Another vote for the '06. It's vanilla, yes. I'm sure it's all been laid out already from the posts I've seen. But here it goes again.
Very common ammunition, found the world over. From a one horse town hardware store in the middle of the prairies, Europe ( very popular there), the Stan's, and everywhere in between. Huge selection of projectile weight and types, off the shelf. Handloaded, it just gets better.
Ackley it if you wanna be super fly, and still run factory in a pinch. Off the shelf turrets available to fancy up that old Leupold. Chambered in most every action type and model appropriate to the length of cartridge.
And it's got a record. Several. It was a 1000 yard competition cartridge, fought countless wars and skirmishes, filled many pots with game meat. And many a fine head on the wall.
It's accounted for nearly if not every game species hunted in the last hundred hundred and some years at least a time or two, up to the biggest with the ivory teeth.
And it shoots well, doesn't beat the wheels off you when it goes off, in a properly fitted rifle.
Not super sexy, an eye roll ensues when you pull it out of the case, and someone asks, but it just works.
Mine's made in 1918, and still going strong. And now she has a sister, an 8 X 57 is (js).
Can't wait to take them out this fall....
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