Poll - One all around single cartridge under conditions

What caliber would you choose based on the conditions?

  • 308 Winchester

    Votes: 70 26.8%

  • 6.5 Creedmoor

    Votes: 33 12.6%

  • 6.5 PRC

    Votes: 48 18.4%

  • 7mm-08 Remington

    Votes: 70 26.8%

  • 280 Ackley Improved

    Votes: 40 15.3%
  • Total voters
    261
El Jason said:
I’m using 124 Hammer Hunters and also 118 HHT. CCI 250 primers and H4350. I can get up to 2980 and 3060 respectively from a 22” barrel before I hit pressure.
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Got it all except the HHs. Will be testing that load. Mine is a 20" barrel.
 
USAF Ret said:
Got it all except the HHs. Will be testing that load. Mine is a 20" barrel.
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Try Varget too. My rifle loves Varget. I’m running 41 grains at an average of 2970. I watched my buck fall this year and that’s normal. I have a muzzle brake and wear Axil hearing protection. I used to hate them, but I do better now that I wear hearing aids daily.
 
Had a buddy that threw a thought at me. He is actually the one that built my 280 AI on the HOWA platform. Suggested configuring my Rem 223 with a similar stock (maybe trigger) and spend time practicing with that, while pulling the 280 out now and again and just shooting a couple of shots like I am checking zero. That would rule out load development, but it shoots Sub-MOA with Nosler 140 E-Tips. Thoughts?

I still want to get down to just one or two rifles for hunting. Way too much stuff in my safe and closets.
 
USAF Ret said:
Had a buddy that threw a thought at me. He is actually the one that built my 280 AI on the HOWA platform. Suggested configuring my Rem 223 with a similar stock (maybe trigger) and spend time practicing with that, while pulling the 280 out now and again and just shooting a couple of shots like I am checking zero. That would rule out load development, but it shoots Sub-MOA with Nosler 140 E-Tips. Thoughts?

I still want to get down to just one or two rifles for hunting. Way too much stuff in my safe and closets.
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If you haven’t already… I’d recommend putting a suppressor on that 280ai. It will tone it down considerably as far as recoil and muzzle jump. I run a can on everything I own now days. My fiancé who’s 5’4 125ish pounds can get behind my 300norma with 245 grain Bergers and shoot it comfortably with a can. Also nice on the ears.
 
The_Coloradoboy said:
If you haven’t already… I’d recommend putting a suppressor on that 280ai. It will tone it down considerably as far as recoil and muzzle jump. I run a can on everything I own now days. My fiancé who’s 5’4 125ish pounds can get behind my 300norma with 245 grain Bergers and shoot it comfortably with a can. Also nice on the ears.
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I have a suppressor. I do not shoot without one, unless I have something in a smaller caliber unthreaded.
 
USAF Ret said:
It does. Big thing is I cannot do load development or practice with much recoil.
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Here’s what I’d do…
Take the 308, 7-08, 6.5 creed and 6.5prc and shoot them all. Which ever you feel the most comfortable and accurate with is the winner. All of them will get the job done on anything in North America (wouldn’t be my choice on a grizzly though)
 
USAF Ret said:
It does. Big thing is I cannot do load development or practice with much recoil.
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If you reload you could load the ai down for practice. I like the idea of having a smaller cartridge around for practice. A .223 in the same configuration wouldn't be bad. My wife shoots a 280ai but she picked up a 6 arc this year and likes shooting it way more. I have a 7prc i don't shoot much, its super accurate but I've come to like the smaller as well.
 
chevyman181 said:
If you reload you could load the ai down for practice. I like the idea of having a smaller cartridge around for practice. A .223 in the same configuration wouldn't be bad. My wife shoots a 280ai but she picked up a 6 arc this year and likes shooting it way more. I have a 7prc i don't shoot much, its super accurate but I've come to like the smaller as well.
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Duh! My brain is not working. That makes sense as well.

Question for you, and all. I am seeing everyone talk the 6 ARC and 6 Creedmoor as the wonder cartridges. Not sure I am getting it. I know the 22 Creedmoor is fast becoming a phenomena in deer hunting.
 
USAF Ret said:
Duh! My brain is not working. That makes sense as well.

Question for you, and all. I am seeing everyone talk the 6 ARC and 6 Creedmoor as the wonder cartridges. Not sure I am getting it. I know the 22 Creedmoor is fast becoming a phenomena in deer hunting.
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I have all the production creedmoor calibers now. Previously I would have said the 6mm with a 109 Berger or 108eldm was my favorite. But I just got my hands on a Weatherby 307 in 25 creed and it’s pretty hard not to love.
 
USAF Ret said:
Duh! My brain is not working. That makes sense as well.

Question for you, and all. I am seeing everyone talk the 6 ARC and 6 Creedmoor as the wonder cartridges. Not sure I am getting it. I know the 22 Creedmoor is fast becoming a phenomena in deer hunting.
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From a pure availability standpoint (components or rifles) none of those would touch a 243.
 
USAF Ret said:
Duh! My brain is not working. That makes sense as well.

Question for you, and all. I am seeing everyone talk the 6 ARC and 6 Creedmoor as the wonder cartridges. Not sure I am getting it. I know the 22 Creedmoor is fast becoming a phenomena in deer hunting.
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I have no experience with the 6cm, or any cm other than a 6.5cm. I will say with the 6.5cm I only had 1 animal take a step. I probably only Killed 6 or 7 with it and had no complaints. I won't say any of them are wonder caridges but I think some of the more modern cartridges are more efficient. Simular to the 280ai which has been around for awhile. I started playing with it 20 years ago. My 280ai was within 50fps of my 7 mag with the same bullet and more accurate. I'm still playing with loads but, my 280ai with 180s is within 100fps of Hornadys factory 7prc 180gr load.

The little I've toyed around with the 6arc I'm getting similar results. I'm using a smaller action so I have lighter gun, It's more efficient so I use less powder, and less recoil for less of a sacrifice in performance. We got the 6.5 because we take a lot kids hunting and wanted something with less recoil. The rifle was a bit heavy so it went down the road and we picked up the 6arc on sale. For the ranges we shoot the 6arc is enough.
 
If neck/shoulder and recoil issues are a concern, 6.5 is the easy choice of what was listed. 308 would obviously be second. I see no reason for that application to consider the others. I like 243/creedmoor sized 6mms too but that wasn't on the menu.

The_Coloradoboy said:
I disagree… A lot easier to find 6mm creedmoor and ARC than .243win components and rifles right now. Purely because hornady is dominating the market currently.
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I haven't seen that. Maybe more "good" brass options but neither is really strained right now. Typically see more factory ammo 243 on the shelf. I shoot 6 creed but really only see hornady precision hunter or eldm match as decent hunting ammo on the shelves with any consistency. Not many standard price point factory hunting rifles chambered in 6 creed. Ruger is the primary one. Tikka, browning, savage, weatherby, etc all have 243 hunting rifles but not 6cm far as i know.
 
Wind Gypsy said:
If neck/shoulder and recoil issues are a concern, 6.5 is the easy choice of what was listed. 308 would obviously be second. I see no reason for that application to consider the others. I like 243/creedmoor sized 6mms too but that wasn't on the menu.



I haven't seen that. Maybe more "good" brass options but neither is really strained right now. Typically see more factory ammo 243 on the shelf. I shoot 6 creed but really only see hornady precision hunter or eldm match as decent hunting ammo on the shelves with any consistency. Not many standard price point factory hunting rifles chambered in 6 creed. Ruger is the primary one. Tikka, browning, savage, weatherby, etc all have 243 hunting rifles but not 6cm far as i know.
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Savage does offer the 6mm creed chambering, browning does in select models, not sure about weatherby- but they are building the 307 model in 25 creed. But there are a good number of factory gun offerings in 6mm creeemoor. I think ammo is an area specific thing. In my travels out west I typically can always walk into a sporting goods store and find hornady precision hunter with the 103eldx or the precision match in the 108eldm. Reloading wise it’s really simple… lapua brass, Hodgon 4350 and they typically bug hole about anything you run through them. I bought a ruger American a couple years back in 6creed for 450 bucks… through a MDT stock on it and the thing is as accurate or more accurate as all of my custom guns
 
The_Coloradoboy said:
Savage does offer the 6mm creed chambering, browning does in select models,
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None of them are hunting rifles. According to their websites, here's your choices.
1760738941747.png
1760738983847.png
The_Coloradoboy said:
not sure about weatherby- but they are building the 307 model in 25 creed.
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Yeah, oddly enough they offer 307 models in 22 and 25 creed but 243 rather than 6 creed.
 
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