looking for new whitetail & a few western hunts cailber

[Canhunter35]

I don't mean to discourage you from buying another rifle, but I think you would better prepare yourself for long range western hunting by upgrading a scope rather than Changing calibers. I watched a YouTube video last week of a guy harvesting a cow elk at 800+ yards with a 308 Winchester. The bullet will do it's job if you can put it where it needs to be. A simple 3-9 cheapo will do fine for 100yds but if you want to hunt out west and shoot further your money is better spent on a scope. If you already have a good long range optic then by all means pick up a 300 win mag. I think it is the most versatile killing-cartridge ever created.

What bullet did he use to perform on an elk at 800?

To the op,
I've shot a 308 a lot, the 168eldm is dynamite on whitetail, better than the 178.
With an acceptable twist rate you can fire a 208eldm at 2500fps, run numbers and while it's not particular flat, does well in the wind.
I've switched to using a 6.5creed for hunting, it beats the 308 and the 143eldx has worked great on some antelope so far, I see no reason it won't drop deer equally as well.
After seeing that bullets performance and if you're building a hunting rifle from scratch, I would consider a 6.5x284 or 6.5prc to up the performance a little bit, or go for the 264wm and put the barrel length to really capitalize(28"imo)
The 300wm for most practical ranges will not kill a deer any better than a 308

 

[memtb]

I would encourage you to get away from the idea of one do-it-all rifle. Why one? You said initially that for the next couple of years you'll likely only be shooting at medium-sized game. So get the perfect rifle now for that game. Hunting the west generally means carrying a rifle around all day, so for me, a great medium-game rifle is lightweight and shoots an equally light-recoiling caliber that is still more than enough for deer/pronghorn out a long ways. 7mm08 and 6.5 CM have both been mentioned here, and I agree.

Then, once you get closer to that elk/moose tag, get the perfect large-game rifle. It will be heavier, I assure you (cue the 7RM/300WM/etc. debate). But don't spend the next couple of years hauling around that elk rifle until you need it.

My opinion, developed after making the same mistake.

My wife and I have a safe full of firearms, but we are one gun hunters ( yes.....boring). Her's an "unbraked" sub 9 pound .338 Win.Mag, mine an "unbreaked" 9 pound 1 ounce .375 AI. Myself one "hunting" rifle since '90, she since '95, and we've been moderately successful. If a hunter uses one rifle exclusively, with the same zero, and the same bullet.....likely he/she will be pretty good with it.

Oh, and larger caliber rifles aren't necessarily terribly heavy. Heck....the bigger hole really doesn't add much weight! memtb

 

[Rem6br]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the 7 STW

 

[Caveman0101]

The 270 with 150gr Accubond long range will kill anything east or west past 1000 yards. But my favorite is a 280 Rem with 150gr Accubond Long Range not quite as good BC as the 270 ABLR but all 3 of mine are tack drivers. My 28" barrel TC Encore 280Rem is pushing 3100fps, that is not too far away from a 7mm rem mag without the kick. I hunted for years and killed a lot of deer and elk with a 300WBY and 340WBY. But there just isn't a reason to take the punishment as long as you limit your shots to less than 1500 yards on animals. With the ABLR if it's traveling 1300fps your good to go. 16 elk and lots of deer (WT, Muley, Antelope) in 6 years all DRT 50 to 630 yards.

Make that 19, had a hell of a day today. 415 yards 260 rem DRT, 520 yards 280 rem DRT, 300 yards 7mm rem mag DRT all cows, tired a**, full freezer.

 

[hunter67wa]

Numbers numbers numbers. Just by the lightest rifle in the largest caliber that you can comfortably shoot accurately time and time again. In the end bullet placement will end the game no matter the caliber.

 

[Caveman0101]

Numbers numbers numbers. Just by the lightest rifle in the largest caliber that you can comfortably shoot accurately time and time again. In the end bullet placement will end the game no matter the caliber.

I only post the numbers to illustrate the success we've had with the ABLR in multiple weights and different calibers at varying ranges. I only started keeping up with it when my sons hit hunting age and we started shooting the ABLR. On second thought, it is a pretty big deal to take 3 elk in one day on public land DIY. Furthermore for someone who is looking for a do it all rifle, once you get to or above the .264 caliber, bullet selection and placement (ability) are the most important factors in the consistently taking game, especially elk. We actually shot 4 elk yesterday, another hunter wounded a cow and we finished it off for him as he lost sight of it over the hill. He guessed the range, held high, and broke the elk's leg at the first joint. Right or wrong I was not letting that animal limp away and suffer. It did not matter what caliber or bullet that guy was shooting he freehanded a guessed range and made a terrible shot. You can't fix stupid.

 

[hunter67wa]

caveman the post was not aimed at you. Just a overall observation

 

[Dean2]

After reading this thread I am now convinced that a 308 is not near enough gun to kill our big Canadian Elk and Moose, and may even be too small for our really big bodied deer. It is going to come as a terrible shock to the dozens of moose, elk deer and bear that I have killed with a 308! They should not in fact have died, they are just wimps.

In all seriousness, I love the 7mm caliber. 7x57, 7-08, 7 Rem Mag. Have even used a 7 Rum quite a bit but it is the nastiest kicking gun I ever owned. Put a mercury suppressor and a Pachmeyer recoil pad for hunting and spin a Brake on it to do load development. When the barrel is shot out it will become a 7 Rem Mag.

Most of the tagged game I have taken is with a 7 Rem Mag or the 308. For the last 12 years I have predominantly carried an unbraked NULA in 308, with a Swaro Z5 3.5x18 scope that weighs 6 lbs including scope, sling and a full mag. Using 130 grain Barnes at 3150 fps, it has very handily killed deer, bear, moose and elk out to 600 yards. Furthest anything has gone is 20 yards, most died within feet of where they were shot.

As someone said earlier, the gun gets carried way more than it gets shot. I like packing a 6 lb gun much more than one that weighs 12 lbs but I sure wouldn't want to shoot a 6 LB 300 WM.

To me that is the real decision, how much weight are you willing to pack and will you hunt with a braked rifle ( I won't). That pretty much determines the cartridges that are suitable choices.

 

[mnoland30]

I hunted with a 270 for years, then a 7mm RM, and now a 5-1/2 lb. rifle 7mm WSM in a Browning Titanium. I load the WSM down to almost 7mm-08 velocity (2750 fps). If you live back east and hunt out west, you are going to be one tired puppy hiking the mountains. Both the steepness and the altitude are game changers. The lighter your rifle, the better. The lighter the recoil, the better you'll shoot. I hunted Barbary sheep with a 7-30 waters in a 21" Contender Carbine and that rifle was a joy to carry and shoot. It was slightly limited in range, but within 230 yards, it dropped them with one shot. I used to load different bullets for different game. I use Berger 168 gr. for everything: javelina, deer, Barbary sheep, and elk. The longest shot on elk was 340 yards, DRT. Meat damage on the javelina was minimal with a shot through the lungs at 200 yards. One load keeps life simple. With light loads, recoil is negligible. The Browning Ti is a joy to carry. Not a popular cartridge, the 270 WSM is easier to find brass and cartridges for, and will do about as well on game, now that more bullet choices are out there. I once read an article talking about how American shooters got better when they switched from 30-06 to .270s. Recoil matters, and the Europeans use the 6.5 Swede for moose at close range. Go with a heavy for caliber bullet for best results on elk. Check out Terminal Ballistics Research for tons of info on bullet performance on game at different velocities.

 

[55stone]

I found a pretty nice low round count Remington 700 in 7mm RM I'm going to buy and start a build off of! Thank you guys for all the info and thoughts. I'm sure I will have more questions on this build like lightweight hunting stocks and so on. First Remington 700 I'm normally a savage guy. I'm pretty excited

 

[Gord0]

I hunt in Michigan for whitetail with a 300win mag. It's not too much gun by any means. If you run a 150gr nosler ballistic tip at 3300 and shoot one in the shoulder under 100yds it's going to make a mess. Use suitable bullets and it's awesome. Load some 4895 reduced loads and you're cruising along around 308 numbers.

 

[Dean2]

I hunt in Michigan for whitetail with a 300win mag. It's not too much gun by any means. If you run a 150gr nosler ballistic tip at 3300 and shoot one in the shoulder under 100yds it's going to make a mess. Use suitable bullets and it's awesome. Load some 4895 reduced loads and you're cruising along around 308 numbers.

Downloading a 300 win to 308 why not just use a 308. Of course it does give you the advantage of uploading if you go west but if u are going to stay in M8chigan might as well get a lighter gun with less kick.

 

[Gord0]

Downloading a 300 win to 308 why not just use a 308. Of course it does give you the advantage of uploading if you go west but if u are going to stay in M8chigan might as well get a lighter gun with less kick.

I said if you want to. Possibly for a recoil sensitive shooter to use your rifle. I run full power loads in my win mag, and have zero regrets getting it to hunt whitetail, and anything else I could possibly want.

 

[Ndfarmer]

I enjoy using my 300 Rum for deer and elk. I am comfortable with that rifle and confident with it. Like what was said earlier if they are hit where there supposed to be with correct bullet there will be no meat wasted.