mossy33oak

yeah but he said he was leaning towards a Savage and I dont think they offer that. I dont have anything against them, I was just trying to find him something in the line of what he wanted

Rebel Hog

HA! HA!You would be real goodwith a shotgun, you have a good eye!

JagMagMan

In common calibes the 7MM-08 is hard to beat! It's a fairly light recoiling, hard hitter! It actually retains more down range energy than it's father, the .308!

bronko22000

duckdog, for the animals you mentioned there are a lot of chamberings you can get from the .243 on up. Also, you didn't mention if you reloaded or not. you can get more versitility out of a cartridge if you do, and can customize your ammo to suit your needs.
The 270 is my all time favorite cartridge but it is a bit much for prarie dogs and coyotes. And, (boy I know I'm gonna get flack on this), I don't care for the .308. I had two of them and they just didn't appeal to me. But I guess I'm entitled to my own opinion and leave it at that.
The Savage is a good reliable rifle. The model 16 or 11 would be my choice for the short action or the 116 or 111 for something in a longer action. If funds arent an issue, I would get a 11F in 22-250 for prarie dogs and coyote and other varmints andanotherin 300wsm (or a 111F in 30-06 or 270). JMO

duckdog132

i want to reload but i know nothing about it and i herd it is pretty expensive to get into. i wouldnt even know what all i need to get started. thanks guys

CanWoodsman

For the game you mentioned the 25.06 would also be a good match. It is an excellent cartridge for long range small game up to deer/black bear sized animals.
If you expect to use it for larger game lean towards the 6.5- 7mm/.270/30 cal cartridges.
If you will only use it for smaller game the .22 centerfires/6mm/.243 will suit you.

Good Luck

Coyotestalker

I use my .308 on all my large game. I find for all my large game hunts to predator hunting, that the .308 punches through nicely, accurately, and with nice trajectory. I am not a fan of the wssm's and ultra mag's. I believe it is overkill, unless you are hunting water buffalo.lol, and ya, its my opinion. A well placed shot, patience, and the .308 cartridge is my choice. It may not be others, and that is just fine. Whatever works for you great, but I have heard a lot of bad mouthing of the .308 and I find that just silly. Obviously the caliber didn't suit them in their "special needs", but I find no problem taking out a coyote at 350 yards, or a hog at 150-200 yards. i use my .308 for long distance target competitions as well, and never had a problem.Like I said, its the discipline and full understanding of the caliber that makes either a preference or a disliking.

bronko22000

Geez Coyote, you didn't beat me up near as much as I thought..LOL. I really don't care for the WSMs or the WSSMs either. I use my 223 for varmints, my 270 or 7mm-08 for deer, my trusty old 45-70 for black bear, and my 300 WM for elk on up. That is of course if I ever get to Africa - then I will just HAVE to buy a 416 Rem.or 375 H&H. Guess I'll just keep dreaming that!

Coyotestalker

I am not here to bust chaps. Don't worry, I am a .308 advocate, as well as other calibers. If I were to say, bring up the .338 Lupua, a bunch of hot heads would say that is not the right caliber, blah blah blah. But if this was just long distance target shooting, my .338 Lupua would be one of the top tools to pull off 1000 meter shots and up. Its all about personal comfort and ability to make the caliber work. Sure, its easier to run a 30 caliber faster and more flat shooting then a .308, hell if the .50 BMG was able to be legal in all .50 states, and cheaper too I might add, then people would be saying "ya, I got that 10 point at 700 yards. No problem!". So all in all, people swear by this, people swear by that product, but it all comes down to one thing in hunting-efficient harvesting. Sure, you can kill a squirrel with a .22, even a buck if you place the shot right and you are close enough for maximum damage. Yet, that is why there is a family of calibers out there, some not great, some just perfect, and some that are just way overkill. To each his own is what I believe in. Whenever you have numerous manufacturers and products, people are going to pick there favorite and can be influenced by others. I am one of those people that are not influenced by others because of the popularity. That is what makes free will so great and personal. To choose what you like, what you are comfortable with, and what simply makes the whole process entertaining.

bronko22000

well said, i agree totally