My next rifle

[All That is Man]

I'm looking for an all round hunting cartridge for my Valmet 412. The choices I have narrowed it down to now are 6.5x55SE, 7x65R, 308win or 30-06. (These are the only calibers I'm intrested in that I can buy new to fit my recever) The barrel will be 23.5 inches. The 6.5x55 seems to be about the same as the 260 rem. The 7x65R appears close to the 280/270 range when hand loaded.

Any one have any input?

[dks7895]

An all around hunting cartridge gets a lot of use.  I would want something that had factory ammo easily available.  With that said, I would say .308 or .30-06

Of the two, I tip my hat to the .308 Winchester.

[mannyrock]

  Go with the .308 Winchester all of the way.    It has significantly less recoil than the .30-06, is a short chamber round, is inherently accurate as a cartridge, and has about 95% of the power of the .30-06.  It will handle anything from groundhogs through moose.  It is available in dozens of great factory loads, including the best premium bullets, and the ammunition is easy to find wordwide.

    And, if you ever really feel that you need the little extra oomph of a .30-06, you can buy the .308 hi-energy or light magnum rounds, which duplicate the .30-06 with 180 grain bullets.

   mannyrock

[Drilling Man]

  I'd grab the 30-06 and run!!  All of the 412's i've seen are very accurate in 30-06,



  Recoil is absolutely NOT a problem in a 412 chambered in 30-06 and it will push heavier hunting bullets faster.  I see no advantage to a 308 in a hunting gun like the 412 is.

  Keep in mind, these are break open guns, not bolt action guns, and not ment to be over loaded to get a few extra fps, like guys with bolt guns often do.

  High energy light mag rounds are available in 30-06 too, so it keeps it's edge over the 308.

  DM

[mcwoodduck]

I see this as just a flip of the coin.  Between the .264 and the .308 bores.
The 308 and the 30-06 are so close as far as speeds throwing the same bullet that they are twins
The 6.5 X55 and the 260 again are ballistic twins.
I think you would be happy with any of the four as a general purpose round for N. American big game.
I would pick the barrel you get at the best price and go from there.
Personally, I would pick 308 for the wide variety of loaded ammo from 125 to 180 grain hunting loads not to mention the vast number of roll your own recipes out there.  308 has the most loaded options of bullet shapes, designs, and weights of the four with 30-06 in a close second and I think when you look at the Norma and Seller and Beliot offerings in conjunction to the domestic production the 6.5X55 is third in loaded offereings.
Then again I have hunting rifles in three of the four above.

 

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  One of my old friends had a Valmet in 12 ga. and 30/06...It was a neat rifle/shotgun...he wishes he had not let it go...as for an all round rifle, the old 06 has been doing pretty good for over 100 years...anything a .308 can do, the 06 can do better...

[semperfi1970]

6.5x55 all of the way my friend. But then agian i love anything Mauser. A 6.5mm 140 grain Nosler accubond with a ballistic coefficient of .509 -vs- a .308 150 grain accubond at .435. Well if long range is your game stick to the 6.5mm for flatter trajectory. A 6.5 will buck the wind and retain velocity much longer than a .308 can of similar grains and velocity. Retained energy of a 140 grain 6.5 leaving the tube at 2,790fps at 500 yards is still 1,112lbs with 45" of drop with a 200 yard zero. The 150 grain .308 accubond leaving the tube at 2,820 has 900lbs retained energy at 500 yards with 62" drop. You do the math. All hail the mighty 6.5x55 swed.    Here is a pic of a 140 grain accubond seated in a 6.5x55 swed and a 168 grain nosler custom comp (considered to have a high ballistic coeficient) .308. One doesnt need a ballistics table to figure out what bullet will stay aloft longer and stay supersonic longer. The up side to a .308 win that I happen to love is they are dirt cheap compaired to the 6.5's if you do not reload.

[mannyrock]

    Col. Boddington, in his book called The Rifle, said that as a practical matter, he never saw any difference in killing power in the field between the .308 and the .30-06.  In other words, it was all  theoretical.  Having hunted with both rounds for 40 years, this is my experience as well.

    And please, don't start talking about which would be best for Grizzlies.  :-)   Male fantasy stuff.

    Aside from the .308, my second choice would be the 6.5 Swede, for the reason listed by another poster above.

     The 30-06 is an excellent round, but just wouldn't be my first or second choice.

     The .260?  Well, the factory loads are limited, and I'm just not sure it is here to stay.  A great round, but never caught on  like it deserved.  The 7mm-08 would be a far better choice.

Mannyrock
 
     

[mcwoodduck]

 
    And please, don't start talking about which would be best for Grizzlies.  :-)   Male fantasy stuff.

    Mannyrock
 
   

Hey if we're now talking about fending off bears.
I want to change my answer to M1A Abrams Tank!   

[Swampman]

.30-06...brass is free many times, and loaded ammo is cheap.....

[jabey9210]

If you have everything available to load for the 7x65r I would go that route only because I feel the 7mm has the most options for hunting purposes you can go with as light as 120 grainers or you can go up to the big 180 grain bergers with a .659 bc and I don't think anyone will argue that for any kind of distance 6.5 or 7mm are the best fliers.

[All That is Man]

So I broke down and got me a bolt gun. Browning Xbolt White Gold Medallion in 280. If i ever figure out how to post pictures ill put one up for now its my Avatar.
Thank you all for all your help.

[jabey9210]

Sweet!! I love the .280 that's what I've got my wife shooting and my buddy can do under 5 inches at 1000yrds with his .280.  I think they are by far the most under rated caliber out there.  Sweet gun man.

[Drilling Man]

  The 280 Rem. IS a really good cartridge for a bolt action rifle, you made a GREAT choise!

  I agree that it's under rated and i especially like the heavier bullet choises for the bigger animals over what a 270 offers.

  I've taken caribou, blk. bear white and blk. tails and other animals with my light weight 280, and it's done a great job for me.

  DM

[All That is Man]

ok attached is a pic of my new gun.

[anweis]

ok attached is a pic of my new gun.

That's a Browning White Gold Medallion or such. Very nice rifle. What caliber? I looked at one that also had an octagon barrel, but i decided that i did not like the shiny stock. I ended up with another stainless/walnut, a Sako, which had a gorgeus fancy stock, oil coated without shine.
 

[Drilling Man]

  It looks like a decent piece of claro walnut to me!

  DM

[anweis]

  It looks like a decent piece of claro walnut to me!

  DM

It is more than decent, considering what can be bought for $1000 these days. It actually is nice wood. But, old fashioned as i am, i like oil finished wood.
All Brownings are too shiny for my taste.
.280 is a great cartridge.

[Bingo]

I like the wood on that gun! The only thing I don't like is that it reminds me of my wife...........
   To pretty to hunt with