building a 700 HB what cal?

Brocolt

Brocolt

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ok I have a few caliber questions, looking at doing at doing up a Rem 700 Heavy Barrel / HB for varmint, Yotes, target, and maybe the odd deer you never know. I'm just not sure what caliber to build on .223 / .22-250 or .243 cal I was thinking .223 at first do to the cost of ammo, but if I use it on deer it's not the greatest. that's why I was thinking of an all-round HB gun maybe.

now I have a .22 & .22 mag for a backup varmint gun. but like I said no bigger cal for deer. Any thoughts?
 
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If you are

into reloading the handsdown winner in my book is the 6BR. Will chuck 65 grain bullets at over 3500 fps for varmints yet throw 105-108 bullets at around 2900 fps for whitetails depending on your barrels twist.
 
Of the options listed I would go with the 243.

Better choices are the 6BR (for accuracy) and the 260 (a better deer chamber).

Reloading is not really an option......Resistance is futile! ;)
 
I take it you want to build a custom rifle instead of purchasing an off the rack Remington 700VS, VLS, VSF, VSF II or the 700 SPS Varmint/Tactical models? While not all calibers are available in all combos, its certainly a less expensive option, unless you really want a custom.

Depending on what your home province permits for use on big game/coyotes/varmints, I'd opt for a heavier caliber. The .243 will take care of all of these, but I wouldn't try for anything larger than deer. The .260 can up that size factor for you.

Personally, I've opted for dedicated vamint/coyote rifles in .22-250 & .223. For big game hunting (using a heavy bbl) I've got a 700VS in .308, a custom LTR style again in .308 & Sendero in 7mm Rem Mag. Sometimes it isn't such a good thing to be looking for a do-all rifle.
 
Wow! Yet another post regarding a do-it-all rifle with a heavy barrel, I'm truly shocked! Just razzin' ya, bud. This topic comes up just about every week in this forum. About 5 mins. of solid research and you would have discovered this.

All pet peeves aside, here's my thoughts.

If you want an "all around gun" then you're going to have to select a cartridge that has tremendous flexibility. Not only that but you're going to have to eventually learn how to reload to take full advantage of any cartridge you select.

Will barrel life be an issue here? Is this going to be a rifle you shoot often?

IMHO, taking in consideration that you don't currently handload and that you'll need a variety of factory ammo to choose from, you're choice is simple young "grasshoppah"! - .308 Winchester.

When you look at the tremendous amount of .30 cal. bullet selection available ranging from 90gr. Hornady XTP's (very low cost, short range plinking or varmint bullet) to 125gr.-175gr. hunting & match bullets, how could you possibly go wrong? There are many other bullets available available but those are just a few that will easily accomplish what you want your rifle to do.

Barrel length, contour and twist will all depend on how much give and take you are willing to live with. A do-it-all rifle is a "jack of all trades - master of nothing". Keep that in mind.

If I were you I would buy wither an off the shelf 700 LTR or an SPS Tactical (both 20" barrel lengths) depending on your budget. If your pocketbook could take a larger "hit" I'd buy a SPS varmint, chop the barrel to 22" and then put the barreled action in a McMillan HTG (M40A1) general purpose stock. Going to a full blown custom would be great but not exactly the most cost effective approach.

For me, buying the SPS Varmint, chopping the barrel, and putting a HTG stock on it would be close to an optimal rifle for what you are trying to accomplish.
 
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Thanks 2bad, well put.

As a hunter, I can tell you there is no way i want to be schlepping a heavy-barrel anything through the bush. Short, light, easy to shoot free-hand and in a cartridge that stands an excellent chance of a first-shot kill anywhere in the centre of mass. Forget anything in a 223 bolt face as a novice. Accuracy... well minute-of-deer-heart accuracy is all you need.

On that basis, go Stevens 200 in a 30 cal. with a low-power scope

Varmints (and targets) are another matter. (I am fanatical about this type of shootimg) The round needs to be highly accurate, fast and shoot flat. Hunting rounds generally use kinetics influenced by weight. Given the size of target, the distances and the variable ranges, and given the volume of fire you will have, you want a heavy barrel, bi-pod or front rest, you will want a scope with high magnification, and you will want a stock designed for shooting in this manner. The list of calibres is endless, but if you are not reloading and money is an issue, go 223 or 204 and stick with bullets that fit your twist rate.

Go ahead and buy a one-size-fits-all gun, but bear in mind it won't do both jobs very well at all. Most people shoot maybe a box or two of hunting ammo a year. My advice? Spend your money on a good varmint or target gun, with a GOOD scope and then collect a bunch of pop cans and bottles and go cash them in on a hunting rifle.

When I design a .25 MOA grizzly-gopher slayer with a 2-50X scope that will fire my new 20-700 nitro cartridge, I will put them in the EE;)
 
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I would suggest as well a 243, but i would also question a hunting rifle in a HB ? Unless your stand hunting or sitting close to an accessable area, by car or atv i would just get an 700 sps 243. Mine shoots 3/4 moa all day on a calm day.

Do not overlook the 6.5x284 or the plane jane do it all 308 win.
Both of these are do it all calibers vs the 243.
 
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dan belisle said:
Well, you start with a box of 243 Win (available at all Wally Worlds), and then after you fire it in your gun; presto! 243 AI brass. - dan
Click to expand...

While that's all fine and dandy, if you go back to his original post, he indicates he doesn't handload. So, what's the point of a .243 AI if he doesn't reload?
 
yes someday I will reload. just need a good instructor to give me the start up info. Yes I know what I need to start equipment wise. just don't understand the gaging / sizing parts and a few other things. I'm a hands on learner so if I see it done I will catch on. Now back to the topic. I guess a stevens 200 would fit the bill as to a larger cal rifle for deer & elk there cheap enough.

As for lugging a HB around all day is not an issue for me done it before & will do it again. I like the idea of the .243 but though it was a bit large for smaller varmints. and the issue of .223 in deer well yes it's a bit small but shot placement would fix that I think.

question: about a 22" BBL chopped from a 26" SPS I was told a few years ago that bullet harmonics ie: - ( negative ) or + ( positive ) a person wants the bullet to leave the barrel on a neutral note when it comes to bullet harmonics. and that 24" BBL was the best for .308 cal. Now how would a 22" factor in bullet harmonics. for .223 / .22-250 & .243 or would bullet weight & rate of spin be a factor. I hope this makes sence to you all it's been over 12 years since this was told to me. :eek:

by the way I do like the 204 ruger, like the 4000+ fps. but cost of ammo is around the cost of .243 & .22-250
by the way we are aloud to hunt deer with .22 center fire so .223 would be the smallest around here So 204 ruger would be out. l
 
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question: about a 22" BBL chopped from a 26" SPS I was told a few years ago that bullet harmonics ie: - ( negative ) or + ( positive ) a person wants the bullet to leave the barrel on a neutral note when it comes to bullet harmonics. and that 24" BBL was the best for .308 cal.
Click to expand...

22" is about the shortest length that you will want to go without compromising velocity for the sake of handling and ease of carry. I don't know where 24" comes into play here as I believe any reasonable barrel length can be made accurate if your handloads are developed properly to begin with. Barrel length is moot point because you have to work up a load from scratch anyways, so barrel length really isn't an issue.

Finding a powder with appropriate burn rate,charge weight, and suitable primer that are compatible with your bullet selection and barrel length are going to have a far greater impact on accuracy than the actual barrel length in itself.
 
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Ammo cost should definitely NOT be the deciding factor for your hunting ammo! If you're planning on hunting deer with a centerfire .22, have enough respect for the animal you're hunting to purchase the very best ammo you can find with a premium, controlled expansion bullet & not a $10.00 box of Winchester White Box 45 gr JHP varmint ammo from Wal-Mart.
 
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