Suggestions for a "big and slow" caliber?

Ardent said:
My struggle with the 9.3x57 et al, and I spent far too much building a Satterlee 9.5x57 (.375 version) so I’m not averse to the concept, is they don’t kill any better than a 7x57 or .30-06. Nor do they truly offer a greater range of responsible shot angles, trajectory and recoil change for the worse mind you. They’re nice if you want to shoot cheap cast however, but that and keeping the loading bench standardized on .375 are the only benefits I’ve found so far. Will of course keep testing.
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It really isn't the cartridge in that case (9.5X57), but rather the platform.... pretty handy package overall. Not, unlike (but at a higher price point) my 7.62X57 M77 MKII... these M77R models fit me like a glove, and that is more important than the cartridge it is chambered for... of course that doesn't stop me from shooting a dozen of them in various cartridges.
 
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MiG25 said:
With any bullet weight the 9.3x57 will be able to outpace the 358 having both a larger bore and more case capacity. And there is no doubt that an older Mauser is a nicer rifle than a BLR.
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3 cheers fer that one. Ye grab a decent 46A in 9.3x57 and tweek 'er a tad, ye end up with a light weight, potent package that'll do the job on game just dandy. No hot rodding required.;)
 
hoytcanon said:
It really isn't the cartridge in that case (9.5X57), but rather the platform.... pretty handy package overall. Not, unlike (but at a higher price point) my 7.62X57 M77 MKII... these M77R models fit me like a glove, and that is more important than the cartridge it is chambered for... of course that doesn't stop me from shooting a dozen of them in various cartridges.
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I hear you there, love a light fast bolt gun carbine. My .375 2 1/4 / 9.5x57 will likely be a 7x57 soon though. Just not warming up to that round. At the price of the Huskys they do indeed make good sense as chambered.
 
35-9.3

I’ve shot many game animals with heavy calibers, after many years I’ve found that the 35-9,3 crowd are the finest. My current favorite is a 9.3x74r handloaded to send 250 grain AB down range at nearly 2700 fps. That combo shoots as flat as a 308 with 168’s. That will easily reach out to 400 m. Who needs a magnum.
 
My favorite all time rifle and cartridge in this realm, although not overly big and certainly not slow, as I load it, is my two 350 RMs...........One is an original Model 7 KS and the other is a custom shop Model 7 MS. Although certainly not mainstream, not easy to find ammo for, hell not even easy to find brass for and 100% reloaders cartridge, it is an absolute killing machine that hits way above it's perceived weight class.
I realize that it does not meet several criteria as laid out by the OP, but as a light weight medium heavy hitter out to 300+ mtrs it has few peers in it's class. However it is neither cheap to purchase when you can find one for sale and it is difficult to feed..........but if you have one and a good supply of brass, it fills this niche with unparalleled excellence.
 
c-fbmi said:
My favorite all time rifle and cartridge in this realm, although not overly big and certainly not slow, as I load it, is my two 350 RMs...........One is an original Model 7 KS and the other is a custom shop Model 7 MS. Although certainly not mainstream, not easy to find ammo for, hell not even easy to find brass for and 100% reloaders cartridge, it is an absolute killing machine that hits way above it's perceived weight class.
I realize that it does not meet several criteria as laid out by the OP, but as a light weight medium heavy hitter out to 300+ mtrs it has few peers in it's class. However it is neither cheap to purchase when you can find one for sale and it is difficult to feed..........but if you have one and a good supply of brass, it fills this niche with unparalleled excellence.
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The 350RM is a great round . I've had a few over the years , technically , I still own an early 70's 700 in 350 . My brother borrowed it ......... in 1985 , I don't think I'll be getting that one back . The 350 RM , 35 Whelen class of cartridges are very capable rounds , but , for reasons unknown to me , have never caught on . I settled on the 358W mainly because I have a disgusting amount of new 308 brass and had a short action that was chambered in 7mm/08 laying around . It is a light , accurate and capable little package , the only downside is that sometimes it's hard to find good bullets . You're right in saying that these rounds punch above their weight class though , they are all reliable killers of game . For optimum performance , they're all pretty much a handholding proposition , personally , I think they're worth the effort .
 
Ardent said:
I hear you there, love a light fast bolt gun carbine. My .375 2 1/4 / 9.5x57 will likely be a 7x57 soon though. Just not warming up to that round. At the price of the Huskys they do indeed make good sense as chambered.
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I have to ask , what changed your mind ? I remember when you started the 375 project , it seemed to be a perfect little back up rifle .
 
c-fbmi said:
My favorite all time rifle and cartridge in this realm, although not overly big and certainly not slow, as I load it, is my two 350 RMs...........One is an original Model 7 KS and the other is a custom shop Model 7 MS. Although certainly not mainstream, not easy to find ammo for, hell not even easy to find brass for and 100% reloaders cartridge, it is an absolute killing machine that hits way above it's perceived weight class.
I realize that it does not meet several criteria as laid out by the OP, but as a light weight medium heavy hitter out to 300+ mtrs it has few peers in it's class. However it is neither cheap to purchase when you can find one for sale and it is difficult to feed..........but if you have one and a good supply of brass, it fills this niche with unparalleled excellence.
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I agree... I have 600 or 700 Remington brass to feed two Ruger M77 MKII rifles chambered in .350 Rem Mag... it is an excellent hunting cartridge. My two primary loads are with 250 Partitions for bigger stuff and 200 RN's for deer.
 
anglia2 said:
No argument from me , the 350 does have the velocity advantage . The 358 is much more pleasant to shoot in a light rifle though .
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My 200 RN deer load is loaded down with H4895... very accurate and every bit as pleasant as my .358's.
 
hoytcanon said:
My 200 RN deer load is loaded down with H4895... very accurate and every bit as pleasant as my .358's.
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Funny enough , I used the same combo in my 350's , worked great . I was referring to the heavier bullet loads in my previous post though . I'm not disparaging the 350 , it's one of my favorite rounds , and I still have the reamers . I will be building another ........... I even have a 358 barrel and a lot of 350 brass , hmmm .
 
Once upon a time I built a 375 on a 350 RM case on a short action old Ruger 220 Swift. I had an 18 1/2" barrel on it and I shortened and slimmed down the overly clubby forend and schnabeled it. It worked out much better than anticipated getting 2700 fps with 270 Win PP and almost 2800 with 260 Parts, but I ran out of Parts before I had worked up to the best. I traded it to a guy that just had to have it and he then sold it to another guy who is still using it to this day, some 30 years later, to kill his moose every year in the Yukon.
This was definitely one of the most sensible and useful wildcats I ever developed. It was a true light weight short and handy carbine in a close to medium range thumper, easy to make brass for and a good selection of bullets.
 
c-fbmi said:
Once upon a time I built a 375 on a 350 RM case on a short action old Ruger 220 Swift. I had an 18 1/2" barrel on it and I shortened and slimmed down the overly clubby forend and schnabeled it. It worked out much better than anticipated getting 2700 fps with 270 Win PP and almost 2800 with 260 Parts, but I ran out of Parts before I had worked up to the best. I traded it to a guy that just had to have it and he then sold it to another guy who is still using it to this day, some 30 years later, to kill his moose every year in the Yukon.
This was definitely one of the most sensible and useful wildcats I ever developed. It was a true light weight short and handy carbine in a close to medium range thumper, easy to make brass for and a good selection of bullets.
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I went the other way and have a 6.5 Rem Mag project in my shop, destined to be a matching mate to my Ruger M77 MKII Stainless 350... that pair can cover alot of bases, with 140's and 250's respectively.
 
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