I have recently been talked out of trying to convert my Weatherby into a long range gun. I have steered towards a Mdl. 700 action. It will be used for eastern deer mainly, but I want enough to take out an elk or a bear possibly one day. I want a gun that is able to accurately shoot 500+ yds. I am not a reloader at present, but will start for the new rifle. I am in Law Enforcement and have been around guns and hunting for about 20 years. I am retiring a .300 Weatherby Mark V. Help me with caliber selection. .280 Rem, .284, 7 mm Rem, 7mm STW, 7 mm RUM, or some other? Thanks alot for your help. Also any direction that you can direct me for good reading is appreciated!
Help with caliber selection?
- Thread starter TrpD345
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lerch
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Well this is just my opinion and I might get jumped for "hawking" his rifles but check the posts about Kirby Allens 270 Allen Mag, it is a mean machine. For more of a standard caliber I would find something in the 7mm range, possible the 7mm STW. Those long 7mm bullets really float out there and deliver a real nice punch. I am currently shooting a 300rum but I think it is a little much for whitetails.
Good Luck
Steve
Good Luck
Steve
Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
I really see nothing lacking with the 300Wby. You could build your new rifle around this chambering if you like it. Personally, I think the 300WSM seems to fit your criteria pretty well and would consume much less powder and produce less recoil and blast.
Just my 2 cents - I shoot a 7STW, so what do I know. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
VH
Just my 2 cents - I shoot a 7STW, so what do I know. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
VH
G
Guest
Guest
Trooper,
Seems you set on a 7mm...
bullet selection is getting better with the 7mm.. however, bears are real tough kind of critters and I think you are on target with the .30 cal. bullets...
not usre if you reload or not bu don't over look the 300WM.. if you do not reload there is an assortment of match ammo available...
Seems you set on a 7mm...
bullet selection is getting better with the 7mm.. however, bears are real tough kind of critters and I think you are on target with the .30 cal. bullets...
not usre if you reload or not bu don't over look the 300WM.. if you do not reload there is an assortment of match ammo available...
Buffalobob
Well-Known Member
The choice of 7mm would seem to me to be personality driven. The non mags have lower recoil and lower stopping power and as you go up the scale things increase on both ends of the gun. I have used a 7mm mag on some big stuff and I would not delibrately go up against a gizzley with it as long as I was sober or unless I had a bet riding on whether I could actually do it.
Depending on things you have not yet mentioned I would take the 300 Wby to a gunsmith and and have it refurbished with what ever ails it and then put it away as the someday elk and bear gun. If the barrel is shot out then a rebarrel is very easy and there are some really high quality barrels out there and while the smith has it, he can do several other things to help it along. Then I would have me a nice little low recoil eastern whitetail deer gun built in an easy shooting cartridge of the 243, 257 or 6.5 family, or even a nonmag 7mm.
Depending on things you have not yet mentioned I would take the 300 Wby to a gunsmith and and have it refurbished with what ever ails it and then put it away as the someday elk and bear gun. If the barrel is shot out then a rebarrel is very easy and there are some really high quality barrels out there and while the smith has it, he can do several other things to help it along. Then I would have me a nice little low recoil eastern whitetail deer gun built in an easy shooting cartridge of the 243, 257 or 6.5 family, or even a nonmag 7mm.
7Rumloader
Well-Known Member
buffalo bob made a great post. There is nothing wrong with the weatherby and would make a darn fine bear gun with the right bullet. He also listed some good cals for eastern deer like the 25/06 and 7/08.
If your looking a one gun arsenal then the 300 winnie would be a fine route to go and like ric said there is plenty of factory high quality ammo available for it until you decide to try your hand at reloading.
If your looking a one gun arsenal then the 300 winnie would be a fine route to go and like ric said there is plenty of factory high quality ammo available for it until you decide to try your hand at reloading.
Kenster-Boy
Well-Known Member
Some people already said that the 300WM has a good match grade bullet selection, however, if you intend to get serious about this long range stuff your gonna have to handload sooner or later.
7mm rem mag gets my vote for sure!
Easy to load for, a very good bullet selection with VERY high ballistic coefficients. Very tolerable recoil (I'm a wimp with recoil) Will easily take any of the game you have mentioned. You mentioned bears but failed to say what kind. If you are talking black bears you may want to consider a .223 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. After all no sense in going WAY over gunned. If you are talking about grizzleys or brown bears well then just disregard what I said. A 7 RM will easily take deer and elk out past 500 and will be accurate as well as deadly at 1000. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
7mm rem mag gets my vote for sure!
Easy to load for, a very good bullet selection with VERY high ballistic coefficients. Very tolerable recoil (I'm a wimp with recoil) Will easily take any of the game you have mentioned. You mentioned bears but failed to say what kind. If you are talking black bears you may want to consider a .223 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. After all no sense in going WAY over gunned. If you are talking about grizzleys or brown bears well then just disregard what I said. A 7 RM will easily take deer and elk out past 500 and will be accurate as well as deadly at 1000. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
D.S.
Active Member
I second buffalobob's opinion. A bull elk is a very tough animal, while our eastern whitetails (in my opinion) aren't half as tough. Since you already have an excellent elk cartridge(300weath), you should invest in an excellent whitetail cartridge(especially since you hunt whitetails almost exclusively). Any member of the 308winchester-family of cartridges, in an accurate rifle, would be plenty adequate for whitetails out to 500 yards w/ an appropriate bullet.
Small, accurate and efficient cartridge = less recoil, less noise, less-empty wallet = more practice/fun = a confident and deadly crackshot.
With all that siad, a 7mm mag would be a great deer cartridge and would always kill as well as a comparative 300mag. Finally and most importantly, you need to choose the cartridge that YOU want to hunt with. See ya later, Drew Stuart
Small, accurate and efficient cartridge = less recoil, less noise, less-empty wallet = more practice/fun = a confident and deadly crackshot.
With all that siad, a 7mm mag would be a great deer cartridge and would always kill as well as a comparative 300mag. Finally and most importantly, you need to choose the cartridge that YOU want to hunt with. See ya later, Drew Stuart
