2 Gun Combo

[Neophyte]

This is more of a mental masturbation question but here goes.

I’ve used .223, 7-08, .35 Whelen, 30-06, 22-250, 25-06, .300WM, .243, 45-70 Govt, .338WM for various purposes over the last forty or so years.

My one and done for the lower 48 has become the .338WM. Wyoming Antelope, Coues Deer, to Moose and Black Bear. With that said I purchased a .375 Ruger because it was a left handed bolt and stainless steel. Only two of the above named cartridges were in a left handed bolt. I now refuse to own a right handed bolt rifle.

I’m considering a two gun battery but in all likelihood the second rifle would sit in the safe except for range time and training with a lighter recoiling rifle. So the question is; For a two gun battery for worldwide hunting what would you think of the 6.5 Creedmoor and .375 Ruger?

I’m shooting factory ammo these days but the other cartridges were handloads. I no longer have the desire or time to work up loads. Factory ammunition is easy for me to find in these two cartridges although very limited for the .375 Ruger. Only Hornady seems to be supporting this cartridge on a consistent basis. If I can’t get the Hornady factory ammo to shoot well I’ll take up reloading again but only for that cartridge.

So what are your thoughts on a two gun battery consisting of a 6.5 Creedmoor and a .375 Ruger with the understanding that the .375 Ruger will likely see 90% of the hunting time unless I’m calling coyotes?

 

[BeeMaa]

As much as I dislike the 6.5CM, it’s not a bad call. Good up to medium sized game at reasonable distances with proper bullets. There has been a raging debate of the 375RUGER vs 375H&H, but I believe the Ruger cartridge is here to stay. Plus it’s still good for DG in all countries.

If it were me, the two I’d prefer are 300WM and 375H&H for the simple reason of ammo availability. Maybe sub in the 30-06 for the WM, but that’s about it.

Obviously it’s your call and being LH makes it a little more complicated but I believe you are on the right track. Best of luck with it.

 

[WAB]

I’m a traditionalist, I’d go 7x57 and .375 H&H or 9.3x62.

 

[Flipper Dude]

30-06 and 375 H&H.

Done.

Welcome

 

[KCSafari]

Your 25-06 along with the 375 Ruger is a great match and covers a lot of different situations. Although, the 30-06 has never really been overthrown as an all purpose caliber for plains game.

 

[Neophyte]

Your 25-06 along with the 375 Ruger is a great match and covers a lot of different situations. Although, the 30-06 has never really been overthrown as an all purpose caliber for plains game.

I no longer have the 25-06 as I lost it in the bankruptcy years ago.
I currently have the following: .223/5.56, 45-70 Government, .338WM, .375 Ruger, 6.5 Grendel, and 6.5 Creedmoor.
The 25-06 was a right handed rifle and I’m a lefty. I refuse to own any right handed rifles and prefer a CRF action in my hunting rifles. That does limit some of my options.

 

[RR 314]

I have never owned a Creedmoor, but given what you have stated about factory ammo availability and you are going to utilize the .375 Ruger for most of your hunting, other than coyotes, it makes perfect practical sense. I disdain practicality. . Kidding, but it sounds like a reasonable choice.

 

[Red Leg]

I love a 6.5 though I haven't much use for the Creedmore because it essentially replicates what a 65x57 and 6.5x55 or any number of .257's have been doing (often better) for a century. As much as I like them as deer rifles, I would not choose any of those as my worldwide alternative to a .375. Were I to handicap myself with a two rifle selection (that isn't even a battery - it's a pair for God's sake), and one was a .375 (excellent choice), then the other would be a .300 of some persuasion. I know it is the flavor of the month lately, but I would much prefer a .270 to the Creedmore as my light/medium general purpose rifle.

And only coyotes? A .375 will be an interesting choice at deer camp or on the side of a mountain glassing an Ibex. It will certainly give you and your guide something to discuss.

 

[khesser]

I’d look at the 6.5 PRC over the 6.5 Creedmoor for that extra speed. If I were to pick just two I’d consider a 7mm cartridge to pair with the .375.

 

[Beck]

6.5 Creedmoor? Why not, if all else fails you can just beat the animal to death with your purse.

 

[Beck]

6.5 Creedmoor? Why not, if all else fails you can just beat the animal to death with your purse.

Sorry, did I just say that out loud?

 

[Flipper Dude]

You did

It needed to be said.

 

[khesser]

The 25-06 was a right handed rifle and I’m a lefty. I refuse to own any right handed rifles and prefer a CRF action in my hunting rifles. That does limit some of my options.

Something to consider would be having a custom rifle built on a left hand CRF action. This would not limit yourself to what is available on the shelf. Added benefit would be with an action wrench and a barrel vise you could swap out barrels. Rifle in my profile picture I have two different barrels I swap out depending on what I’m hunting. It also uses a custom CRF action and was built by Long Rifles Inc.

 

[Neophyte]

I love a 6.5 though I haven't much use for the Creedmore because it essentially replicates what a 65x57 and 6.5x55 or any number of .257's have been doing (often better) for a century. As much as I like them as deer rifles, I would not choose any of those as my worldwide alternative to a .375. Were I to handicap myself with a two rifle selection (that isn't even a battery - it's a pair for God's sake), and one was a .375 (excellent choice), then the other would be a .300 of some persuasion. I know it is the flavor of the month lately, but I would much prefer a .270 to the Creedmore as my light/medium general purpose rifle.

And only coyotes? A .375 will be an interesting choice at deer camp or on the side of a mountain glassing an Ibex. It will certainly give you and your guide something to discuss.

Yeah.

The chances of me hunting Ibex is slim to none.
I know the .338WM works great on Coues Deer and Wyoming Antelope. It’s what I would probably use on Ibex as I do have a .338 Win Mag too. I am however thinking of converting it to a .416 Taylor.

I’m limited, most likely, to Deer, Antelope, Elk, Black and Brown Bear, Moose, African Plains Game, Cape Buffalo and Mountain Lion. The Mountain Lion is pistol or lever action rifle with dogs and mules.

I’d rather be over gunned than be found wanting as I have been under gunned before against animals and I don’t like it. I think the 45-70 is a great coyote and stray dog round by the way.

I’m also conscious of what round I’m shooting. For example I used a .308 Winchester, a cartridge I forgot to put on my list btw, with a short barrel and a mono metal bullet on a Coues Deer and learned the hard way about needing to drive the mono metal bullet fast to get expansion as I lost that deer. He died and another hunter found him two years later and kept the skull. I looked for him for two days but never found him.

I would have probably been better to put that bullet in the shoulder but ideally I should have had a different bullet as my velocity was about 1400 fps at the distance I shot him at. Perfect heart lung shot behind the shoulder and my buddy said he’d never seen a deer cough up so much blood. The problem was when we went to get him he jumped up and took off never to be seen again and no blood trail after he coughed everything up.

I learned some valuable lessons from that experience. I feel bad that the deer had to perhaps suffer needlessly and it made me conscious of what I was shooting and bullet performance. Hunting Antelope with a 25-06 and an 87 Grain varmint bullet taught me a lot too. Took four does but did make one bad shot that involved a long tracking job and a second shot.

I also forgot to add my experience with the .35 Whelen. Works great on moose but that cartridge is no longer in my stable either. I’d love to try a 45-70 with lead bullets on a northern Whitetail inside 100 Yards. I try to be conscious of my cartridge and bullet performance and have passed on shots after some hard lessons.

Not trying to argue. I don’t have anyone to talk to so this is like a conversation for me. The so called “perfect” girlfriend wasn’t so perfect and we split the blanket.

 

[dchamp]

If you are only going to use factory ammo then I can understand you choosing 6.5 CM for coyotes and some other small to medium game. I think the .375 Ruger is a very good caliber but ammo variaty and availability seems to be quite limited.

Now I am a guy who prefers 8mm’s over .30 cal's but if I let practicality in the equation for a two gun only scenario it would probably be a .375H&H and either a 30-06 or .300WM.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

30-06 and 375 H&H.

Done.

Welcome

I agree. If you're playing with yourself why not think Bridget Bardot instead of Stormy Daniels? Be classy and shoot classic. I can't believe I'm saying this. The virus is taking hold. Next thing you know I'll be buying a $1K fedora and gaiters.

 

[Neophyte]

I agree. If you're playing with yourself why not think Bridget Bardot instead of Stormy Daniels? Be classy and shoot classic. I can't believe I'm saying this. The virus is taking hold. Next thing you know I'll be buying a $1K fedora and gaiters.

Because I like my women a little on the trashy side.

I’ve only seen one .375 H&H with controlled round feed and a left handed bolt. That was here just yesterday. That’s why I went with the .375 Ruger. That and ammo availability as I no longer have my reloading gear. Got rid of all that long before the bankruptcy.

My 30-06 is long gone and while I looked for a left hand CRF version I couldn’t find one in stainless with a 3 position safety. Also factory ammo is just starting to appear locally.

 

[jbirdwell]

If I was going 2 guns I think I would have a 375 that I could load down to cover more of North America and then a 22 hornet that if I needed to I could load cast bullets down to a Rimfire level

 

[tydaws]

Many times I've pondered the fact that I believe I could do every bit of the hunting that I could ever imagine with a 5 gun total battery. Doing such would sure give a lot of opportunity to go quality over quantity also. If I was to take this step, I believe I'd go this route:

Custom Bolt Action 223 - Varmint/Predator Work
Custom Bolt Action 7mm SAW or 7mm-08 - Anything in NA, except big bears & most African PG
Custom Bolt Action 375 Ruger - NA Big Bears & Africa
Over Under 28ga - Upland & Dove
Auto 20ga - Waterfowl

I'm probably unlikely to take this step anytime soon. However, as my son grows older, I very well may begin giving him the majority of the firearms that I currently own & land in this position.

 

[Flipper Dude]

My granddaddy’s battery:

Deer and hogs. 1897 Winchester 12 gauge
Squirrels and rabbits. 1897 Winchester 12 gauge
Ducks and dove. 1897 Winchester 12 gauge
Home protection. 1897 Winchester 12 gauge

It was a simpler time.