Hardest chambering to give up?

Dogleg said:
If I had to, I could write off everything between .224 and .308 as long as the .224 was a 22/250 and the .308 was one of the magnums ( The Win is the logical choice). That's coming from a big 7mm fan. After that, a 458 (probably a Lott) and a 375 (probably an H&H, but a Weatherby wouldn't be out of the running) to split the difference; when splitting the difference is a valid choice.
Click to expand...

You’re a lot busier than most of us in hunting, that’s cinched right the heck down for your uses. If I still planned to travel, it’d be an 8 or 9 twist .257 (for 75gr varmint to 120-130 LR) and .375 which explains itself, but I never did buffalo in volume so I didn’t get the .458 affliction. It’s by far the most sensible of the big’uns.
 
All this discussion about cutting down on calibers and lovely firearms to shoot them is kinda depressing. I won't do it.
But If I really, really had to trim my collection back to basics like I was 16 years old again, and discussing only the ones I hunt local game with, I'd choose my Anschutz 1415 .22 magnum rimfire, a Sako Deluxe L579 .308, and my Browning Citori 16 ga. O/U. I actually could get by with just them. But that's crazy talk.
I'm not done travelling to hunt places like Africa. Need different firearms than those for that destination and for things like elephant and buffalo. That's why I have a Merkel double rifle in .450-400 3" Nitro express and a takedown Verney-Carron Bolt rifle in 9.3x62. And a .22 rimfire is fun to plink and practise with, even though I don't actually hunt with one much. And my 12 ga Beretta SV10 target gun is the right thing to use on the sporting clays course. And a big old 12 ga. Winchester M12 pump is the correct tool in the goose or duck blind. And I need the little stainless steel M92 Rossi trapper carbine .44 mag for bear repellent in the bush when I'm not hunting, and my Sako .223 HB with a big Zeiss scope is a proper coyote rifle for long range winter calling sessions and much more appropriate than the .22 magnum, and a muzzle loader for the special whitetail season, and ... what was the question again?
 
I could never bring myself to trim down my cartridges let alone a single firearm. Every year I have been adding new firearms in new-to-me cartridges;. I added .357, .375H&H and 6.5 Swede to the safe last year. I'm looking to add .338 WinMag, 30-30 and 6.5 Creedmoor.
 
Ardent said:
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.
Click to expand...

Give up on the 7x57 already. You have my mailing address.
 
Too funny, you’re right, but I think you need a .30-06 and don’t know it so I should send you that. :d

Also, a few seem to think this is a one gun thread. I’d like to reassure them I have far too many .308s of vastly different configurations, I’m shifting from the diffferent chambering for the task to different rifle for the task model. All with one common round. It soothes certain diosorders I’m told.
 
Every story is different. For myself I still like the weird and odd-ball. As I’m handloading anyway, multiple, different or wildcat chamberings aren’t much of an issue, provided a common bore size, as components can be largely shared. My favourite bore diameter is 7mm as its notably sleeker than .30cal while not giving up much weight (150-180gr being pretty normal weights for both calibers). That said, you can’t beat .30cal for “future proof” availability. Therefore most of my personal “forever” projects have a .30cal bore.
Not that you’re looking for advice, and I recognize it’s a slippery slope, but I’d make a strong argument for allowing just one unique exception and permitting that nice quarter bore a place in your cabinet. Firearms aren’t supposed to be strictly logical or practical. Much like fine art, musical instruments or classical sports cars there is something incredibly alluring and enjoyable about the unique and personal.

Regards,
Paul.
 
The good thing about different cartridges is you don't need to be as organised as if you only have 1 case and multiple firearms for it. I know the way I'm going with my memory I'd grab the wrong load for the rifle or do you plan on trying to use 1 load in every rifle? Just hope for the best accuracy wise? Or will you be handloading and labeling?
 
I went through a phase of acquiring, trying, moving on. The safe has a lot more room in it now than it did 10 years ago. One of them that went was your old 602 in 375HH (which took a cow moose in Matane). it went to a good home - not sure if Ted still has it. I have a Model 88 in 308 - first deer ever taken; a 30-30 Trapper with a case-coloured receiver that is too pretty to consider getting rid of; a BRNO Model 2 22LR; and various 12 gauges. My oddball that I won't relinquish (never say never) is a 2002 model year, New Haven made, CRF, Model 70 in 270WSM. It shoots like a laser. I have dies and components for it, though I have yet to work up a load - it shoots factory so well and while not easy, I've not been stymied shopping for ammo (yet).
 
brybenn said:
The good thing about different cartridges is you don't need to be as organised as if you only have 1 case and multiple firearms for it. I know the way I'm going with my memory I'd grab the wrong load for the rifle or do you plan on trying to use 1 load in every rifle? Just hope for the best accuracy wise? Or will you be handloading and labeling?
Click to expand...

No I load for all of them, for instance my target gun is getting a new 8 twist barrel so I can play with flat lines, blank just arrived. There are utility loads that shoot pretty well in all of them. Goal isn’t to have one load, I actually have found I can have pretty absurd variety within just one cartridge, from 100gr plinkers to cnc’d flatlines to 220gr Hornady RNs. There’s a hell of a range in .30, I just like that any rifle can use the brass, powder, primers. Bullets are more rifle specific, but the majors share through all of them.

PR Cook said:
Every story is different. For myself I still like the weird and odd-ball. As I’m handloading anyway, multiple, different or wildcat chamberings aren’t much of an issue, provided a common bore size, as components can be largely shared. My favourite bore diameter is 7mm as it’s notably sleeker than .30cal while not giving up much weight (150-180gr being pretty normal weights for both calibers). That said, you can’t beat .30cal for “future proof” availability. Therefore most of my personal “forever” projects have a .30cal bore.
Not that you’re looking for advice, and I recognize it’s a slippery slope, but I’d make a strong argument for allowing just one unique exception and permitting that nice quarter bore a place in your cabinet. Firearms aren’t supposed to be strictly logical or practical. Much like fine art, musical instruments or classical sports cars there is something incredibly alluring and enjoyable about the unique and personal.

Regards,
Paul.
Click to expand...

Well said Paul, and I’m definitely tempted to do just that. I spent a year living in Whitecourt a dozen years ago, enjoyed the Allan & Jean Miller center aplenty on mid winter days like these where one dreams up gun builds if not distracted.

looch said:
I went through a phase of acquiring, trying, moving on. The safe has a lot more room in it now than it did 10 years ago. One of them that went was your old 602 in 375HH (which took a cow moose in Matane). it went to a good home - not sure if Ted still has it. I have a Model 88 in 308 - first deer ever taken; a 30-30 Trapper with a case-coloured receiver that is too pretty to consider getting rid of; a BRNO Model 2 22LR; and various 12 gauges. My oddball that I won't relinquish (never say never) is a 2002 model year, New Haven made, CRF, Model 70 in 270WSM. It shoots like a laser. I have dies and components for it, though I have yet to work up a load - it shoots factory so well and while not easy, I've not been stymied shopping for ammo (yet).
Click to expand...

Would be good for a smile if we knew how many of us have shared custody of some of the neat ones, I have a very funny story about how I acquired that 602 in a city far from home. Sitting in the wrong family’s living room under a nice bull elk on the fireplace and meeting the kids, waiting for the owner of the 602 to get home.

Turns out, that city’s planning spun me, I was on “Caribou Crescent” instead of “Caribou Close” or something. The fellow’s wife thought it sounded perfectly logical her husband would tell someone to come over for a rifle, after quite awhile it became clear the owner of that home didn’t have a .375 to sell. We had a good laugh, and I was redirected (quite late) to the actual owner’s home.
 
Ardent said:
There’s a hell of a range in .30, I just like that any rifle can use the brass, powder, primers. Bullets are more rifle specific, but the majors share through all of them.
Click to expand...

This has been my train of thought as well with keeping a 308 & ‘06 in the stable as my mains. With enough brass, powder, primers and projectiles to last more then I shoot or hunt currently it’s just logical to have two .30Cals that cover a wide range of Grains and uses. Maybe at some point I’ll re-add a 6.5mm as lighter option, probably a Swede again.
 
I need to learn to label things. I have cases of 458wm loaded with trail boss another with starting loads and another with hot loads all using the same bullet. All packed with filler to. You think I can remember which is which lol. It'll be a fun day at the range trying to guess which is which when I pull the trigger lol. I miss the days of good memory before the Lyme got to me

This spring I plan to play with my 308 alot more. 110gr gmx 125gr by 150gr accubond 200gr rn. All out of 1 rifle though. I'll try to find the most balanced load for my needs
 
I usually use a permanent marker and code the reloads. Those plastic MTM caseguard cases with labels are pretty handy too.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom