I'm looking at selling an old 270 and getting a new rifle. I want a caliber that performs well in a 20" or less barrel and is suitable for whitetail to elk.

I'm 5'7" and my old Ruger 270 with the boat paddle stock has always been too long to where I couldn't put a pad on it and now that im hitting 50 it's starting to hurt. I want something I can use universally but stays short enough to not be awkward with a can on it. A 24" barrelled rifle with a can on it seems like it's as tall as I am.
I won't take shots on game over 3-400 yards.

Im not interested in reloading but all of the calibers today confuse the hell out of me when i dive in to select one. A lot of intersting options out there.

My budget with glass would be $2k. I'd like to hear your suggestions.

My son has a 6.5prc ruger gen 2 that i like to shoot.

A 270 barrel could be cut down to 20" but you would loose some velocity. It may depend on how far you are wanting to shoot. The old standard 308 is just fine out of a 20" or even shorter barrel, as is the 7mm-08. Since you do not reload, a 6.5 creed may be just what you are looking for. Lots of ammo choices.

7MM Back Country might be a good place to start. 16-20" barrel will still have great ballistics and paired with your can it shouldn't be too hard to manage.

Price range will be difficult though… although, they're starting to make Savage, Weatherby, and a few others in this caliber so probably can get close. Or you can just blow your budget and get a Horizon Firearms model.

6.5 PRC also seems like a decent fit and assume they're more than capable for elk but don't have any personal experience with it. 6.5 Creedmoor is another option but I'd probably rather shoot my .270 at an elk than a 6.5 Creedmoor.

8.6 blackout. Will take out any game in North America under 300 yards. Crazy quite surpressed. Received SAAMI approval at Shot Show this year

Bergara Crest Carbon comes with a 20" barrel chambered in 6.5PRC

My favorite thread. .308 and 7MM-08 are great but neck tha cartridge down a little more and its a Bleedmore!

7MM BC seems exactly what you want.

Don't limit yourself to just factory threaded rifles. In most instances you can always have them threaded.

I have the following for sale if you're interested;

Savage Model 10 .308 + Leupold VX-3HD 3.5-10x40 scope $1800

Is the black gun on the right. Can take more pictures if you are interested.

And, before anybody asks, yes, the lever action is already sold.
Although I do have another lever action, Henry repeating 3030 for sale.

7MM Backcountry

ruger american ranch and chop the barrel

or a youth model

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My favorite thread. .308 and 7MM-08 are great but neck tha cartridge down a little more and its a Bleedmore!

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no, it's a .260 Remington.

I'm generally in agreement with the .308/7mm-08 suggestions for caliber.

As far as the rifle, was the boat paddle stock too long without the pad or only once lengthened by a pad? Does weight matter for this rifle?

suburban cowboy said:

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ruger american ranch and chop the barrel

or a youth model

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I think most ranch models come with 16-18" barrels, no?

Alright, if I can get $1k for the stock, I'm thinking I should sell the stock and the barrel. Get a new threaded lightweight shorter barrell, drop it all in a new stock, and add a can. Are aftermarket pieces readily available to do all of this for that action?

Can also send barreled action to jes reboring and turn it into a 35whelen. Don't know if he can cut and thread it or not but worst case that's another $150.

Get a Tikka t3x lite in .308. Or, maybe 7mm08 if you want even less recoil. Not Sure about factory ammo availability on the 7mm08, but 308 is sold everywhere.

Ramdiesel said:

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Get a Tikka t3x lite in .308. Or, maybe 7mm08 if you want even less recoil. Not Sure about factory ammo availability on the 7mm08, but 308 is sold everywhere.

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This is the gun the vortex nation guys swear by. T3 light in .308 with an 18-20 inch barrel. Would be a perfect gun.

OP all these new calibers and cartridges are really cool and all, but none of them do the job you are asking for better than a .308 or a 30-06. I don't have a .308 only because I have an 06. But if I was in your shoes no question I would get it in .308.

Where are you located? I've got a Franchi momentum all-terrain in .308 and love it. Happy to let you shoot if you'd like. I'm in The Woodlands.

ttha_aggie_09 said:

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suburban cowboy said:

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ruger american ranch and chop the barrel

or a youth model

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I think most ranch models come with 16-18" barrels, no?

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yes but sounds like OP has trex arms

I have avg wingspan and still chopped my gen ii 300bo to 11"

I do have short arms. Thats why i really want a new stock, something I can put a pad on and still be able to shoulder it. You can't trim a boat paddle stock, and with a pad on it it sits off my shoulder. Just thought if I was going new I'd get something that fit me, took advantage of modern ballistics, I could suppress and keep the barrel and suppressor length to 24" and still be able to carry it through the mountains or brush.

Sorry I wasnt built to scratch my knees without bending over, I was made to run fast and lift heavy ***** Unfortunately it makes many standard size guns awkward for me.

I'm in Llano, maybe we could meet up in BCS when i visit my son.

That works. We are up there almost every weekend in the Spring for baseball/basketball.

Charismatic Megafauna said:

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Can also send barreled action to jes reboring and turn it into a 35whelen. Don't know if he can cut and thread it or not but worst case that's another $150.

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$150 to cut and thread? Where are you getting that done? I talked to a guy in Conroe last week and he wanted $400-500 just to thread. I told him "thanks, but no thanks, I'll just buy a new threaded rifle" and hung up.

Threading at Briley is only $175. They did a barrel cut , crown and thread for $225. Since they work on extremely expensive shotguns i trust them to thread a barrel.

https://scorehi.com/gunsmith-services/

Most good smiths charge $150-250 on an average. Ryan Hoover in Fredericksburg has done 5 rifles for me at $150 each. This included threading, crowning, and an end cap that was done so well I had to look for the line when it was on the barrel.

I was ridiculed on the last threading post for sending it to Kampfeld Custom in Idaho and dare not use someone in Harris County. Just saying he charges $100 (end cap +$25) and less than two weeks for the ones I have sent him. You would have to have to pay the shipping so it would be a little more with the shipping but very competitive if not cheaper. My experience was most locals had more business for threading than they knew what to with and the wait times were long and it was the same cost or more for local.


I concur with others about recommending a Tikka, you pick the caliber new versions are threaded but you might be able to get clearance models at Europtic chop and thread and then put it in a mcmillan or other aftermarket stock of your choice.

Way too expensive for a $2k budget and the ballistics are horrible on that rifle. I am pretty sure a 285 gr drops like 8 ft at 300 yards. That gun is something you buy as a toy.