All-around gun/caliber for Texas?

[TORCHRIDER]

OK, this is not necessarily a long range hunting rig question, but I wanted to ask it here as I think you guys have the smarts to help me out. And I know you all have opinions.

Here is my question:

I want to purchase or build a general purpose all-around hunting rifle for under $1k to use for:

- Hunting everything under the Sun in Texas. This means everything from
Whitetail deer to Mule deer to Pronghorns to Hogs to Black Buck to Coyotes to
Alligators.
- I want a gun that is light enough to walk with but not so light the recoil is severe.
- I want a round that has easily obtainable ammo.
- I want a round that is fairly flat shooting for max. shots out to 400 yards.
- I want a gun that I wont cry over after it gets its first ding.
- I want a gun that wont rust overnight if I throw it in the back seat or tent after a
hunt.

I am anxious to hear what you think. I am looking for recommendations on brand, model, caliber, barrel length and twist, construction, etc.

Thanks in advance.

 

[bogger01]

savage 16 bear hunter in 300wsm.its stainless,has a 23 inch barrel with an adjustable brake and a detachable magazine.it's light enough to carry but will be accurate enough to go to 400 yards no problem on any of the animals you listed.factory ammo is a little higher than some but if you decide to ever start reloading the sky's the limit.it also has an accutrigger which is a decent trigger.other calibers are available as well like the 300 win mag,338 win mag and 375 ruger compact magnum.plus the gun will be at a decent price point and is going to be fairly durable.also,in the future if you want to change anything like stock,barrel or whatever savages are very easy to work on for the do it yourselfers.hope this helpsgun)

 

[MontanaMarine]

For a turn-key rifle, I'd consider the Kimber Montana 308 Win.

 

[WildRose]

OK, this is not necessarily a long range hunting rig question, but I wanted to ask it here as I think you guys have the smarts to help me out. And I know you all have opinions.

Here is my question:

I want to purchase or build a general purpose all-around hunting rifle for under $1k to use for:

- Hunting everything under the Sun in Texas. This means everything from
Whitetail deer to Mule deer to Pronghorns to Hogs to Black Buck to Coyotes to
Alligators.
- I want a gun that is light enough to walk with but not so light the recoil is severe.
- I want a round that has easily obtainable ammo.
- I want a round that is fairly flat shooting for max. shots out to 400 yards.
- I want a gun that I wont cry over after it gets its first ding.
- I want a gun that wont rust overnight if I throw it in the back seat or tent after a
hunt.

I am anxious to hear what you think. I am looking for recommendations on brand, model, caliber, barrel length and twist, construction, etc.

Thanks in advance.

The 7mm STW is without a doubt my favorite for hunting Texas and I've been doing so for over 40 years.

The 7mm Rem and .264 wm are excellent calibers as well.

My preference is for the Winchester Controlled round action in a good composite stock of some sort be it B&C, HS Precision, McMillian, Precision Stock Works, or Manners.

For me since I"m not one to really give proper attention to guns when they are wet/dirty etc stainless actions and barrels are an absolute must.

You can have them bead blasted to take the shine off or have them Cerakoted in lots of colors and patterns.

My big question would be if you want to go with a factory made rifle or if you have the budget for a custom?

Are you going to shoot this rifle a whole lot or basically sight it in, work up a load and save it for hunting?

Personally I really like the Remington 700 CDL SF models along with the Winchester All Weather as far as factory rifles go if you are going to pack them all day.

If you aren't then something in a Sendero Weight works even better as heavier is steadier and steadier is more accurate all else being equal.

Whole lot of good options available.

 

[el matador]

Hard to beat a .270 Winchester for deer sized game out to 400 yards. It is very flat shooting and packs plenty of power for your purposes. Ammo is widely available, probably in the top 3 or 4 calibers in that category. Lots of rifles available in the 6.5-8 lb range that will work great and not break the bank.

Is your $1k budget for rifle only or rifle and scope?

I would recommend going to a gun shop and hefting a bunch of rifles to see which one fits best. Quite often one will stick out to you, at which point you can look for that gun in the caliber you choose. A Remington 700 Mountain SS or XCR would be one good option, or maybe a Browning X-Bolt. Most guns chambered for .270 will have 22 or 24 inch 10-twist barrels which is what you'd want for that caliber.

 

[Unofficial Gun Addict (UGA)]

Ok... I have to mirror the gentleman above who recommended the 308. It will put down anything in the lower 48... Is easy to find a variety of factory bullets for...anywhere, pretty much every manufacturer produces a 308 in their line-up in almost every configuration, it's very accurate, has great barrel life, is low on recoil, is a short action so bolt throw is fast, and if you decide to reload ever, brass is plentiful and the bullets you can use are countless. If you ever decide to shoot long distance, they have a some great bullets with amazingly high BCs which are lethal... The Bergers hybrid 215grs for example at .696. I could go on. I have the following calibers, 17hmr, 22lr, 223, 243, 7.62x39, 7mm IHMSA, 308, 30-06, & 300 win mag. Of those, if I had to choose only one... It would definitely be the 308... Much for the reasons stated above. I have four 308s and I can use them for anything from varmints to elk. Do I use other calibers... Heck yeah... Took out my 223 this weekend for yote hunting, but if I wanted a "do it all caliber", the 308 wins in my book, hands down.

There are other good calibers and choices, but it's going to be tough to meet all the above criteria with any other caliber.

Good luck choosing man! Wishing you the best and lots of success in the field.

Oh... And try to hold and even dry fire a tikka 308 before making a decision. Trust me on this one.... And if not a 308... at least a tikka.... They feel great in the hands and are terrific / accurate rifles for the money. Stainless is nicer than blued and easier to keep looking good

 

[tim_w]

I have been hunting most of Tx for the greater part of my life. Majority of that was in the beginning of the foothills just east of San Antonio(Shiner area)and south to the areas around Victoria where our family has a ranch. Honestly for those ranges and the game (toughest thing unless you are hitting exotic game ranches will be large boar usually not many are over 350 and most are under 300 which the area is saturated with you do not need anything super heavy hitting. The one that handled every thing and when ranges stretched out even well past your posted limits but at the same time had IMO tame recoil 7mm Remington Magnum. You can load it for distances out to 1K of for very flat fast for easy shooting at shorter ranges where you are darn near at point and shoot setups. Load up some 160 accubonds will take care of all of your stated needs with ease. If you want more range 168-180 bergers will take of you out to 1K. You can find ammo anywhere and usually with a good choice.

I have taken everything from deer wolves yotes and literally countless hogs with a 24" 7rm over the years. My largest hog taken on the ranch was 475lb and that was a shoulder shot somewhere in the 385y range 160 AB and was DRT (not a step) not the typcial neck shots most take with lower power stuff like the 5.56 or 300 whisper. The Barnes various TSX/TTSX also work very well. There is simply nothing large enough there to need any more gun than that unless you are stretching the distance way out past 1K.

To meet all your criteria: I would look at a Savage 111 24" 7RM. Throw a good sling and glass on it and you have what should be a accurate, fairly light, lower cost that will with ease take anything you will hunt at those ranges. If you beat it up you will not shed tears over lose of value. As far as recoil that is super subjective. I do not find a 300 winmag that bad other even a few shots rattle their teeth. But throw a decent brake on any of these and in this case you can take a 7 RM down to 243 recoil levels. Hell when actually hunting I never notice the recoil. I am too much into my tunnel. Paper/sighting or doing something like prairie dogs is where I notice it.

 

[Capt RB]

The weatherby vanguard stainless with the Bell and Carlson fiberglass stock over the tupperware stock in 270 win. Street price is under 800. The 270 win is not the best selection for long range but for 400 and in it truly is tough to beat. When you compare shootability, availibility, amount of recoil vs amount of punch. Powders that work well are less hard to find than certain calibers. Same for brass and over the counter ammo. Use 130gr bullets for general purpose. Mono metals, partitions interbonds, accubonds for hogs and 150s for long range. interbonds shoot well for me as does the 140 accubonds. You can get over 3000fps with 150's with rl17 and other powders. You can get even more speed with moly or danzac coated bullets. which with .525 bc bullets get you some decent wind bucking ability.
You can find better ballistics in a host of calibers both up and down however if 400yds is realistically max range and dangerous game not in the mix, get a 270. You will not be disappointed.

 

[HNDLDR]

All great suggestions so far. Let me add another. The TC Venture has a coating they claim is more corrosion resistant then stainless. Decent synthetic stock with rubber inlay panels. Has a 1 MOA guarantee. All for less then $500. Both that I've been around and fired would shoot 1/2 MOA all day long. For good ammo availability it comes in 270, 308, 30-06, and 7mm Remington Mag. Another great caliber that's not as readily available but has plenty of reach and is very mild mannered is the 7mm-08. I personally love the 25-06, but it's not as readily available either and TC seemed to overlook this caliber. Savage, Reminton, Browning, and I believe Tikka all make 25-06's though.

 

[TORCHRIDER]

Thanks for all the great feedback guys. I am leaning towards something non-magnum at this point as I have a 300 RUM for long shots at big game. Thinking either .270 or .30-06 at this time.

 

[FearNoWind]

The only rifle I can think of that meets all that criteria in spades is the M14.
If 9 pounds is too heavy you can always pick one up with a carbon fibre stock from McCann Industries.

 

[TORCHRIDER]

The only rifle I can think of that meets all that criteria in spades is the M14.
If 9 pounds is too heavy you can always pick one up with a carbon fibre stock from McCann Industries.

Can you expand on your reasoning behind recommending the M14/M1A?

 

[Jerry M]

+2 for .270 Winchester. Very underrated round for the lower 48.

 

[HNDLDR]

I vote 270 between those two. It shoots a little flatter at those ranges and anything the 270 can't handle (which isn't much) your RUM will definitely take care of.