Cartridge for long commercial Mauser action?

Which cartridge?

  • 25-06

    Votes: 1 7.1%

  • 280AI

    Votes: 13 92.9%
  • Total voters
    14
  • Poll closed .
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std7mag

New member
I managed to obtain a commercial Mauser, built by "Firearms Co. Alpine".
It is currently chambered in "7.62X2.49" ala 30-06.

This will be a hunting rifle build. I currently have three 25 caliber, and three 7mm's.
So it doesn't necessarily fill a niche that i need.
Just a want.

So, choices are.
25-06
Or 280AI.

What say yee?
 
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stagpanther

New member
25-06
Or 280AI.
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Oh boy, that's a tough one, if you don't have either I'd say it's a draw, both great IMO. I suppose you'd have to use a discrimination factor of which of the two would make more sense for the majority of your hunting/target needs. I have both and love em both. Just to throw a little confusion in your decision--have you considered the 35 whelen? IMO the greatest of all the 30-06 offspring for hunting prowess.:)
 
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44 AMP

Staff
I say "7.62X2.49" is an incorrect designation. It is a mishmash of Metric and English units and so its meaningless and leads me to wonder what else about the rifle they got wrong.

7.62mm is metric and converts to .30" in English units.
The correct European metric designation for the .30-06 is the 7.62x63mm.

2.49 is the rounded off length of the .30-06 case in inches. Case specs are max length 2.494 inches.

Mixing both metric and English units in the name tells me that who ever did it, didn't know, or didn't understand what they were talking about.

As to what cartridge to REBARREL the gun to, .25-06 is a fine round and factory ammo is available (not counting various ammo shortages) being a .25 it can't manage the heavier bullets larger bores can. If that matter, to you.

.280AI is, as far as I know, a handloader proposition, using the Rem .280 case as its base, and even the Ackley Improved version falls short of what the 7mm Rem Mag can do, but it has the advantage of working in standard length actions with the standard .473" case head size.

If its not filling an actual need, then pick the one that fills your want the best.
 
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BornFighting88

New member
I’d go for 25-06, if it were me. The only issue I’ve ever read about such small bore rifles is over bore charges and burning out a tube. But…. Hearsay is just that…

My father has a 250 AI, and if I am correct in my memory, it used the 250-3000 as the base cartridge and then was either fire-formed or, run through dies of some sort. Real zipper, and I used it my first year of hunting, until I got a Savage rifle one year for Christmas in 7mm-08.

If you want the thing to pack a punch further out??? 280AI. 7mm pills seem to hold onto the velocity and terminal ballistics way out there.

Maybe even look up that new hot rod 6.8 Western. Those .270 cartridges just GET. IT. DONE.
 
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Pathfinder45

New member
It looks like you want the performance of a 270 Winchester but something just a little more exotic...
While there are interesting options, the 270 Winchester and 30-'06 Springfield are the best-in-class. You will not do better, only different.
Perhaps the most interesting in-class alternative might be the 6.5 A-square; true 270 performance with a wider range of match-grade bullets to choose from...
But you can say the same thing about the 280 Remington.
 
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std7mag

New member
I didn't do the original build or do the stampings. Was like that when the rifle was GIVEN to me. I'm not gonna look too awful hard down the horses throat, when a rifle is given to me! Lol

I don't buy factory ammo. I hand load for everything i own, and some i don't. Lol

Distance with a 25 caliber doesn't worry me. I've learned my lesson and my next 25 cal barrel will be a 1:8 twist.

270, while a fine cartridge, just isn't me.

The 250AI is the 250-3000 Savage parent case. Fire a standard 250 Savage in an Ackley Improved chamber, the case comes out as 250AI.
 
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taylorce1

New member
It is very hard to beat the versatility of the .30-06, but if you must. .25-284 and a fast twist barrel for the new .257 caliber bullets that have been coming out recently. That way you get the case capacity of the .25-06 but don't run short on magazine room.
 
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stagpanther

New member
It is very hard to beat the versatility of the .30-06, but if you must. .25-284 and a fast twist barrel for the new .257 caliber bullets that have been coming out recently. That way you get the case capacity of the .25-06 but don't run short on magazine room.
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That's probably what I should have done instead of the 25 PRC I recently put together--either way though I think you're talking a custom chamber reamer and it's still in wildcat status so there's going to be some work on dies, brass etc. not to mention getting someone to make the barrel for you. Just sayin that it's not as straight-forward as ordering a long-time SAAMI speced cartridge that you commonly find barrel makers offer. I love trying out new cartridges--but find jumping on the better mousetrap bandwagon often is fraught with "teething" issues in the early introduction phase.;)
 
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jmr40

New member
Not a 25-06 fan, nor any 25 for that matter. I could shoot bullets 10-15 gr lighter from a 243 to the same speed and get similar trajectories. No animal will ever notice the difference.

To me the 25's are neither fish nor fowl. Too big for varmints, and while they can be used on big game there is a big jump in performance starting with the 26's.

The 280, however is one of the most versatile big game cartridges out there. Standard version or AI. I don't see any disadvantage to going AI especially if building from scratch. I doubt if I'd pay to have an existing rifle converted though.

And while the magnum 7's are faster, the 280 or even 7-08 will get the job done farther than I can shoot.
 
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taylorce1

New member
.25-284 reamer can be had from PT&G so it might not be as difficult as some other wildcats. CH4D has .25-284 dies listed while expensive compared to .25-06 dies not unaffordable by any means. Barrel wait times for a blank might be pretty long as .257 caliber barrels are not as hot of sellers as .224, 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, .308, and .338. However, since I doubt PT&G or CH4D have their products in stock, all the parts for the build might arrive at the same time. I've built a few wildcats (more popular ones), they are always a learning experience.

The reason I didn't choose the .280 AI is simply there are a lot of factory rifles offered in that cartridge (.257 calibers are dying commercially) . The OP would come out money ahead just buying a .280 AI in the configuration he wants. He could also probably pick up a used Colt Light Rifle in .30-06 or .270 and send it back to Melvin Forbes for a faux NULA in .280 AI (or Melvin's favorite .284 Win) for about half the price of a new NULA. I also know that probably got his attention, since I know how much he likes Melvin's work.
 
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stagpanther

New member
The reason I didn't choose the .280 AI is simply there are a lot of factory rifles offered in that cartridge (.257 calibers are dying commercially) . The OP would come out money ahead just buying a .280 AI in the configuration he wants. He could also probably pick up a used Colt Light Rifle in .30-06 or .270 and send it back to Melvin Forbes for a faux NULA in .280 AI (or Melvin's favorite .284 Win) for about half the price of a new NULA. I also know that probably got his attention, since I know how much he likes Melvin's work.
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Agreed, though commercial 280AI barrels generally are not optimized for the latest high BC .284 bullets--which is why I ordered mine to be custom made with a faster twist.
 
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taylorce1

New member
stagpanther said:
Agreed, though commercial 280AI barrels generally are not optimized for the latest high BC .284 bullets
Click to expand...

I can agree as well on commercial barrel twists. However, the magazines and bolt stops on commercial Mauser actions are not optimized for COAL needed using the latest high BC .284 bullets. All of this can be fixed, it only takes money or ability to DIY.

So using a fast twist barrel and .284 Win parent case would probably be the cheapest and easiest way around modifying a commercial Mauser action.
 
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std7mag

New member
I'm not doing a wildcat with this build. Just a simple rebarrel & clean up the stock a little.

Will probably be a Douglas barrel. Either cartridge would be a 24" sporter.

Yes, i did like my Forbes ALOT!
Was bought for the sole purpose of a western hunt. But it didn't look like that was ever going to happen, so i sold it.
Now i have a hunting partner that wants to go west for mule deer.
And then the Mrs. drops the bomb of "if you want to hunt out west, then do it".
EGADS!!!
 
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stagpanther

New member
Of your two selections, I can't see going wrong with either of them--which is another way of saying--do both. You could always try giving one to the missus.;)
 
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hooligan1

New member
Im a big fan of 7mm bullet selection, not so much on .25 cal bullets.
With that being said, if I was building an "Out West" rifle Id consider the .280ai as the pick between it and 25-06. The rub comes down to weight, and so Id choose the Douglas XX airguaged, #2 Sporter contour, and Id probably end up with a 22" barrel to cut some weight because Mauser actions are not light, having built 10 maybe myself, 8 lbs is the lightest I have gotten any down too, thats unloaded by the way.
Call Stewart at Douglas barrels and see what he can do for you.
 
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Paul B.

New member
As the OP already has three rifles each in .25 caliber and 7MM, possibly something in a larger bore might be more in order. As it is already a 30-06. a simple rebore to .338 or .35 caliber would work out quite nicely. Personally, my choice would be a .35 Whelen but that's because the last few years I've hunted to the exclusion of anything else. A properly loaded 225 gr. bullet will more than do the job to 350 yards. Of my seven elk hunts, only one was at 530 yard measured with a laser. I use a .300 Win. Mag. on that hunt as I knew the area and shots would most likely be "way out yonder". Elk down and out. One at 100 yards with a 30-06 and the rest with the ,35 Whelen. Shot ranges from about 75 yards to a lasered 350 yards. All shots were one shot stop and DRT.
Just something you might give consideration to.
Paul B.
 
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