Agreed, the 7x57, as well as the 6.5x55, is a fantastic cartridge, but it puts you back into long action territory.
Wow. Thanks everyone for all the input! A lot of great ideas. As quickly as he took to the AR, I'm kinda leanin' towards swapping out the upper for the 6.8. He's really comfortable with the latest in "modern sporting rifles". And it gives daddy a new toy to play with!!!!! Thanks again for all the help, I knew I could count on this community to come up with some great ideas.
I think if I were building an AR upper in a different caliber specifically for hunting, I would probably go with the 6.5 Grendel.
why that over the 6.8? edumacate me, please.
I think the 6.8 would be good!!!
The primary reason is the huge existing 6.5 bullet selection already out there.
We are talking about deer in Oklahoma, just load up some 55gr Sierra gamekings and shoot the deer they die just gotta hit them in the vitals unlike the magnums where you just hit them someplace and they end up dying.
I HATE the 270 and not because of the round but Jack O Conner pushed it and people listened! there are much better rounds out there and they are not magnums I can promise. I said that and I'm building a pistol in 7WSM
hehe
Most of the people that shoot deer I don't know why thing they have to have a magnum with a 300gr bullet to effectivly kill deer? I don't know how many I have taken with my 223 and all were DRT but shot placement is the key! if you boy can take that AR and put them into a 3 or 4" circle at 100 yards then let him use the AR these are just deer were talking about. just get some good bullets made for game not those dang varmint bullets they will kill one but it's just not a human way to do it! speaking from exp fella's not what they say in the gun rags. Use the 223 unless you want to purchase a new rifle but let him shoot the 223. Later,
Kirk
I HATE the 270 and not because of the round but Jack O Conner pushed it and people listened! there are much better rounds out there and they are not magnums I can promise. I said that and I'm building a pistol in 7WSM
heheMost of the people that shoot deer I don't know why thing they have to have a magnum with a 300gr bullet to effectivly kill deer? I don't know how many I have taken with my 223 and all were DRT but shot placement is the key! if you boy can take that AR and put them into a 3 or 4" circle at 100 yards then let him use the AR these are just deer were talking about. just get some good bullets made for game not those dang varmint bullets they will kill one but it's just not a human way to do it! speaking from exp fella's not what they say in the gun rags. Use the 223 unless you want to purchase a new rifle but let him shoot the 223. Later,
Kirk
I have 30/06, 308 Win., 270 Win. and 243 Win. choices. I've taken deer with a 222 Rem. (a 1 shot kill), a couple with a 22-250 (one a bang flop at 360 yards), and 3 deer so far this year with a 270 Win. two of which were DRT and the other went maybe 10 feet. As long as a bullet is placed correctly, they all kill well and, in my opinion, if you only want a rifle for animals up to deer size and want one with modest recoil and very good range, a 25/06 or 270 Win. are the way to go.
As for a 270 Winchester having worse recoil than a 30/06 or 308; I think not. The physics just don't support that conclusion. If you're shooting lower weight projectiles at similar velocities, the load shooting lighter bullets is going to have less recoil. Felt recoil, however, is a different story. Felt recoil varies depending on gun weight, type of recoil pad, muzzle brake, etc. If you take a 30/06 or 308 Win. using 150 grain or 168 grain bullets which would be the usual bullet weights used for deer hunting, and compare it to an identical gun shooting the usual 130 grain projectiles for a 270 Win. deer gun, the 270 Win. will have less actual and felt recoil.
As for a 270 Winchester having worse recoil than a 30/06 or 308; I think not. The physics just don't support that conclusion. If you're shooting lower weight projectiles at similar velocities, the load shooting lighter bullets is going to have less recoil. Felt recoil, however, is a different story. Felt recoil varies depending on gun weight, type of recoil pad, muzzle brake, etc. If you take a 30/06 or 308 Win. using 150 grain or 168 grain bullets which would be the usual bullet weights used for deer hunting, and compare it to an identical gun shooting the usual 130 grain projectiles for a 270 Win. deer gun, the 270 Win. will have less actual and felt recoil.
Amen on the '06, it is a very versitile round. There is a wide opinion that the '06 is obsolete, but most other non magnum rounds are based off of it.
