Let's talk caliber selection for a rebarrel

[rugerjunkie]

Picked up a donor 77MkII that I'd like to rebarrel into something I don't have,Ruger doesn't offer,and I find interesting. The donor is a 7mag so I believe I need to stay with something with the same case head.

I am pretty well equipped in the so called medium bore magnums and really don't need any more of them but have two I do find interesting. Those are the 7mm STW or the 358 Norma.

The problem I see with the smaller calibers in this set up...everything is going to be extremely overbore. I don't (or can't) care about barrel life. It won't be shot on a pd town and for my hunting purposes it won't be shkt a ton anyway. Some load work , a trip to punch paper once in awile , and sitting in the woods will be about it. The one I keep coming back to is a 257 Weatherby.

The build will be done on a stainless action and copy Rugers medium weight barrel profile. I would also be making the barrel a 26" and probably add fluting. Anyone care to comment on other calibers?

 

[DeletedMember58]

Well, you keep coming back to the one I find of interest, .257 Weatherby. I have always been interested in the old 7x61 S&H also, although it won't quite match a 7mm Remingotn Mag, it comes close and has some interesting history.

I'm not sure if the 7mm STW would work through the magazine without some changes to the box and rails, but the .357 Norma would be a go. And the .308 Norma gives you .300 Win ballistics with a longer neck, something that reloaders appreciate.

Even though it is the red-headed stepchild of the magnum family, the .264 Winchester with proper twist and bullet weights should be a sterling performer, achieving what the .257 and the 7mm can do...for the most part. My 2 cents of course, YMMV.

 

[rugerjunkie]

I was wondering about the overall length on the 7stw. I havn't got that far into the research yet.

The 358 or 308 Norma would be of interest but like i said , I am well equipped when you start talking over 25 caliber. I have a few 25-06's too but am pretty fond of the 25's and adding another isn't a problem for me.

What I already have in the above 25's is...

264wm
7-08
280
7mag
30-06
338wm
350rm

Not all are long action like we are talking here but gives an idea of what I don't need more of.

 

[Quattroclick]

I can't say that I am fond of belts on anything under 30 caliber. One of the Norma mags would be my choice, or better, go large and short. I don't see any big dogs. I'm thinking 458 American.

If I was forced to have a sub 30 belted mag, I would probably go with the 264, but it really doesn't do much of anything that the 7 mags (or honestly the 280) doesn't. I don't see the point in the 257 WM when you have several 25-06's.

 

[rugerjunkie]

I can't say that I am fond of belts on anything under 30 caliber. One of the Norma mags would be my choice, or better, go large and short. I don't see any big dogs. I'm thinking 458 American.

If I was forced to have a sub 30 belted mag, I would probably go with the 264, but it really doesn't do much of anything that the 7 mags (or honestly the 280) doesn't. I don't see the point in the 257 WM when you have several 25-06's.

There really is no need for as many 25-06's as I have either! :) No real point to any of this , exept to build one I can't buy and is interesting to me. And as far as the "big dogs" go , my shoulder doesn't need anything .458!!

What is out there non-belted that would fit into my scheme of things?

 

[mcknight77]

.270 Weatherby

 

[rugerjunkie]

.270 Weatherby

I know a lot of people love the 270 but it does nothing for me for some reason. I feel a 264 or 7mm is a better choice with wider bullet selections. Maybe it has something with being different , while growing up everyone had a 270. Maybe a 264 weatherby needs to be made!

 

[mattsbox99]

It would be nice if a 300H&H would fit. Given the constraints, I'd probably go with the 264 WM or 264 Roy and make it a target rifle.

 

[suckersrus]

This is soooo easy.

Trim the 7mm mag cartridge to about 1/2 length.

Decide on your favorite neck angle.

Order a set of custom dies for this 7mm/25 cal cartridge.

Order the barrel.

Order 10,000 rounds of brass from Starline marked "7/25 RugerJunkie Magnum."

Post pictures.

 

[seasterl]

Just to make sure, but assuming you're going to use a scope, right? Any particular range and required bullet energy (or momentum) you need? Sounds like a long-range varmit / small deer rig in the making? Will there be any overlap with performance with another rifle you already have? If so, you don't want to put yourself into a position where you may soon start disliking other rifles that might be too similar in purpose. Of course, there doesn't have to be a real reason to do another gun project, right?

 

[Geo]

Try any of the following:
6.5mm Rem Mag
.358 Rem Mag
7x61 Sharpe & Hart (an old favorite of mine, with freebore, too)
Maybe .30-.338, which is like a 7mm RM necked up.

 

[clintsfolly]

Or go big and make 458AccRel!!! 45/70-458Lott power and fits in your action. I have one and it will NEVER be sold as long as I am around. Have fun Clint

 

[Lloyd Smale]

300h&h and the 7stw are to long for a standard ruger long action. Rounds based on the 300 win mag are about as long as will fit. How about a .25 on a necked down 300 win mag (or 7rem mag) It would give you 257 wby performance in something a guy could find cheap brass for.

 

[FergusonTO35]

How 'bout a 6.5 Creedmore?

 

[rugerjunkie]

A lot of interesting choices here but quite a few are short action. I'm not sure how they would feed in a long action.

Lloyd,

I like the idea of a necked down 7mag/264wm case vs a 257 weatherby. I have been trying to dig up info on them but have not found much. Cases for me would be easy to find and have quite a few on hand also if I went that route.

 

[rangerbob]

Nobody mentioned the 375 Ruger or a wildcat from it. It'll work straight away in the magnum action. I envisioned a 338/375 Ruger when the 375 first appeared and Hornady went with the short action version. The 338/375 Ruger would approximate the 340 Wheatherby with out the belt. Otherwise, the 257 Weatherby with a slim barrel would be nice also. If one wanted a STW, you can rechamber the 7mm RM, but the STW won't fit in the magazine. One the other hand, one could go with any of the WSM's or SAUM's and not have to worry about seating the bullets deep if the chamber was throated to match. I've been handloading since 1967, so I've jsut about seen it all. Bob!! :wink:

 

[VA Shooter]

257 Roberts

 

[rangerbob]

257 Roberts won't work with the magnum bolt face. Bob!

 

[Coyote Hunter]

.338/.375 Ruger wildcat, AKA .338 Campfire
.264 Win
.257 Weatherby

 

[Mobuck]

Go with the 257 Wby. It's the flattest trajectory you can get for the amount of recoil generated. I made my longest one shot coyote kill with one=500 meters(550 yards).
The 257 Wby is not for those who just like to shoot lots of ammo dinking around. Find a load your rifle likes and be conservative with the practice. I shoot mine less than 20 shots per year but it makes those shots lesser rounds can't reach.
Definately go with the 26" barrel since the 24" velocity loss puts it just above a hot loaded 25/06.

 

[gunners]

How about a 6mm wildcat for something different. There's the 6 mm- 6.5 rem mag or there is a 6 mm Mach 4 or make up one of your own. Or you could just rebarrel it and sell/ trade for something else.

 

[308longdistance]

The one I keep coming back to is a 257 Weatherby. The barrel a 26" and probably add fluting.

You won't be disappointed with a .257 Weatherby.

Not a Ruger..........but.

Ruger Hawkeye 308 I had fluted.

 

[Coyote Hunter]

Go with the 257 Wby. It's the flattest trajectory you can get for the amount of recoil generated. I made my longest one shot coyote kill with one=500 meters(550 yards).
...

The new .257" 100g Swift Scirocco-II with a .429 BC would rock at 3600fps.

My choice, because I had a standard bolt face, was a 24" 6.5-06AI. My standard load is a 130g Scirocco-IIs (BC .571) at 3161fps and pushed them considerably faster during load development. A .264WM with a 26" barrel should be able to 3300fps with ease.

The .257 may shoot flatter with the 100g SC-II @ 3600fps (the flattest load I can find for either cartridge) but at 1000 yards it is only .5" better than the .264WM/130g Scirocco-II @ 3300fps. In contrast, the .264WM has 12% more velocity, 63% more energy, and 31% less wind drift at that range.

In any event, I find wind to be a much bigger problem at long range than gravity. At 1000 yards even my pokey-ass 6.5-06AI/130g SC-II/3161fps loads beat the .257 Wby in wind drift (59.2” vs. 72.6” calculated at 1000 yards), retain more velocity and energy, burns 58.5g powder vs 68.0 and the increase in drop is only about 12% more (208” vs. 185”) than the .257/10g SC-II/3600fps load.

My .25 is a 22” .257 Roberts and I run +P loads through it. Longest coyote kill was a few under 500 yards with a 75g V-MAX.

They are all good.

 

[Lee Martin]

.264 Win Mag or .416 Taylor. If it were a long-magnum action I'd suggest 8mm Rem Mag.

 

[rugerjunkie]

A little update here. I spoke with a gentleman at Pacific Tool yesterday about what I am wanting to do with this rifle build and he was literal encyclopedia of information. Very helpful!

So there is a 25/264 reamer on the way! He had personal experience with the round and said to expect about 75fps less than a 257wby in similar barrel lengths but to expect better accuracy than one could routinely get out of the wby. This he said was due to the excessive freebore in a wby and the 25/264 does not have that. I wonder if the large amount of freebore on a wby is what allows higher pressures and velocities? Either way he said the 25/264 would be a breeze to load for with a simple bushing die and I already have a good stockpile of brass for whenever the project is finished.

Next is barrel selection. I am going to go with a duplicate of Rugers magnum profile like the 26-06 or the 7,300,and 338 mags and flute it. Length hasn't been decided on yet but 26" is minimum and 27" or 28" is probably where I'll end up.

 

[robertkirksey]

.330 Dakota. No belt, no rebated rim, perfect rim diameter and the caliber is the most versatile for ALL game animals. Actually, after checking a reference, the rim diameter is a few thousands larger than the 7mm, but what's a few minutes on the lathe if you are going to the expense of a re-barrel, new dies, inletting, etc. etc.

 

[rangerbob]

Rugerjunkie, that gentleman was Dave Kiff, the head honcho. As you stated, the Mr. Know it all of reamers. I have several of his reamers, all first class, you will not be disappointed. Bob! :wink:

 

[bluedot54]

to bad you are in love with the Adam smashers. would not try to change your mind. as i don't know what you hunt. but i have been shooting a ruger 77 in 257 Roberts for years and i love it. it has a rich history and brass and bullets are easy to find.

best regards

ron tait

 

[rugerjunkie]

Too bad? Maybe if I didn't have a long action with a magnum boltface. But that is what I have. I do appreciate all the comments so far but really wonder if some actually read what I had to work with and what my goal was?? I will , hopefully , end up with a pretty good long range 257 that is easy to load and doesn't eat high dollar weatherby brass. Even if I had an action suitable for a 257 Roberts I doubt I'd chamber for it. I find that caliber a bit boring and there are plenty of factory rifles available in that and would likely go 6mm-06 if I had a standard long action. I am wanting something different that you can't get from the factory...

 

[rugerjunkie]

And I do believe it was Dave I spoke with at pacific. A very fun person to listen to and a wealth of know how! Going from his experience with the 25/264 , it should be one heck of a shooter!