The cartridge for the next 30 years….

[thinhorn_AK]

My 18” Kimber 308 shoots 165g accubonds at ~ 2740fps.

That hits minimum expansion velocity at like 550 yards which is farther than I’d ever shoot with that gun. At 300yds and in its cooking. I think I could take the 308 and be happy even though I like the 30-06 better.

 

[pharmfisher]

Well I just picked up a Ruger made Marlin SBL in 45-70, I regret big time not picking one of these up years ago. You can use black powder and about a billion other powders from pistol powder to shotgun powder's. Casting bullets for it can be done over a campfire. Seriously you can make bullets for it over a campfire. Pretty sure this round has killled every big game animal on the planet. From elephants to grouse. You can load it angry, or load it up easy. There are hundreds of different bullets that work in this thing. I'm still in awe. -WW
ps. I"m a skinny tiny little guy and the recoil is nothing if you keep the bullets under 1600fps. I pretty much have all the rifles already mentioned in this thread. Im still choosing my new Marlin. Its been around since the 1800's and with as easy as it is to load for I'd imagine it can go on another 100 plus years.

Lol I'm sorry but I don't think the 45-70 is the right answer. It's a very cool round that I'm happy to own and hunt with in the right scenario. But it kicks like a mule, and drops like a rock. It's basically a 200 yard gun for hunting IMO.

 

[Wetwork]

Lol I'm sorry but I don't think the 45-70 is the right answer. It's a very cool round that I'm happy to own and hunt with in the right scenario. But it kicks like a mule, and drops like a rock. It's basically a 200 yard gun for hunting IMO.

I got caught up in the long range craze, set up gongs every hundred yards out to 1000 right off my deck. Shooting past 500 takes a lot of patience, practice and good gear for me. Its fun but I rarely got to use the tools. I seem to happen across all my critters within 200 yards. Only a few have been extended ranges. So I got one of the new Marlins in stainless, the fit and finish is heirloom to my untrained eyes. So like all us men with a new toy, I'm gonna be waving it all over showing my friends lol.-WW

 

[Bluefish]

I got caught up in the long range craze, set up gongs every hundred yards out to 1000 right off my deck. Shooting past 500 takes a lot of patience, practice and good gear for me. Its fun but I rarely got to use the tools. I seem to happen across all my critters within 200 yards. Only a few have been extended ranges. So I got one of the new Marlins in stainless, the fit and finish is heirloom to my untrained eyes. So like all us men with a new toy, I'm gonna be waving it all over showing my friends lol.-WW

I too found that my hunting is short ranges and a subsonic 45-70 can take anything I want. Lowish recoil, quiet with a can. It’s a ton of fun to ring the 150 yard plate (longest target of my home range) with a pistol that sounds like an airgun.
I too got a Marlin last summer, beautiful gun. Can’t wait until they expand into a few more cartridges.

 

[Rich M]

I've also seen a ton of 308. I just assumed because less guys are shooting it. Ten years ago most guys I knew were deer hunting here with either a 7mm mag, 30-06 or 308. Now it's flipped to where most guys (especially newer hunters) are using 6.5CM. Go spend a bunch on a custom and then watch a guy with a Ruger American stacking them in with Hornady whitetail ammo, does kinda make you scratch your head.

The silent majority use old cartridges and cheap ammo.

 

[Vern400]

I shoot a 308. Got several of them. In fact, my ONLY other centerfire is a 223 wylde. But I would not choose a 308 for 30 years on big game. Especially not where it's windy. Past 450 yd and breezy definitely begins to separate the shooters from the talkers. Especially in field conditions.

I shoot a 6.5 CM regularly too. NO way I'd choose that. It's a nice little medium and long range thumper, but It just hasn't got enough snot. Give it 30 years. It will still have a nice niche.

I'd go 280 AI. 7MM/284 caliber will live on. And get a few thousand 30-06 cases. I am not a good shooter with a 300 WM due to recoil. But I could totally run a 280 at 8.5 pounds. It's a very capable large game caliber somewhat beyond 500 yards. And it doesn't burn through barrels like a hard punching 264.

 

[aachey]

Being a reloader, I'd probably go with a 280AI. I have a 7 rem mag and recently tripped and fell into a 7mm-08 and a 280 rem. My brain says the 280AI would be the happy medium of 284 calibers. If I didn't reload I'd rock the 7 rem mag and forget about it.

 

[ElPollo]

How many barrels is 30 years?

 

[wyosam]

Being a reloader, I'd probably go with a 280AI. I have a 7 rem mag and recently tripped and fell into a 7mm-08 and a 280 rem. My brain says the 280AI would be the happy medium of 284 calibers. If I didn't reload I'd rock the 7 rem mag and forget about it.

The 280ai falls into a sweet spot for sure. Max range needed drives the choice for me. After moving to Alaska, it is now a really big time commitment to practice beyond 300 yards, and I’m not seeing any need to shoot much further than that hunting here. So I turned my 280 into a 338-284 and moved my 7-08ai “backup” into the top slot for 284 needs. I think that 7-08ai would be my 30 year pick. If I still lived in Wyoming it would be the 280ai, but don’t feel I’d really be limited there with the 7-08, either. I’ve never actually shot at anything but steel outside its effective range anyway.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[3325]

Being a reloader, I'd probably go with a 280AI. I have a 7 rem mag and recently tripped and fell into a 7mm-08 and a 280 rem. My brain says the 280AI would be the happy medium of 284 calibers. If I didn't reload I'd rock the 7 rem mag and forget about it.

Trip again and fall into a 7x57. I’m not a .284 man myself, but you obviously need a 7x57.

 

[LostArra]

An NRA match where they're shooting out to 600 yards with open sight M1 garands is something all gun enthusiasts should go watch.

As a kid I would work in the pit pulling targets. At the time I never appreciated how well my dad and his friends could shoot those open sights.


The rifle my dad gave me as a kid was a Model 70 in .270 that he hunted with. It's still my only big game rifle. It's pushing 60 years old so I guess it's "double heirloom".

 

[OKHunter84]

As a kid I would work in the pit pulling targets. At the time I never appreciated how well my dad and his friends could shoot.

That's no joke. And hearing the bullets whizzing overheard is pretty cool as well.

 

[3325]

As a kid I would work in the pit pulling targets. At the time I never appreciated how well my dad and his friends could shoot.

I admire high power/service rifle shooters. At 600 yards, the 10 ring is what? 12 inches? It’s not every shooter that can put 20 shots in it.

It doesn’t sound impressive from an arithmetic standpoint to some of the “long range” crowd to put 20 shots into a 12" circle at 600. It's 2 MOA, no big deal, right?

But you know what a man is that can take a service rifle and put 20 shots into a 12” circle at 600 yards shooting prone with a sling wrap? Dangerous. That man is dangerous.

 

[JBradley500]

I'd get a 6.5 CM. No way it isn't around in 30 years and still popular. It kills everything fine. It's fun to shoot. Modern bullets will be designed around the 6.5 CM cartridge. Barrel life isn't too short. Just a good all around decision IMO.

 

[Bluefish]

But you know what a man is that can take a service rifle and put 20 shots into a 12” circle at 600 yards shooting prone with a sling wrap? Dangerous. That man is dangerous.

I have a friend who has his distinguished rifle man badge. Dude can shoot. Wind reading skills are far beyond what I will ever achieve. Best range story, he was on the line with a guy shooting a 300 win mag at 300 yards. Buddy was shooting standing with a sling. 300 wm guy was on bags off the bench. You can guess who was shooting better groups. Wasn’t the wm guy. He was getting quite annoyed that he was being outshot buy a guy standing and shooting an AR with carry handle and iron sights. I really can’t imagine shooting 1k with iron sights, but that’s what they do.

 

[RockAndSage]

So if you go buy a new car you don’t drive it because the tires are going to wear out?…..My definition of “heirloom” isn’t an investment rifle but one to pass down because of what it helped accomplish, memories and meat in the freezer. As much as I would like to have a rifle in a cartridge for every need, I can only afford to have a few, like a plinking rifle (223) and a hunting rifle. My thoughts are to have my hunting rifle chambered in a cartridge that is economical and efficient in ballistics and fun to shoot. I have been shooting 300 win mag and 300 wsm for the last 10+ years. I love the power of a magnum other than the punishment on the shoulder. I have always handled recoil well but I know I shoot better with a less recoiling rifle. Not a fan of brakes and haven’t dove into the suppressor world yet. So I sold my 300 wsm and all reloading components for it. My “forever” rifle will probably be a non-magnum.

This actually puts a very different spin on things, OP. Knowing it's not a thought exercise about what would work best as a do-all, or issue of ammo availability, but is instead an issue of "what one gun would I love to hunt with that would be the coolest thing for one of my kids to inherit, because of what I've done with this rifle and what this rifle meant to me?"

That's actually a cooler question, IMO. And honestly makes me want to go kinda fudd, thinking of wooden stocks and somewhat obscure or less common cartridges. Not a collectors' item though - something meant for the field and modifiable as necessary, but of extreme quality in terms of both build and performance.

Something custom, with Grade 7 or better wood in a non-glossy finish with exceptional checkering, on a high-end action like a BAT Machine or Zermatt... chambered in something uncommon and bad-ass, possibly even something that you just can't find on the shelves. Maybe 25-06 Ackley Improved...but 280AI, .257 Weatherby or .270 Weatherby are all right in that ballpark for me. Probably topped with a Schmidtt & Bender Polar 4-16x or a Tangent Theta in 3-15x.

Add in a pile of brass, dies, my own reamer, and a few spare barrels already spun up for it by the original gunsmith, and I'd be a very happy man hunting with just that one gun the rest of my life.

 

[Tvan2330]

.308/ 7-08

 

[Vern400]

How many barrels is 30 years?

One rifle man here. I'll blow 50~100 shooting a weekend
264 Win - 1500 to 2000 accuracy life
6.5 CM - 3000 to 4500
308 - 6000 or more
Of course it depends on the loads used, and how hot the barrels allowed to get and several other factors.

Pitting life: rust-pitting kills more hunting barrels than shooting. Any good gunsmith will tell you that. I hunt near salt marshes, in the rain, any conditions. Even though I take good care of my boy I have one rifle with 3500 down the tube dying of rust. I have to replace it this summer because it's not shooting very good anymore.

All you got to do is forget the oil patch the bore wants and put it away for the year and you've lost something.

On the flip side, most hunters don't shoot well enough to know when their barrels passed its peak, and frankly speaking at a couple hundred yards maybe it doesn't matter. But one moa consistent precision requires a barrel and very good condition.

If a man really shoots, and practices, he will have to replace a barrel.

 

[Stickmark]

6.5 cm. Would have maybe chosen .223, but some states are not onboard that thinking.

 

[BrBa]

"heirloom rifle" in a cartridge conversation = Rifle that isn't going to be shot enough to need a new barrel.

I'd have a hard time thinking of a rifle I'd want that I would plan on shooting so little over 30 years that it still has the same barrel on it.

I wonder if I could even shoot my .45-70 enough to wear out the barrel. Big bore, low pressure, doesn't use a ton of powder. My shoulder might go first.