what caliber for my new sheep rifle

[Bigbear]

I have a Ultralight weatherby standard action and bolt face. so it has to be a non magnum round. It can also be a short action or standard action caliber. I am thinking 280 rem AI, 7-08 AI, 6.5-06 AI or 25-06 AI. let me know if you use any of these rounds or if you have any better ideas.
thanks

 

[Levi Garrett]

7 mil , short action Oops , , Std Action , right
280 All the way

 

[Ruffed Grouse]

7 mil , short action

Sounds to me like you might as well use the action length, though. Unless you want to go 6.5-284 and have room for looong bullets. That'd be cool.

RG

<><

 

[rem338win]

6.5-06 AI would be sweet. Neck down some Nosler 280 AI brass, and dump powder behind a 120gr TTSX or 130gr AB. I know for sure you could push 3300fps out of the 120grainer with a 24" tube. 10" of drop at 400 sounds "sheepy" to me.

 

[H4831]

Everybody knows it should be the 270 Winchester. All joking aside, it is still hard to beat the 270. Of course, if it was the 280 you couldn't possibly tell the difference in the field, or should I say the mountains.
If it were me, the descision would just be between those two.

 

[Gatehouse]

Since it is a standard action, you may as well go wiht a standard cartridge, not a short action.

SInce thier performance is pretty similar, I will rank them in order of coolness..

6.5-06 Ai

280 AI

25-06 AI

 

[stubblejumper]

The 280AI would be my choice,as a matter of fact that is what I will be hunting with next fall.

 

[Cummins4x4]

25-05AI shooting the SGK 120gr HPBT, I'll answer your pm when I get home and check my notes, very close to 257wby velocities

 

[MTM]

Any of the above but forget the AI and make it a .25" long neck with almost no taper.

 

[Pblatzz]

6.5-284, now you know go get one...

 

[Levi Garrett]

6.5-284, now you know go get one...

Nice , components is the only issue I could see, cartridge just sweet.

 

[dpopl8r]

280 AI all the way

 

[8 ball]

6.5-284 or the 6.5-06 improved! Ballistically similar but the 06 is easier to get brass for....take your pick. The 280 AI is cool too but I'm a 6.5 guy!

 

[Charlie38]

30-06 AI shoot 150's or 130 barnes I like bigger bullets

 

[Levi Garrett]

30-06 AI shoot 150's or 130 barnes I like bigger bullets

30 cal is king on medium game those light bullets would require a 12 eh ?

 

[Pudelpointer]

Okay, I am going to go in a bit different direction. First, let me say that all the calibers mention so far would all make for an excellent sheep rifle. Having said that, those mountains that hold the sheep are also crawling with big, brown and ugly bastards that would make me second guess my favourite 270. Therefore, I vote 338-06 or 35 Whelen.

A 180gr at 2950 or a 250gr at 2500 sounds a lot better then a 120 at 3200 when it comes to a showdown with yogie. That 180 would still make a great sheep load; zeroed at 200 puts you only 12" low at 400.

Mind you, I might think twice about pulling the trigger with a 250gr at the bench in that ultralight. Ouch.

 

[RickF]

My pet sheep rifle is a 280AI. 6 3/4 pounds all up, it's perfect. I like the 150 TSX at 3050 fps; not really necessary for sheep or deer, but it helps me sleep better in grizzly country.

It's a great round. But if I'm honest, it's no better, and probably not as good an all-around cartridge as the good old 30-06.

 

[SuperCub]

Why all the AIs? The plain old 25/06 or 270Win is perfect for that.




.

 

[stubblejumper]

Why all the AIs? The plain old 25/06 or 270Win is perfect for that.

I like the 25-06,but I will never own a 270 of any designation.

 

[SuperCub]

I like the 25-06,but I will never own a 270 of any designation.

You might not like it, and that's OK, but it would be very hard to deny that it's a very good round and that there really hasn't been a much better non-magnum cartridge introduced since the 270 came on the scene.



.