy I was looking for at 600 yards.

 

[Aldon]

Another vote for 264 WinMag.

 

[ramrod79]

I would go 6.5 PRC good factory ammo choices.

 

[Tank308]

Never thought I'd see a list of possible cartridges to pick from where the 264 win mag was probably the easiest on barrels. I love my 264.

 

[HARPERC]

I think the more aggressive 6.5's have made the .264 more popular.

 

[Oldschool280]

Mag bolt face only? Most anything can be tamed with a quality brake.

If a new bolt face is an option a 6x284 would run like a scalded ape. The 6.5mm version is pretty sweet too

Joe S.

I do have another non magnum bolt face , thanx for the reply!

 

[Oldschool280]

Range and target (steel, little critters, big critters)?

All of the above!

 

[adk hunter]

.280 AI please... Best job ever=Santa!