Short Action Build Advice

[cbrown]

I ordered a new PTG short action .550 bolt face action.

Looking to build something along the lines of 270 WSM,
6.5 PRC, 6.8 Western or 300 WSM.

This will be a lighter weight mountain rifle shot suppressed.

It will have a carbon barrel and AG stock.

What caliber would you go with?

The 6.8 Western is interesting with 165-175 gr bullet and less get recoil than 300 WSM.

I currently have a 270 WSM and have taken elk out to 424 yards with it. It’s hard to not go with that again.

[westtexducks]

Running factory ammo or reloads?

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[splitbeam145]

6.5PRC is a fantastic round with factory or reloads. The Hornady 147 Match do very well in that round.

[cbrown]

Running factory ammo or reloads?

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Handloads

[Twist]

Handloads

If you already have everything needed to reload, that PRC would be a great choice.

If not and you have to rely on box ammo at points in time, one of the WSM rounds would likely do you better as long as you can find a factory load that patterns close to your hand loads.

Just my opinion.

[trophy8]

PRC or 300 WSM. Guess it depends what you currently have.

[HTOWN]

I'd go with the 300WSM, plenty of ammo, different bullet styles, grains to hunt with. The others listed are limited to a few factory rounds. Unless you hand load of course.

But I like where your going with this build, can't go wrong with any of the choices you have mentioned.

[muzzlebrake]

I know a guy that has a .338 WSM reamer. I think RCBS used to make 338/300 WSM reloading dies. RCBS made me the very first custom set of dies for this wildcat caliber way back before there was ever a SAAMI spec on it. I think they now label them as 338/300 WSM. AFAIK my 338WSM was the first one ever built. Browning A-bolt with an Ed Shilen barrel.

[Mike D]

Of the ones you mentioned, 300WSM with a fast twist (9 or faster) barrel.


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[Texasbeanie]

I just sold my 6.5 prc to build a 300 wsm with a 22” barrel. I will only run it suppressed and feel like the 300 wsm will do better with the shorter barrel.

[captainsling]

Love my 300wsm. 150-220 grains will take care of about anything you need.

[muzzlebrake]

Short action bolt magazines limit you on loading long heavy Bullets. That's the reason I went to 338 caliber. I wanted 200 gr Bullets and could not get there with the 300wsm and still have the velocity I needed because the Bullets had to be seated so deep to fit in the magazine there was not enough room left for powder. Do your homework on what OAL bullet length will work in the gun you build.

[trophy8]

Short action bolt magazines limit you on loading long heavy Bullets. That's the reason I went to 338 caliber. I wanted 200 gr Bullets and could not get there with the 300wsm and still have the velocity I needed because the Bullets had to be seated so deep to fit in the magazine there was not enough room left for powder. Do your homework on what OAL bullet length will work in the gun you build.

Accurate mags with the right notched action(lots of custom actions are designed this way). Can fit up to something like 2.995”

My Bighorn TL3 and my Kelbly Atlas will feed longer OAL

[muzzlebrake]

Accurate mags with the right notched action(lots of custom actions are designed this way). Can fit up to something like 2.995”

My Bighorn TL3 and my Kelbly Atlas will feed longer OAL

Yes, I modified the detach mag in my A-bolt to gain another 100 thou or so. Enough to let me load 185gr Barnes TTSX to 2.972 over 67gr W760 and 200gr Nosler BT to 2.916 over 66.4gr W760 and not compress. Got the velocity I was looking for too for my hunting loads.

[muzzlebrake]

338WSM Chrono data I compiled way back when the gun was new. I used Lazzeroni load data for their Galaxy round and got to my max load. Barely flattened primers but would get a sticky bolt if I didn't bump the shoulder back which was hard to do with the neck sizer die. Magazine mod for 200 gr bullets.
2850fps is plenty fast for a 200gr pill and .5 moa accuracy.