I've fired a friend's Model 70 7mm and I have a Browning .270 for deer hunting but I'd like to get another rifle for this upgraded purpose. I'd appreciate FReeper comments on pros and cons of these rifles where my goals are concerned and your experiences with any of these firearms and other recommendations.
Thanks and Merry Christmas to you all!
I recommend the 300 Weatherby Magnum . This rifle is exacty what you want.
Taking shots at animals beyond 250 - 300 yards is not good sportsmanship.
You are not a sniper. You are not at “war” with wildlife.
600 yards is the outside limit for trained USMC “Dedicated Marksman” with some of the best most expensive & excellent equipment.
I have had met people over the years that bragged about their long shots taken; how many feet high and in front they had to lead the animal. Ridiculous.
Stalk within range or wait for a better opportunity. Or perhaps you just like to play sniper...
For elk and moose I’d recommend something with a bit more punch than .308, especially at those distances.
You may want to think about something like a .300 Weatherby or .300 Win Mag. The .308 certainly has 600 yard range and good accuracy but may be marginal for elk and moose, particularly at longer ranges. As always bullet placement is critical.
PS:
Long distance shooting is NOT hunting.
Not for shooting at large game at 600 yards, you're not. .338 Lapua is more in line with your requirements. Or a .416 Barrett.
You are about to get a million replies.
To meet everything you’ve said, I thin you would be just fine with the .30-06. Especially with the new Hornady factory loads that put it on par with the .300 mags without the additional recoil (longer pressure hold without greater peak pressure).
I would recommend against shooting beyond 600 yards. You have a duty to give the animal in question a clean kill. An error of a few inches is enough to wound, and give an animal a painful lingering death. Over 600 yards, wind can give you such an error.
If you intend to shoot beyond 300 yards, at game, you have to use a heavy bullet to reduce the effect of wind. the .50BMG or .510DTC a commercial equivalent, would give you the best chance, but be cautious about shooting such a round from a 10 lb rifle. You would absolutely need a blast compensator, robust shooting glasses, and double hearing protection.
Here we go. I love it when someone posts one of these “What kind of gun should I get?” vanities. Lots of fun—I learn so much. Let’s see if we can make it one of those 500 post threads!
.338 Win Mag or Lapua. One of the most accurate rifles I ever owned was a BAR I bought back in ‘71. My eyes were stronger then, but it was good on ground squirrels with iron sights out to about 150 yards.
On larger targets it was probably good to 600+.
The functionality that you describe is the .460 class rifle:
.457 through .460 and there are a lot of them.
The rounds are expensive (2.00 per round)to buy as factory loads but they are cheap to reload. I reload .45-70 for about .14 per round for a 405 grain bullet. If I plink with a round ball, they cost about 5 cents apiece. If you get a long barreled rifle, you can also shoot black powder and use it as a 48 gauge shotgun.
The most fun you can have with a rifle is the .45-70. Endlessly entertaining. And they will splash anything on the planet.
Ruger #1 might be just the ticket, or Pedersoli has some rolling block models that are quite beautiful. H&R of course has their Buffalo Classic in .45-70 which is very popular and a good large critter rifle as well as accurate at 1000 yards.
I hunt for deer, elk, moose and bear. A 1993 Browning A-bolt Medallion in 7mm RM is all I’ve ever used. It shot sub minute of angle right out of the box. 7mm has a great ballistic co-effient, shoots flat and will take the largest north american game easily. Using 165 grain nosler partition at 100yards, I once shot through a 6’6” black bear lengthwise.
I have never tried to shoot an animal in excess of 400 yards and would not recommend it unless you are a freakishly good shot.
I’ve seen what a .300WM will do. It is a killer for sure. It also destroys a lot of meat in the process.
For outright varmint shooting like prairie dogs out to 600yds (if you’re into that sort of thing) I have a .22-250 which is sighted in at 500yds. I use a 4,000fps round for it.
Might want to consider a 338 RUM, as well.
Before you buy check the game laws in the states you plan on hunting in.
They may require something with more power than a .308 for the larger game.
7mm.06 is highly recommended.
Consider a Savage 110 in .30-06. The round is cheap, the rifle accurate, yet inexpensive, and .30-06 will take down any North American game with the right bullet. There is also a wide range of components available for reloading including different bullet weights and compositions.