If you could have only one rifle and scope combo to hunt all North American Big Game from Texas to Alaska, what Cal., model, and scope would be your choice? Your budget is limited to $1000 total.
Remington ADL synthetic stock in .30-06 with Leopold 40 mm 3.5-10x scope in Leopold rings. Total price $330 rifle+ $500 scope+ $50 rings + $20 rifle sling is about $900.
The .30-06 is good for anything in the lower 48 states; if you are going to go to Alaska, buy an additional gun. If you don't accept this finessing of the problem you posed, then change to the .338 Winchester Magnum which IS suitable for all game including Alaska Brown Bear, but I think it is a bit much for pronghorn antelope and whitetail deer. You can buy ammo for the .30-06 anywhere.
The Remington ADL probably shoots as well as any other rifle you are going to buy in the price range you mentioned. The synthetic stock makes this rifle substantially impervious to the elements.
The scope is very good and will stand up to abuse and provide good service. Is it odd to invert the budget for the rifle with respect to the targeting system? Not according to my viewpoint. Any damn rifle is going to put 3 shots inside a 1.5" circle at 100 yards if you do your part. If your scope breaks or fogs or is unreliable, however, even a $4,000 rifle is not going to shoot where you want it to.
I actually own this combination. I bought it as a back-up for my other rifles. One I can take out when it is raining and I don't want to expose my pretty walnut wood stocked rifles to the rain. One which can provide a backup to either my .243 or my .25-06 on an out-of-state pronghorn hunt; one which can provide a backup to either my pretty walnut wood stocked .30-06 or the .338 Winchester magnum (I may someday purchase) on an out-of-state elk hunt.
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RE: Big Game Hunting
.338 Win Mag on a texas sized deer. Hamburg.
I'd go with a .270 or .308 or 30.06
Reason they all have various loads and bullet combinations that are available for all types of game from big to small and aresold everywhere
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With the great bullets we have today, The Remington SS SPS 270 Win. Weaver rings and bases and a Bushnell 3200 3x9x40 rifle scope. Save the other 300 bucks for the thieves selling gas for my trip..[:@]
Remington 700 300 ultra mag, Burris Black Diamond 4x16x50
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Champlain Islander, .338 on texas deer hamburg, not true I've shot at least 6 deer with my .338 with 250 gr nosler and it either makes a .33 cal hole in one side and out the other or if you hit bone it doe's about the same damage as a 30.06,
You're absolutely correct usa . . . Most would think, "Bigger the bullet, bigger the damage". Not so. You're hitting a small bodied animal (deer) and it can only open so much.
Crawfish . . . To answer your question. Don't take a .270 to Alaska to shoot a Griz! You'll just piss him off. You said ALL North American big game. That's all deers, bears, elk, moose, antelope, cats, goats,
sheep . . . you get the picture. I'd have to vote for a .300 Win Mag. Big enough for Griz, moose, elk . . . and still great for the antelope, deer sized animals. Cats and goats aren't real big either. The balistics are indisputable. Flat shooting to 300 yards+. Which you'll need for some. Lots of variation in over-the-counter ammo and likely to be in every shop in North America.
$1,000.00 budget? . . . I'd have to go with the Remington model 700 in .300 WinMag($665) and a Nikon Buckmaster scope in 4.5-14X40 with the BDC reticle ($300). You already have slings, cases and stuff.
The Nikon scope blows away the Leupolds for clarity and low light gathering. I A/B'd them at Cabela's and it blew my mind how much better the Nikon was than Leupold. 4.5 is as low as you'd want to go and 14 power is very handy for long range shots on lopes and sheep/etc.
My (more than) .02 worth.
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Big Game Hunting
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