What Rifle/Caliber Combinations Have you liked the most and disliked the most and why?

[Mustangs Rule]

When you look at the whole "ball of wax": reloading, ease of getting components, then shooting, accuracy, velocity, and hunting performance and finally pride of firearm ownership, what have been your most and least favorites.

 

[chevyman181]

I hunted with a 7 mag most my life and it got the job done with no complaints, but I think the easiest to reload for and most accurate have been the 280ai and 6.5CM. I've those 2 more the last few years.

 

[Robert N]

Liked the Most?

My .257 Roberts in a Remington M7MS topped with a Leupold 2.5-8x36: quite possibly my absolute favorite deer rifle and was “One and done” on load development. A 117 gr. SGK over 43 gr. Of H4350 for 2,800 fps…

Hated the Most?
My 7mm SAUM in a Remington M7 AWR (original). It simply never lived up to the velocity promise. I can get a 140gr. AB at around 3050 fps or a 160 AB at 2850. Mind you, it’s a stellar rifle, delivers superb accuracy and is about as weather proof as it gets. But I never did find the velocity. I did find some Remington factory ammo - holy Hannah! That stuff was loaded mega hot! So hot in fact that a quick follow up shot was impossible as the bolt was frozen! That load did deliver on the velocity promise…a 160 at 3000 fps…but accuracy was closer to 2” at 100 instead of the 3/4” that I was getting with my handloads.

Honorable mention: anything 30-06. How boring…

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I hunted with a 7 mag most my life and it got the job done with no complaints, but I think the easiest to reload for and most accurate have been the 280ai and 6.5CM. I've those 2 more the last few years.

I had a super light Kimber Hunter in 280AI and disliked it because it was too easy when reforming the fired cases to crush them, Also the rifle itself was way too light for offhand shooting and the stock too hard and slippery. I sold it despite being a tack driver that got superb velocity.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Liked the Most?

My .257 Roberts in a Remington M7MS topped with a Leupold 2.5-8x36: quite possibly my absolute favorite deer rifle and was “One and done” on load development. A 117 gr. SGK over 43 gr. Of H4350 for 2,800 fps…

Hated the Most?
My 7mm SAUM in a Remington M7 AWR (original). It simply never lived up to the velocity promise. I can get a 140gr. AB at around 3050 fps or a 160 AB at 2850. Mind you, it’s a stellar rifle, delivers superb accuracy and is about as weather proof as it gets. But I never did find the velocity. I did find some Remington factory ammo - holy Hannah! That stuff was loaded mega hot! So hot in fact that a quick follow up shot was impossible as the bolt was frozen! That load did deliver on the velocity promise…a 160 at 3000 fps…but accuracy was closer to 2” at 100 instead of the 3/4” that I was getting with my handloads.

Honorable mention: anything 30-06. How boring…

I loved my first open country rife, a 257 Roberts in a Remington 722 but the medium length action and short magazine well could not handle longer heavier bullets without seating them deeply, then losing powder space and not having the correct COL to match the accuracy sweet spot. I sold it.

Also had a similar problem with my first and only custom rifle, a 35 Whelen on a commercial Mauser action. The chamber length was fine, but the magazine well was just a tad too short for the best Barnes bullet and shortening the COL also missed the accuracy sweet spot. It was fine with lead core bullets, but I was just done with lead, so i sold it with a tear in my eye.

 

[Redmt]

6.5 CM is the easiest to load for and for me the best all around hunting caliber. Running a very close second is 25-06. I have both in Ruger Predator with Boyds stocks at 2-1/2# triggers and VX III scopes.

 

[belshawelk]

On the bigger power range both my Nosler 30 with a VX5. or my Nosler 28 with a VX3
Mid range power probably my all around favorite is Tikka 270WSm with Leupold Something. I think its an VX2 ( i dunno I pull the trigger and something drops.
Smaller end caliber is Weatherby 6.5-300 With VX5.

I suppose if I had to pick one, it would be the 270WSM for all around. The Nosler are a little to much IMO for deer. The 6.5-300 is IMO under for elk. I know others will disagree.

 

[Hams42]

I have loaded a lot of 7 RM, 6.5 CM and .308. Usually the 6.5 CM is a walk in the park for shooting and loading. I/my wife have had 3 6.5 CM over the years and the first one was the worst of all.

About 8 years ago right after we got married I picked up a used Howa Alpine in 6.5 CM. That was a mistake. You got 2 good shots out of it before the group started opening WAY up. Not the gun I wanted for a new shooter. Infact I think that gun has permanently ruined my wife from shooting paper. It has got her inside her head too much.

So i sold that one and got a Bergara wilderness and that is a tack driver. It likes just about anything you put in it too.

Hardest cartridges to load go to my uncle. He shoots a 325 WSM and a .257 Bob. Components are hard to find for both. So his back up is a 7mm-08. When I was driving truck I would stop at every little town to look for 325 WSM brass. I was able to get him a pretty good stockpile.

 

[brymoore]

I have a few rifles I really like but I’m always drawn back to my Kimber 84L in 280ai. I’ve gone down the path of replacing it several times but I’m going to spend a lot of money to correct a few minor issues. It’s been through a bunch of hard hunting seasons and has the war wounds - and being reliable. I researched replacing it again last winter and decided to buy a replacement 280ai barrel. Worst problem quickly solved. Best it’s shot since I’ve owned it.

Worst rifle is my father’s Winchester Model 88 in 308. I’ve killed whitetail, mule deer, elk and watched Dad shoot antelope. It’s a tack. I just can’t get over the design and bad, non-adjustable trigger.

 

[Hams42]

Worst rifle is my father’s Winchester Model 88 in 308. I’ve killed whitetail, mule deer, elk and watched Dad shoot antelope. It’s a tack. I just can’t get over the design and bad, non-adjustable trigger.

This is how I felt about the Rugger M77 Hawkeye's and the tang safety M77. My dad and I both had Hawkeyes and talk about a BAD trigger. I took my 270 in to Scheels one day to measure the trigger and it was 9 lbs! I put a Timney in it to fix it.

I am in the process of fixing my dad's tang safety M77 and was delighted when I found it had an adjustable trigger. He has shot it with the trigger at the heaviest point since the mid 80s. I asked him and he said he never knew it could be adjusted.

 

[noharleyyet]

Favorite: 7MM Super Mashburn because it'll send a 180 grain bullet @ 3080fps accurately/consistently....tied with a .257 Wby just because

Least favorite: 300 Wby Mag...nasty form ruining recoil

 

[Mustangs Rule]

On the bigger power range both my Nosler 30 with a VX5. or my Nosler 28 with a VX3
Mid range power probably my all around favorite is Tikka 270WSm with Leupold Something. I think its an VX2 ( i dunno I pull the trigger and something drops.
Smaller end caliber is Weatherby 6.5-300 With VX5.

I suppose if I had to pick one, it would be the 270WSM for all around. The Nosler are a little to much IMO for deer. The 6.5-300 is IMO under for elk. I know others will disagree.

Allow me the perspective that almost being 80 years old allows and also having grown up on a dairy farm in western Connecticut, Think Colt, Marlin, Ruger, Charter Arms, and of course Winchester, then a tad to the north was Smith and Wesson just to the east was Ithaca.

It was like being in the epicenter of Americas' gold age of incredibly well made, even artistic firearms. Mostly all gone now of course. Those rifles had curves, and swells, so pleasant to eye and hand. That little special for-end under barrel screw on pre-64's allowed one to adjust for barrel harmonics. That third screw in the bottom metal allowed for final action bedding.

Now rifles have been turned in straight stick figure scare crows. We went from Marylynn Monroe to Twiggy

As said above I got rid of my Kimber 280AI and went back to my 1955 made model 70 in 270. The most important quality hunters need in field is patience.

I really like using and reloading for that so ever so accurate rifle in that caliber. Looking at the workmanship calms me. And in terms of genuine game field utility, is there any real-world difference between a 270 Winchester and a 7mm Mag or even a 270WSM.?

 

[brymoore]

This is how I felt about the Rugger M77 Hawkeye's and the tang safety M77. My dad and I both had Hawkeyes and talk about a BAD trigger. I took my 270 in to Scheels one day to measure the trigger and it was 9 lbs! I put a Timney in it to fix it.

I am in the process of fixing my dad's tang safety M77 and was delighted when I found it had an adjustable trigger. He has shot it with the trigger at the heaviest point since the mid 80s. I asked him and he said he never knew it could be adjusted.

Old memory because I tried to fix the trigger a while ago. Because of the unique design, the trigger can’t be adjusted or upgraded. I’m stuck with the old trigger

 

[Bonasababy]

Don't reload, but a recent purchase is growing on me as ideal. Bought as another gun for grandkids someday. Ruger RL 77 in 257 Roberts, wearing a 2.5 x 8 Leupold. I like light rifles...Rugers version is a bit heavier than some which is better for offhand shooting. Not so heavy that its much different to carry still hunting though.

My older version Remington 700 mountain rifle has similar dimensions. In 30.06 thought its recoil is stouter.