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Help! Long range hunting build...

3

300shorty

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2013
Messages
91
Location
MS
I'm looking to build a long range hunting rig and cannot decide which caliber I want to go with. My options are the 300 Norma, 300 RUM, and possibly 338 Lapua. I understand the two 300's mentioned above are bbl burners but this would be a hunting setup so it's not like I would be shooting all the time. I will be hunting whitetail deer @ a max range of 600-700 yards. I plan on hand loading but that will be a project down the road. So for now, I'd be starting off with factory ammo. I understand factory ammo is limited given my selection of calibers but seems like there is still a decent amount of options out there. I'm trying to weigh my options between all three calibers but I am having a hard time deciding which way to go.

Weight is not necessarily a factor. I don't mind a heavier gun because we don't have mountains in the south!

As far as the actual build/specs, I am between a full custom build or a factory build, i.e. Christensen Arms, in which I am very intrigued by at the moment.

Now, before anybody says anything, I know what you're thinking. Could I achieve this goal with a smaller caliber such as 6.5, .308, 30-06, or 7mm? Yes, absolutely. However, I am and have always wanted a big bore hunting rig so my mind is made up that this will be the direction I'm going.

With that said, any advice/opinions would be greatly appreciated. I'm open to all comments and suggestions.

Thanks!
 
300 win mag. Covers a lot of ground and you can actually buy ammo for it. Or maybe one of the nosler cases, at least they have loaded ammo and will most likely have support well into the future. Rum cases are like trying to find bigfoot, and as far as I know the 300 norma is all but a hand loading endeavor. 338 lapua has a decent amount of factory loads and the biggest plus is lapua brass.my guess is that most of it will be geared towards target shooting not hunting but I may be wrong.
 
A .338 Lapua for 600-700 yard deer hunting in Mississippi? ****, I'd recommend a 1:8 twist 7mm RemMag with Berger 180-195's, or a 1:10 twist .300WM with Berger 215 Hybrids at the most.

Also, look into the 6.5 Sherman, 6.5 SS, .280 Sherman, 7mm SS, .300 Sherman, .300 SS, and .280 AI

You want a really hard-hitting LR cartridge, try the 7mm STW. I have 2, and had one since 2002...Hits hard, brass can be found, factory ammo can be found, and with 180-195 gr Bergers moving over 3,000 fps MV, hits like Zeus' thunderbolt.
 
I'd go with a .300 Win Mag or 7 Rem Mag for what you are doing! Even if you plan a trip out West, the .300 WM and 7 Rem Mag will stack up elk.

Now, out of the calibers you listed, I'd definitely go with a .300 Norma Mag. If you want to build a big bad rifle just to do it, I get that too.
 
300shorty said:
Now, before anybody says anything, I know what you're thinking. Could I achieve this goal with a smaller caliber such as 6.5, .308, 30-06, or 7mm? Yes, absolutely. However, I am and have always wanted a big bore hunting rig so my mind is made up that this will be the direction I'm going.
Click to expand...

MudRunner2005 said:
A .338 Lapua for 600-700 yard deer hunting in Mississippi? ****, I'd recommend a 1:8 twist 7mm RemMag with Berger 180-195's, or a 1:10 twist .300WM with Berger 215 Hybrids at the most.

Also, look into the 6.5 Sherman, 6.5 SS, .280 Sherman, 7mm SS, .300 Sherman, .300 SS, and .280 AI

You want a really hard-hitting LR cartridge, try the 7mm STW. I have 2, and had one since 2002...Hits hard, brass can be found, factory ammo can be found, and with 180-195 gr Bergers moving over 3,000 fps MV, hits like Zeus' thunderbolt.
Click to expand...

:rolleyes:

Anyway, I'd be looking hard at the 33 Nosler
 
338Rocket said:
:rolleyes:

Anyway, I'd be looking hard at the 33 Nosler
Click to expand...

What's with the sarcasm? I mean, I'm all for buy what you want and what makes you happy. But there is a such thing as overkill. Been hunting whitetail deer for 25 years (since I was 5), and shot them with a lot of different cartridges at a lot of different distances... I'm no expert, but I do know that they're not that hard to kill with a well-placed shot from a reasonably powered rifle.

I just would like to hear your reasons as to why you think our responses are not viable.
 
MudRunner2005 said:
What's with the sarcasm? I mean, I'm all for buy what you want and what makes you happy. But there is a such thing as overkill.
Click to expand...

It's just comical.

To paraphrase, his post says "I don't care and don't want to hear that it can be done with lesser calibers"

Two posts later.... "You don't need that much gun, you should try one of these lesser calibers."
 
This is the point where I should stop replying, but as usual, I won't.

So you walk into a dealership looking for a pickup truck. You tell the salesman, "I want a truck, but I am only going to use it to get groceries. I don't want a car. I know a car will work, cost less, use less fuel, be quieter, and ride smoother, but I want a truck."

The salesman replies "What do you want a truck for? A car will work, cost less, use less fuel, be quieter, and ride smoother!"

At this point you look at the salesman like hes deaf and dumb and firmly reply, "I WANT a truck, not a car!"

The salesman says, "Then you should just go ahead and buy a Peterbuilt, and get it over with."

OK, now I am done. MudRunner have a good one. 300Shorty, good luck with your build.
 
I understand what you're saying. But there's reasons why there's different size trucks...Just like different size cartridges. Same principle. It's like buying a Peterbilt to get groceries and basic use, when a 1500 gas burner would work just fine.

I understand it from the "there's no such thing as overkill" crowd. But it's not like he's walking into a dealership and saying he wants to buy the biggest and baddest thing and the salesman talks him into a Prius... He doesn't have to buy a Lambo, but he could still get a Mustang GT-350R and save 5x the coin and get the same desired effect.

Now, that's all I have to say about that.

Good luck with your build 300Shorty. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
 
300shorty said:
I'm looking to build a long range hunting rig and cannot decide which caliber I want to go with. My options are the 300 Norma, 300 RUM, and possibly 338 Lapua. I understand the two 300's mentioned above are bbl burners but this would be a hunting setup so it's not like I would be shooting all the time. I will be hunting whitetail deer @ a max range of 600-700 yards. I plan on hand loading but that will be a project down the road. So for now, I'd be starting off with factory ammo. I understand factory ammo is limited given my selection of calibers but seems like there is still a decent amount of options out there. I'm trying to weigh my options between all three calibers but I am having a hard time deciding which way to go.

Weight is not necessarily a factor. I don't mind a heavier gun because we don't have mountains in the south!

As far as the actual build/specs, I am between a full custom build or a factory build, i.e. Christensen Arms, in which I am very intrigued by at the moment.

Now, before anybody says anything, I know what you're thinking. Could I achieve this goal with a smaller caliber such as 6.5, .308, 30-06, or 7mm? Yes, absolutely. However, I am and have always wanted a big bore hunting rig so my mind is made up that this will be the direction I'm going.

With that said, any advice/opinions would be greatly appreciated. I'm open to all comments and suggestions.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
You could save yourself a whole lot of money, recoil, frustration and aggravation by just going with the venerable .300wm, or 7mm Rem, or the ever useful and popular 7mm STW.

Before buying any of the "Ultra Magnums" find someone who will let you shoot a box of shells through theirs.

There's a reason you see so many of them for sale at a loss in "near new", "barely used" condition. Most people find out pretty quickly that they can't tolerate the recoil and even if they bull themselves through it, they end up developing such a bad flinch as to not ever be able to shoot them well or with confidence.

When you get past that they are very expensive to feed wither with Factory ammo or loading your own due to the cost of brass.

That being said, out of those you list the .300 Rum would be my choice. One of my all time favorite rifles is a Model 70 Winchester Classic Stainless .300Rum.
 
WildRose said:
You could save yourself a whole lot of money, recoil, frustration and aggravation by just going with the venerable .300wm,
Click to expand...

WR,

"I" normally reserved that compliment to the .30-06 but I absolutely agree with you. The .300 WM has been my go to chambering for a long time now for antelope to elk size game up to 1K yards (my self-imposed limit on game at this time :D).

Build it with 1:9" (or faster) 26'+ tube, propel the 215/230 Berger or Hornady 225 ELD-M and you're golden.

300shorty,

I don't want to assume on your screen name but what do currently have in your inventory? It might help us to better provide with a sound recommendation(s).

Cheers!

Ed
 

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