Buddy wants one rifle for everything...?

[D$tring]

My daughter killed her moose with a 6.5-284 and 140 Hybrid at 180 yards. My oldest son killed his with 6.5 PRC and 156 EOL at 212 yards. Both bulls DRT. Hunting partner killed a bull elk last year well past your friends intended range with 6.5-284 with 143 ELDX also DRT. I've killed plenty with 7s and 30 cal of various flavors. All kill same amount of dead. We are blessed with choices and todays modern bullet construction really allows us to shoot smaller caliber rifles with less recoil which tends to help with accuracy way out there, especially while practicing. I would feel comfortable with anything 6.5 and up for what he wants.

 

[Teri Anne]

Maybe the best thing to do, is to see what's available periodically in local shops and get that caliber, or whatever for which you have dies. Example: I haven't seen 300WM or 7RM for almost two years here, and when they show up, they are gone in minutes to hours, not days to weeks, because that is what most guys shoot here in my vicinity. But on the flip side various 6mm and 6.5 are available intermittently. So I picked up a 6mmCM to practice with and have found that to be quite enjoyable to shoot and reasonable to feed with factory ammo.

It seems to be a well guarded secret that Federal and Sig Sauer will sell direct, even ammo that is commonly not available locally they have available on their web sites. I have not had an issue finding any .308, 270, 30-06 or 300 WM on their web sites. I will concede that we are talking premium ammo, not cheap stuff, prices vary from around $48.00 to $68.00 per box but that is their MSRP that you will pay at your local gun shop not some online price gouger who is charging Ultra Premium prices for range ammo.

 

[memtb]

Pick the rifle that suits you
270
Leupold VX3 4.5-14xX50

I love 270......grains that is! memtb

 

[WildRose]

1) All ungulates to 400 yds (deer mostly, but elk, moose, etc will almost certainly be tackled occasionally).

2) Steel and paper to 800 plus (occasionally out to 1200 just for giggles on big targets).

3) $1500 for scope and rifle.

4) Factory rifle most likely (see #3).

5) I'll load for him, perhaps indefinitely, but reasonably common factory ammo is a must.

6) He only hunts with lead free. So it needs to have a good factory option in copper (see #5). He's cool with slinging lead at paper/steel, but verboten on animals.

7) He can handle recoil, but I'd like to steer him towards "a bit more than minimum" that will get the job done, so a factory rifle with a brake is a high priority, but not a deal breaker.

So...

Rifle?

Scope?

Cartridge?

I have my own opinions, but would love to hear from the peanut gallery. Just stay in the lane. None of the above 7 points can be violated and keep him happy. He's not a high volume shooter, but I'd like to push him that direction, so keep economy in mind too.

300wm, I'm partial to the Mod 70. Buy one used in the classifieds or online and see what you have left money wise for a good scope. Probably something in the Zeiss Conquest or Leupod VX3.

Unfortunately your options are very limited with that budget.

 

[Teri Anne]

300wm, I'm partial to the Mod 70. Buy one used in the classifieds or online and see what you have left money wise for a good scope. Probably something in the Zeiss Conquest or Leupod VX3.

Unfortunately your options are very limited with that budget.

I have had more than one Model 70 over the years. All were shooters, some needed a bit of bedding and floating help before they decided that 1MOA or less was what they were capable of. Keep in mind that when I bought my Model 70's Winchester did not glass bed the actions or float the barrels. While most bow to the pre 64 models, including the new, but not new pre 64 actions as being the epitome of rifles, I have found that the post 64 models were as accurate or more accurate than the pre 64's. Both of my current Model 70's as well as the one that I had converted from a hunting to match rifle back in the 70's did and can fire 5 shot groups with all 5 rounds touching. I have had one or two Model 70's notably pre 64 models that would not shoot 1 MOA or less and in some cases were 3 MOA rifles. One was a 300WM and the other was a 7MM Mag, both were pre 64 but modern actions but no matter what would not shoot despite trying anything and everything. Sometime a barrel simply wont shoot. Something hard to take when you just spent several hundred if not thousands of dollars for your new dream rifle. So all in all, what you have is what you have got, unless you are willing to play with it, just like you do your new puppy to find out what it really can do. In the last 62 years I've only given up on two rifles. a Winchester pre 64 model 70 in 300WM and a Savage Axis in 223 Rem. Every other one, including a few
Remington 742's and 7400s after much tinkering were able to do 1 moa, but not less. Contrary, the model 760 pump was a tack driver.
Does any of this make sense? Some yes, some no but the fun comes in the trying to make sense of just about anything these days.

 

[DeadmansPoint]

I don't think a $1500 rig that comports with the OP's requirements is all that difficult. There's even a few different ways to skin that cat.

More than a few- search 'do it all rifle' or 'one rifle' here... I wager 100 minimum threads all asking the same thing, and you could find someone recommendating every single combination possible for the last 15 years. Just an opinion.

 

[WildRose]

I have had more than one Model 70 over the years. All were shooters, some needed a bit of bedding and floating help before they decided that 1MOA or less was what they were capable of. Keep in mind that when I bought my Model 70's Winchester did not glass bed the actions or float the barrels. While most bow to the pre 64 models, including the new, but not new pre 64 actions as being the epitome of rifles, I have found that the post 64 models were as accurate or more accurate than the pre 64's. Both of my current Model 70's as well as the one that I had converted from a hunting to match rifle back in the 70's did and can fire 5 shot groups with all 5 rounds touching. I have had one or two Model 70's notably pre 64 models that would not shoot 1 MOA or less and in some cases were 3 MOA rifles. One was a 300WM and the other was a 7MM Mag, both were pre 64 but modern actions but no matter what would not shoot despite trying anything and everything. Sometime a barrel simply wont shoot. Something hard to take when you just spent several hundred if not thousands of dollars for your new dream rifle. So all in all, what you have is what you have got, unless you are willing to play with it, just like you do your new puppy to find out what it really can do. In the last 62 years I've only given up on two rifles. a Winchester pre 64 model 70 in 300WM and a Savage Axis in 223 Rem. Every other one, including a few
Remington 742's and 7400s after much tinkering were able to do 1 moa, but not less. Contrary, the model 760 pump was a tack driver.
Does any of this make sense? Some yes, some no but the fun comes in the trying to make sense of just about anything these days.

We still have my Dad's 760 in 06 and it's still amazingly accurate. I think I'm up to 16 Model seventies.

Pre or post 64 if it has a claw extractor I'll take it, I really like the Classic stainless.

I'm looking at several more right now to use for some special projects next year.

 

[WildRose]

More than a few- search 'do it all rifle' or 'one rifle' here... I wager 100 minimum threads all asking the same thing, and you could find someone recommendating every single combination possible for the last 15 years. Just an opinion.

True, but this way makes for more conversations and fresh views.

 

[shooter53]

Just to throw my 2 cents in. My brother just put together a savage 110 ultralight in .28 Nosler and added an APA muzzle brake shooting Nosler 175gr. Accubond bullets. But to fill the $1500 request with a scope could be tricky. Maybe Vortex. He shot this with a 4x14x44 Zeiss conquest z4 below is his target at 100yds. Top bullet hole first shot then adjustments made for 2 more shots.

nice

 

[jessej]

Be careful about buying a more value oriented scope based on view or "glass quality". Scopes are for getting bullets to land where they're supposed to, not glassing; yet in every scope thread out there someone has to comment about how a certain scope is better than another because of the view.

I wager this will be the most accurate statement made today.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

Regarding. The. Scope. I. Have. Just. Been. To a. Long. Range. Shooting. School. With. My 270. Weatherby. Mag. ,I. Mounted. My. Leupold. VX3 8.5. To 25X with. 30 mm. Tube ! If the. Elevation. Turre did. Not. Have the. Ability. To. Set a. Zero by. Loosing the. Top of the. Turret And setting the. Calibration sleeve to. Zero,it. Would. Have. Been. Extremely difficult to adjust for. Hitting. Steel targets. From 500. To 1200. Yards ! It. Was necessary to. Adjust the scope in. MO A calibration fir each target! Especially with ranges like 720 yards. And 860 yards. Ect! So if the. Rifle. May sometime. Be used fir. Fun. Shooting out beyond 400. Yards., The Scope you choose neds to. Have the. Ability to be. Easily. Adjusted to those long ranges ,or. Being the. Simple man I. Am , I simply put on a different scope ! One that I think is. Correct for-the task ! Leupold VX3 4.5. XTo 14.X on a. 30 mm tube for Hunting and. 8.5 to 25 X. Windplex also 30 mm. Tube for The. LR shooting school! So. Maybe. Down the. Road. You may. Wish to consider a. Second. Scope for the occasional L R shooting!!??!!

 

[jimb100]

1) All ungulates to 400 yds (deer mostly, but elk, moose, etc will almost certainly be tackled occasionally).

2) Steel and paper to 800 plus (occasionally out to 1200 just for giggles on big targets).

3) $1500 for scope and rifle.

4) Factory rifle most likely (see #3).

5) I'll load for him, perhaps indefinitely, but reasonably common factory ammo is a must.

6) He only hunts with lead free. So it needs to have a good factory option in copper (see #5). He's cool with slinging lead at paper/steel, but verboten on animals.

7) He can handle recoil, but I'd like to steer him towards "a bit more than minimum" that will get the job done, so a factory rifle with a brake is a high priority, but not a deal breaker.

So...

Rifle?

Scope?

Cartridge?

I have my own opinions, but would love to hear from the peanut gallery. Just stay in the lane. None of the above 7 points can be violated and keep him happy. He's not a high volume shooter, but I'd like to push him that direction, so keep economy in mind too.

Old American standby...30-06...Remington 700....Ruger Hawkeye...Winchester...

 

[cabelasken]

I picked up a browning x-bolt in 280 AI and mounted a 30MM tube Leupold on it with Talley rings. Velocity was better than I anticipated with reloads and it dropped my elk at 420 yds. HAD i done this sooner, the safe would have a lot more empty slots!

The price for the gun was $999 total with FFL and Tax, The Scope was $439 Delivered and the Talley rings were $65. The scope and gun prices were special discounts and I have not been able to find others at these prices.

 

[WildRose]

I wager this will be the most accurate statement made today.

There's some truth to that but as I've learned over the years you won't even be able to see some targets with a "value oriented scope" that you can with a scope with higher quality glass and coatings. This particularly holds true when you're scoping a critter in heavy cover or other low light conditions.

The most accurate rifle in the world is just an expensive club without good glass.