What caliber is for me?

[birdadly]

Hi Booliteers. I'm bored at work and love reading the forums here. I would like some direct feedback and to give you another place to chat about guns I do hesitate asking, as I don't want a Ford/Chevy thing, but moreso just your opinions in regard to what I'm looking for. Here goes!

Background:
I don't shoot a lot, 2-4 times/month. I shoot semi-auto handguns, .22 up to 45ACP. I shoot some trap, but just for fun. I own one rifle, a Remington 700CDL 280 for deer hunting, and have only shot it at paper and bottles about 25 times.

Want:
I want a second rifle. I believe I would like a bolt action, but am not against semi-auto. This will only be for target shooting at the moment. Price-wise, under $700 + scope.

Use:
1) I want this rifle/caliber to be accurate mostly at 100 and 200 yards, with the ability of 300 yards as well. A range I recently joined has 100 & 200 yard paper targets, and 200 & 300 yard gong targets.

2) I don't want a lot of recoil. I'd love to look through the scope, pull the trigger, and never take my eye off the target as the boolit hits right where I'm aiming! (obviously I have some leeway here, it can kick some, but minimal perhaps if possible at this yardage?)

3) I want to cast and reload this boolit. (currently I only reload 45ACP but want to learn rifle reloading)

This is less about brand and more about caliber, as I don't have much background with rifles except for what I read and hear. I'm guessing the answer will be something around a .223? I suppose the recoil issue may be gun related, like does a heavy barrel help with that?

As mentioned, I've read about this sort of stuff, and there's plenty more for me to read, but this time I just wanted a little direct feedback. I've tried to think about any questions you may have for me, and tried to answer them, so I think I will click 'submit' now Thank you all so much for your time! -Brad :

[stubshaft]

308 Winny

[waksupi]

I am personally a big .35 caliber fan. That being said, if you would want a low dollar rifle, I would look for a surplus 8X57. I do believe it is one of the best commonly available chamberings available for cast, being not terribly overbore as some are. They are accurate, lots of boolit designs available, and as I say, they are cheap. Add a scope, and it will do all you are looking for, plus it would be a very effective North American hunting rifle if you choose to use it for that. Stick with heavier weight boolits, for best results.

[MBTcustom]

Just my two cents. I love 300winmag for shooting just like you describe. I dont mind the intense recoil at all, but I'm a pretty big fella and it aint nothin compared to .416remmag.
While I was reading your post, I was reminded of a rifle that a guy at the range had. He saw I had a chronograph and asked if I would shoot his rifle through it. I asked him what it was chambered in, he told me it was 300 weatherby magnum. I benched the rifle and prepared myself to be stomped. I was amazed at the lack of recoil. He had a compensator on that rifle and I tell you that I could shoot that rifle off my nose with no ill effect. We're talking .22 magnum recoil!
So I would recommend you buy a savage bolt action in 300winmag and send it out for the compensator.
The down side to this recommendation is that you will always need ear protection when shooting this rifle. That same guy was shooting that same rifle in the booth next to me and when he would shoot, my rifle jumped off target from the energy being thrown out the sides of his rifle.

[GRUMPA]

I think I would go with a 30-06 from the stand point that it's just so darn common. Last I looked for j-words their was over 250 varieties to choose from. But like any choice in life can be best solved with trying something out before you buy kind of a thing.

By that I would ask around, a friend or someone that has something your looking for and shoot theirs. Like a lot of people here I let other people shoot mine but I'm right with them when they do, just because they are curious and/or are interested in something of the same caliber.

30-06 brass can be had for a song in relation to other choices out their. And as far as recoil is concerned, I don't care who you are their will always be that flinch-ittus when your using something your not used to.

My personal choices are simple, I go with what is very common. Nothing will be hard to find or hard to get and the combinations for loading are thru the roof.

[waksupi]

My objection to the larger case capacities, is that they are all over bore. Definitely not the best for cast boolit shooting, where we want as near to a full case of slow powder as possible, for best results.
I have found the .358 Winchester nearly perfect on bore size, with my most accurate loads all being pretty much full, to slightly compressed loads.

[GH1]

If you're looking for an accurate bolt gun for not much money perhaps a Misin-Nagant is what you need.
GH1

[Kraschenbirn]

Uhmm...for someone who's going to be a beginner at both rifle reloading and boolit casting (at the same time), I'd suggest either the .308 WCF or the 7mm-08. Used rifles are fairly common in both calibers, brass is plentiful and relatively inexpensive (you can easily form 7-08 from milsurp 7.62x51), there's a wide selection of boolit moulds for both, and either is pretty straightforward to reload.

Bill

[67bear]

257 Roberts?

[izzyjoe]

i personally would say the 8x57, cause it's a great cal. and as waksupi said those rifles are easy to find. but if you are a beginer, i'd say that a 308 or 30-06 would do you very well. brass is more common. so you would do well with a savage in 308, or 30-06.

[bruce drake]

257 Roberts?

I own a 257 Roberts chambered rifle (a rebarreled VZ-24 Mauser) and its a great rifle to shoot cast and jacketed in.

Lyman has a 100gr mold for the rifle and sometimes you can find older Herters copies in 85gr and 100gr size bullets as well.

Commercial Jacketed is a limited to 85gr and 117gr for varmints and deer respectively.

I will put a plus one into this chambering. Its the chambering I taught my wife to shoot on as well when she stepped up from 22 Rimfire.

Bruce

[white eagle]

I have to go along with the 308
fits yer parameters to a "T"
perfect for cast and easy on the shoulder
and pocket book

[birdadly]

1. Thank you all for your time thus far!

2. I am really surprised (from lack of knowledge I'm sure) of these bigger calibers most are mentioning. I really thought I'd be down near a very small caliber like the 223 for a lighter-recoil, paper-puncher like this.

'Easy' would be okay, as yep I'll be a beginner at both reloading and casting for rifle. I like the idea of the 308 as it's common. A friend mentioned that it's what military snipers use? If so I guess that's a neat 'plus'. I was just assuming it packed a punch though.

I know what I need to do. A friend once showed me a list of calibers that included, something like, their force, or recoil, or felt recoil, or something... that would put these calibers into perspective for me I believe as some I am very unfamiliar with. (257 Robers just sounds like a cool caliber!)

161: I'm not afraid of the consequences of this venture!! 6 years ago a buddy and I each bought our first handguns as a new hobby. A year later we each bought a shotgun... he ended there, but now I'm up to 6 with no intent on stopping! -Brad

[bowfin]

I really thought I'd be down near a very small caliber like the 223 for a lighter-recoil, paper-puncher like this.

I think the deal breaker for the .223 is the boolit casting requirement when it comes to people recommending it to you. Lots of people can and do cast for the .22 centerfires, but I think there is a lot less margin of error in small caliber, high velocity cartridges.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

i would get in ENCORE in 308 win

[cobbmtmac]

birdadly,

I recommend 30-06 or the 308W. If you check with the old timmers on this board , I believe that you will find the cosensus is; larger caliburs such as .30 and .35 are much easier to cast, than the small caliburs such as, any 22 or 24 cal.

I have 5, 30-06's, 2 Springfield 03's and 3 Win. model 54's, I shoot all of them with a 200 gr .cast boolit, I happen to have an Ohaus mould 30-190-S that I love. But a very common mould is a Lyman 311284 and there are several others. Anyway, I use 16grs. of Alliant 2400 powder and they are all very accurate, in fact actually more accurate than I am. I do shoot an inch or better 5 shot group at 100yds. from time to time.
This load gives you around 1600 fps. and a very light recoil.

There are a lot of bolt action 06's out there. Win, Rem, Savage, Ruger and more. Also, there are plenty of old Military such as Springfield 03's and 03-A3's. Sometimes a good sportized one can be the ticket.

Just my 2-cents worth,

[JDFuchs]

I will throw out my suggestions. I want to say open you mind to a marlin 30-30 It can do quite well for your requirements very easily available for both brass and a great rifle can be had for less then your $700 range. But a 308 will do just as well if you want a bolt gun. Since you will be casting reloading them for yourself you can make as light of loads as you want. I have 30-30 rounds that compare to 22lr in recoil. When i bought my 45-70 I grabbed a box of factory ammo to try it out that day and was about ready to sell it until I made some far more kind hand loads with Trail Boss.

I would suggest the 308 over the 30-06 since it has a smaller case capacity. So it can be loaded lightly while still filling most of the case.

[Wayne Smith]

I'm gonna agree with JD most of the way, but suggest you look for a bolt 30-30. You have a cartridge with close to the optimal case capacity for cast boolits, a longer neck to hold the boolit, the ability to use all nose styles, and the stiffness of the bolt action. My second choice would be a single shot in the same caliber. The down side is that they are not common except possibly in the Contender/Encore platform.

If you want to go to a greater capacity round look at the 30-40 Kraig but you have brass availbility issues, or the 260 Remington, but you have limited choices in boolits.

[birdadly]

Some nice new info, thx gentlemen. I'm more than happy NOT to go with a 223, as yes those boolits would be small wouldn't they. A friend is also getting a rifle for the exact same reason I am (to shoot together), but he is limited in gun price, ammo price, no reloading, no casting. So he plans to go with a 223 and buy his ammo from the store (cheap stuff).

I decided to buy guns (going forward) that I can cast for (as I'm having a blast doing it). So now I realize this has me in the direction of a larger caliber rifle, which is fine. But this brings up a possible valid point... if I go up to say, a 308 or a 30-06, those are just as 'big' as my 280 for the most part correct? One day I hope to cast for my 280 so I can hunt with cast... should I just do that now and for the reasons I've stated in this thread? Or would a 280 shoot/feel a ton different than a 308 would?

Granted then I can't buy a new gun! -Brad

[shdwlkr]

From what you have stated for use of this new rifle and by the way I would look for a good used one before getting a brand new one.
I would look at 257 roberts, 308, 270, 30-06, 280, 30-30, 358, as they will all meet your needs and if you decide to do more that targets they are up to that also.
Don't let anyone tell you this caliber or that caliber is better for you as they don't know you as well as you know you.
For a long time many tired to get me to buy a magnum caliber, well I had one as a kid growing up and stupidly sold it or traded it and have never found one I could shoot worth a darn since so I just don't buy them.
I have also found for me shooting beyond 300 yards just isn't going to happen so I look for calibers that work in the under 300 yard range for most things and if I want to shoot farther I work on how to do it with what I have.