what caliber do i want?
 

hey guys im thinking about getting a new rifle(most likley either a tikka or a winchester model 70) I hunt whitetails, and black bear. there is a chance that in a couple years i could be making a trip to hunt elk or moose but i think i will get another gun for that. what would you guys recommend? also i was planning on putting a leupold vx 2 on it. my longest shot would be probably about 250 yards with the average about 100. thanks for any tips or advice you can give me.
-kyle

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

That has .260 Rem or 7mm-08 written all over it. Perfect rounds for your needs!

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

Seattleseakers.........right on!!

May I add that if you chose a .30-06, a .280 Rem, or a 7MM mag today you won' t have to buy another rifle later for the bigger stuff.

Personally I think you' re on the right track.....one for deer size and one for the big stuff.

.260 Rem or 7-08.....both very excellent

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

thanks guys. what do you think about a .308? Im looking for acuraccy. thats key for me. i was thinking about either a .308 or a .30.06. thanks again
-kyle

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

I would also go with the 7mm-08.They tend to be very accurate and recoil is mild.You just don' t need a .308" bullet for deer or black bear.

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

7mm-08:)

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

Personally I would choose a .308 or a 30-06 if I was going to be hunting 400+ pound black bears. Not saying a .260 or a 7mm-08 won' t do the job. Just my preference. Good luck with whatever you choose.

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

.35 Whelen maybe? If you reload it might fit all your needs Elk included. Just a thought.

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

The .308 and the 30-06 would be excelent choices. They are also plenty of gun to handle the elk and moose later on if you don' t have the new elk rifle at that time.

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

Kyle Hoyt,

Just one little " cross check" question. You said " new" rifle, so is there an " old" rifle? If so, then the rifle you already may have would likely influence my recommendation for the new one as I believe in " spacing out" your calibers. Amazing how there appears to be a tendency for folks to collect a group of different rifles that are (for all practical purposes) essentially suited (limited) to the same thing.

If there is no " other" rifle, then a 30-06 is a good bet. A man with a 22LR, a 12 gauge, and a 30-06 is well prepared for most of what the hunting world in the lower 48 can send his way. If you are sure you want to later acquire a larger follow up rifle for elk and moose (not a bad idea) then the choice of a .308 for now is a fine one as well. They are a pure joy for accuracy/target shooting as they are just inherently accurate and easy going.

:D:D THEN when the time comes, for elk and moose, you can get a 338WinMag --- a real *****cat of a medium bore.

Never Go Undergunned,
EKM

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

Kyle, accuracy is not dependent on caliber or cartridge except that most people can shoot small calibers easier. Certainly there' s no advantage of a .308 or .30-06 over a 7-08 or a .260 in accuracy.

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

Why not give the .270 Winchester or the .308 a close look. Relative low recoil and good accuracy!

Take care,
Boltaction

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

Kyle,

If inherent accuracy/target shooting were the sole criteria, then I wouldn' t recommend the 30-06 at all (nor the 338WinMag for that matter -- both are just plain good hunting cartridges). I can' t speak from a personal perspective regarding 260' s or 7mm-08' s -- seems like a lot of folks do like them.

Caliber and cartridge unrelated to accuracy? All cartridges created equal when it comes to accuracy? I guess it could be, but I don' t think so. At least in my world some are easy, not picky what you feed them, and they close in on the bullseye like they WANT to. Others, like a 220 Swift I once had (and I wasn' t alone) were just the opposite. Most the ranges I frequent, the 308 boys whip butt on a pretty regulation basis. The U.S. military uses it as a sniper rifle as do many SWAT/Tactical teams, and now even the Slav' s --- perhaps I have been misled. You will have to judge that to your own satisfaction:

FYI, as a starting point
Go to Google
Enter:
" .308" and " rifle" and " record"
" .260" and " rifle" and " record"
" 7mm-08" and " rifle" and " record"
or
" XXX Cartridge" and " rifle" and " record"

Thumb through the pedigrees. It may provide an interesting starting point. .308 has been around longer so that will skew things some in its favor but I think its target/accuracy credentials are quite respectable. I' ll stand by the " .308/friendly/accurate/joy" comment. It was not intended (and still isn' t intended) to " put down" the .260 or 7mm-08 in any way. Ultimately it' s your choice.

BTW, was there another rifle that you already own?

Good Hunting,
EKM

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

I would opt for a smaller caliber for deer, and maybe a larger caliber later. How about a 25-05, .257, .260, or .270.

You could go with a 30-06...I just personally don' t feel that it' s enough for moose. Others will disagree, and they may be right, but I' ve been witness to several moose shot...and like I said, I would opt for a larger caliber.

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

There are plenty of good choices for your needs but personally I' de buy the tikka in 7mm-08 now & a m70 winchester in 300wsm when I wanted to hunt game bigger than deer.

I think the 7mm-08 is a very accurate cartridge & plenty of gun for deer,I have a tikka & love all of it.

Good luck

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

You have some good choices listed. I would look at a .270 Win or a 7mm Rem Mag.The 35 Whelen is another fine round that would fit your needs.The 30-06 is a good all around cartridge with so many different bullet weights available.
Ruger Redhawk

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

a 308 or 3006 are great choices......ive dropped deer with both...and both will stand up to a black bear im sure........and elk...and maybe moose i dont know though they are big! i mean a good shot from a 3006 it wont live forever....a 308 is a great deer round....not to big....but not to small.....i rather have a gun i know will do the job then one that is kinda iffy.......and i dont wanna be shootin no 600lb black bear with a 260 or 7mm-08...i mean....they can probally do it.......but i wouldnt want to chance it.....them bullets are kinda small imo...........gold luck.....

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

well i think i have decided on the .308. in either a win. model 70 feather weight or a remington 700 mountain. with either a vx ll or vx lll 2-7x. what do you guys think? i dont plan on shooting a moose or elk with it. i think that i will buy another gun for that like a .300 win mag or somthing along that line. do you think that a .308 isa big enough for an elk though if i were to use it? just wondering what you guys think about this setup? thanks again i really appreciate it.
-kyle

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

The .308 is a great choice. Personally, I would opt for the Winchester over the Rem.

As far as elk goes it is plenty enough gun for elk. Factory premium ammo with a controled expansion bullet like a partition, failsafe, TBBC in either 165 or 180 grain will kill any elk out there. In my elk hunting camp I use a .270, my brother uses a .308. we also have two 30-06' s and my father uses a 7mm mag. None of us have ever had a problem harvesting an elk with any of these rifles.

If you were going to buy a new rifle for elk and moose then I would opt for a 338. No sence in having two 30 cal. rifles. I fall along the same line of thought as EKM in that until you have many many rifles you should spread out he calibers to cover a wider range of game.

Good luck with your new rifle.

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

The winchester featherweight is a fine rifle, but I' d opt for a 30-06 over the 308. The 30-06 does everything the 308 does only better, and there' s not been the person invented who could tell the difference in recoil between the two. If short actions get you giddy then get a 300 WSM, it' s a 30-06 on steroids.

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

All good choices! Put all the ingredients together and you will come out with a.........
7MM-08:D

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

Kyle,
Attempt #3:
Do you own another centerfire rifle?
EKM

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

Actually I can. I bet you Seattlesetters can too.

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

sorry i forgot to answer about my old gun. i dont have one. i used my dad' s 30.06 and now i think i need my own.

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

frizzellr - I most certainly can. I can tell the difference between a 7mm-08 and a .260 Rem, too. If I had to pick, I' d go with the .260 becasue it will do anything the others can do and it does have less recoil.

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

ELKAMPMASTER Couldn' t agree more [:-]

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

I hunt regularly with both the .308 and the 30-06. Two things, first there is a difference between the felt recoil of a .308 and 30-06, second (oh here comes the fight) there' s never been a more accurate production round made than the .308. It (if I' m not mistaken) has surpassed the 30-06 in high power records. As far as a hunting round they both are about equal at moderate ranges on all but the largest of game animals.

As to your choice of rifles - you can' t go wrong with a Win 70 F/W. I personally have one in .308 with a Kahles 3X9 on it. Very accurate rifle and a pleasure to shoot and tote. Though lighter it has the feel of a full size rifle, which IMO the Rem. lacks.

In sum I' d go with the Win 70 F/W in .308 as an all around rifle.

RE: what caliber do i want?
 

.22, 12 Ga. ,223 and 300 WSM would take care of everything in North America. I would settle for an 06 or 270 for my big rifle but many think you must have a magnum.
I do not much bird hunting any more but I still consider my shotgun the best home defense option. Although I have other guns I could get along with my 22, 12GA 22-250 and either my 257 Roberts or my 6.5x55 Swede. I would keep the Marlin 45-70 for a possible moose or Bear hunt.