Am I Crazy, or Does This Make Sense?

[Still Shooting]

I am in the mood (and have some $) to acquire another rifle. My wife loves my Ruger 77 mk II in .270; she became bored with her .243 the first time she shot the .270 (and cloverleafed 3 rounds at 100yds.). I had been thinking about a 7mm-08 for me, and let her enjoy the .270.

But I also have a Swedish Mauser sporter, done about 45 years ago for my Granddad - it's a nice job, but done for hunting whitetails in Eastern woods - short gun, short barrel. It is still accurate as heck, but I'd like to have a little more rifle, and a modern lockup that can handle warmer handloads.

Here's the question: Wouldn't it make sense to buy a good, solid bolt action rifle in 7mm 08, put a decent piece of glass on it, and get a second barrel in 6.5x55 Swede? -I wouldn't want to go back and forth frequently, but it would save some $ and let me play with both by changing barrels from time to time.

I was thinking about a Savage Model 11 FCNS; I like the accutrigger and I expect re-sighting might be easier after a barrel swap with the accustock.

Comments?

 

[Abel]

I wouldn't thread a barrel on and off. The only time to do it is when you wear it out. Period.

Get the 7mm-08 and leave it alone.

 

[BADUNAME37]

If all you are hunting are deer and other smaller animals then why buy anything? Do you reload? If not, get into reloading.

Or, purchase ammunition. I feel a 7mm-08 would be very similar to the .270, I may be wrong, I have been wrong a lot of times.

 

[Still Shooting]

Mostly I hunt deer, especially now that here in New York State there's even a season on woodchucks! -But I currently own 12 rifles. 3 are rimfire, and I reload all the rest. I don't have a cannon (nothing stronger than the .270) and most of my deer hunting is done with my .257 Roberts.

I just like rifles, and I really enjoy working up loads for them. I belong to a club that's 20 minutes from home, and my wife (who's a brand new shooter) likes to go to the range with me. A married man with a happy wife is a happy man. A married man with an unhappy wife is miserable. She gets the .270; I get a new rifle. I let her shoot the new one, too.

 

[Red State]

I 2nd the motion that you shouldn't bother swapping barrels occasionally. Of the two cartridges you are thinking about, I would get the 7mm-08. The Savage accustock would probably be a great rifle.

 

[axxxel]

Why get a 7mm-08 when you already have a .270? If anything, buy another .270.

 

[Moose458]

I can't imagine a better deer rifle than the 6.5x55 Swede. Since you reload, you can use a 140 gr Barnes bullet, and have a devastating deer rifle. I really don't see any advantage in the 7mm-08 over the Swede, and the Swedish Mauser is one of the best Mausers ever made. I sporterize one of mine, and it is my favorite rifle for anything from elk on down. It will do anything that my .280 Remington will do, which is basically a 7mm-06.

 

[BrocLuno]

I might change the barrel on that Mauser to one a bit longer with maybe a slightly heavier contour? I'd also spend some $ putting a good bedding job under that .243 and then a really nice piece of glass on it. Then you and you wife will have a decent varmint machine and she can start to play at 200 and 300 yards at the range. Skills built there will translate into better kill shots with the .270 when she is afield.

If you must step up - go full on 30-06 with a Mil-Surp that will escalate in value and get into some 06 competition shooting.