Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I’ve been on a painful process to standardize my battery to one bore size so all my components interchange. I’m a simple freezer hunter these days who doesn’t travel far anymore for hunting, and frequent long distance target shooter. This has lead me to streamline the load bench massively, I used to stock .224/.257/7mm/.30/.375/.470/.577 in many different shaped cases, diameters in bold saw heavy stocking and use.
Only one chambering has never left, even if for the shortest of periods, the .30-30 Winchester. I’ve never handloaded it, ever, and finally bought the first box of component bullets for it. My first centerfire was my Grandfather’s .30-30, and I’ll always be a .30-30 adherent as such. This is utterly the only chambering that’s truly safe, as even the .22LR is threatened now by the .17.
So that starts me with .30 on the bench, even if the bullets are flat pointed or gummy tipped. Second, the .308 boring as it is, has seldom left for long, and never left in components. It’s the 7x57 I hunted with more, but without the fuss, and is available everywhere, and in everything. Have used it on moose, wolves, many others... shot it to 1,000 a lot for fun… It was always a “just get out there” chambering, and typically I shot factory ammo from it. I pretty well always have one sighted in, ready in the safe. I was in Canadian Tire recently, looking at bare ammo shelves, and noted there wasn’t even .30-30. But there were at least a half dozen .308 options still. So the .308s likely safe.
The 7mm was awkward to eliminate, I’ve used them for 20 years and most of my custom builds have been 7s. Heck it’s my avatar since 2004. It’s fantastic, but… does nothing .30 can’t. And my favorite 7mm case, the x57, isn’t available in everything. It’s likely a good thing I never built a .284… or I’d be stocking two mid bores still, 7mm and .30. I loved guiding clients shooting 7 Rem Mags, was my favourite chambering to see in their hands, as just about everyone shoots it well and it shoots flat, arriving with sufficient speed. This said, for my own personal use, I never took to it, and never kept a 7 mag long.
The .375, has been a long story with me. I bought the first from Russell Sports in Calgary, and never looked back, was my one rifle for the world. Took a couple big five, biggest thing on this continent, much of the other BC game with it, three Africa trips all in and even one to Hawaii. I carried it backing up clients on Grizzly hunts for years too with confidence. It does utterly everything well. But… it is big… the guns are heavy… and it was overkill for 3/4s of what I did with it. So I made a smaller, lighter .375 wildcat. It was wonderful, however my guiding days are done, and if I was committed to this one bore for everything program .375 had to go. I almost made .375 the one bore… could have even put a .38-55 barrel on the M94 to really commit. But alas, let it go… and it was easier than expected.
The big heavies, .458 briefly, .470, .505 briefly, .577 were easy to eliminate. I found the .375 worked better honestly anyhow, the big ones were too slow, and the bullets too stiff, the trajectories abysmal, plus the applications overall very limited. This is a short story.
.224 wasn’t that hard to eliminate, it’s too small for most of what I do with a rifle, and I’ve bored of the black guns, plus don’t love it as a target / long range round. I no longer predator hunt, or long range gopher shoot anymore. Another short story.
That leaves me with the surprise hardest to elimate. .257… Every custom I planned for myself, this was on the short list. I’ve found for the last 15 years it’s ideal for 99% of what I do with a rifle. It is just… not as easy to support as .30. I’ve sold most of my stuff now that isn’t .30, but .25 is one I’ve been clinging to like a kid outgrowing their toys from a younger era and unable to let go. Had an offer on my last good .257 blank shoehorned away for a project, and just said sure 15 mins ago. I even debated converting everything in the battery to .25, it’s likely my favourite bore. But, one that’s just a mite too hard to support, or find easy factory ammo for (the biggest factor). For shooting pleasure and performance, it’s #1 however.
In a world where I hunted as much as I used to, I’d likely be a .257 and .375 guy. But as I’m choosing just one, it’s gonna sensibly land in the middle and be .30. I do worry I’ll relapse into .257 however… the rest, I don’t feel that pain for. ‘Cept maybe a hint of .375 angst.
Only one chambering has never left, even if for the shortest of periods, the .30-30 Winchester. I’ve never handloaded it, ever, and finally bought the first box of component bullets for it. My first centerfire was my Grandfather’s .30-30, and I’ll always be a .30-30 adherent as such. This is utterly the only chambering that’s truly safe, as even the .22LR is threatened now by the .17.
So that starts me with .30 on the bench, even if the bullets are flat pointed or gummy tipped. Second, the .308 boring as it is, has seldom left for long, and never left in components. It’s the 7x57 I hunted with more, but without the fuss, and is available everywhere, and in everything. Have used it on moose, wolves, many others... shot it to 1,000 a lot for fun… It was always a “just get out there” chambering, and typically I shot factory ammo from it. I pretty well always have one sighted in, ready in the safe. I was in Canadian Tire recently, looking at bare ammo shelves, and noted there wasn’t even .30-30. But there were at least a half dozen .308 options still. So the .308s likely safe.
The 7mm was awkward to eliminate, I’ve used them for 20 years and most of my custom builds have been 7s. Heck it’s my avatar since 2004. It’s fantastic, but… does nothing .30 can’t. And my favorite 7mm case, the x57, isn’t available in everything. It’s likely a good thing I never built a .284… or I’d be stocking two mid bores still, 7mm and .30. I loved guiding clients shooting 7 Rem Mags, was my favourite chambering to see in their hands, as just about everyone shoots it well and it shoots flat, arriving with sufficient speed. This said, for my own personal use, I never took to it, and never kept a 7 mag long.
The .375, has been a long story with me. I bought the first from Russell Sports in Calgary, and never looked back, was my one rifle for the world. Took a couple big five, biggest thing on this continent, much of the other BC game with it, three Africa trips all in and even one to Hawaii. I carried it backing up clients on Grizzly hunts for years too with confidence. It does utterly everything well. But… it is big… the guns are heavy… and it was overkill for 3/4s of what I did with it. So I made a smaller, lighter .375 wildcat. It was wonderful, however my guiding days are done, and if I was committed to this one bore for everything program .375 had to go. I almost made .375 the one bore… could have even put a .38-55 barrel on the M94 to really commit. But alas, let it go… and it was easier than expected.
The big heavies, .458 briefly, .470, .505 briefly, .577 were easy to eliminate. I found the .375 worked better honestly anyhow, the big ones were too slow, and the bullets too stiff, the trajectories abysmal, plus the applications overall very limited. This is a short story.
.224 wasn’t that hard to eliminate, it’s too small for most of what I do with a rifle, and I’ve bored of the black guns, plus don’t love it as a target / long range round. I no longer predator hunt, or long range gopher shoot anymore. Another short story.
That leaves me with the surprise hardest to elimate. .257… Every custom I planned for myself, this was on the short list. I’ve found for the last 15 years it’s ideal for 99% of what I do with a rifle. It is just… not as easy to support as .30. I’ve sold most of my stuff now that isn’t .30, but .25 is one I’ve been clinging to like a kid outgrowing their toys from a younger era and unable to let go. Had an offer on my last good .257 blank shoehorned away for a project, and just said sure 15 mins ago. I even debated converting everything in the battery to .25, it’s likely my favourite bore. But, one that’s just a mite too hard to support, or find easy factory ammo for (the biggest factor). For shooting pleasure and performance, it’s #1 however.
In a world where I hunted as much as I used to, I’d likely be a .257 and .375 guy. But as I’m choosing just one, it’s gonna sensibly land in the middle and be .30. I do worry I’ll relapse into .257 however… the rest, I don’t feel that pain for. ‘Cept maybe a hint of .375 angst.
Last edited:
