Cheaper to feed hunting rifle
- Thread starter DGY
- Start date
Okay, I'll step back about 100 years for my answer...
My favourite cartridge is the venerable 25-35 Winchester. Moderately fast and pretty cheap to load once you have the brass.
I run 29.0gr of H380 behind a Hornady 117gr SST for about 2450FPS. (Yes, yes, I know, flat nose or round nose bullets only in lever actions - my rifles are all custom single shots falling blocks so I use the pointy ones.)
New brass from Hornady is $100 for 50 and reasonably available. The Hornady bullets I use are pretty common and about $60 for 100, CCI or Federal primers at $20 per 100. H380 can be found for about $75.00 per pound and that gives you 311 loads per pound.
Add the GST and you get $32.70 per box with new brass and subsequent loads are about $1.17 each.
Not bad for handloads, and they have done the job on several deer (mule and whitetail) out to about 140 yards so far.
You just need to find the right rifle to put them through.
My favourite cartridge is the venerable 25-35 Winchester. Moderately fast and pretty cheap to load once you have the brass.
I run 29.0gr of H380 behind a Hornady 117gr SST for about 2450FPS. (Yes, yes, I know, flat nose or round nose bullets only in lever actions - my rifles are all custom single shots falling blocks so I use the pointy ones.)
New brass from Hornady is $100 for 50 and reasonably available. The Hornady bullets I use are pretty common and about $60 for 100, CCI or Federal primers at $20 per 100. H380 can be found for about $75.00 per pound and that gives you 311 loads per pound.
Add the GST and you get $32.70 per box with new brass and subsequent loads are about $1.17 each.
Not bad for handloads, and they have done the job on several deer (mule and whitetail) out to about 140 yards so far.
You just need to find the right rifle to put them through.
- Location
- West Central Alberta
Years ago I bought a Savage Axis in .223 but sold it as I didn't like the feel of the stock or the way the magazine was made but man oh man that rifle was very accurate.
An Axis isn't for everyone but it is in your price range and right now I'm kinda sorry that I sold mine.
An Axis isn't for everyone but it is in your price range and right now I'm kinda sorry that I sold mine.
The 6mm bullets would be an issue during shortages.
Other than that, I agree.
However, finding 200 cases, even now, can be difficult.
Rifles chambered for "niche" cartridges are a hard sell.
I was thinking of the Brno Fox in the EE myself.
But, Prophet River has some great deals for those who know
Rob
I have lots of great hunting cartridges but nothing that is cheep to shoot, so I ain’t gonna buy a 7mm08 when I have all kind of cartridges that do the same as a 7mm08, here’s what I said “Mainly to hit steel to 300m, probably some hunting coyote, wolf(small games). My budget would be $1000 or less new or used. If 223 a faster twist would be nice and more versatile for hunting using heavier bullets.”
Anyway cheap to shoot is the key element here!
A simple choice really…boring but as mentioned a thousand times already by our own knowledgeable connoisseurs of rifles and calibres, the Tikka T3X in 223Rem. No hassles top performance no attitude easy and cheap to feed just like the almost perfect girlfriend…lol …. Cheers
Looks like your on the right path with a 223.
My fav bullet in a 223 for yotes, was the 69gr TMK and that can be shot in a 9tw. That would be perfect out to 300. But once you get into shooting steel. Most people start reaching out further, and thats where a faster twist can help out.
Also my load with the 69s was 25.6gr of varget, so kind of right in your range.
My fav bullet in a 223 for yotes, was the 69gr TMK and that can be shot in a 9tw. That would be perfect out to 300. But once you get into shooting steel. Most people start reaching out further, and thats where a faster twist can help out.
Also my load with the 69s was 25.6gr of varget, so kind of right in your range.
That's a good observation, but even in the US, most AR type firearms are chambered for the 5.56 Nato round or the 223 rem.
In Canada, AR type rifles are not, and never were nearly as prolific.
The OP, was looking for a "common" firearm in Canada, utilizing a "common" readily available cartridge, with appx 25 grain powder needs, and readily available components. The 6mm, or 6.5mm, or whatever ARC doesn't fit the bill, no matter how much you would like it to.
I'm not denying the effectiveness or design of the cartridge, it's an excellent round.
Ok guys, we established that a 223 with a fast twist(7.5-8) is the way I should go, now you need to find me one in the sub $1k mark(all in, tax at least)! Tikka would be great, I never owned one but shot a few…
Howa mini sounds interesting and I could go with an after market bottom metal hinge floor plate!
I don’t care much for savage axis or rugger other than the 77!
Howa mini sounds interesting and I could go with an after market bottom metal hinge floor plate!
I don’t care much for savage axis or rugger other than the 77!
I have a howa mini stainless in 6.5 grendel.
It takes about 28gr to be as fast as I like but cud easily have a load for yotes or deer at 23-25gr.
6 ARC wud be my next choice.
1 black bear and 2 blacktail so far this season and counting.
It takes about 28gr to be as fast as I like but cud easily have a load for yotes or deer at 23-25gr.
6 ARC wud be my next choice.
1 black bear and 2 blacktail so far this season and counting.
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I'd think of 6.5 Grendel or 6mm ARC with what you have in mind.
Although I think 7.62x39 could handle it too. Think I'll be switching over to mostly using it myself. Maybe a Howa with the various aftermarket floorplate setups. Good for deer to 200 meters, can shoot it a lot without needing to reload, ball powder available and very cheap etc etc
If you do go the 223 and Tikka route I've had good experience with them using 77gr TMK and 73gr ELDM and the loads took 24 gr of powder or less.
