ipscshooter

"It's a grown man"? What? Are you implying that if someone doesn't like the recoil of a magnum they are something less? It sounds to me like itis his first rifle. That being the case, I would say that there's a 9/10 chance or better that the recoil will bother him. So, you're suggesting that the guy sell him a rifle knowing that the odds are he'll have to modify the rifle to make it comfortable for a novice to shoot?

Installing a limbsaver and a muzzle brake is going to cost the guy around $200. Add in the fact that ammo for a magnum generally runs about twice as much as for standard calibers.

I'd rather see the guy invest that $200 into optics upgrades, and use a standard caliber that doesn't cost nearly as much to shoot. That way, he'll be more likely to undertake the practice needed to become proficient with his new rifle.

Northernforest

300WSM is too much power for a deep.You should of told him a 30-06.It is the same bullet as a 300WSM just less powder and less powerfull.The 30-06 is the best all around gun for anything in the USA.

ipscshooter

I don't think the question is whether a particular caliber is too much power for deer. Keep in mind the gentleman also inquired about Elk and Moose. A .300 Magnum is certainly up to the task of handling all three species. It will do the indicated jobs quite well.

To me, the question is whether it's a good idea to recommend a .300 Magnum to a newbie.

Dougk

I'm not a fan of a muzzle brake-IMO the blast is worse than any perceived decrease in recoil.

the problem was he wanted a caliber to hunt large game-moose and elk. He did mention a 270-but I was leery recommending that caliber for large game.

Folically Challenged

+1!

I'm 5'10" and weigh202 lbs. I lift weights, I run, I can hang with any of the hard core chix in the aerobics classes, and I'm a practicing black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I'd like to think I'm decently muscled, reasonably fit, and more flexible than most. For me, shooting my 8½ lb. .30-'06 setup takes constant attention to my breathing, my form, and my trigger control. Anybreak in that concentrationresults in a flinch.

Most of this stems, I think, from when my fathertaught me to shoota .243 when I was 11 years old - without any hearing protection. We shot only enough to sight in (with no thought of becoming proficient from any shooting position but prone, andwith a rest), & the muzzle blast from that rifle taught me how to flinch - badly. I'm still unlearning those lessons to this day, mostly by shooting offhand with a .22lr that weighs almost 8½ lbs.

At my local range, there are tons of people out there who shoot M1's & M14's, and the majority of them flinch, some badly. There's more to marksmanship than making the gun go "bang". In my experience, pretty much all guns will do that.

The .270 and 7x57 (7mm-08) can't really be considered "ideal" for elk & moose, but it's not like they're impotent, either. A guy who can hit a 10" pie plate10 times, offhand, at 100 to 150 yards with these calibers is very likely going to bring home meat. I'll bet cash money that I could get at least 7 or 8 into the plate with my .30-'06, but I wouldn't give those same odds on a more powerful cartridge.

I think it's incumbent upon gun salespeople to discover a guy's shooting background, and to let them know that hunting game that requires a more substantialcartridge will also require lots and lots of practice. Correct practice. And if the customer's not willing to do that practice, they should be prepared to have a rough go of it in the field. People don't want to hear bad news, but the facts are the facts.


FC

tmeservey

First, i believe the man inquired about elk and moose too...not only deer size game. I love my 30-06 but believe the 300WSM is a great choice. Like i've stated before about recoil, my 06 kicks equally as hard or harder than my 300WSM.

Northernforest- A 300WSM is too much for deer??? What? So is a 150 grain bullet too much for a whitetail??? All a 300 does is increase your ballistics and energy with the same grain bullet than an 06 for a deer, right?The 06 uses the same grain bullet.So why is the same bullet too much in a 300?

DANTHEHUNTER

I would recommend the .270wsm.It is a great cartridge and has plenty ofjuice at the buisness end.I do love my .300wm but there is no way I would recommend that to a newbie.In the right rifle it tames down but the wrong one and it will scare him off.I also think the .280 would work well if the 30-06 is not right for him.

ipscshooter

FC: I'm glad I'm not the only one on the board that felt this way. My first rifle was a .30-06, when I was 14 years old and weighed, maybe 90 lbs. I didn't know much about shooting, as my dad wasn't much of an outdoors type. I got the .30-06 because a couple buddies had.308s, and I wanted somethingjust a little more powerful than they had... So my first venture into centerfire rifling was using 180 gr. '06's. I developed a nice little flinch and, now, I have to FOCUS, seriously, to keep from flinching regardless of what caliber I'm using at the range.

Hey, what type of TKD do you practice? My sons and I have all earned black belts as well. Our school was an independent, but we practiced the Chang Hon/ITF-style katas.

younggun308

Now there's a great cartridge that is wunderbaum on deer, and at less than 300 yards manages fine on elk, and, if you're accurate, moose.

I guess it would be better to get a 30-06 for a newbie, since a .300 Win Mag might be a shock to a guy.

A Limb-Saver doesn't cost $200 to put on, and I don't think anyone would need a muzzlebreak on a .300 Win Mag if he has a LimbSaver, I still think the guy could handle the .300 Win Mag's recoil if he had a LimbSaver, but I think honestly, that the 7mm Rem Mag would've been a better recommendation than the .300 Win Mag, less recoil, still plenty of power, probably the only true "all-round" North American hunting cartridge.

DM

I agree 100%.

DM