need a gun to " fill the gap"

[mainehunt]

OK, here is a question. I know that it is all personal opinion here, but that' s what makes it great.

For centerfire rifles, I have a .223, .243, 25-06, and a 300 Win Mag.

The .223 is for varmints.
The .243 is my deer rifle. (also doubles for varmints)
The .300 WM is in case I ever get lucky enough to draw a moose tag here in Maine.

I just got the 25-06 in a trade. Good rifle, but here in lies the problem. The 06 and the 243 SORT OF use the same bullet weights. I' m talking roughly here, 80grain, 100 grain. The 300 WM can be loaded with 110 grain up to 220 grain bullets, but since this is my " moose" gun, I only load it with 180' s on up.
so..I want a rifle that would load bullets of say, 120grain up to about 165.

I have considered the .308, 7mm-08, .270, 270WSM

What are your opinions?

PS- I hope I didn' t confuse everybody, it' s hard to express myself through typing.

[BareBack Jack]

Well since the 25-06 shoots the 120' s,you wan' t 140 to 160 gr sluggs,for my opion I would go with the the 7mm-08.

[mainehunt]

Forgot to mention, I just sold the 25-06, so The biggest I shoot in the .243 is 100 gr. bullets.
I don' t want to reload smaller than 180' s in the 300 WM so I need to have something that shoots 100-180

[diyj98]

You' ll get a ton of opinions and any of them would work. But my pick, and " current" personal favorite, would be a .308. It' s perfect for 150 grain bullets. I have one that sometimes carry with 110 grain bullets for varmints and 150 grain bullets for deer. I wouldn' t be afraid to use the right 180 grain bullet in it for moose or elk.

[Wolf killer]

7mm-08 or 270-winchester would fill the gap.

[seattlesetters]

If you get a .308, you can lose the .300 Mag. If you like the big gun, get a 7mm-08.

[mainehunt]

I love the big gun, especially the way " it kills on both ends"

I like the big recoil, lets me know I' m still alive

I knew that somebody would suggest that a smaller rifle than my .300 WM would kill a moose. I know. The biggest moose killed in Maine for that particular year, was one bull that weighed in at something like 1200 pounds. A 12 year old girl shot it with a .22-250. I understand that smaller rifles will do a job on big animals, in fact, here in Maine a hunter can even use the .22 rimfire magnum for deer hunting. Legally, not necessarily the greatest deer cartridge.


I just want another rifle, so this is an excuse, more than anything

[BarnesX.308]

.30-06!!! Nobody should have a gun cabinet without a 30-06 anyway. It' s like having a bathroom with no toilet

[mainehunt]

I hear ya' barnesX.

Had one for years, just want to try something I' ve never had before.

[popeye]

If I' m following this right, you' re looking for something between a 243 and 300WM.

My two picks are either a 280 or 7mm-08 depending on if you prefer a standard or short action. The 6.5x55 Swedish would also be a nice choice.