WB
The .257 Raptor is a classic. I have a .240 Raptor
Friday, December 06, 2019, 08:08

and I've played with 6.5 and 7mm TCU in the past on the .223. Gary has a pretty complete line on .30-30 based rounds. The brass is everywhere, is sturdy, has a truly ample rim for the single shot. I'd seriously recommend you take a look at them. They do have more power and are about perfectly matched in capacity to what you can burn in a handgun effectively.

I have a .256 Raptor that mimics the .257 Roberts carbine. Ditto my all time favorite the 7mm GNR, it is a perfect handgun version of a 7x57. My son has a built G2 in .30 GNR that he thinks is the bomb, I can't argue. He shoots factory .30-30 from Wal-mart forming brass, then he can easily get .300 Savage performance from any .30 cal. bullet he wants. The gun has Pachmayr furniture with sling and swivels, a Burris 2-7X EER scope in Leupold DDT rings rounds out the package. His has an un-ported 13" barrel. He took a Ram at HHC first time out with no drama and it cemented his confidence. That is worth a lot!

Lots of choices and you can get caught up in it. That's the fun part. Later on practicality comes to play. Availability of components, possibility to shoot factory ammo, can really influence enjoyment and determine it the barrel is a keeper. Have fun figuring it all out.