Spike Camp

Caliber upgrade

Caliber upgrade
« on: November 23, 2022, 07:40:10 AM »
MY daughter carries a Vanguard GH2 in 243, She has taken big mule deer and even a moose with it but she figures her time is near for getting an Elk tag. She is recoil sensitive and doesn't care for my .270. Was considering a 6.4 Creedmoor. In visiting with another fellow that does some guiding said they prefer the 6.5prc. The Creedmoor leaves quite a bit of wounded game out there.
   
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Grouchy

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Re: Caliber upgrade
« Reply #1 on: November 23, 2022, 08:06:53 AM »
I check for ammo and reloading components before I get a new caliber. I have a 6.5 CR and the recoil is light. Ammo is plentiful. Chosing the right bullet is the tough part.   :)

Re: Caliber upgrade
« Reply #2 on: November 23, 2022, 09:39:09 AM »
MY daughter carries a Vanguard GH2 in 243, She has taken big mule deer and even a moose with it but she figures her time is near for getting an Elk tag. She is recoil sensitive and doesn't care for my .270. Was considering a 6.4 Creedmoor. In visiting with another fellow that does some guiding said they prefer the 6.5prc. The Creedmoor leaves quite a bit of wounded game out there.
 

Are you looking for a new factory rifle altogether or re-barreling and re-chambering her Vanguard? If I was doing a custom build AND reloading, I'd go with a 7x57 Mauser. If you're looking at a new rifle and factory ammo, maybe a 7mm-08? Both of those options would be sufficient for elk and light recoil.
JW

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Re: Caliber upgrade
« Reply #3 on: November 23, 2022, 09:45:31 AM »
See if you can find someone with a .257 Wby in a MK V and let her try it. The weight of the Mk V will help mitigate the recoil and a good recoil pad will improve on that. She has killed quite a bit of big game with her .243 so she doesn't have a problem with bullet placement. Being able to handle heavier bullets is a big factor in the .257's success.

eford

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Re: Caliber upgrade
« Reply #4 on: November 23, 2022, 10:12:17 AM »
A bonded or copper bullet would be my pick for elk, depending on what the rifle——the 6.5 Creedmoor, the PRC or 6.5 PRC——likes best. A 257 Wby with a tough bullet would do the job too. There are plenty of cartridges to pick from.
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224KING

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Re: Caliber upgrade
« Reply #5 on: November 23, 2022, 12:53:10 PM »
Get her a 240 in the same rifle she's used to.When moose and Elk hunting go to a partition.Everything ellse use the 100 grain spitzer or the 80 grain Barnes.
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Re: Caliber upgrade
« Reply #6 on: November 23, 2022, 02:36:02 PM »
I was kinda thinking the same thing but the determining factor was that the .257 can handle heavier bullets. As I mentioned sometime ago, if I got to my elk hunting area and found I had mistakenly grabbed my .257 instead of my .300 I wouldn't drive the 20+ miles back home to get my .300. I'd hunt with the .257 and not be worried about being undergunned.

Re: Caliber upgrade
« Reply #7 on: November 23, 2022, 04:57:58 PM »
does your 270 have a muzzle brake? they really reduce felt recoil.

.257

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Re: Caliber upgrade
« Reply #8 on: November 23, 2022, 05:12:00 PM »
.257, 6.5 RPM, 6.5 PRC, 6.5-284. All better choices than the creedmore in my opinion
In the .257 a 100 TTSX, 115 TSX, or 120 Swift will handle your elk. As Dino82520 said she is accustomed to good shot placement.
Any of the 6.5 listed will do the job with controlled expansion bullets. I am a fan of the 6.5-284, 140 partition. Availability would be a factor on ammo
Mike

Re: Caliber upgrade
« Reply #9 on: November 23, 2022, 10:00:07 PM »
If she is don't like your 270 win for recoil, she won't like the recoil of the 257 either, plus the 257 will likely be a heavier rifle.  I never have found any real difference in the recoil between them. And here is a link that shows the recoil is basicly the same between the 2 of them, plus the wby was in a 1 1/4 pound heavier rifle.

https://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

I'm in the same boat with my GF, I tried to get her to use my 270 win, but she didn't like it, and she didn't like the 257 either, found the rifle to heavy. I been trying to get her something in 6.5 but so far she still using her 243 or my 240.

Frist you need to find a rifle that fits her right and what caliber's are available in that rifle, and if ammo is not that hard to find for that caliber.

I don't know how much less the recoil of the 6.5 PRC would be than your 270, likely not that much, but it might be a good choice. The 6.5-284 would be a decent choice, but rifles and ammo not easy to find. 7-08 a decent choice, rifles and ammo not too hard to find. The 6.5 creedmore, is really not that bad either, with 129-140's and keep it under 300-350 yards. The biggest thing with the creedmore, is that people are trying to shoot game with it 500-600 + yards, instead of keeping realistic hunting distance, just because they were shooting targets with it at longer distances. Or they was using ammo with a target bullet in it for hunting, and had piss poor bullet preformance on game. There is no reason why, a good hunting bullet in the 129-140 gr range out of a 6.5 creedmore, at reasonable hunting distance, won't work on big game, including elk.  There had been millions of large game taken with the old 6.5 swed over the years across the world.

Or just keep the 243, it will work, chances are when she does get an elk tag, she will be hunting on your ranch, private land, where she will have lots of time, be able to pick her shots.  It will be just like the moose she just shot, 100 gr bullet into the lungs, and your packing elk meat.  8)

Rob

« Last Edit: November 24, 2022, 07:20:44 PM by catskinner »

Re: Caliber upgrade
« Reply #10 on: November 24, 2022, 03:48:13 AM »
I would look hard at forgotten 25-06 beats out 6.5 creedmore in ballistics and less recoil then 270

224KING

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Re: Caliber upgrade
« Reply #11 on: November 24, 2022, 08:14:47 AM »
I also thought about mentioning the 7mm08.I bet you could find one in the same platform she is used to
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txaggie

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Re: Caliber upgrade
« Reply #12 on: November 24, 2022, 06:46:48 PM »
7mm-08, 280 or 280ai with a brake would be a lethal combo IMO - lot of quality bullet choices in those cartridge's - swifts, noslers, barnes etc. The wife shoots 150 grain scricocco's out of a 280AI for plains game sized animals.

Never shot or hunted elk country -

RPM in a LW rifle will have some recoil, prc is much less IMO - like everyone i would choose a premium bullet in a faster 6.5. Creedmoor is a great rifle and has it's place, but there are better options for that size game animal IMO. I often refer to this table of felt recoil when selecting calibers for kids or wife.

https://backfire.tv/recoil/

Good luck with this -

Re: Caliber upgrade
« Reply #13 on: November 24, 2022, 07:28:03 PM »
7mm-08, 280 or 280ai with a brake would be a lethal combo IMO - lot of quality bullet choices in those cartridge's - swifts, noslers, barnes etc. The wife shoots 150 grain scricocco's out of a 280AI for plains game sized animals.

Never shot or hunted elk country -

RPM in a LW rifle will have some recoil, prc is much less IMO - like everyone i would choose a premium bullet in a faster 6.5. Creedmoor is a great rifle and has it's place, but there are better options for that size game animal IMO. I often refer to this table of felt recoil when selecting calibers for kids or wife.

https://backfire.tv/recoil/

Good luck with this -

according to that link recoil for the 270 win is 17.6 and the 6.5 prc is 16.2, not that much less than a 270 win.

Rob

Re: Caliber upgrade
« Reply #14 on: November 25, 2022, 05:21:16 PM »
a243 is far more lethal than a higher powered cartridge you cant handle
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