What caliber next?

[kd350]

I vote 25-06 just because I like the round

[txfireguy2003]

I know! I've got 224, 243, 264, 284 and 308 bores covered, and I forgot to mention my 22-250 and multiple 300 blackouts. All I need is a 257 and a 277 of some sort. I know both the 25-06 and 270 are awesome rounds, they just don't speak to me, maybe in a fast twist AI version they would, but high BC, heavy bullets are very limited in those diameters for some reason. I've been looking hard at the 280AI as well. I've for the long range whitetail rounds covered, I've never been elk hunting but hope to one day, it's just a drawn out process that I don't understand. I'm at the point where, I guess, I just want to play with something different.

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[Mr. Stickers]

25-06 is the ticket for me

[chrisk]

.240 Weatherby

[bphillips]

I vote 25-06 just because I like the round

[MitchParker]

Thumpers: 35 Whelen, 338-06
Good ole rounds: 280, 280ai, 6.5-06
Could be fun: 240 Weatherby

But is there something "special" that this new round/rifle will be doing?

[bphillips]

I know! I've got 224, 243, 264, 284 and 308 bores covered, and I forgot to mention my 22-250 and multiple 300 blackouts. All I need is a 257 and a 277 of some sort. I know both the 25-06 and 270 are awesome rounds, they just don't speak to me, maybe in a fast twist AI version they would, but high BC, heavy bullets are very limited in those diameters for some reason. I've been looking hard at the 280AI as well. I've for the long range whitetail rounds covered, I've never been elk hunting but hope to one day, it's just a drawn out process that I don't understand. I'm at the point where, I guess, I just want to play with something different.

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Berger has a 170gr .277 pill now if you wanted to go magnum and push them with speed it could be sweet deal

[BLACKFINTURKEY]

280ai

This

[tminc]

just finished a 6.5-06ai, fireformed some brass today

[txfireguy2003]

Thumpers: 35 Whelen, 338-06
Good ole rounds: 280, 280ai, 6.5-06
Could be fun: 240 Weatherby

But is there something "special" that this new round/rifle will be doing?

Not really, I don't think so anyway. Will definitely be a hunting gun, not a bench gun. Maybe something medium weight, moderate recoil, hard hitting enough to take elk and mule deer at decent range in case I ever make it to Colorado. 280AI is starting sound nice honestly, but I do have that covered already with a 7 mag (reminds me that I need to try some heavy bullets in it to see if the factory twist is enough to stabilize them). I could do a fast twist 270 or 25 caliber variant of some sort. Dang, it's a fun discussion, but frustrating. I guess I should just buti the bullet and go with a 25-05 or something, or maybe a 257-284 Winchester......hmmm. wonder if I can find dies for that one. Make a nice little medium weight hunter.

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[WhiplashTX]

Another vote for the 280AI but performance wise it's nearly identical to your 7 mag.

If you want a thumper that still works with your can how about the 300 Dakota?

[MitchParker]

Not really, I don't think so anyway. Will definitely be a hunting gun, not a bench gun. Maybe something medium weight, moderate recoil, hard hitting enough to take elk and mule deer at decent range in case I ever make it to Colorado. 280AI is starting sound nice honestly, but I do have that covered already with a 7 mag (reminds me that I need to try some heavy bullets in it to see if the factory twist is enough to stabilize them). I could do a fast twist 270 or 25 caliber variant of some sort. Dang, it's a fun discussion, but frustrating. I guess I should just buti the bullet and go with a 25-05 or something, or maybe a 257-284 Winchester......hmmm. wonder if I can find dies for that one. Make a nice little medium weight hunter.

I'm having a similar internal debate myself. I don't have a 7mag so I'm leaning towards the 280ai for the same reasons. Will put down an elk if an opportunity ever presents itself.

That 257-284 sounds fun. Here is another idea (not for elk though) a 6mm - 284. Everyone I know that has one loves it.

[gatorgrizz27]

I'm not sure if a .257 Weatherby will fit in that action or not, but it's got lots of "cool factor."

Otherwise, I'd be in the .280 AI camp also. One of those with a 175 gr bullet at 2,800 fps can reach out there a ways in a lightweight rifle that you can still easily carry around.

I've found there is so much overlap with what calibers can do nowadays that you're better off figuring out the type of rifle you want (range gun, truck gun, varmint gun, close range hunting gun, long range hunting gun, large animal gun, lightweight backpacking gun, etc), then picking a caliber that will do a good job.

Rifles built up 4 different ways in .30-06, with different scopes, stocks, barrel lengths and contours could be more versitile than having a .270, 7mm-08, .308, and .30-06 all with factory barrel lengths and 3-9 scopes.

For the way I reload, the only commonality that matters is powders working well for various calibers, which most of them do. I'm moving towards only shooting one load in each of my guns as versatility is great until you're constantly having to re-zero your rifle and adjusting dies all the time.

If I'm only shooting one bullet in a gun, it doesn't really matter if it CAN be used in another. Having different calibers also keeps neck sized brass from going into the wrong rifle, so you don't have to keep it straight or full length size everything.

I'm with you on the lack of buckets with decent BC's for .25 and .27 calibers. They obviously COULD work well since they are between the 6mm's, 6.5's, and 7mm's that have fantastic BC. I think the issue is that they are so close that it isn't worth developing them coupled with the fact that the factory rifles in those calibers don't have fast enough twist rates to be able to shoot the long, high BC bullets if they were available.

[muzzlebrake]

For a thumper you could do a .416 Winchester Express which is basically a .416 Rigby in ballistics loaded in a 30.06 case. Ain't everybody got one of these.
Other calibers that can be made from the 06 case are:
1) .228 Ackley Magnum
2) .230 Ackley
3) 6mm Ackley Belted Express
4) .243 JS
5) .240 Super Varminter
6) .240 Mashburn Falcon
7) .240 Gibbs
8) .257 Bighorn
9) .25 Niedner (25/06)
10) 25/06 Vickery
11) 25/06 Ackley Improved
12) 25/06 Mashburn
13) .256 Newton
14) .26 Epps
15) 6.5/06
16) 6.5/06 Ackley Improved
17) .263 Sabre
18) 6.5 ICL Boar
19) .264 Williams
20) .270 Winchester
21) .270 Ackley Improved
22) .270 ICL Jaguar
23) .285 OKH
24) 7MM Mashburn
25) 7MM Ackley
26) .280 Remington
27) .280 Ackley Improved
28) 30/06
29) 30/06 ICL Caribou
30) 30/06 Ackley Improved
31) 8MM/06
32) 8MM/06 Ackley Improved
33) .338/06
34) .338/06 Ackley Improved
35) .35 Whelen
36) .35 Whelen Improved
37) .35 Brown-Whelen
38) .375 Whelen

[JRG_80]

1st - 280AI
2nd - 6.5-06AI
3rd - 35 Whelen

If you reload brass is readily available for all the above. Enjoy the headache associated with making a decision on a caliber as well as the joys of anticipation once the build begins!

jrg