Having a hard time deciding on caliber.....
10-29-2011, 04:24 PM
#21
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 360
I still say go with a 280, of the choices listed. Nice selection of bullets, and its not the same vanilla caliber that every realtree outdoor fashion bug shoots. Its still available, and if you reload, you wont have a problem finding brass, or bullets. In reality, bullets for the 270, 280(7mm), and '06 are all capable of killing deer or elk, no matter what some hunting magazine will feed you. Its one of those things, you must use common sense on. If you only went off numbers, a bullet for the 45/70 couldnt kill a fox. Most of know that is far from true. To argue over who's SD and BC is better, well we are all splitting hairs,lol.
As for penetration and blood trails, I prefer full penetration and an exit. 2 holes is always better then one, and with the right gun, the exit hole bleeds better then the entry hole. Honestly though, I dont know first hand. My 7mm mag blows thru both sides, leaves half the blood of the deer on the backside on the ground, and a dead deer laying there, every time. Piggys are a different breed, and honestly, if you are dealing with 400lb boars, I prefer something that makes a bigger hole and penetrates, over the small caliber guns. 45/70, or 375H&H comes to mind. Hits hard, puts holes thru them, and helps take the fight out, even with a 'plate, under their hide.
I still stand by my other posts, in that going with such a light gun, if you are physically able, is just putting you thru more recoil then needed for an '06 sized gun. Get a standard hunting weight rifle, unless you are hunting goats, and not worry so much about these details. Thats time you could be spending scouting, or hunting, or shooting at the range!
As for penetration and blood trails, I prefer full penetration and an exit. 2 holes is always better then one, and with the right gun, the exit hole bleeds better then the entry hole. Honestly though, I dont know first hand. My 7mm mag blows thru both sides, leaves half the blood of the deer on the backside on the ground, and a dead deer laying there, every time. Piggys are a different breed, and honestly, if you are dealing with 400lb boars, I prefer something that makes a bigger hole and penetrates, over the small caliber guns. 45/70, or 375H&H comes to mind. Hits hard, puts holes thru them, and helps take the fight out, even with a 'plate, under their hide.
I still stand by my other posts, in that going with such a light gun, if you are physically able, is just putting you thru more recoil then needed for an '06 sized gun. Get a standard hunting weight rifle, unless you are hunting goats, and not worry so much about these details. Thats time you could be spending scouting, or hunting, or shooting at the range!
10-30-2011, 01:48 PM
#23
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 6,575
Was just wandering around Kimber's website...
they chamber the montana in .25-06, 270win, 280AI, 30-06 all at about 5lbs-10oz!
and the .308 class cartridges at 5lbs-2oz!
has me curious...I've heard good and bad things about kimber's though...
they chamber the montana in .25-06, 270win, 280AI, 30-06 all at about 5lbs-10oz!
and the .308 class cartridges at 5lbs-2oz!
has me curious...I've heard good and bad things about kimber's though...
Last edited by salukipv1; 10-30-2011 at 04:04 PM.
10-30-2011, 06:34 PM
#26
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Northeast Texas
Posts: 442
About Kimbers....yes, they do make some wonderfully light and trim rifles. Their owners are very loyal and quick to defend their rifle.
Having dealt with Hill Country Rifles lately, I have this to say about my limited experience with them...Hill Country can "accurize" your rifle and give you a sub 1 MOA guarentee. Most accurized rifles I've seen fall closer to 1/2 MOA. There are only a handfull of rifles that HCR won't give a sub MOA guarentee to, and Kimber is one of them.
The last Kimber Montana I picked up felt like it was going to fall apart in my hands. Every part of it rattled. Very dissapointing.
As to the. 308 question (or all other short action suggestions)...I'm sure they're all fantastic. Hell, I remember ready SEVERAL articles about how the 7mm-08 was considered the ULTIMATE whitetail deer round.
I just grew up shooting the 06' family of cartrides and later added in the 7 mags and 300 mags. I guess I'm just more confident in them, and a lot of that has to do with my lack of hunting experience with short action calibers.
Having dealt with Hill Country Rifles lately, I have this to say about my limited experience with them...Hill Country can "accurize" your rifle and give you a sub 1 MOA guarentee. Most accurized rifles I've seen fall closer to 1/2 MOA. There are only a handfull of rifles that HCR won't give a sub MOA guarentee to, and Kimber is one of them.
The last Kimber Montana I picked up felt like it was going to fall apart in my hands. Every part of it rattled. Very dissapointing.
As to the. 308 question (or all other short action suggestions)...I'm sure they're all fantastic. Hell, I remember ready SEVERAL articles about how the 7mm-08 was considered the ULTIMATE whitetail deer round.
I just grew up shooting the 06' family of cartrides and later added in the 7 mags and 300 mags. I guess I'm just more confident in them, and a lot of that has to do with my lack of hunting experience with short action calibers.
10-31-2011, 03:29 AM
#27
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 970
The 308 caliber is another short cartridge option. The 7mm08 and 243 are necked down versions of the 308 after all.
Trust me, if all you want to hunt is everything under the size of an elk, all three of those calibers, as well as what you listed, are perfectly capable of taking your game.
My father started out using a 30-06 after he got out of the military in the early 70s. Yeah, for a change he used a .44 mag rifle, but the 30-06 was his primary rifle. He took many deer with the gun, and then moved to a .270 about 15 years ago. He made the change from his heavy semi-auto 30-06 to a lighter bolt action .270 and took many deer with his A-Bolt.
Then, because he wanted a lighter kicking gun, and new backup rifle, he bought a .243 that he made his primary gun last year. The buck he shot last year was just as dead with a shot from the .243 as with a round from the other two rifles he's used.
If you are not worried about bigger game, then you can choose from such a wide variety of calibers that are honestly equally good for taking most North American game it's not even funny.
Of the three calibers you are considering, I'd go .270 if you don't reload your own ammo. If you reload then go with the .280. The one nice thing about some calibers is that if you forget/lose your ammo then you can to any store that sells ammunition and be back in the woods in relatively no time. Which is a downside of the .280 at this time being not as popular as some other cartridges.
Trust me, if all you want to hunt is everything under the size of an elk, all three of those calibers, as well as what you listed, are perfectly capable of taking your game.
My father started out using a 30-06 after he got out of the military in the early 70s. Yeah, for a change he used a .44 mag rifle, but the 30-06 was his primary rifle. He took many deer with the gun, and then moved to a .270 about 15 years ago. He made the change from his heavy semi-auto 30-06 to a lighter bolt action .270 and took many deer with his A-Bolt.
Then, because he wanted a lighter kicking gun, and new backup rifle, he bought a .243 that he made his primary gun last year. The buck he shot last year was just as dead with a shot from the .243 as with a round from the other two rifles he's used.
If you are not worried about bigger game, then you can choose from such a wide variety of calibers that are honestly equally good for taking most North American game it's not even funny.
Of the three calibers you are considering, I'd go .270 if you don't reload your own ammo. If you reload then go with the .280. The one nice thing about some calibers is that if you forget/lose your ammo then you can to any store that sells ammunition and be back in the woods in relatively no time. Which is a downside of the .280 at this time being not as popular as some other cartridges.
11-06-2011, 03:02 PM
#29
Schoolcraft,
Obviously, you're insane for starting another 270/30-06 thread (I wonder how many there are in the world). I will give you praise for providing the answer to your question though. You know deep down that what you REALLY want is a 280.
Let's be honest, you'll have a harder time finding bullets that don't work than ones that do. The 280 just sets the others gently aside in the debate, because the bullets still perform just as well, though the BCs are often superior. You might as well take that extra little edge for having fun at long range. Plus, 280s are cool. Who wants a 270? Yikes. And a 30-06? That's like saying you wish you were working in a cubicle, listening to a recorded political debate on your cassette walkman. I know a guy with a 270 AND a 30-06. Unbelievable. And to think, he's one of my best friends!! You better watch out. Somebody you know could have both of those as well.
Enjoy your new 280!!
Obviously, you're insane for starting another 270/30-06 thread (I wonder how many there are in the world). I will give you praise for providing the answer to your question though. You know deep down that what you REALLY want is a 280.
Let's be honest, you'll have a harder time finding bullets that don't work than ones that do. The 280 just sets the others gently aside in the debate, because the bullets still perform just as well, though the BCs are often superior. You might as well take that extra little edge for having fun at long range. Plus, 280s are cool. Who wants a 270? Yikes. And a 30-06? That's like saying you wish you were working in a cubicle, listening to a recorded political debate on your cassette walkman. I know a guy with a 270 AND a 30-06. Unbelievable. And to think, he's one of my best friends!! You better watch out. Somebody you know could have both of those as well.
Enjoy your new 280!!But I do agree with your comments on the 30-06 LOL
