Legacy rifle .......

My Dad has a few good deer camps left in him , but his "Widow Maker" is just flat out too much gun for west central AR . His pride and joy is an early 70s 700 BDL with the white line ebony tips jewled bolt etc.that is expected on the Cadillac of the line . It's chambered in 25-06' with a 26" bull barrel with a .960 muzzle and 4-12x4 range finder era optics that while not today's cream and showing it's age is a fine piece of galss .
Options ......
He loves the 25s . Fast , flat , lots of tissue disruption ....... Which of course is why his 25-06' is too much of a good thing where he is now .
If I were to do a 25 for him , I'm thinking along the lines of a 25-30-30 shaped like a 7-30 Waters or a modern equal of the 25 Rem . Of course the 250 Savage is on the table but base of life experience , patience etc not super cast friendly .
We have a 257 Roberts that is amazing and perfect for cast but he has some bucket list phoba about it . I guess 78 does that ......I'll let you in 27 yr .

I don't think I can get him into a 30-30 , his love of the 7mm and 270 bores are right there with stepping in the "gift" the neighbors dog left on your porch .

I think maybe I can get him into something like a 358 Win if I can sell the package as a no hold over package . I might even be able to sell something like the 45 Raptor if I get it in that sub MOA full tilt 460 Smith realm ...... Catastrophic tissue disruption ......

As a side note , I will eventually get the rifle back and it will be mine or passed on to 1 of the kids or grands . Only child thing ....... :/

So if you were going to do an appropriate lever gun or Mauser build or AR top half and make it a legacy gun on purpose what do you think ?
I'm looking for a 200 yd whitetail rifle and maybe a 175# hog slayer .
Good with cast but not opposed to jacketed non premium bullets .

Just download the .25-'06 a little with jacketed bullets if recoil is the problem.

If he likes the BDL but just wants something lighter and faster for the woods, how about a nice wood-stocked, fancy featherweight FN Winchester short-action in .308? Or, if he's stuck on Remington, one can be built from scratch a whole lot better than Remington ever did and it's probably the least expensive custom rifle option out there. I'd also take a long look at the Henry lever action .308s, all reports I've seen on them have been excellent and they are relatively affordable.

I have a hard time seeing how "AR" and "legacy rifle" can be worked into the same sentence, but differn't strokes I guess.

Legacy was a description of function and longevity not necessarily of aesthetics . I agree . The AR may even have been cartridge driven ......or maybe it's the sensitivity training .....
It's not a brand loyalty thing , plenty of Winchesters , Mausers , Ithicas and Marlins around . I'm leaning toward a single shot actually . Odds are it will be built on a shot out used up chassis .

A .338 Lapua bolt-action upper for the AR-10 might be interesting.

Ian said:

A .338 Lapua bolt-action upper for the AR-10 might be interesting.

Click to expand...

338 FC had wandered through but the LM might be just a titch more than we really need .

Just taking it all in . It seems like everyone has more time in with the lights than I do but I'm coming around .
My buddy Jorge has a Henry in 30-30 , as a "Yellow Boy" knock off I might be able to sell it .

This of course is why I come here , so many helpful ideas to make my money go .

I would consider the .358. Good killer, great with cast, easy to load for. Recoil is quite manageable with 200 grain bullets. Trajectory should work well for your dad's needs.

38-55 or 375 Win? Swedish 6.5x55 (you will get differing opinions on cast suitability), 6.5x284 (no clue for cast...), for 358 you could get a 308 and have JES rebore it to 358. Same for 356 Win from a Marlin 30-30. Lighter bullets, should be good to at least 150 yds in 356/358.

if it's a rifle weight issue get him a lighter 25-06 and down load it towards a 257.
200 yds is kind of off the table as far as point and press for many of the smaller cal's he can most likely handle better and for sure on those big diameter thumper cartridges.
now if it is an AR and he likes the 25 cal. the 25-45 sharps would probably be the easiest to sell to him. [if you snag up about 500$ err 500 cases too]

now if your leaning towards a single shot the 25-303 or 25-30/40 Krag would be a great round to think about. [probably favoring the Krag since both cases could be used]

My choice would be (if you can find one) would be
a 250-3000 in a 99 Sav. Believe the gentleman would
find it a real nice fit.

Paul

I've been toying with a 25 Souper which I have all the bits for but I would have to hustle a barrel . 25 cal barrels just don't seem to be in plenty .
Which is a good reason to look at others .

An SR Mauser in 25 Super might do the trick .
I had forgotten about having a 25 cal barrel stashed away until just now .
Just lop the LR shank off cut it for the SR and rechamber . Then load to whatever it'll take , 243 data ought to do .
Who doesn't love a SR Mauser with a short action kit , a nice duplex 3-9 , and a cock on opening kit .

If you really just want a light weight bolt gun that is stupid accurate for what you pay for it, get a Ruger Am 6.5 Creedmor. I know my 308 is just dumb accurate for what it is. And that is with 2 diff brands factory loads. Yet to really work on a reload or cast for it. But I expect the best.

Just thinking about this and so I went up to GB to look. A 257 roberts in an older Remington 700 is under 1000$. 257 Roberts is a good mid range round and the rifle would be lighter with the standard barrel. Just say'in.

Beater adl? Think cabelas has sale around 325 in several cals now. Lightweight stow & go hunting type.

Lr308 carbine in 243, or more preferable to me 308, is a lifeime of fun in my book. I will eventually assemble one in 45 raptor. They are apparently more addictive than little ar's round here. Jard 2lb trigger

An AR-10 in .358 Winchester would be about as much fun as any one person could stand, too.

25 Bobcat . I think . It's like .2 shorter than the 250 Savage and the same rim and proportions .

Boyds sells laminate ar stocks & handguards if that gets you nearer "legacy"

I have a 250 Sav Ackley on a ruger tang safety.
it's basically a heritage rifle cause I don't want to wear out the barrel so I rarely shoot it.

I have had my eye on the .277 Wolverine. Its going to be my next riffle. Its a .270 on .223/.5.56 case.

Remington Mod 7 in .243 maybe.
Tikka in .308
Ruger American, SS/composite in .243 or .308