My Western Rifle : Cartridge

The Western Rifle Challenge

I am a nerdy mcnderyton exterior ballistics nut! Combine my propensity to explore every single number with an undying love of big game hunting. Mix in a generous heap of the adrenaline hit I get from helping friends and family to be successful in their hunts, and there is no doubt I need to build the ultimate western big game rifle. Everyone has their definition of ultimate, and I’ve been struggling mightily to define the criteria for my rifle.

I decided it would be built on a long rifle action, so I wandered into a gun shop in Idaho to seek a Savage Model 110. I’m happy to report I picked up a used blued 270 Winchester Savage 110 for $280. Now, all friends and family who’ve weighed-in, seem to think I need to figure out if it shoots well before I change it. I was almost convinced until I accidentally won a new Browning X-Bolt 270 Win to add to our gun rack that presently sports five 270s. Honestly, I will shoot it to see if it belongs in the arsenal as-is, but let’s continue this journey with the idea of replacing the barrel and maybe the chambering.

My Western Rifle Criteria

We all have our own criteria when it comes to the rifles and cartridges we choose. For this rifle and its cartridge selection, here are mine:

1. It must present no more recoil than a nine-pound 7mm Remington magnum launching a 168 grain bullet over 64 grains of H4831.
2. This western rifle must not have a muzzle brake. My gun, my choice, and I abhor muzzle brakes except where they are absolutely necessary. It is not necessary in this case as my whole fam damily can handle a 9 pound 7mm.
3. The bullet must be capable of retaining as near to 1500 foot pounds of energy at 600 yards as possible.
4. The rifle must be capable of 0.5 MOA 3-shot cold-barrel groups.
5. My western rifle will be featuring Barnes LRX bullets as prime fodder. I’m not opposed to other bullets generally, but this is going to be my copper-bullet go-to rifle.
6. It will be a bonus if it can achieve very high velocities from deer and sheep bullets, in the 3200 to 3300 fps range at the muzzle.
7. It will also be a bonus if this rifle barrel stands up to a half life of at least 1000 shots, so massively overbore/hyper-velocity cartridges may be at a disadvantage.

So all of you 338 Lapua and even 300 magnum fanboys out there, this is not the rifle of your dreams. Those who dote on the 6.5 Creedmoor need read no further. The 6.5 x 284 may fit the bill, but not its little sister.

Accuracy First

The reason I targeted a Savage 110 is many rifle barrel manufacturers can provide you with very high-tolerance match+ grade barrels that are simple to install with tools at home. I have the luxury of having a friend who has built quite a number of these Savage beasts and he’s offered his help. This is music to my ears, and so we will likely select a Shilen Match Grade barrel for my new build. I’m starting from a #3 to #4 heavy sporter contour and will evaluate from there. I’m leaning strongly toward the #3 as this rifle isn’t meant for the steel range.

Barrel length will depend on the cartridge, but in most fast long-action rifles a 24 to 26 inch range will strike a balance between velocity, weight, and portability. Right now, I don’t see Shilen offer any option for fluting in their Savage barrels, but we will see where this finally lands (see what I did there?).

7mm Choices

Because speed and recoil are two of my large criteria, I’ve set aside any 8mm or 0.30-caliber cartridges. My biggest possible bullet will then be a 7mm diameter pill. The standout options at 7mm caliber in a long-action rifle are the venerable 7mm Remington magnum, the 280 Remington, and the 280 Ackley improved. The 7mm is a worthy cartridge, able to launch 140 grain bullets well in excess of 3300 feet per second (not according to Barnes’ data though…). This cartridge meets all of my criteria and is a very serious contender.

The 280 Remington is a very solid choice as well, presenting milder recoil and still very good downrange performance. Because of the growing popularity of the 280 Ackley Improved for which both Hornady and Nosler now provide factory head-stamped brass, and its velocity and case-life improvements over the 280 Remington, I’m favoring the AI over its parent cartridge. The 280 AI is just barely less potent than the 7mm magnum, but it offers lower recoil and I also would not have to replace my Savage’s bolt head to chamber the AI.

6.5mm Choices

While the 6mm has come on strong as of late, this is not the type of cartridge known for 600 yard elk kills. Similarly, my old 25-06 isn’t enough to be a true 600-yard elk rifle. For those reasons, I’m starting with the 6.5mm as my lowest diameter. The 6.5 Creedmoor isn’t quite enough for my purposes, and both the 26 Nosler and 6.5×300 Weatherby violate my criteria regarding recoil or brakes. This leaves me with three serious contenders at this diameter, the 264 Winchester magnum, the 6.5-06 A-square, and the 6.5 x 284 Norma.

This category has given me fits during my evaluation. The .264 is clearly the on-paper velocity king of these three cartridges, but it is a reputed barrel burner, as is the 6.5 x 284. The A-Square gives nearly 3300 feet per second for the 120 grain bullets, on par with the .264. The biggest bullets at 142 grains give the 6.5 x 284 an edge over the 06, but the .264 is still on top by a bit. The 6.5 x 284 would be the easiest choice given the supply of brass and zero mods needed to the bolt. I’m still stewing on this.

.277 Choices

Ok, there aren’t any choices at the caliber. There is only one credible long-action cartridge available and it is the tried and true 270 Winchester as the 270 Weatherby recoils more than I like and brass ain’t cheap. It doesn’t benefit from the bullet arms race that both 6.5mm and 7mm caliber choices enjoy. It does present itself very well in the mix, however, meeting all of my criteria. God, do I really need another 270 in the gun cabinet? Just when I think the answer is “no”, some studying on external ballistics makes the decision hard.

The 270 does not offer all of the bullet choices that the 6.5 and 7mm do, that is true. What it does offer though is a respectable comparison when it comes to the Barnes LRX copper bullets that my new rifle will be meant to digest. The ballistic coefficients of the available LRX bullets are not that different. In order to make my choice, I’m going to have to consider that specific bullet. Don’t be sad. This rifle will be judged secondarily on all of the bullet choices, but the first choice will be the LRX, so let’s proceed.

Barnes LRX Head-to-Head

My acid test really is the Barnes LRX at 600 yards. Although Barnes and others have stated that these bullets will expand at velocities above 1,800 fps, to be safe, I’m also looking at the point each projectile passes the 2,200 fps barrier as my outer range limit. Following is the pertinent info on the rounds I’ve been evaluating. The table was generated using JBM Ballistics model using 59 degrees, 6,500 foot elevation correction, and 20 percent relative humidity. The G1 ballistic coefficient was also used along with the published data from Barnes.

Cartridge	Wt. (gr)	G1 B.C.	MV (fps)	En. @ 600 yd.	V. @ 600 yd.	2,200 fps
6.5-06 A-Square	127	0.468	3,1001	1,351	2,189	585
6.5 x 284 Norma	127	0.468	3,016	1,268	2,121	540
.264 Win. Mag.	127	0.468	3,140	1,397	2,226	620
270 Winchester	129	0.463	3,211	1,475	2,270	650
280 Ackley Imp.	139	0.470	3,196	1,590	2,270	650
280 Ackley Imp.	145	0.486	3,124	1,614	2,239	630
280 Ackley Imp.	168	0.550	2,851	1,652	2,105	520
7mm Rem. Mag.	139	0.470	3,199	1,594	2,273	655
7mm Rem. Mag.	145	0.486	3,106	1,593	2,225	620
7mm Rem. Mag.	168	0.550	2,882	1,694	2,131	540

¹ Estimated based on published data. Barnes does not publish data for this load.

Now, before you start screaming about the 7mm Remington magnum being slower than the 280 AI in our test, just keep in mind this is Barnes’ data and not mine. I suspect the 7-mag can be quickly tuned to a better performance over the 280 AI.

Results – Western Rifle Cartridge Redux

I’m not gonna lie…I was a bit surprised in the Barnes data that the 270 Winchester fared so well. It appears that the 270, 280 AI, and 7mm all meet my 600-yard criteria. I do not consider the 25 foot pounds “miss” by the 270 at 600 yards an issue at all. Clearly, the 280 AI is an impressive cartridge, and if my primary consideration were elk, either the 280 or 7mm are the clear winners (surprise, surprise!). I didn’t publish the trajectory on these cartridges as they are all very flat and roughly comparable to 600 yards, at least from a hunter’s perspective.

Given that there is a real reduction in recoil between the 270 and 280 AI, this choice doesn’t seem to be getting any easier for me. The .264 Win Mag does come in close enough to meet my standards as well, and none of them are dogs. I prefer the idea, however, of not modifying the Savage bolt. It is a tiny matter, but one to consider briefly.  If I were going purely by the numbers, the 280 Ackley Improved best meets all of my criteria, with the 270 and 7mm tied for first or second, depending on what you value most.

Why The Constraints?

So, why did I constrain my choices so much? Keep in mind, this is going to be a pure hunting rifle and I want my family to be able to enjoy it. This means keeping annoying things like recoil and muzzle blast to a reasonable level. I have a long action to work with, so short magnums and other short cartridges are out. I’ve decided that this rifle will be designed around all-copper bullets for one reason: I’ve seen the data that suggest the lead residue in meat is a real health risk. I’m going to make this rifle an all-copper project, whether anyone agrees with me or not. It will obviously shoot all bullets, but I’m judging it on its Barnes-performance.

Bottom line for me…600 yards is long-range enough for a western rifle! I feel that a 600-yard shot on an elk vital zone is a very reasonable ask for experienced hunters. Maybe not on a very breezy or windy day, but under good conditions, and with time to do the math and get a firm rest. I feel that the smaller vital zone of a deer or sheep does not allow for as much latitude, so this would be more of a 450-yard rifle for those purposes. These are very achievable hunting ranges, and if we can’t get closer, then we don’t get that animal. I’ve stuck with the match-grade barrel and will learn to shoot this beast to 1,000 yards.

And, the Results?

Hmm…once again, I’m still not certain about my western rifle build. I’m going to continue to weigh out the pros and cons of rifle selection. Clearly, the 280 AI offers me everything I claim to want. Add the versatility of the 7mm bullet selection, and for most folks this might seem a no-brainer. As of now, I haven’t made my choice. The 280 does seem to be in the lead. I get a little more weak-kneed over the prospect of the 6.5-06 and I know the Norma is a reputed tack-driver. The 270 is one of my favorites. Perhaps I need to reflect on this and savor the choice just a little bit more….