Here are some web sites to look at: www.berettausa.com www.browning.com www.cz-usa.com www.dakotaarms.com www.kimberamerica.com www.lazzeroni.com www.remington.com www.ruger-firearms.com www.savagearms.com www.sigarms.com www.gsifirearms.com www.tcarms.com www.weatherby.com www.winchester-guns.com . Good luck.

Handloader cover about all the sites.
But if you can't get to Tikka through the Beretta site try www.tikka.fi

Hi Joey,

The .308 Winchester (ie. 7.62 NATO) has probably been more responsible for the "near extinction" of elephants in parts of Africa than any other cartridge, (in semi and full auto military rifles). So in fact....the .308 Winchester is capable of killing an African Elephant. But NO the .308 Winchester is NOT a good elephant cartridge.

The .308 Winchester as a hunting cartridge is at its best as a medium game cartridge. (If you had to put numbers to it.....up to 400-500 pound animals.) It will of course kill animals larger than that, and has many times. But is at is best within those parameters.

If you want to make a "mental comparison" of the differences between the numerous sporting cartridges probably the most accepted "ruler" is foot pounds of energy. Every American manufacturer, (as well as many throughout the world, though many Europeans measure energy in Joules and velocity in meter/seconds), publish velocity and energy tables of their ammunition. Foot pounds is not a perfect measurement...but it is commonly accepted....and does give some type of measuring device. You should have no trouble in finding such information of the internet. One very good source of information is:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/index2.guns.htm

If after checking out the information at this site, you still have more questions, we will do our best to answer.

Welcome to the world of shooting.....I believe you will find it very interesting and rewarding!

P.S. I've owned the SAKO with the manlicher stock chambered in .308 Winchester (I admit it....I was a John Wooters fan) and it was a wonderful rifle!

I'm not saying it's the very best but it is dang near close to it. With just a little trigger tweeking, you could do yourself, a Savage in any of the heavy barrel models would do you fine and you could afford the best Leupold scope on the market. That would be my favorite rig.

Yes I am looking for a bolt action rifle for hunting. But I would like to take it out to a range and have fun with it sometime. I like to be a "sharp-shooter".
If there is better "all around" caliber or cartridge that I could take out hunting for just about all North American game and to the range and sharp-shoot , short and long ranges , tell me more about that rifle. Or can that be done with the .308. I want to be able to make super accurate shots on all game , so to be as humane to what I am hunting as I possibly can. And what maker makes that rifle better than all other makers?? Better in just all around quality. I have a great gunsmith that I am going to take the rifle to , to allow him to tweak the rifle to all it can be. Still not sure about the optics yet. I am leening toward a Ziess scope.
Thanks guys for all the info. Keep it coming.
Your friend , Joey Hughes.

I love my Ruger Mark II bolt action, but...

I saw a Tikka recently which had a very smooth action and I've read good things about them.

Another gun I would love, unsure of cost would be a Kimber bolt action.

goto a good gunsmith and give him your price range and tell him you want a custom tack driver chambered in 308 built.....you can get it to look how you want.....and fit you like a glove....if im spending 1200 on a gun its not going to look like anyone elses...and its going to shoot better then anyone elses! thats the way id go....and id build it off a mauser action or a remington if i couldnt find a good mauser....good luck....

What gives tha mauser an edge over the remington ??
And try to explain a heavy barrel to me. I hate to ask stupid questions.
I am going to check out akbounds site right after this to see what i can soak up there. Joey

bump