Here is my dilema, I am going to purchase another rifle in addition to my .257 roberts and my .270 win so I want a gunI can still use for whitetails 95% of the time and use for black bear, moose and sheep. The moose and sheep hunts would be once-twice in a lifetime type hunts so the majority of use would be black bear and whitetails. I hunt in NE pa. where a shot over 100 yards would be few and far between, in fact, most of my deer have been shot at around 40-70 yards.
I'm looking at the Tikka lite stainlessand I'm wondering how muchmore felt recoil the wsm would have?Will a good pad help enough to tame flinching? I don't want to install a muzzle break, I like my hearing too much.Is the .308 effective on bigger game? Is the .300 wsm too big for pa deer? The other option would be 30-06 or a 7mm mag but I'm more interested in some opinions on these two rounds for now.
I could be cheesy about the whole thing and buy the .308 and borrow my friends .300 wsm for the moose hunt (he's offered many times for me to shoot and borrow for any trips I might take). All suggestions are greatly appreciated.
It depends on whay your aims are. Do you want just the guns that you need or do you want to build an arsonal? The 270 that you have will cove everything you mentioned very well. There would be very little point in a 308 as it won't do a thing that your 270 won't do just as well. If you want to spend the money on another rifle then the 300 WSM would make more sense. This even though the 308 will do about the same job out to 300 yards. I hunt and fish with a guide in northern Sask. He hunts birds, small game, elk, moose, bearand deer. He has a 22 rimfire, a 12 Ga. pump shotgun and a 308. He told me that he has never had a reason to buy any other guns. Some guys want a rifle for every concievable purpose. Its all in what you want to do with your resources. I know guys who spend so much on equipment that they have no money left for hunts they would like to go on. I have gone through all the phases. The Magnum craze, the habd cannon phase, the do it all with a shotgun phase and all the rest. Although I still like to try different guns, I could do it all with a 308 or 30-06.
I agree with James, the .308 covers most of the same ground as your .257 Roberts and your .270. Not that there is anything wrong with the .308 Winchester, it just seems a bit redundant to your current rifles. Now the .300WSM would cover bigger critters at longer ranges more effectively than what you currently have, although some would argue for an even bigger case/bullet to really provide a step up in game class. One other question would be as to whether or not you handload? If you do, then I see no problem with the .300WSM, as you could load it down and ammo cost is not really an issue. If you don't handload, then be sure to take into account the higher ammo prices on the Short Magnums and their somewhat limited availability. I would hate to have to buy factory ammo for my .270WSM.
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Don't let that "fawn" by my name fool you. It probably should say "Ornery Old Buck".
I would recommend the 308 Win. More then enough gun for any game in Pa. with inherent accuracy and a full range of factory loads to match the bullet to the game.
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Sorry, I should haveexplained that is being purchasedbecause I have three sons and with one at hunting age and the next onearound the cornerI'm running out of rifles for all of us to go deer hunting. That's why my choice seemed redundant to what I already have. I do notcurrently re-load.
Man, Id go with the 300 win mag or the 300 WSM. You have a pretty good array of rifles. I would actually go with the 300 win mag due to the ease of finding ammo. EJ
Since you addressed the redundancy (sp?) issue my next question is whether or not you'll reload/handload. If yes, then my answer is a resounding .308!!! Cheaper to shoot, less recoil (and noise) which could potentially be a big issue for your sons. (Here let me say that I don't think your sons are whimps...but just because you can pull a 80# bow does not give you reason to buy one!) And the .308, even in factory loads, can take all those games. In handloads you get easily get HOT 30-06 performance. If you'll never handload...well maybe go to a 30-06 or one of the 7mm magnums. I just think the 300s make wonderful rounds...that are overkill for what they are most commonly used for.
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Anything I say is my opinion, just that...and only that.
"...and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?
.308 or .300 WSM?
No 270? NO NO It can't be
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