okboarhunter

i would get a .270 or 300 mag.


and i would definatly get a
savage rifle.

The .270 will do good on deer and mjule deer even Elk if you place your shots right... If we were only allowed to have have one gun I would pick the .270... Personally I'm not v ery fond of the 30-06.
As for the 300 win mag its good on deer-moose size game no questions asked...

SDK

Nope- Just want to know about the newer choices avalable now. I have nothing in particular against the idea of getting a 30.06, and it seems there are some definite advantages like ammo selection. My primary goal is to get a rifle that I can use for a couple of years until my two kids are out of daycare, which is sucking $1,400 a month out of my wallet

Just to clarify, I have "up to" $1,500 if necessary, but am not looking to spend that much if I don't have to. I am also definitely keeping my eye open for a used gun.

It looks like Savage has some good options in the calibers I'm interested in for significantly less than that. I can get one here for less than $400 out the door.

Hometheaterman- I agree on the scope thing, and have always done well in the $300ish range. Good rings, holding zero and simplicity are what I like. I'm probably looking at either a fixed 4x or 2x with a zoom.

Is there an article someone can link me to, or can someone briefly explain the ballistic differences/ pros and cons between some of the different calibers? I see a lot of you recommending the 270, 30.06, 300 wsm, 7mm mg etc, but not explaining exactly why. I know that here in the NW, I can expect to be making longer shots than I had to back east.

Big Z

In general, you want a bullet with a good sectional density (for penetration) and ballistic coefficient (for wind resistance). You want a cartridge to be powerful, so the bullet has a flatter trajectory and can put more energy onto the target. Personally, I'm a fan of the combination of these factors in 26, 28, and 30 caliber bullets. From then on, the difference will be the cartridge it's loaded in. Larger ones have more powder so are more powerful. Long action rifles also tend to be more available with longer barrels. Longer barrels burn more powder and give a velocity increase. That's comparison in a nutshell. To get into the physics and such of it all I've attached some links.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_coefficient
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sectional_density
http://www.chuckhawks.com/want_better_sd.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trajectory

vabyrd

30-06. It's the cartridge that EVERYTHING else is compared to. Factory loads from 125 grains to 220. Buy a Tikka in Stainless, Talley steel mounts, and a Leupold VX II 3X9.

Done.

SDK

Big Z- Thanks for the detailed response and links, which were very interesting. I understand the science behind the ballistics, and think what I'm asking for may be a bit more difficult to quantify, so let me rephrase:

For those who have replied and said they really like a certain caliber, why? Is there a practical reason? Certain terrain, less recoil, feels better, you have an awesome handload for that particular cartridge, etc???

I'm more curious at this point and thought it could make for an interesting thread. I'm going to go with the 30.06 for the first gun for all of the reasons mentioned here, and really like the idea of it being an all purpose backup gun at some point.

I think my plan now is to eventually get three game rifles. Something in the .243 to 270 range for small deer and hogs, something in the magnum range for elk and larger, then bring the 30.06 that can back up just about anything. Any thoughts on this plan or why you like a certain caliber???

driftrider

With $1500 to spend, you've got a lot of options open to you and it won't be too hard finding a good rifle and scope to fit that budget. I'm going to echo the suggestion for the .30-06. It's more than capable of taking any non-dangerous game animal in N. America. Most of the better factory rifles run in the $700-1000 range. Get yourself a Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40mm scope, which run about $500, and you're all set for at or less than the $1500 you have to spend.

Mike

Dan480Man

I love a rack full of guns. If I had to choose one for all though, I'd be my 30-06.

I know the oughtsix can be "vanilla" at times, when you have some neat odd-balls and
wildcats standing there.
Still...like someone elluded to above, the 30-06 is sort of the 44mag of the rifle world. In that any new big game cartridge, will eventually have to stand up and be compared to it.

If you really did some cypherin' , shoppin' and calcalatin', you should be able to squeeze several rifles out of $1500 though.
Ever looked at a TC Contender/ Encore?

deerhunter518

i like the 7mm rem mag. u can hunt about anything with it. its recoil is about that of an -06. it shoots flatter which means shoots further. you can find a savage 7mag that comes with a scope for about $500 i do suggest changing the scope to a good brand ie. leupold or the like

rjhans53

Unless you reload I'd go with the 06 for my only gun. Every gun shop has ammo and different weight bullets. Ammo is cheaper than anything else that has been mentioned (although you can get some really pricey stuff). MY go to gun is a 308, just something about it trips my trigger and with bullet weights up to 165-168 I get as good as performance as an 06.

Swampdog

That's pretty much my take on caliber.I have several rifles and my "go to" is a win. model 70 in 7mm rem.mag.Just because I shoot it more and know it so well.


If you really don't want to spend the $1500.I would probably go with the Savage .Saw a Savage Package deal in a flyer from Dicks Sporting goods for $300.00 (had The detachable mag. model for $400.00.Get Whatever caliber you want ( As long as it is 7 rem mag...LOL)just kidding.Then you have a good dependable rifle that should shoot very well out of the box to hunt with until you figure out and get set up for what you really want. Just remember FIT and FEEL over FINISH and FANCY.That can come later.Just my .02 for what it's worth.