what round would you recomend?

JasoninNY

JasoninNY

New member
i have been throwing around the idea of getting another bolt. i dont have anything currently except for an old 8mm mauser from WW2. and thats not in shooting condition right now. needs a new barrel and bolt. ive got an AR that covers all small and some medium game.
im looking for something that i ll be able to hunt with, from woodchucks, to elk if wanted. i also want to be able to shoot out to 500 yrds accurately and still ahve the round have enough knock down power to make quick clean shots. i ll put it where it needs to i just need it to do its part.
i currently live in NY but have been throwin around the idea of moving out west. get my small business started and move out towards colorado, or the dakotas or soemthing. that why i want something that will reach out effectivly and have BIG game covered. ie. elk, bear.

im thinkin 7mm mag, 300 win mag, 300 ultra mag??? i do have some good rounds for 308 but not sure about elk or bear at longer ranges. i plan on reloading for whatever round i use. i plan on buying this rifle new as a permanent addition to my lineup. id like to keep the rifle to 500-600$$ range. scope im thinkin a tasco 10x super sniper with some GG&G heavy rings and base. what do you guys think? id like to stay at least with a 7mm or bigger projectile.

thanks in advance for any advice.
 
WOW not askin for much there /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif, woodchucks to elk out to 500 yards. I put alot of trigger time in with a 308 at long range. But only on paper and steel. Prefer to shoot animals up close with a bow but...... Any caliber you mentioned, 308 included, will get the job done provided you put the bullet where it counts. The heavy 30 mags and 338's wont do you much good if you cant spend enough time behind them to get good with them ( I cant spend much time behind em, me no like the recoil /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif) As for a scope the ss is a good scope but for what you want I would think a 3-9 will do fine. Not much difference from 9x to 10x. and you might be glad to crank it down when some critter shows up at 40 yards instead of 400. The 300$ or 400$ for the SS ( depends if you want rear or side focus) will put you into a loopy vx2 3-9x or 4-12x. Just my opinion,Good luck with your endeavor.
 
If you want to reload go with a 338-06, wont kick that bad, and you can find a new weatherby ultra light in that caliber for not much more than what you want to spend, since they are no longer making the round, and its one of the best looking guns around with the fluted barrel. A Browning a bolt in 300 win mag is around 600, and would be a good gun with the adjustable trigger. 7 mag will do it all but you have a few more bullet choices in 30 cal.
 
thanks for the input guys. i was thinkin along the lines of 308 or 30-06. 300 win mag seams to be more a dedicated BIG game gun. i can load with 180 gr if im expecting anything bigger then deer. im also thinkin of it as a backpack gun. i like to go hiking in the woods alot. dont want to come across anything big without being able to defend myself.
the 500 yard thing is a rare to never shot id take. id rather wait and get within 200-300yrds if possible.
i hear ya on the scope thing. i was thinkin a Leupy too possibly.

again thanks for the input, anyone else??
 
.280 Remington. Less recoil and expense than a magnum, more power capacity/velocity than the .308, and you can use the Barnes X-Bullet or Nosler Partition in 160 grain and get all the penetration you need on elk with decent long-range (say 350-400 yards?) performance. You probably would not want to take a 500 yard shot at big game with anything, but for varmints you can use the 120's way out there.
 
JasoninNY,
I would have to recommend the .308 for your uses. I've loaded some 110gr. bullets for varmints and 165gr. Match King, Ballistic Tip or V-Max for large game with good successs. There are plenty of bullets to select from in the 30 caliber range and the .308 has ruled for years in the 1000 yard matches, so the range ability is there too. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

A 300 Win.Mag. will punish you pretty good, as the recoil is snappy and even more so with the .338 Win.Mag. Both calibers will have good killing power at the 500 yard mark, but is more than I'd want to sit behind for varmints. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Good luck with your choices!
Good hunting, Bowhunter57
 
Trying to get the drift here.........you want a consistent 500 yd. rifle, cheap Tasco scope, under $600.........wow.
How about going inexpensive .308 Win., decent scope, learn to make decent 250 yd. shots, shoot it back east until you actually move out west (I live out west and a .308 Win would work just fine for me)then decide if you need 'more gun'. When you actually live 'out west' you realize the guy who needs the magnum has already spent a ton of money to get here. He cannot afford to pass on shots we could pass on all day. I probably spend less than $200 on a good elk hunt..............
 
thanks for the input guys.

skb the rifle alone for around $600 not the whole package. i should have worded that better. im thinkin i ll go with a 308 for the reasons you and a few others have stated.
theres a 300 yrd range out here so i ll get good at that with a 308 and that should cover most scenerios.
as far as varmints, i wont use the rifle for them as much. my 20" AR has and will take care of them. im lookin for medium to big game capability at mid ranges. 300-400yrds at most. from the sounds of it 308 has that covered. also like was stated plenty of ammo options for it.
thanks a bunch for the input. it all helps.
 
Hate to say this but two rifles. One for varmits other big game. Nothing against the 308 but sure isn't a 500yd plus elk rifle. I know some guys who use the 308 for elk they mostly hunt the timber. I hunt some fairly open country so I like a 30 cal mag rifle. We have rockchucks here in Co plus we have alot of hikers in the back country so I like to use a 22 cal rifle and we have a limit on rockchucks think it's two a day and you have to pack them out. We have more PD shooting than rockchucks here so a varmit rifle or two is pretty standard. Well good luck.
 
7mm Mag. It can do all you want. Excellent accuracy for long range, does not kick as much as the big 30 cal mags, can be loaded down, plenty of power. I used one for 20 yrs all over including out West.
 
if you stick with the short action and want more than the 308 i recomend the 300 wsm or 270 wsm, the 7mm wsm is the least worthy of the group, my browning a bolt stainless would walk after 2 rounds through the barrel, along with the available factory stuff being crappy. but i love my 308 and it will do just fine.
 
Go with the '06, it's the caliber everything else is compared to, and it doesn't beat you up !! (308 works just as well, if you get just a shade closer).
Mark
 
I have a question. Is that gun you have a german K98 Mauser? If so you have the makings of a fine semi custom gun. If the barrel is functional you can have it rechambered to 8mm-06 and you have a do all gun. Restock it with an aftermarket piece of wood, drilled and tapped. Off to the races. It would be fun too. If it needs a new barrel then it will cost a little more but still a fun project.
 
First off, Yes 2 guns will be a start, especially out west (he,he,he)! Second, the 308 and the 30-06 are just almost equal with bullets up to about 150-165 grains. After that, the 30-06 walks away from the 308 with the heavies.
The 308 just does not have the room for the longer bullets, they have to be seated too deep and will not reach the same speed as from the "06".
The 30-06 will handle heavier bullets than the 7m/m. The 7 m/m will have a higher B/C with the same weight class of bullets. For example I get around 3000 fps with a 162gr. BTSP 7 m/m (B/C-0.514) Hornady bullet at Maximum charge. The Hornady Manual lists a 175gr. bullet as the biggest they make (other companies make a few bigger). The "06" will handle heavier bullets with almost the same velocities, just B/C are a little lower. Example: 165gr. BTSP 30 cal (B/C 0.435) Hornady bullet at 2900 fps for less powder and less recoil (My 7 m/m is the only rifle that gives me whip-lash, and I even shoot 300 Winchester and 338 Winchester in the same sporter weight rifles).

If you plan on making the move "west", the "06" is a great "1 GUN" rifle, as you can shoot everything from 110 -250 grain projectiles and can be down loaded easier than any of the "MAGNUM" cartridges. Ammo is usually cheaper, and easier to find than some of the magnums also.

This is not to knock the 7 m/m, but I (me personally) would rather have a 308 or 30-06 over the 7 m/m and then my 338 Win. for the long shot and heavier game such as elk, and shoots about as flat as a 300 Win. with heavier bullets. The same applies for all the WSM and WSSM's, strange cartridges not found everywhere and usually 1 less round in the box magazine, and usually do not take the longer heavy bullets too well because they have to be seated deep....JOHN

"SORRY ABOUT OFFENDING THOSE OF YOU THAT SHOOT AND LIKE THE 7 M/M REMINGTON, AND ALL THE ODD BALL SHORT AND SUPER SHORT MAGNUMS" Have fun, JOHN /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
Jason;

If you want to use that 98 action, a nice custom build out of that will run you as much, or more, than a new rifle, BUT, it will be a really nice custom and the Mauser action is about as good as it gets.

If it were me, and I was doing that, it'd be in .30-06. If it can't be done with an '06, well... there's danged little that can't be done with an '06. It is never a wrong choice.

As for your second rifle, and yes, you need one, go with a .223 in something like a Remington 700. Dead reliable, superbly accurate, and plenty for varmints.

Ammo for either/both is available everywhere, from cheap plinking fodder up to premium rounds for just about anything that walks.

Also, and here's a nice bonus on that pair; the trajectory curves of the .30-06 and .223, if you set-up the loads/bullet weights right, are very similar. Which allows you to scope them similarly, and practice with the .223 during the off-season, gaining confidence and field experience with that round and trajectory curve, that can then be translated almost directly over to the .30-06 for big game.

You have the AR, which is your .223; so you're set on that. Get, or have that 98 built up in, a .30-06, and you're set.

As for scopes... don't do the fixed 10 on the .30-06. A fixed 6x would be ideal; as would a high quality 2.5-8 or 3-9 variable.
 
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