First magnum caliber

Hello all I'm looking at stepping up to a magnum caliber rifle all I've ever had is 308s 30-06 and 270 and 223 and 50 cal muzzle loader.and wanting something with more punch and more reach and a kind of a do all hunt everything but brown bear caliber and be confident in it.ive looked at 300 win mag 7mm mag all the wsm and saums but not sure what would be best.i mostly hunt deer and will be hunting black bear this year and hope able to hunt elk next year. Just would like some info and experience from who ever wants to share some knowledge of what magnum caliber would be good.as far as rifles go I would like to do a semi custom if I can off the rem 700 30-06 action or savage model 11 308 action depending on what caliber.if I'm not able to do that I've looked at windchester,browning, tikka,bergara, and Christiansen arms for factory rifle thanks all in advance
300rum. perfection
 
The word magnum is marketing more than anything. Pick a bullet you want you use and a target velocity and go from there. If you're limited to a standard bolt face you still have plenty of options. Whether or not you reload may be a factor here as well.

Standard bolt face, I say 280AI
Mag bolt face, 300WSM should be everything you want without breaking a sweat.
+1
Totally agree with this post.
My dedicated elk rifle is a 300 WSM. It weighs a little over 8lbs with scope, bipod, sling and a fully loaded magazine. It's a joy to carry all day up and down mountains. Very accurate and plenty of power.
My 280 AI is awesome, too. Weighs about the same as the WSM. With handloads, I get very close to 7 Rem Mag performance.
Both are awesome cartridges.
 
I recommend the 300 Win Mag.It is a great round for just about anything you hunt in North America.It is a step up from the 30-06 and can push those same bullets around 300fps or so faster.Finding brass or ammo for the 300 Win Mag is going to be easier than some of the other newer magnums.The 7mag is another great cartridge.I have loaded for it for nearly 30yrs,but in all honesty,other than being a flatter shooter,you probably won't notice much difference between it and the 30-06.
 
Given what you already have, I'd personally step up to something in .338. To be clear, you don't need more....but need is a 4 letter word around here. If you handload, you'll find the 210 partitions are tough to beat as a do everything combination. I've shot deer, antelope, bear, moose and dozens of elk within combo, out to too far ranges, and to distances measured in feet. Bullet performance has always been outstanding. You can't do that with many bullets without running the risk of bullet blowup on the shoulder joint of elk or moose at close range. While some get great performance from the mono bullets, I gave up on them after unpredictable expansion back in the"X" bullet days. I personally prefer the 225+fps the 340 gives over the 338 win. FWIW, I find the recoil more tolerable than the 300 mags in similarly stocked rifles (more of a push than a crack).
 
Hello all I'm looking at stepping up to a magnum caliber rifle all I've ever had is 308s 30-06 and 270 and 223 and 50 cal muzzle loader.and wanting something with more punch and more reach and a kind of a do all hunt everything but brown bear caliber and be confident in it.ive looked at 300 win mag 7mm mag all the wsm and saums but not sure what would be best.i mostly hunt deer and will be hunting black bear this year and hope able to hunt elk next year. Just would like some info and experience from who ever wants to share some knowledge of what magnum caliber would be good.as far as rifles go I would like to do a semi custom if I can off the rem 700 30-06 action or savage model 11 308 action depending on what caliber.if I'm not able to do that I've looked at windchester,browning, tikka,bergara, and Christiansen arms for factory rifle thanks all in advance
 
Hello all I'm looking at stepping up to a magnum caliber rifle all I've ever had is 308s 30-06 and 270 and 223 and 50 cal muzzle loader.and wanting something with more punch and more reach and a kind of a do all hunt everything but brown bear caliber and be confident in it.ive looked at 300 win mag 7mm mag all the wsm and saums but not sure what would be best.i mostly hunt deer and will be hunting black bear this year and hope able to hunt elk next year. Just would like some info and experience from who ever wants to share some knowledge of what magnum caliber would be good.as far as rifles go I would like to do a semi custom if I can off the rem 700 30-06 action or savage model 11 308 action depending on what caliber.if I'm not able to do that I've looked at windchester,browning, tikka,bergara, and Christiansen arms for factory rifle thanks all in advance
I've hunted all over Alberta and northern British Columbia for 45 years, There isn't a large game animal from grizzly to moose that haven't dropped in there tracks from custom loads in my 30-06, but if I knew I was going to need long distance with a heavy load my 300 Weatherby has never failed me in the mountains up to a 1000 yards, I have done all my own loading during those years. I have over 100 rifles and I have to agree with the gentleman recommending the 300 WIN or 300 WSM as a good all round rifle if you prefer Winchester, there's a vast selection of off the shelf ammunition that will fit your needs if you ever want to cross the border
 
Hello all I'm looking at stepping up to a magnum caliber rifle all I've ever had is 308s 30-06 and 270 and 223 and 50 cal muzzle loader.and wanting something with more punch and more reach and a kind of a do all hunt everything but brown bear caliber and be confident in it.ive looked at 300 win mag 7mm mag all the wsm and saums but not sure what would be best.i mostly hunt deer and will be hunting black bear this year and hope able to hunt elk next year. Just would like some info and experience from who ever wants to share some knowledge of what magnum caliber would be good.as far as rifles go I would like to do a semi custom if I can off the rem 700 30-06 action or savage model 11 308 action depending on what caliber.if I'm not able to do that I've looked at windchester,browning, tikka,bergara, and Christiansen arms for factory rifle thanks all in advance
I have a preference for the Weatherby magnums. I have a 240(6mm), a 270, and a 300 all on blaser frames and with the exception of the 240 all are very versatile and quite an upgrade from the 270 and 3006. Now the 240 is a great gun also but only comes in a 1/10 twist and I'm not able to shoot the new long range bullets that require a 1/8 twist or better, so I'm having a custom built but haven't received it yet.
 
After reading your post I didn't notice what ranges you intend to hunt are or what range are you confident and/or intend to shoot?? Of all the cartridges that you wrote in your post, to me would be the 300 Winchester magnum if you want to put more punch into the equation. HOWEVER before making any decisions, I strongly suggest that you research (like write down) and compare "just" how much of an increase you are going to get over what you already have, the 30-06 Springfield. If there's a need to "eek" out every single fps/foot pounds of muzzle energy then by all means go with the larger cartridge, however it is important to weigh in the fact that a magnum cartridge does come with a price of recoil, powder and components just to name a few. If you go with a wildcat, then there is the expense of dies as well as the investing of time and money fire forming brass, to name but a few factors.

Presently I put together a Ruger 77 tang safety rifle in 300 Winchester magnum as a Christmas present for my son. He didn't need one, but...he wanted one (we can all appreciate that!!). Last year I bought a rifle that was chambered in 7mm Remington magnum, figuring that it would be a simple rebarrel and "rechamber" from the 7mm RemMag as the bolt face was already a magnum bolt face with a belted case so no issues. Due to COVID prison we were just able to take the rifle out for a break-in the past Sunday; on his birthday 5/9. The rifle definitely is a shooter, but..................there's a feed problem!!! Who knew, I certainly didn't, and presently there's no relief in sight!! Now back to my original, "If you have to "eek" out every single fps/foot pounds of muzzle energy then by all means go with the larger cartridge, however it is important to way in the fact that a magnum cartridge does come with a price". Your/the plan is to open the bolt face and convert what you already have to a magnum cartridge, is there going to be a feed problem (such as mine) are the feed rails going to do what you want them to do, is there going to be an ejection problem or a magazine problem that will have to be addressed?? For me these are factors that have to be added into the equation before doing a build. And.....after all of this an important factor to add into the equation is the cost factor to modify your action to a magnum cartridge to eek out every fps/foot pound of muzzle energy.

Yes it is cool to have a custom chambered, costum built rifle in a different magnum cartridge. I am suggesting take a sensible approach and take the time to research what you intend to build over what you presently have, and to weigh out what the gains are going to be over a rifle that you already have sitting in the safe. The 30-06 is a very versatile cartridge that ought to work quite well on the game that you have stated you want to hunt. Investing in a quality barrel and blueprinting the action "might" be a better option than investing in a conversion to a larger magnum cartridge, on an action that wasn't built for a magnum cartridge. And......after this dissertation I hope this input helps you with your build, and that whatever your decision that the build is a successful one.
 
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Hello all I'm looking at stepping up to a magnum caliber rifle all I've ever had is 308s 30-06 and 270 and 223 and 50 cal muzzle loader.and wanting something with more punch and more reach and a kind of a do all hunt everything but brown bear caliber and be confident in it.ive looked at 300 win mag 7mm mag all the wsm and saums but not sure what would be best.i mostly hunt deer and will be hunting black bear this year and hope able to hunt elk next year. Just would like some info and experience from who ever wants to share some knowledge of what magnum caliber would be good.as far as rifles go I would like to do a semi custom if I can off the rem 700 30-06 action or savage model 11 308 action depending on what caliber.if I'm not able to do that I've looked at windchester,browning, tikka,bergara, and Christiansen arms for factory rifle thanks all in advance
The 300WM would be my choice. I got one and love also have a 338WN and a 300RUM. All ways shoot the 300WM.But that is my favorite to shoot second is the 300RUM
 
Hello all I'm looking at stepping up to a magnum caliber rifle all I've ever had is 308s 30-06 and 270 and 223 and 50 cal muzzle loader.and wanting something with more punch and more reach and a kind of a do all hunt everything but brown bear caliber and be confident in it.ive looked at 300 win mag 7mm mag all the wsm and saums but not sure what would be best.i mostly hunt deer and will be hunting black bear this year and hope able to hunt elk next year. Just would like some info and experience from who ever wants to share some knowledge of what magnum caliber would be good.as far as rifles go I would like to do a semi custom if I can off the rem 700 30-06 action or savage model 11 308 action depending on what caliber.if I'm not able to do that I've looked at windchester,browning, tikka,bergara, and Christiansen arms for factory rifle thanks all in advance
Really like my 28 Nosler, Browning Xbolt Hells canyon
 
To answer couple people question about range I can shoot there's couple places I hunt deer as of right now is 500 yards and hoping to hunt some open fields on farm land were I can shoot farther than that.as of right now and the rifles I have right now 600 is as far as I can shoot them as far as set ups go.there is couple places I hope to hunt this year on power lines that I can shoot as far as I want but not sure if I'll get to hunt there this year or not.
 
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