Opinions on rifle caliber

[gunshot98]

I bought a T/C Encore Pro Hunter about a year ago with a BP barrel and a 300 win mag. Son kinda took over the 300 so i'm looking for another caliber. I want a caliber i can cast for to hunt deer size game. I was thinking about 6.5x284. I already have some molds i think will work, just don't know much about this caliber and what gr. boolit to use. Please give me some feed back on this, I need WISDOM!:confused:

[Sliver Shooter]

Hey GunShot, I have an unfired stainless Bergara Encore barrel in 30-06 that I would sell you for $200. I have caste boolits for my 30-06 03-A1 and it is deadly on deer. PM me if interested.

[Jupiter7]

6.5x284 seems like a waste with cast. Really large case. Won't get anywhere near the performance of jacketed. Why not .260 Remington (6.5x308) if set on a 6.5? Smaller case is easier to load for and can be made from .308w cases.

Personally, with cast, bigger bores seem better suited to cast performance when hunting is involved, can run heavier boolits to make up for lower velocity.

[country gent]

I would look at one of the 6.5s on a smaller case maybe 260 rem, 6.5X55, The 6.5X284 is a great round and is slightly overbore with jacketed bullets, making full use of this potential with casty bullets will be tricky. A smaller capacity case will burn less powder and be more effiecent with cast bullets. I would consider one of the newer 6.5s and shoot more with the same amount of powder.

[waksupi]

If you are going to use cast, 6.5 will work, but you may want to consider something a bit fatter.

[Larry Gibson]

I bought a T/C Encore Pro Hunter about a year ago with a BP barrel and a 300 win mag. Son kinda took over the 300 so i'm looking for another caliber. I want a caliber i can cast for to hunt deer size game. I was thinking about 6.5x284. I already have some molds i think will work, just don't know much about this caliber and what gr. boolit to use. Please give me some feed back on this, I need WISDOM!:confused:

If you want to hunt with cast bullets then you might consider a cartridge/barrel combination that is more cast bullet friendly than the 6.5. Something in 30 caliber with a 12" twist would be preferable or better a 35 Rem or 358W with 14 or 16" twist.

Larry Gibson

[gunshot98]

Now thats what i like. a variety of information. Silvershooter, let me think about that, i might go that way. I also like the sound of the 35 rem. Ialready have 3 of the 30-06 in 2 customs and one pre-64 win. The reason i thought about the 6.5 is i like the 6.5x55 sweed. That is a deer killin machine with 140gr boolit. Thanks all. Will keep you posted on my decision.

[Jtarm]

I agree, cast boolits in a single-shot call for something bigger & slower. Necked up, not down.

.358 Winchester looked like a good idea to me. .338 Federal seems like it would be a good CB round. Too bad it hasn't caught on.

The .338/06 has always fascinated me. If I still hunted big game, I'd probably have one of my bolt guns re-barreled.

[williamwaco]

If you want to hunt with cast bullets then you might consider a cartridge/barrel combination that is more cast bullet friendly than the 6.5. Something in 30 caliber with a 12" twist would be preferable or better a 35 Rem or 358W with 14 or 16" twist.

Larry Gibson

+1

I know there are members on here that get good results with small calibers but I have never been able to get any accuracy with anything smaller than .30.

If you are looking at the Encore - or Contender - take a hard look at the .30-30. It is a spectacularly good cast bullet cartridge.

[shooter93]

Get ready for 30,000 plus recommendations....lol.

[waksupi]

Get ready for 30,000 plus recommendations....lol.

Naw, once he settles in on the sensible choice of .35 bore, things get a lot easier.

[rhead]

If this is your first venture into cast with a rifle a 6.5 would be asking for frustration. something in either 30 or 35 cal will give you more choice in boolit selection. A case with at least a 2 cal. neck and a capacity that can be safely loaded to 80% plus capacity with a slow powder. Also do not overlook the big boys the 45-70 is a joy to reload.

There is no practical way to get the velocity to make one shoot flat so load for accuracy and down range boolit performance. Save the 6.5mm idea for later. It will be interesting.

Good luck with your venture.

[Hickory]

.358 Winchester looked like a good idea to me. .338 Federal seems like it would be a good CB round. Too bad it hasn't caught on.


This would be my thinking also.

[farmerjim]

I love my 45-70 and am working up loads for my new 357 maximum.
Bigger is better!

[Tatume]

If you want to hunt with cast bullets then you might consider a cartridge/barrel combination that is more cast bullet friendly than the 6.5. Something in 30 caliber with a 12" twist would be preferable or better a 35 Rem or 358W with 14 or 16" twist. Larry Gibson

The 358 Winchester is a fabulous cast bullet cartridge. The RCBS 35-200-FN mold is perfectly suited for it. When the lube grooves are covered the gas check is just at the bottom of the neck. The powder capacity is perfect, and 2250 fps is easily achieved.

Take care, Tom

[Janoosh]

I guess it all depends what your hunting area is like. Here in N.Y., or New England for that matter, lots of woods, no real long shots unless your on a farm. 35 cal puts down everything with an accurate shot.

[Hannibal]

I love my 45-70 and am working up loads for my new 357 maximum.
Bigger is better!

45-70 is the route i plan on going, also. I decided to go with something that started as cast rather than fight with something designed to be jacketed and 2000+ FPS. Already own a 30-30 and wanted more 'punch'. 45-70 outta do it. 8-)

[Doc Highwall]

For a cast friendly caliber for deer I would go for the 30-30 Winchester or a 35 Remington and would favor the 35 Remington due to the larger caliber. Larry has posted some great results with his 35 Remington and has lots of pictures and information.

[Doc Highwall]

Either of these calibers at 1700 to 2000 fps with a nice large flat nose bullet will kill deer as attested by many cast bullet hunters here.

[psweigle]

357, 44, 45 lc..... A good friend of mine shoots golfballs at 100 with his tc 44 mag barrel. And my 9 year old wants one BAD:-)!

[Artful]

My choice would be narrowed down to 35 caliber due to wide variety of molds available or 38 caliber due to performance,
personally I have 358 wcf and 375 big bore. Both work well on game without too much recoil - I have a 45-70 but in a lighter
weight rifle with more powerful loads it was a bruiser. While a pistol cartridge like 357 maximum or 44 magnum would be
enjoyable it would shorten the useful range for hunting.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I have only one comment to make......338/06.Robert

[TXGunNut]

I think cast boolits for deer start out at 30 caliber but prefer the 35 caliber for TX deer and hogs. Hard to beat the 35 Rem but unless you have a good supply of brass the 358 Winchester is a better choice. I'm a fan of the 375 Winchester as well but it has the same brass issues, I found some recently but feel the 38-55 would be a better choice for .38 boolits. JMHO of course, well worth the purchase price. ;-)

[quilbilly]

If I were deer hunting with a modern rifle (I always get muzzleloader tags), I would be using either my 7mm TCU or my 357 maximum. depending on where I will be. Of course there is also my 308 (my most accurate CB rifle), my 30/30's, 338, 444, etc. Whatever floats your boat. It's all about what you are most accurate with and enjoy shooting the most.

[triggerhappy243]

If you did the 30-06 or even the 308, you can easily find factory ammo anywhere, brass is all over the place.... and both make an excellent Elk round..... if you so desire.

[W.R.Buchanan]

My .02 is,,, buy that .30-06 barrel from the first poster. $200 is a gift and it will do what you want with a large selection of.30 cal. boolits available.

My second choice would be a .45-70 barrel.

There is a dizzying array of calibers and barrels available for your gun I would recommend keeping it simple, and the .30-06 is simple as it gets.

I will agree with those that state,,,"with lead boolits,,, bigger is better."

Randy

[bangerjim]

30-30 is very popular. I like it. So is the 30-06. I light load it so I do not dislocate my shoulder! But the 30-30 is really nice to shoot.

30 cal is easy to cast for and definitely variations of molds out there. And the GC's always fit....very well. At least the Cu Hornady ones I use....... only.

bangerjim

[35 shooter]

I put a 35 whelen bbl. on my encore frame and haven't looked back...love it! 35 rem. or .358 win. would be good choices too. Bellm's TC'S can make a bbl. for your encore for 356 win. with a rebate on the rim that allows you to shoot .358 win. in the same bbl. which makes a pretty cool option....Yea, i like .35's.

[Sliver Shooter]

Hey GunShot, I'll sweeten the pot. This barrel I bought in hopes to get back up to northern MN, where I'm originally from, and hunt with my family. I've had it on my Encore, several times but have yet to snap a cap in it. In southern MN we can't use center fire rifles for deer so I shoot my 7mm-08 in a pistol which IS legal. Go Figure!!! Anyway, this barrel sits in the corner and does me no good. It may as well be deer hunten with you so I will include shipping to you if you want to go with a 30-06.

[jhalcott]

I have killed deer with 264 284 and 30 caliber rifles Even LARGER calibers have been used for this purpose by me! My 7 TC/U with boolits as light as 135 grains has taken 4 nice deer.
The 6.5 swede has MORE case capacity than a .308 and there are few molds to select from. I have used the 7TC/u, 708 and 280 Remington with various boolits to "HARVEST" deer. I have the .358 and 35 Whelen in rifles. I also have the 35 Remington and 358 JDJ in 14"Contenders. There is NO PERFECT deer caliber, all must be aimed correctly with correct loads to be successful! I would advise a new shooter to go with the 30-30 to start, though! A single shot can use many styles of bullet that a tube fed can't. Like the 311466 and 311467 Loverin boolits. Even the 311332 (180 grain) can be used.

[DeanWinchester]

.358 winchester

It's not very common "technically" but so very easy to make from the ubiquitous .308 Winchester. It also seems to be one of the most receptive cartridges to cast boolits ever made.

[gunshot98]

Ok, i've read the posts and thank all of you for the choices you have given me and for being honest about the 6.5 . The thirty calibers seem to be the narrowed selection that i'm gonna look at. I've got a friend that lives in N Y that has taught me lots about mausers, and he loves the 35 whelen caliber. I like shooting the 35 Remington, and love my 30-30 Win. Also the 30-06 is proven it's way. I'm going to look through my molds and brass and go from there. This site and the people here are so good, and give honest opinions about the things they know about. Thanks for helping me narrow the field.