Two Questions Caliber and Scope
 

Sorry if this seems repetitive.

I won Remington 700 SPS .270 in a gun raffle. When I pick the gun up, i'm going to first see if I can get it in a .308. My only other rifle is a 30/30. My dad has an '06 so I don't want that, I can always use his if I need it and he isn't using it. I want my own longer range .30 rifle. I think the 30/30 and the .308 combo will do me good for years. What do you think about this? Or should I stick with the .270?

I will be using the rifle mostly for Deer in PA, WV. MAYBE one day bear or a trip out west.

I know that the rule of thumb is to spend as much if not more on the scope as the rifle. Well the Rifle is 500 dollars.

I took a look at the 400 dollar Leupold's and asked the man behind the counter what he recommend. I told him I would one day like to go out west. So he recommended the Nikon Buckmaster 4.5 x 14 x 40 for 299.99. I actually liked it better then the comparable Leupold which was 399.99. So then I asked, what if I just do Deer in PA. He then recommended the Nikon ProStaff 3x9x40 for 159.99. I really like the BDC(i think thats is) circles in the scope.

My scope question: What you guys recommend for my rifle scope. I budgeted 400 for the scope so price isn't the issue. But for some reason I liked the ProStaff better for what I need it for. Is Nikon a good scope?


Thanks in advance.

Z

RE: Two Questions Caliber and Scope
 

The 270 isn't my fav but it sure is an excelent cartridge for deer sized animials! As for Leupold, i have nothing but good things to say about them when it comes to a tough reliable scope... And i'm of the opinion, when it comes to hunting,if you can't hit it on 9X then you are shooting too damn far!!!

DM

RE: Two Questions Caliber and Scope
 

I suspect that the .270 will do all of the things you've listed as well, or better than a .308. The .270 is a bit flatter shooting for the "out west" trip for Mule deer or speed-goats. The .308 might have a slight edge if you go for elk, because you can use a 165 - 180 grain bullet. But, for whitetails, you could put your .270, your dad's .30-06 and a .308 in a dark closet, reach in, pick one, and you're good to go... All three are superb whitetail rifles.

For what it's worth, I walked up and down the shooting line at the local gun range before last deer season, to see what everyone was shooting. There were about 30 guys, and at least half had .270's. The rest were pretty evenly divided... .243's, a .25-06, a few .30-06's, 7mm-08's, and some new .270 & .300 short mags. But, by far, the .270 Win was the most popular.

RE: Two Questions Caliber and Scope
 

Have you looked at the Burris signature series. I have at least 8 Leupolds and 3 Burris scopes. The Burris is a real rock solid scope. It has a posi lock feature that maintains zero year after year. I have not touched my elk rifles scope in three years of elk hunting with plane rides and at least 15 times at the range shooting a ton of 300 WSM handloads. I really like it.

John

RE: Two Questions Caliber and Scope
 

You can't go wrong with a leupold vari-xIII. I have one on all my rifles, and I think they are about the best you can get for the money. Great durability, great warranty, great glass. You won't be disappointed.

As for the caliber question, it's a toss up in my opinion.

RE: Two Questions Caliber and Scope
 

Me personally, I am a big fan of the .308, but since you already have access to a .30 cal in your dads gun, stick to the .270. Lots of rifles get bought for that one day out west trip, that generally doesn't come for another 10 years, and in many cases never. That isn't to discourage you from trying to go. Right now, I am one of the guys that says one day.... although a Kodiak Alaska trip is in the works. As for the scope. I have shot thousands of rounds of .308 with the Nikon Buckmaster.I used it to take a few prairie dogs at 600+.a do mean a few.(only one day on thedogtown) it was just more enjoyable to kill more at 300-400. Anhow, I thought that it was fantastic. IMHO better than alot of high priced jobs that I have shot with at the range. I would surely reccommend it. DM makes a good point in the scope power, though I personally like to bring that target nice and close before I shot. Just personal preferance.

RE: Two Questions Caliber and Scope
 

I would opt for the .308 but I wouldn't have a problem taking the .270 both good cartridges but the .308 has more ammo options available and can shoot heavier bullets.

As for the scope I'm of the opposite opinion of most and think that Leupold isn't a good value for the money. Take a look at the swift line of scopes and yes the Nikon scopes are really nice from what I can tell.

Tom

RE: Two Questions Caliber and Scope
 

I do have the .30 in my dads gun, but honestly, I dont' think i've ever taken a rifle hunting with me that my dad wasn't with me, and the '06 is his baby so that is what he always carries. I was thinking .308 because if we both go on a hunt where we need .30 cals we'd be set.

Plus for an in between gun for my 30/30 and .308 i was think of a 7mm-8. One day.......but thats another topic.

I won the .270, so if Gander Mtn doesn't let me trade calibers I wont be upset...buuuutttt if they do....i dn't know why i have my heart set on a .308....

thoughts?

RE: Two Questions Caliber and Scope
 

Consider a 300 Remington Ultra Mag

Use Remington Ammo:
Series One - Approximates 30-06 performance.
Series Two - Approximates 300WinMag performance.
Series Three - Full blown Ultra Mag

Grow as you go.
Dial it up or down according to where you hunt and what you hunt.

270 was my first centerfire rifle.... never was that impressed with it, it was o-k-a-y but never delivered a real "wow" performance for me, well.... okay, it was spectacular on prairie dogs.

RE: Two Questions Caliber and Scope
 

.270 is great as is .308. I'd prefer the .308 but that's just me. Either will certainly do. As far as scopes, I like Leupys, but there are many other very good brands out there at reasonable prices. To name a few... Zeiss Conquest, Sightron Big Sky, Burris Fullfield II, Bushnell Elite 4200 and Weaver Grand Slam. Good luck in your selection.