I'm trying to get some ideas together for an all-around hunting rifle.
My big plan...is to have 3-4 hunting rifles to cover just about any situation. A varmint/target gun, an all around medium sized game gun and a larger .30 cal for elk and other big critters.
The varmint/tgt gun will be here in two months or so. Cooper MTV in .223 AI. I'm looking for recommendations for the medium caliber gun. Something for antelope, deer and other like sized animals. I would like to reserve the .30 cals for the large caliber rifle.
The requirements:
-Bolt action, left handed
-Synthetic stock, not the cheap hollow molded stocks (I wouldn't object to an aftermarket stock...most likely of the McMillan persuasion)
-Lightweight
-Prefer matte black finish to blue or stainless
-bbl on the short side for portability
-flat shooting caliber
My problem is caliber. I'll have the .22 cal for varmint and the .30 cal for the large gun.
I would also prefer a low recoiling gun. I'm honest enough to admit I can't shoot the larger calibers very well. I'm subscribing to the "precise bullet placement with a smaller caliber rather than a poor shot with a large caliber" theory. Now, I understand that a light gun will increase felt recoil, but I'd prefer to stay away from the 7mm Rem Mag monsters.
I was thinking about a 260 Rem (6.5mm-08 A-Square) or 7mm-08. See, if you split the difference between the 5.56 and the 7.62 you end up with a 6.5mm so I figure a caliber utilizing the 6.5-7mm diameter bullet would be optimum.
I'd like to stay away from the .243 Win as it's fairly close in bullet diameter to the .223 of which I'll already own one.
Any recommendations? Any field reports using the 6.5 or 7mm on deer sized game? What do you use and why?
Thanks,
Ed
My big plan...is to have 3-4 hunting rifles to cover just about any situation. A varmint/target gun, an all around medium sized game gun and a larger .30 cal for elk and other big critters.
The varmint/tgt gun will be here in two months or so. Cooper MTV in .223 AI. I'm looking for recommendations for the medium caliber gun. Something for antelope, deer and other like sized animals. I would like to reserve the .30 cals for the large caliber rifle.
The requirements:
-Bolt action, left handed
-Synthetic stock, not the cheap hollow molded stocks (I wouldn't object to an aftermarket stock...most likely of the McMillan persuasion)
-Lightweight
-Prefer matte black finish to blue or stainless
-bbl on the short side for portability
-flat shooting caliber
My problem is caliber. I'll have the .22 cal for varmint and the .30 cal for the large gun.
I would also prefer a low recoiling gun. I'm honest enough to admit I can't shoot the larger calibers very well. I'm subscribing to the "precise bullet placement with a smaller caliber rather than a poor shot with a large caliber" theory. Now, I understand that a light gun will increase felt recoil, but I'd prefer to stay away from the 7mm Rem Mag monsters.
I was thinking about a 260 Rem (6.5mm-08 A-Square) or 7mm-08. See, if you split the difference between the 5.56 and the 7.62 you end up with a 6.5mm so I figure a caliber utilizing the 6.5-7mm diameter bullet would be optimum.
I'd like to stay away from the .243 Win as it's fairly close in bullet diameter to the .223 of which I'll already own one.
Any recommendations? Any field reports using the 6.5 or 7mm on deer sized game? What do you use and why?
Thanks,
Ed