Time to go up a notch

[jareese]

300 RUM, 30 Sherman Magnum, 338 Lapua/Lapua IMP (need bigger action and bolt face for Lapua)
Like others are saying - if cost is a problem, stick with the 300 Win Mag or 300 PRC. PLENTY of power and range for everything up to ELR (2500 +/- yards if you do your part)

 

[Lee Deming]

Bought a friend's custom .375 H&H decades ago. Didn't need it but it is a beautiful rifle. Got to shooting it and found it to be unbelievably accurate so have carried it in the elk woods for all of that time. Even shot an antelope with it a few years back. I can find components for it(except for Remington 9 1/2M primers) and can recommend the caliber for any big game in North America.

 

[littlebighorn]

It's not as BIG and Nasty as some, but I love my off the shelf 300WSM. It may also save some on powder over the 300WM.

 

[bgouin]

If ya really want to go big boy but probably not in your budget and not a long range round….

458 Lott

Up side is you probably wouldn't shoot more than 6-8 rounds per session!

I agree, I have a 458 Lott and a 45-70. The Lott stays in the safe, but the 45-70 is inexpensive to load. With a modern, strong action you can push a 405 gr. lead bullet at 2000 fps. I load lead to 1600 fps., which is plenty of fun for me.

 

[Stephen Prindle]

OP did not state his intended use other than Fun, so would second the 45-70 ^^^. Not my first choice for Long Range, but fun to shoot and 458 cal bullet moving at 2000 fps + hits hard. If you have the brass should be able to reload for under a $1 a round.

 

[HunterMann]

2 questions.
1. What is the most biggest most inexpensive magnum caliber to reload with all new components?

I am wanting to shoot some big boy rounds (No reason. Just for fun) but that doesn't cost me $5+ per round to make. The biggest caliber I own right now is a 6.5 PRC which costs me $2.50 a round to reload with new components.
2. What would be the next caliber up around the same price range of reloading cost?

"inexpensive magnum" is an oxymoron!
Describe "big boy rounds" with more details that would really clarify what you are looking for.
For minimal costs you could hot rod a 45/70 in a strong action.
Or look at a 300WM or 338WM. Components are generally available and of moderate costs.

 

[Reelamin]

2 questions.
1. What is the most biggest most inexpensive magnum caliber to reload with all new components?

I am wanting to shoot some big boy rounds (No reason. Just for fun) but that doesn't cost me $5+ per round to make. The biggest caliber I own right now is a 6.5 PRC which costs me $2.50 a round to reload with new components.
2. What would be the next caliber up around the same price range of reloading cost?

Based on your parameters for me one thing controls the new cartridge choice. How important is talking about how much coin you spend important to you or not. You can easily spend $5+ per round for your 6.5PRC if you wanted. Going with the "new popular" but does nothing really any better go with a 300PRC. I would go with a 300WM in half a heart beat. My latest waste of money was a custom built 223 that sucks for accuracy. I have probably 12 pages of loads and notes, and it will only shoot .75"-1" groups. The gunsmith took half a day "I'll help you get a load for it because it should shoot well under .5". I show up with all my components, data book, and the first thing he says is "Oh, I know what is wrong already you need LAPUA brass." So we try every bullet I have 20+, brass 4+, powder 6, primers 8, with no change for the better. He did not have any LAPUA 223 brass, and dug out some hand made super custom target bullets and it would shoot right about .5". Finish the day and he says get some of those bullets, LAPUA brass, and I will find a great load. Look up the bullets....NFWIH was or am I going to spend $80/100 bullets to shoot vermin with a 223 or anything for that matter. I did order the brass, and not one bit of change in my group size. Its sitting in storage two years later I just cant get myself to spend anymore money on it.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

Price alone for a Magnum would send me to another 300 WM. But if not for hunting and effective longer range killing...go with less. Doubt you could hear the difference in the ding of the gong, but you might not be able recover fast enough to see it with a bigger cartridge.

Targets are not affected by the cartridge shooting them. 308/30-06 built right with a heavy 200/215gr bullet will kill steel all day long without the cost. Easy components, good long barrel life, yada, yada...Other cartridges as well, but not as easy on barrel life.

Hunting performance and target performance are viewed different by me. But that's just it...by me...

EDIT...I can't believe I posted this. I must becoming a grown up...Go big or don't post about shooting bigger and badder on a budget...

 

[del2les]

So, you are wanting "big boy rounds" but "an inexpensive magnum"?

First, what is your definition of "big boy rounds"? Starting at 30 cal mags? 338LM? 375 Cheytac? Larger? Personally, I don't believe anything under 300WM could be considered an "entry" cartridge for this category, and I lean more toward beginning at 338's and LARGER. (338-50 cals).

What are your intended goals and ranges? A decent 7RM can clang a lot of steel at 1,500 and over/under, and will kill elk at near those ranges.

If you are really interested in "big boy rounds" and all that comes with it, throw away the price restrictions. That kinda' like wanting to drag race with the "big boys" but limiting yourself to economy class.

 

[whirlwindjml]

7RM can clang a lot of steel at 1,500 and o

7mag is a good idea as well for frugal reaching out. I'd prefer a 200+ grain Payload though for feeling like a big kid....

 

[Quintus]

338 Win mag is a lot of fun. Cheap W-W, Federal, or Rem brass is available and functional. A wide variety of bullets to play with. A good push, but still fun to shoot. I can go to any of 5+ stores right now and buy all the Winchester brass I want and have a selection of bullets to pick from.

 

[kiwi49]

No such beast as a "big boy" round being 'cheap' to reload . If OP was doing one "for fun", cost SHOULDN'T be an issue. One of the real 100+ year old Magnum calibres would be my idea of BIG BOY and FUN . 416 Rigby, 500/570 Express, etc!

 

[QuietTexan]

Sorry, but the 375H&H derivatives (meaning 300 WM and 7 RM) are not big cases. You have to go over 100gn of H20 before you're really at the top of the heap, even then 120+gns is better. 338 LM, 300 Norma, and RUM families mainly (plus a few dozen wildcats), until you step up past the magnum and 0.585" bolt faces to the real big cases.

Get a Savage 112 Magnum Target in 338 Lapua. 338 LM is a relatively cost effective magnum to load - brass is about $0.60 to $1 more a case than others, it's been around long enough there is used top end loading equipment out there, you can find Sierra and Hornady blems during not-stupid times, and powder volume isn't worse than any other big case.

One big benefit to the rifle is that it's a large shank Savage single shot - you can rechamber to any derivative of the 300 Norma, 338 Lapua, or 378 Weatherby with just a barrel.

7-300 Norma Improved, 338 LM Improved, or 300 Norma Improved

7mm-300 Norma Improved – West Texas Ordnance, Inc. | Custom Rifles & Accessories

 

[lancetkenyon]

.300WM.

Buy some once fired brass at cheap prices or even free from some guys. Rem, Win, Fed, Hornady.
Any magnum primer should work. You don't need Fed GM215Ms, unless you want them. Fed 215, CCI250, Rem 9 1/2 Mag, Win LRM.
H1000, RL23, RL, 26, RL33, Retumbo, IMR7977, IMR8133, N565, N570, all great choices. Find one and work up a load.
Sierra 210 SMK, 200 SMK, 220 SMK, all cheaper than Berger and still shoot amazingly well.