Buying a New rifle

[MudRunner2005]

I guess the same thing could be said about the 7mm's Poke...Poke

Exactly right... The 7mm is just as good as bigger calibers, when put in the right hands.

 

[600BP]

If I were you I would look for something in a mid range, standard caliber, as had been said earlier. And practice a lot. But remember practice comes at a cost depending on what caliber you are shooting.

Just consider this; once you get proficient with longer shots on targets, with whatever caliber you choose, you will more than likely be willing to stretch the legs on game as well. By this time, you will have probably shot out your barrel. When that time comes, you can always re-barrel and re-chamber to something more suitable ("bigger/better') to your newly acquired skill and comfort level. Or.......what engineer40 said

Regards,
Erik

 

[xBigWolfx]

Thank you everyone for all the feedback its been very helpful. Been busy with work just having time to read it all.

 

[WildRose]

Thank you everyone for all the feedback its been very helpful. Been busy with work just having time to read it all.

Wolf you've probably gotten more information than you can use and will require a lot of sorting out but I'm going to add to the pile.

To become proficient beyond 300yds takes some real dedication, lots of time and lots of practice that comes at a cost.

That being the case you might want to consider a 7mm Rem or .300wm for your hunting rig and something smaller, with less recoil, and cheaper to shoot for practice/plinking.

Sticking with similar platforms for both rifles will help you develop the muscle memory and to be comfortable behind the rifle in all situations.

You could for example pick up two sendero's one in .223 rem and the other in a magnum or one in .308 and one in the magnum.

If you're shooting high volume it's hard to beat the cost of .223.

It all depends on your budget and what you personally prefer.

If I could only own two rifles I'd probably have either a .204Ruger or .220 Swift for varmints and plinking and a .300wm for everything else.

Thankfully I'll never be in such a situation as to only have two!

 

[jrock]

When you mention wanting to hunt stuff bigger than deer at non-long range, IMHO this puts you at 7mm minimum, 30cal ideal. People can argue, it's opinions and preferences, there are not facts here.

Given that your long range objectives are targets and not game, I recommend you not punish yourself with the magnums in these calibers unless you brake them. My LR hunting rig is a 300WM but the round count is pretty low per year. It is just so much more fun to shoot my 243AI. But I'm not going to hunt elk with that.

All points considered the .30-06 is a solid recommendation.

.

1+

 

[engineer40]

Thank you everyone for all the feedback its been very helpful. Been busy with work just having time to read it all.

So have you made a decision? Just curious...

 

[graywolf]

6.5 vs .30cal:
Now, for the OP especially: decide how much energy you need at the target, how much recoil you can take repeatedly, and how much money you can spend on ammo, then choose accordingly. But above all, you must like shooting your final choice, or you won't do it enough to be proficient with it.

You have heard the range of opinions, from .243 to .300WM, and the above quote is exactly right.