Need some help please

[Lenny Foffa]

Hi and Welcome, My suggestion is do not expect ONE rifle will be the fast handling deer rifle as well as the rock steady magnum for elk or bear, and a great target rifle all rolled in to one Gun. There is a reason golfers have all those clubs in their bag , instead of just ONE. As a kid I worked in a gun shop for many years, I always liked to ask the new shooter "What will you be doing mostly with the Rifle? " Yes ,everyone dreams of Western Elk and High Mountain sheep hunting, and the big Brown Bears of Alaska, but speaking for my self , I just go to the range two or three times every week ,to get ready for two whitetail deer hunts. or to get ready for target competition. My suggestion is for you to consider , that eventually you will have three rifles , maybe even four rifles. If deer is what you family and friends do Mostly, then focus on that one for now. Get yourself a quality bolt action rifle, chambered a 270; or 280 ; or 30-06 ( or 6.5 Something -Something ) and buy the best scope you can afford, and Shoot it a lot , a real lot , until you really get to know and understand that Rifle. You will learn what loads it likes and which is does not. You will become skilled with that rifle, and you will count the days till deer season arrives. Then one day , when you buddies say , lets go for elk in Montana, you will then consider your Magnum Elk Rifle with the long range capabilities. There are so many great rifles and dozens of excellent calibers to choose from. And remember , you can never go wrong with a 30-06 for hunting . My personal choices are my Weatherby Ultralight rifle in 270 Win. 24 inch Bbl ,for 95 percent of all my Whitetail Deer Hunting!!!! A Weatherby Mark V in 270 Weatherby Mag, 26 inch Bbl, for deer and other medium sized game in regions' where the shots can be 400 yards or more!! A Short barreled 30 -06 for NY state and Maine hunting where you may never get shot over 50 yards , and a Mark V Weatherby in 300 Weatherby Mag , for Elk, or Moose at extended ranges. Other rifles just for fun at the range or Bench rest shooting. Best of luck to you .

 

[RidgeTop]

@RidgeTop Is it me or is your post about a mile long?

my attempt to post earlier was my computer or something going bonkers seems o.k. now.

 

[coyotemaster]

Those gentlemen who are urging you to read, read, read are doing you an immense favor. You come off as an educated man and most advice given I would condone but I've been shooting a rifle for 50 years and my needs, their needs and your needs differ.

With your budget, and realize you will need a.scope which will cost minimum $300 ( Vortex Midway 4X16 Viper), you now have $900. Figure rings and.base and your closer to $800.

The fellow who recommended. the Savage is.considering your present and future.needs. A .308 would not.be a bad choice by any means and with a barrel nut set up that Savage has you can move on to more exotic choices in the future with the added benefit of a lapped.stainless barrel.

 

[Bill Peet]

The 7MM mag would be a good choice. There are alot of differant bullets for hunting and
most have high BC which make it good for long range shooting . The kick is less than a 300
mag . Others on here have more knowledge about long range shooting this is just my
2 cents.

 

[Web1350]

I'm extremely new to hunting with rifles, in fact I've never hunted with a rifle before. I hunt with a bow and shotgun depending on the season. I'm getting into rifles now as I have the time and a little extra money to do it.

I'm looking for a rifle for deer, black bear and elk (if possible), but also capable of shooting for fun at f-class competitions up to 1,000 yards.

I've been looking at the Tikka CTR in 308 but it only comes with a 20" barrel which supposedly only losses about 100fps vs a 24" barrel. Not sure about accuracy and bullet stability though.

I would like to stay around $1,200 for the rifle because glass, bipod and a new stock add up quick. I have been searching the internet and am overloaded with info. Everyone has a different opinion of what is best, for long range shooting 6.5 creedmore is loved these days, but hunting elk with it is not looked favorably upon. While the 308 is an older cartridge and not as good for long distance but for hunting is still a very popular cartridge.

I'm leaning towards a 308 as it has proven capable for long distance shooting and is a very common hunting cartridge. But is a 20" barrel long enough for a 308? There seems to be less long distance rifles made in 308 these days, I can only assume because of the popularity of the 6.5 creedmore, but why are the 308's coming out with 20" long barrels, while the 6.5 creedmore have 24" barrels?

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

There are many choices and the .308 is not a bad one. Personally, from what you're saying, I'd go with a 7mm Rem mag shooting 160 grain Nosler Partitions for hunting and cheaper ammo for plinking. They're accurate, effective, and recoil won't beat you up.

 

[cajun]

I would buy a hunting rig. You can get there for $1200. If you want to shoot at distance find a range or spot where you can. Forget about showing up at an f class match for now. Maybe find a local club that has club matches for hunting rifle class. A 20" 308 is not made for distance shooting. Savage makes some accurate off the shelf rifles.

 

[Dskiper]

So many calibers to choose from these days! if you are a one rifleman for know I would choose a .30cal. rifle . you will find a greater selection of bullet weights at hand to chose from. a 300 mag. will allow you to hunt deer,antelope, bears,elk&moose size game.and as far as you can accuratly shoot! in reduced velocity loadings you can shoot more rounds for practice or confort in recoil. so many bullet styles which can cover all your game choices. no matter what caliber you shoot you must shoot alot to have accuracy at greater ranges that you mention.my choice in .300 mag is the .300 weatherby w/bullets in 150,165.180&200gr.nosler bullets!! these will cover game choices mentioned. Dskiper

 

[loghome]

I have a Ruger m77 in 300 win mag with a muzzle brake. I'd put that up against some of the best ones. And with the break you won't mind the recoil.

 

[jimb100]

I'm extremely new to hunting with rifles, in fact I've never hunted with a rifle before. I hunt with a bow and shotgun depending on the season. I'm getting into rifles now as I have the time and a little extra money to do it.

I'm looking for a rifle for deer, black bear and elk (if possible), but also capable of shooting for fun at f-class competitions up to 1,000 yards.

I've been looking at the Tikka CTR in 308 but it only comes with a 20" barrel which supposedly only losses about 100fps vs a 24" barrel. Not sure about accuracy and bullet stability though.

I would like to stay around $1,200 for the rifle because glass, bipod and a new stock add up quick. I have been searching the internet and am overloaded with info. Everyone has a different opinion of what is best, for long range shooting 6.5 creedmore is loved these days, but hunting elk with it is not looked favorably upon. While the 308 is an older cartridge and not as good for long distance but for hunting is still a very popular cartridge.

I'm leaning towards a 308 as it has proven capable for long distance shooting and is a very common hunting cartridge. But is a 20" barrel long enough for a 308? There seems to be less long distance rifles made in 308 these days, I can only assume because of the popularity of the 6.5 creedmore, but why are the 308's coming out with 20" long barrels, while the 6.5 creedmore have 24" barrels?

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

30-06 or a 300 Weatherby or 300 win mag!

 

[Firemandivi]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I have been reading and reading and its really a sense of overload with all the information out there. I just want to point out, its only black bears, i want to hunt not brown. Also the $1200 is just for the rifle, I have about $3,000 saved up for everything, glass, bipod, new stock and some ammo if there is any left over. The third thing is I just want to shoot long distance, i dont have to compete i just want a rifle that will get me out there. With all I'm looking for it would take at least 2 rifles, one dedicated soley for distance and one for hunting. But i dont have the budget for that right now. I will keep reading and learning what i can before i drop money on a rifle. Thanks again for the adivce and your opinions.

 

[Old Rooster]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I have been reading and reading and its really a sense of overload with all the information out there. I just want to point out, its only black bears, i want to hunt not brown. Also the $1200 is just for the rifle, I have about $3,000 saved up for everything, glass, bipod, new stock and some ammo if there is any left over. The third thing is I just want to shoot long distance, i dont have to compete i just want a rifle that will get me out there. With all I'm looking for it would take at least 2 rifles, one dedicated soley for distance and one for hunting. But i dont have the budget for that right now. I will keep reading and learning what i can before i drop money on a rifle. Thanks again for the adivce and your opinions.

One more thing before I go.
Guns are like potato chips,you can't have just one!

 

[Firemandivi]

One more thing before I go.
Guns are like potato chips,you can't have just one!

Believe me I know. I have a 12 gauage pump, got a used bt99 and need a nice over/under for skeet and sporting clays. Also want a few nore pistols, really need a .22 for trapping. You can't have just one.

 

[BruceSims]

I have shot most of the calibers mentioned in this post and I think 2 rifles might suit you better than one. Reason being is aa 308 is a great cartridge but if you plan on hunting Elk at a possible long range a 308 doesn't have much energy at a distance. Many Elk have been killed with a 308 I'm sure but I would rather have more punch for a clean kill, 300 WM is a great round for larger game. Just my opinion.

 

[Sid Post]

TL-DR; all of it so ...

For people saying you can or can't shoot 1,000 yards with something less than a boutique Magnum or some other similar wildcat, just look to Europe where competition shooters are using so-called obsolete calibers like the 6.5x55 (aka 6.5 Swede) or the 308 Winchester (7.62x51). The 6.5x55 is a leading round for most 600m competitions on that side of the Atlantic and has been known to be used on the PRS as well. Are there better rounds, well better depends on what you look at and for but, generally the answer is yes but often the differences are relatively small.

I would say the 6mm Remington is better than the 243 Winchester. There is also the new darling, 6mm Creedmoor. If I miss or don't kill my deer, hog, etc., IT IS ME not the cartridge.

One rifle for everything from deer hunting to F-class 1000 yard competitions will mean a lot of compromises. Based on your original post, I tend to think picking the best hunting round first is most important. Then tweak it to shoot long-range as best you can which generally means getting a fast twist barrel for specialty solids and heavies.

Next, your budget will go MUCH FARTHER IF you buy a gently used rifle off the classifieds from here or a similar site like SnipersHide.com

If you put the bullets in the right spot and pick your shots carefully, you can HUMANELY take game animals with lesser cartridges. A bad shot with a larger more powerful cartridge will just destroy more edible meat. It will also take longer to come up to a good proficiency level.

I have a 300 Win Mag but, prefer the 7mm Remington for hunting big game in the USA. However, today I would build a 280 Remington (30-06 based 7mm). For Deer sized game, my 257 Weatherby is a hammer and half and should work well on Pronghorn and Moutain Goats, however, I would be fine shooting my 6.5x55 f that's what I have ammo for.

I'm looking for a rifle for deer, black bear and elk (if possible), but also capable of shooting for fun at f-class competitions up to 1,000 yards.

Deer, Black Bear, and Elk have all been taken with 6.5x55 and similar and larger calibers. On the LRH forum, people are focused on humanely taking game at extreme ranges so, that biases the general responses SIGNIFICANTLY IMHO. You take game with a bow and shotgun so, picking a shot at more modest ranges should be a reasonable expectation. With that, I would look at something like a 280 Remington that supports heavies with its barrel twist rate. This will reach the vitals of Elk and Black Bears to take them humanely. If someone suggests it won't anchor a deer, please get advice from someone else.

The 308W/7.62x51 gets a lot of 'talk' but, it is a little light for hunting at longer ranges. A higher sectional density round will retain more 'horsepower' at longer ranges and penetrate deeper. While the 308W is widely available in the retail stream, most of it is TOTALLY WRONG and INAPPROPRIATE for use in a hunting context so, I would suggest 30-06, 280 Rem, etc. in terms of factory hunting ammunition is not a significant handicap. In fact, something like my 6.5x55 "Swede" is hard to find at my local Walmart or hunting store but, I am also probably the only one in the county that will pay $40~$60 a box for a hunting load so, I could generally buy enough ammo for reasonable hunting adventures even in the depths of the ammunition shortage.

Please pardon the mini-novel length of this post!