Favorite Big Game Rifle and Why?
 

This is always kind of fun to do and I often learn about a rifle I hadn't looked at before. I'm partial to Browning, Tikka and older Winchesters but am always curious if something is better or just performs a whole lot smoother with the bolt, etc.

Best big game rifle (deer, bear, elk, moose, antelope, etc.) under $1,000 and why?


Budget category--Same big game rifle under $500 and why?


Over $1,000 and why?

The first that comes to mind is the .308 Winchester. It will work splendidly on whitetails – I’ve done that – and its sufficient for moose – I’ve done that, too. It’s compact and allows for a properly sized rifle with an ample magazine capacity. With good bullets, 20 inches of penetration is easily obtained, even with 2x bullet expansion. When properly zeroed it will allow you to hold dead on out to just the other side of 300 yards. And, in an 8-pound rifle it will generate less than 20 ft./lbs. of free recoil energy.

An 8-inch kill zone is a reasonable average for North American big game animals. From a trajectory standpoint, the 308 should allow you to hold in the center of this kill zone out to 300 yards and still hit it, even in a moderate cross wind. Given reasonable shot angles, for a bullet to pass through the vitals of all North American big game animals, from pronghorn to moose, it should be capable of penetrating 18 to 20 inches in 10 percent ordnance gelatin. To maximize tissue destruction the bullet should also expand between 1.5 and 2 times its original diameter.

Long cartridges increase rifle length and weight. Fat cartridges diminish magazine capacity. Long and fat cartridges do both. And some magnum cartridges need long barrels to really be magnums. What’s ideal? Eight pounds is a good target weight for a field ready rifle and 40 inches or less is a reasonable length. You must shoot once and a coup de grace might be needed. You also might miss, so you need at least three shots. And, since you never want an empty rifle, capacity must be four or more. That is why this caliber is my choice in the field.

a weatherby 340 mag, It originally had a wood stock, I swapped to synthetic as soon as they were available,I purchased the synthetic stainless version as soon as they came out also
both rifles make the trip most years.
250 grain bullet at 2850 fps , consistently accurate, and I can,t remember needing a second shot on anything in over 38 years
yeah its a bit heavy, at about 10 lbs with scope, but if an extra couple lbs keeps you from visiting the next canyon your in crappy physical shape,
I'm 70 and while I'm slower Im just as persistent and a good deal more skilled and knowledgable than I was when I was 23 and bought the rifle
and its been on far more successful hunts than many guys will ever make,
if the targets inside of 500 yards its in serious trouble. Ive yet to see a deer or elk shake off a single hit!

I would have saved a wheelbarrow full of cash if Id stopped buying new rifles trying to find something better.... never did!

I suppose my favorite, by default of having taken most of my game with it.... Is a Remington 700 .30-06. it just plain works for me from 0-400 yards. And I'm sure it would work farther if I put in the work.

My current favorites though are Savage 99s. I have a .300 sav and a .375 Winchester that I plan to use this year.



-Jake

Under $500, it's a Sears model 53 in .270 Winchester. It was made for sears by Winchester and is a rebranded model 70. It just works for me on everything from black bear/deer all the way down to coyotes on a cattle ranch (thou shalt take out any coyote you see).
Under $1K, it's a Belgium made Browning BAR in .338 Winchester. It works wonders on elk and moose.

30-.06 Springfield

I like my browning xbolt in 308 .

I like my ruger no.1

when selecting the best rifle and caliber for the application I've always felt the characteristics that held the most weight should be
(1) will the rifle and caliber allow you to effectively kill the game, your hunting, with a shot /projectile capable of passing completely through the game, from ANY REASONABLE angle and range
(2) can the user accurately place shots rapidly from any reasonable field position and range.
(3) recoil levels should not intimidate the user from quickly attaining a field position
(4) total dependability
Ive always asked myself, would this rifle.work if I jump an elk in thick timber at 30-40 yards,
as well as it will if I see the elk of a life time walking over a ridge at 300-350 yards with only seconds to make a shot?

CZ Model 550 American in 9.3x62 Mauser. Hits hard, shoots accurately, moderate recoil and I can use it for anything I can see myself hunting from here on out.

CZ Model 550 American in 9.3x62 Mauser.
is exactly what one of my hunting friends selected to use after his son,
appropriated his 35 whelen , 1917 endfield bolt action, he had used for decades

My SAKO Model 75, chambered in 30-06, with a synthetic stock...because it can stand up to the elements and is accurate. Though the detachable magazine clip ejector lever is a bit too easy to trip --- so much that when I go hunting...I duct tape the bottom of the metal magazine to the stock. That's the major reason why the SAKO Model 85 was developed.

My favorite is definitely my Marlin Guide Gun .45-70. It has done everything I've asked of it, is a joy to carry, hits like a truck and is plenty accurate enough for 95% of my rifle hunting.
If I know I may be shooting longer distances (over 150 yards) then my Tikka 30-06 will get the call every time.

For over 20 years my favorite hunting rifle was my .30 Gibbs. It started out as a .30-06, and was my first centerfire rifle. I bought it from Herter's in 1967 as a barreled action and semi-inleted stock. After I moved to Montana about 10 years later, my hunting partner showed me a .30 Gibbs case, and I thought it was soo cool, I had my .30-06 re-chambered to .30 Gibbs. That cartridge shot 180 grain bullets out at 2990 fps. which was on par with the .300 Winchester. For over 20 years that rifle kept my freezers full of elk and moose meat and my taxidermists busy.

I had my .30 Gibbs mainly for elk, so about that same time I built a .257 Ackley Improved for deer and antelope. I built this rifle from a Mauser Mark X barreled action and a Fajen semi-inleted Fancy Walnut stock. For almost 40 years, this has been my favorite rifle for deer and antelope, and I also have used it for all of my bighorn and Dall sheep, a Mountain caribou, and one of my best 6x6 bull elk.

About 10 years ago I fulfilled a long dream of having a .300 Weatherby. I bought a blued Vanguard and replaced the factory wood with AA Fancy walnut that I pillar and glass bedded, checkered, had a KDF muzzle brake installed, put a recoil reducer in the stock and gave it a Timney trigger. It now wears a Leupold VX 3i 4.5-14x40 CDS scope. It shoots a variety of 168 and 180 grain bullets MOA at over 3200 fps. It's felt recoil is less than that of my .308 Win in a similar dimensioned Vanguard. After using it with great success on hunts in Montana, Texas, South Africa, Mozambique, New Zealand, and Azerbaijan, it quickly became my most favorite rifle.

have you ever built a custom rifle , made to exactly your dream specs only to find its not exactly what you thought it might be?
if you've got a good job where you can afford to blow some cash on toys ...
and your into heavy caliber rifles...
well I had a dream of building the ultimate elk hammering rifle back several years ago..,
so I decided to build exactly what I wanted...at that time
This was a custom combo, I put together ,

I ordered a spare fibermark weatherby synthetic stock for my 340 wby rifle and a 378 wby barreled action,
(because you could not order the weatherby 378 with that stock, ....BECAUSE WEATHERBY KNEW it makes the rifle too light and recoil level, even more noticeable)
and after doing some rather extensive glass bedding, modifications, partly because of the additional recoil lug on the rear inch or so of the barrel of 378wby barreled action,
and ideally strengthening the stock work with two large pillar bed inserts and drilling the stock wrist area from the butt too the rear of the action ,
so I could insert custom bent section of 5/8" steel thread rod coated with a great deal of epoxy bedding compound too both add a bit of weight and rigidity to the stock, and then using my milling machine to groove the inner forearm , and adding two 1/4" steel thread rod sections and epoxy bedding compound, to the forearm area with a good deal more bedding compound behind the forward barrel mount, recoil lug to the bedding in the stocks forward in-letting and modifying it to fit the extra recoil lug the 378 wby action has, plus two cross bolts epoxied into the stock , one on both ends of the action bedding ,and adding a 2.5x Leopold fixed power magnification scope, and a thick recoil pad I had one really powerful rifle that weighted about 9.75 lbs .
I own several wby markV rifles and every one of them shot a bit better groups once I re-bedded then with the receivers & barrels supported for about 3" forward of the receiver, where the additional recoil lug is below the barrel,and the barrels free floated a bit off the stock forearm at least enough off the forearm to slide a dollar bill up to with-in 3" of the receiver
the rifles a bit heavy, at about 10 lbs plus with the scope,
but you really appreciate the weight as any lighter would just make the recoil even more noticeable.
I've easily got about $1900 in this rifle, (in 1990 dollars) before the scope or scope mounts, bi-pod or sling were added. but thats a screaming bargain compared to the $3000 weatherby wanted for a similar custom synthetic stocked, and bedded, 378 wby when I inquired at that time.

Now its both extremely accurate ( 1"-1.2" 3 shot groups off the bench at 100 yards are common) and...yes it kicks like a mule,...felt recoil exceeds my 458 mag,but if you know how to use a rifle sling properly and have a past recoil shield sewn into your vest its not objectionable (at least to me) most of my friends think other wise.
Even if the recoil is noticeable, its also a very effective rifle,on game, its hammered every deer (5 so far) and elk (2 so far) and yes if you absolutely want to knock an elk or any other large game silly this tends to get their attention!
While there.s absolutely no need for this level of power too be used on ELK or MOOSE, ... if your into powerful long range rifles its both impressive and very effective.
its one of those times where you get almost too much of a good thing, it absolutely hammers elk with hornady 300 grain boat tail bullets, loaded to 2900fps !!
yes it shoots really flat, and it punches thru the 1/4" steel gong at 500 yards at one local range so I can,t shoot at that gong any longer.
But the facts are that in skilled hands , and used within a reasonable range, any caliber from about a 270 Winchester-up thru a 338 win mag is going to prove to be very effective, on any elk If you can precisely place your shots, and know your games anatomy.
but if your willing to accept the harder recoil levels a 378 wby has, and use top quality bullets and practice a good deal with the rifle,you can just about ignore problems involving lack of penetration, or excessive drop, at anything approaching reasonable ranges, that may be an issue with lesser calibers, now you still need to precisely place your shots,and know your rifles trajectory, but busting thru an ELKs shoulder is hardly going to slow a 378 WBYs 300 grain bullet. enough to destroy the projectiles effectiveness..
Its also not a rifle your going to shoot from the prone position without getting the recoil levels far up past the comfort levels, most people easily tolerate or point you'll want to do that any more than you find absolutely necessary.
firing from a sitting or standing position's not too bad with a sling, being properly used , but you'll darn sure know when its gone off!
I doubt you'll fire more than 10-12 shots before your shoulder starts to bruise,and your common sense tells you to stop shooting!
but when your hunting its a non-issue because you'll seldom fire more than once or twice.
its also the reason you'll occasionally see barely used 378 wby,416 wby and 460 wby rifles for sale at decent prices that have been rarely used.

after building and using my 378 wby for a couple decades I have developed a great deal of respect for its potential, as its exceptionally accurate and shoots very flat, but I'm forced to point out that from the results I've personally seen, the 340 wby, 375 H&H and 378 wby are all excellent weapons and all three will drop an elk almost instantly with good shot placement, so the 250 grain 338 and 270 grain 375 projectiles from these rifles all do remarkably well, and there's not much gained in subjecting yourself to the recoil of the larger 378 wby, ... well other than a good camp fire conversation starter at times.

Wow Hardcast...to each his own I guess. But both myself and my friend have dropped both elk and moose where they stood with our measly 30-06s and 180 gr Barnes bullets. And while I could possibly see someone using a 338 WM on either of these critters and the bigger bears I quite honestly don't see the need for anything larger for north american game. But like I said, to each his own and if it trips your trigger more power to you. Heck I use a .45-70 for deer which is a lot more than necessary.

Your 100% correct, no one needs a 378 wby to hunt elk,
theres absolutely no need for anything larger than a 35 whelen or a 338 win mag
, Ive seen both used extensively, and effectively for decades, as I have seen other people use and have used my 340 and 300 wby.....
.and Ive used a marlin 45/70,and 35 whelen and 375 H&H.
my hunting partner for decades used nothing but a 358 win BLR,
thats not really debatable , As theres far too many guys using a 270 win or 308 win to kill deer and elk very convincingly.
that does nothing at all for the fact that a few of us,(some guys might say rifle looneys) are big bore rifle enthusiasts
Ive also hunted with a 375 H&H on many hunts, the head stamp has little to do with how effective a rifle is ,
provided its producing enough power to punch through to games vitals , from all reasonable angles and ranges.
but theres something about a big bore rifle that intrigues ,and seems to call out too, some of us.
Ive yet to see anything drop elk faster than a 340 wby, but that has certainly not limited my choices in rifles or calibers that Ive tried over the decades either.

Plus if an elephant ever charges you, you're prepared.

-Jake

My favorite is a sako 85 in 338 fed. I've shot deer and caribou with it and it's Always has done the job. With 160 barnes the velocity out of my rifle is 2875 or there abouts, It sits in a mcmillian stock that is a dupicate of the original 85 stock. I even got a deal on the stock as it was for a wsm that the guy had canceled on. But that is what they made bedding compound for. I hits hard and they never go far.

My Savage 111 in 30-06. I'm left handed and Savages are a left hander's best friend. They are affordable rifles that tend to shoot very accurately, too. In 30-06, it can pretty much do anything I ask of it.

i like my ruger 450 bushmaster then a back up would be the 45-70 but i really love to hunt with my muzzleloader. just enjoy the 1 shot 1 kill

My Marlin 45-70 for now,but I order and paid for a BLR .30-06, 22" today.

we have all spent time in rather senseless debates, about what rifle caliber or bullet weight is better, or what rifle design or action type is best.
we all are convinced our choices are the best ones, and everyone else is making a mistake,
after watching guys in our hunt club over decades, its all too obvious too me at least that its not the rifle or cartridge selected as much as the,
skill and experience of the guy who is using it that maters.
I've watched one guys dad who is even older than I am convincingly kill several elk with a 257 Roberts with a single shot each time.
I've come to really like using a 340 wby, 375 H&H, and 450 marlin, I can,t remember needing a second shot in 4 decades,
most of the guys think I'm a bit odd, and most use as they always have, a 308 win, 30/06 or 35 whelen.
a few guys like the 358 win, those are by far the more popular choices.....
Originally I was sure my rifle choices made a huge improvement, and for me it instills 100% confidence.
but it does not seem to make a bit of difference... what does make a difference is attitude and persistence!
If anyone really paid any real attention, its been obvious, for decades,
its the guys who are willing to get their butts up and out of camp, and spend every available minute of daylight out in the field,
the guys who spend off season weekends at the range,
and guys that buy and bring topo maps and aerial photos of the areas we hunt,to camp,
the guys who are willing to keep in decent physical condition,rather than try to get back in shape the week before,
we take the trip out west, that are consistently more successful.
Im certainly not suggesting a 30/30 and a 340 wby have similar power or range,
but in the hands of a skilled hunter, who knows his rifles limitations, and selected it,
and is willing to work with-in that equipment's limitations,
either choice, works well.

Maybe it is just a Chuck thing, but I like to match my rifle to the game being hunted. Sure shot placement is the key.
But having said that, many of my shots are through and through with my .308 or 30-06. Maybe the voodoo of hydro static shock plays a roll? Hydro static shock just doesn't seem to work as well on Hogs as it does Deer. Somehow I tend to think anything on the far side of the Deer or Hog is wasted energy.
My 35 Remington rarely goes through a Hog, 200 grain round nose soft point bullets will stagger any Hog I've ever shot, which makes a second shot possible if necessary. Where as often as not my .308 goes right through and just lights the after burners unless I get lucky, very few DRT with Hogs. Most of my shots are when they are crossing, so a fine lay is problematic. And often they are very few yards from a ripe grain field. Knocking them down before they get into the grain makes finding them a whole lot easier.
There is always a fine line between knocking them down and destroying meat, which is another consideration.

Picked up my new BLR 30.06 today. Gift from the wife for Xmas and birthday.

I think your going to find its an impressive and accurate rifle!
I know two other guys with similar 30/06 blr rifles , both guys love theirs,
once they found the load that worked best for them.
WW760, powder, (54 grains is what I use)
IMR 4831
and H414
imr 4350
are all , with a fed 215 primer and a speer 165 grain is a popular combo

https://www.speer-ammo.com/products/...le-bullet/2034
http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=30-06%20Springfield&Weight=All&type=rifle&Source

What a woman!!!

I watched a 7 point fall to a .300wsm BLR on Tuesday evening .

Beautiful rifles, and they usually shoot great.

-Jake

Its not. But recovery is an issue. They can run with no lungs. I havn't had a bear run. But some say they don't run like deer do. I have seen deer run with nothing left of the lungs.