cabage

I' m new to the forum and looking for a new rifle for deer hunting in wisconsin. I currently have a 870 express magnum with field and rifled barrel. Now it' s time to add a rifle. I' ve hunted with a .35rem (model 42 i think) for a couple of seasons and know that it' s potential is under 100 yds. Point being i am presented with shots over 100 yards and would like to be able to make action on these oppurtunites. Before i decied what brand of rifle i want i thought that it might be wise to narrow down a caliber. I was looking at (and i stress looking, as i have no experience with any other than .35rem and .308win, unfortunately i didn' t have the chance to wittnes it' s performance first hand, the .308 that is).270 .280 .30 06 .300 mag .308 .7mm' s ect. What are your preferences or recomendations? I' m pretty open to suggestion. I have also been presented with oppurtunities to partake in an elk hunt. With that in mind i would expect it to narrow choices right?
Thanks
ak

JJWIII

Six of one and half a dozen of the other as far as all cartidges that you have mentioned. The only thing I will say other than that is that if you are a recoil shy individual then you would probably want to avoid the magnums(300 WIN mag and 7mm REM. mag). Good luck.

RedAllison

I' ve said it for years. The 7mag Rem is the workin mans, " One gun for the North American Continent" . You cant go wrong with it. Various 140-150 grain bullets will more than stop deer under 400yds. Various 150-160 grainers will do up to elk and moose. And if you wanted to, you could take browns with 160-175s (but most people with the cheese for chasing grizzs/browns have the dough for an extra rifle and pick something from a 338 or better).

I have a 7mag because I NEEDED it, all my other rifles are because I WANTED them!
RA

seattlesetters

If you like the 7mm (.284 cal), you can hunt just about anything that isn' t dangerous with a .280 Rem or a 7mm-08 Rem. Both are awesome cartridges and neither presents much of a recoil problem.

Ruger-Redhawk

Welcome cabage to the forum.The 7mm is a flat shooting cartridge.I think if I were in your position wanting to buy my first hunting rifle I' d go for the 30-06.There are so many different cartridges and different bullet weights available for it,that makes it a very versatile round.It can be used on probably any North America species. Sure there are other cartridges with more power, flatter shooting,but the 30-06 is probably the best all around cartridge .That' s just my opinion. If I could only own one high power rifle I' d have to go with the 06.
Ruger Redhawk

akbound

Cabage,

I think I would first decide on the action type, length & weight, and any other features that I really liked. I know you said you might want to use it for Elk and some shooting at over 100 yards on deer where you currently hunt. Within these parameters there are " many" options.

Would you prefer a " short" , " standard" , or " magnum" action? Will your rifle be used for " quick shooting opportunities" or more deliberate shots? Will you be standind (ie. sitting), walking, or in some other way transporting your rifle frequently? Do you prefer wood and blue steel, stainless and synthetic, or laminated, etc.? After you have answered these questions then go about selecting the most appropriate caliber that meets your other needs!

There are many calibers that overlap in function. Many can do well what you seem to be asking of them. Some of them are only available in one " format" or another. So by determining your other " needs and likes" before you pick the caliber you may well narrow down the field. Just about any of the common calibers between .270 Winchester to .30-06 Springfield will meet the needs you outlined above. (Consider short action calibers if you want a shorter, handier, rifle.) And there are a few cartridges " outside" that range that will also work well. For instance a .358 Winchester in Browning' s Model 81, or the .350 Remington Magnum in Remington' s 673, or the 9.3X62 in CZ' s Mauser bolt....(just to name a few).

There are many options available. If you have your heart set on 7' s you still have most of the same options:

Short action: 7mm-08, 7mmWSM, 7mm SAUM

Standard action: 7X57mm, .280 Remington

Magnum action: 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm Weatherby Mag, (and many other current, newer long 7' s such as Ultra Mag, STW, Lazzeroni, etc.)

And there are some more obsurce 7' s for those willing to look!

But my advice is to pick your favorite rifle and type.....then pick the caliber you like that fits the rifle and meets your needs!

Have fun.....and good luck!

JagMagMan

If you are recoil shy, the 7MM-08 does a great job on deer and can be used on elk if you don' t push the range too far.
If you don' t mind a little recoil, the 7MM Rem. magwill take anything in North America, short of the big bears.
The .280 is a 7MM also and worth looking at if you don' t want the " magnum" label.
Good Luck!

stubblejumper

I would choose the 7mmremmag over the 30-06 due to it' s flatter trajectory.

cabage

Thanks for your reply' s guys. As to the action type, i was considering short action. My father purchased a browning abolt in .300wsm and it seemed to fit well, the palm swell and thumb tang felt good and i could definately see how the 60 degree bolt throw could come in handy. The recoil didn' t seem too bad, definitly not as harsh as my 870 with 3 inchers. Since i' m a college kid i' m probably gonna go with the cheapest yet quality stock/barrel combination that i can find. I do an amount of sitting, but also my fair share of walking, so weight and manuverability would be a concern.
Also, i' m going in for arthoscopic surgery today, so there is a possibilty that i may miss this season and have a whole nother year to decide my mind.
thanks again

Ruger-Redhawk

Cabage, Good luck on your surgery today.Since you' re in college and funds aren' t plentiful I would suggest looking at Savage rifles.No frills but very accurate rifles. The caliber is up to you to decide.Let us know how your surgery went.
Ruger Redhawk