The next custom an Oberndorf M98: What to chamber it in?

What to chamber the Oberndorf in?


  • Total voters
    233
Have you considered reboring to keep the barrel profile?

There is a cartridge in the cartridges of the world that I always thought was interesting and would be good on the standard action. 500 belted magnum, a 460 weatherby shortened to 2.5 inches. Doesn't seem to gain anything on a 458 but the cool factor alone...
 
Hate to admit this. But if I was after an “alternative” .375 to the proper one would be the Ruger.

Ya, the .375 Ruger would be a great choice for your build if it wasn’t so darn modern. I had one built on a FN98(JC Higgins Model 50) a few years ago. Great rifle. The round is a perfect fit for a 98.
 
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Ya, the .375 Ruger would be a great joice for your build if it wasn’t so darn modern. I had one built on a FN98(JC Higgins Model 50) a few years ago. Great rifle. The round is a perfect fit for a 98.

Good point. Hardly an appropriate calibre fit for the vintage base rifle being utilized for the rebuild.
 
ATTENTION! This is your conscience speaking. Anything other than .280 Ross is a decision so erroneous you will regret it for the rest of your life.
Consider your great grandchildren having to go about in public carrying the shame of their ancestor NOT chambering his rifle in this venerable caliber.

The decision makes itself. I shall await pictures.
 
Ardent... If you are considering a 7mm cartridge and with your love of the .375 H&H, why not do a .275 H&H Magnum? You will be building a rifle unique within your battery (less duplication, albeit a mental hurdle), and you are all set for components, both bullets and brass. It would make a fine running mate to any of your .375's but in particular, the pairing of the Merkel .375 H&H double and this M98 .275 H&H holds particular appeal. It is also not a "soul-less" choice... and differentiates itself from the No.1 and M77 when you are reaching into the cabinet.

Not trying to muddy the waters, but after reading through the thread, it seems that it may tickle your fancy and perhaps grab your imagination... of course there are faster, hotter, more modern 7mm out there, but then those ones don't really fit in the neuro-networks... and the .275 H&H can be loaded for the kind of speed you are looking for, so it won't quickly give you that "redundant feeling" (sung to the tune of the Righteous Brothers song). A tough 150 grain in excess of 3200 can cover a lot of territory... plus "coolness" in spades.
 
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If we are to consider the KISS principal, the answer is easy, the .275 Rigby precludes having to change anything. You did say that the rifle was originally chambered .30/06, but didn't mention if the magazine box or the action had been lengthened to accommodate the longer cartridges, if not the .275 is the correct answer, but if so, how about the 7X64 Brenneke. That should suit your preference for the obscure over the mundane.
 
If we are to consider the KISS principal, the answer is easy, the .275 Rigby precludes having to change anything. You did say that the rifle was originally chambered .30/06, but didn't mention if the magazine box or the action had been lengthened to accommodate the longer cartridges, if not the .275 is the correct answer, but if so, how about the 7X64 Brenneke. That should suit your preference for the obscure over the mundane.

Angus already has at least two 7X57's... the 7X64 Brenneke is a great cartridge, I have an M77 MKII and a CZ 550 Lux in 7X64, but it really does little more than the X57 version. The .275 H&H is a definite "step up," over the X57 and X64 and shares the case with his favored .375 H&H.

From Chuck Hawkes;

"According to P.O. Ackley (as quoted in the 9th Edition of#Cartridges of the World), a 160 grain bullet can be driven to a MV of 3050 and ME of 3305 ft. lbs. by 59.0 grains of IMR 4350 powder. That is more like it! At 200 yards the remaining velocity of that load should be about 2658 fps and the remaining energy 2509 ft. lbs.

The trajectory of that load, computed for the 160 grain Nosler Partition bullet (BC .475, SD .283) looks like this: +2.5" at 100 yards, +3" at 150 yards, +2.3" at 200 yards, +0.3" at 250 yards, -2.9" at 300 yards, and - 7.6" at 350 yards. The maximum point blank range (+/- 3") is 301 yards. Except for the powders poured into them, the capability of 7mm Magnum cartridges has really not changed much since 1912!"

I believe that 3200 fps is doable with 150 grain bullets... a very nice cartridge in this context and given Angus' parameters.
 
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Ardent... If you are considering a 7mm cartridge and with your love of the .375 H&H, why not do a .275 H&H Magnum? You will be building a rifle unique within your battery (less duplication, albeit a mental hurdle), and you are all set for components, both bullets and brass. It would make a fine running mate to any of your .375's but in particular, the pairing of the Merkel .375 H&H double and this M98 .275 H&H holds particular appeal. It is also not a "soul-less" choice... and differentiates itself from the No.1 and M77 when you are reaching into the cabinet.

Not trying to muddy the waters, but after reading through the thread, it seems that it may tickle your fancy and perhaps grab your imagination... of course there are faster, hotter, more modern 7mm out there, but then those ones don't really fit in the neuro-networks... and the .275 H&H can be loaded for the kind of speed you are looking for, so it won't quickly give you that "redundant feeling" (sung to the tune of the Righteous Brothers song). A tough 150 grain in excess of 3200 can cover a lot of territory... plus "coolness" in spades.

Always been tempted to do a .275 H&H but hadn’t considered it for this one. About ten years ago I was pretty hot on the idea, brass is easily formed from 7 Rem Mag with sizing then fireform, easy given it’s belted. Very, very good idea.

Boomer the present mag box is intermediate, accepts the -06, just. Not planning to stay with the current magazine no concerns on switching, feed work, and clearancing. Enjoy that stuff.
 
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