If you are as ignorant on the subject as you proffer, I will be very blunt. Until you become much more knowlegable about firearms, my advice is to stay out of the woods.
It’s hard to beat the flat trajectory of the 7mm Rem magnum.
Wow, 200-400 yards?
That’s really looooong range. 97+% of all game is shot at UNDER 100 yards—sometimes WELL under.
My longest shot here in the wooded East was about 100—using a .54 flintlock and iron sights.
To be good at your max range of 400 yards or so you will need one of the magnums, and they are NOT for the beginner.
I love my Marlin 30-30 and at 200 yard or less it’s very effective for white tail deer, small to medium sized mule deer, and black bear; but even at 200 yards a trophy sized deer or bear could walk away from anything less than a perfect hit. If you want a gun for bushwacking, go with the Marlin 30-30. If you are shooting 200 - 400 yards or more, across ravines, up hill, or in higher elevations, think .308 or 30-06.
There will be many opinions about the caliber you should pick. 223 is too small for what you are asking. I prefer 7mm Mag. That said I think it is more important to find a gun that fits YOU.
I would not own a Remington on a bet.
I use Sakos for my personal guns.
Browning A Bolt is a fine weapon. Ruger has made very good rifles for years.
I go along with just about all posted here.
For your purposes... I’d recommend:
- a cheaper 30-06 gun so you have more money for a good scope and lots of ammo.
- Shoot 3 or 4 brands of ammo to see which is most accurate in your gun. Shoot 3 or 4 three-shot groups out to 100 yards using a steady set-up.
- Buy a lot of the most accurate ammo and zero your scope to be 1.5 inches high at 100 yards so have a “zero” hold out to 300 yards. (Read up on this technique; forget 400 yard shots until you really know your gun.)
- Shoot at least 100 rounds over several days/weeks, using various shooting positions and supports.
Ready to hunt!
1. My preference for your needs would be what I shoot now, .45-70 Harrington and Richardson Buffalo Classic. More fun than a body should be allowed to have. Get a PAST Magnum shoulder pad for the heavy loads.
2. Deer - 250 grain
bear - 400-600 grain
rabbits - 144 grain round ball, 6 grains of Unique
bird and squirrel- load the cartidge as a shotgun shell (replace the shot cup with a simple wad), it works well and was issued to troops for food gathering thoughout the service life of the round.
Plinking - 144 grn roundball 6 grains unique
Shooting in your basement or garage during the winter - 144 grn roundball, .5 grn Unique. About as loud as a pellet gun.
There also some guys who are casting .45-70 bullets using hot glue guns and Gluettes adhesive. The bullets are shot indoors and are reusable. Not sure of the load or if it is just the primer.
Endless entertainment, a lifetime of fun.
Learn to reload. It is fun, cheap and you can shoot about 10 times the number of rounds for the money. Lee Precision equipment is good and cheap, they outsell the rest of industry every year.
Learn to shoot well with steel sites before you go after bear. I use Williams FP target sites but there are others.
Go simple
There is probably very few animals in North America that cannot be taken with a 30-06.
Ammunition is plentiful and in enough bullet weights and loadings that is is easily adaptable to most conditions and game.
Go with a decent quality scope, midrange cost. There are plenty out there. The high end is not going to make enough of a difference to the average shooter to justify the extra cost. A decent 3-9 variable with around a 40mm objective is just fine.
458 Winchester Magnum. Good enough to bring down elephants. If you shoot long range, aim it like a M79 grenade launcher. It arches like a rainbow.
You don’t say what type of bear you will be hunting. If it is brown bear a .30-06 is not be sufficient.
Bear guns:
.45-70
.458 Lotte
.458 Winchester
.460 Weatherby?
If you are going to go after dangerous game you should not rely on small rounds that are to be shot with precision as you may not be able to get the precision that is required to drop them. Go with a round that will disable the bear with nearly any hit and anything close to the chest will drop him.
A friend of mine went to Alaska for about a month after bear. When he returned he found out that 5 hunters had been killed by bears. They will kill you and the attack is about 1 second long.
A .30 calibre is not sufficient and most bear guides will not sign on with you unless you are carrying something bigger.
The .45-70 has been used for nearly a hundred years on Elephant. One shot.
It was also used by whalers and eskimos to kill whales. It is definitely adequate to the task.