First hunting gun

[TwoRavens]

Hi,
I've decided to try hunting after 8 years of target shooting , so I want to buy a gun for the following:

Deer and Elk.
Pacific Northwest, mainly Oregon, possible Alaska in the future.
I'm not recoil sensitive.

I'm thinking of 300WSM in a rifle.
Either T/C Encore(Can you get a encore in 300WSM?) or Kimber Montana or Winchester 70

or possibly the S&W 460 XVR

At the moment I'm leaning towward the Encore but would appreciate experienced hunter feedback on pro's and cons, other suggestions etc.


Thanks,

Phill.

 

[Cavalry]

I'm thinking of 300WSM in a rifle

perfect choice, if you want a malti purpose rifle go with the 300, make sure its a Sako-Tikka or a Remington

 

[Sharps Shooter]

Like Cavalry, I'd go with the .300 for a multi-purpose rifle. I'm fond of the Model 70's with the pre-64 "classic" actions however. From what I've seen, the Kimber "Montana" looks like a fine rifle too. I use a Model 70, .300 Win Mag for all my big game hunting here in Idaho. I hunt deer, elk, black bear, antelope and hopefully (if I ever draw) moose. In Alaska, I might feel a little more comfortable with a .338 Win Mag for an all-around big game rifle. But the bears and moose around here don't get as big as I've heard they do in Alaska.

 

[Art Eatman]

Between the Kimber and the Winchester, which one fits you better? When you mount it to your shoulder with your eyes closed, and then open them, are you looking right down the middle?

Fit affects ease of hitting, and reduces recoil when doing the old fieldwork from offhand or some sort of hasty rest...

If I didn't already have a really good '06 for a .30, I'd go with the WSM. For a handloader, it seems like a good choice. Load down to, say, 308 levels for deer and such; up for larger critters.

, Art

 

[TwoRavens]

After a little digging it look like you can't get the Encore in 300WSM, so if I went with the Encore, I gues I would go with 30-06.

A buddy suggested I look at Savage as well... to many choices!

 

[dakotasin]

remington 700 in 7 rem mag, 300 win mag, or 338 win mag. it is awfully tough to make a case against the 338. i have a 7 rem mag, 300 wsm, 300 win mag, 300 rsaum, and a 338. my 338 is no worse to shoot than any of the others, and in fact, i prefer to shoot it over the 300 win mag and 300 wsm.

anyway, do not overlook the 338 - it is a wicked good one.

and you're probably gonna want a repeater for when you're in alaska.

 

[pcf]

How much experience do you have with shooting hi power rifles, and if you get a 300 wsm how much do you plan on shooting it. There are a plethora of used 7mm, 300, 340 magnums, most with less than 20 rounds through them, because people find them painful to shoot and impossible to shoot accurately.

I've taken deer, elk and black bear with a 30-30, 6.5x55 Swede, and 30-06. and have used several rifles from .221 Rem Fireball to 338-06 on deer.

Unless the hippies in Portland have started armor plating the elk a 30-06 is plenty

 

[stevelyn]

A .30-06 will do everything that needs doing in North America and a good portion of Africa. If you think you need the extra oomph of a .300, Federal High Energy loads make a .30-06 act like a .300 H&H and they're stuffed with premium bullets.

 

[formerflyer]

Put me down as another vote for the .30-'06. The biggest element in becoming a competent rifle shooter is frequency of practice. You can buy '06 ammo for half the cost of almost any of the other .30's (except .308, which would be another good choice). Your '06 will recoil much less than any .30 magnum, and will have much less muzzle blast. You will therefore find it more comfortable financially and physically to practice with your rifle.

Federal High Energy loads will close most of the gap in performance (if you feel there is enough to bother with). Shoot the cheap stuff most of the time, and if you decide to head north where critters grow bigger, consider the HE loads. Shoot early, shoot often. Get off of the shooting bench as soon as you are zero'd in, and start practicing from field positions.

Then join the "Happy With The .30-'06 For Every Rifle Chore In North America" club. You'll be just in time for their 100th reunion.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I may be prejudiced, but the pre-64 Winchester (or Classic) in .30-06 is hard to beat for all hunting in North America.

 

[Dave McCracken]

'Nother vote for the 06. Enough gun for anything on this continent.

 

[Art Eatman]

I've been hunting and reading articles about hunting for a heckuva lot of years. Omitting the large bears and the more specialized long-range needs, I've never seen any NEED for more than an '06. Need is a whole 'nother deal from "I like my .35 Whelen!" or "I do quite well, thank you, with my .375 H&H."

I guess if I weren't a handloader, none of the short magnums seems like the thing to have. I've always liked the idea of loading down for playing and for practicing, and loading max for "real stuff". It seems to me that if one is lacking a .30, a short maggie is a fun toy for a handloader. More room to mess around trying stuff that's of no interest to the "buy a box of ammo and go hunting" folks.

But I don't lack a good .30.

Art

 

[Gordon]

Alaska or wet Oregon, deer , and elk maybe carabou? Specificaly I'd get a Winchester STAINLESS external extractor rifle with whatever stock turns you on (you can always get another stock later) in .300 whatever (can't go wrong with 30-06 or .300 winchester), the new cartridges looks good, but will they be around in 20 years?
I'd put a Leupold 3-9 VX2 scope in Talley 2 piece mounts and medium rings and use a Brownell's latigo sling to carry it. You could get the whole set up , AND have the trigger tuned to 3 pounds or less if neccessary for $1000 .
How THAT for specific!

 

[TwoRavens]

Thanks for all the input.

Gordon, yes that's specific enough!

I'm leaning toward the '06. I don't hand load (yet) but I do have a friend who has a small custom ammo biz, so I can specific load made up by him... in any case there doesn't seem to be a compelling reason to go with the WSM for my first hunting gun. I guess I was a little worried that the '06 was not optimal for Elk in the West.

Seems that amoung the Rem, Win, Savage, Tikka it comes down to a Ford/Chevy thing so I think I'll take a trip a to the local gun-store and try out there selection and see which ones appeal to me.

 

[TaxPhd]

I'm not a big fan of the various .300 mags. They fill a niche, that for me, doesn't really exist. Ultra high velocity may have a place, but not for my way of thinking. I am more of a fan of heavy-for-caliber bullets, and going up in caliber if necessary.

Now, with that being said, my main hunting rifle is a Win. Model 70 Classic SM (with B.O.S.S) in 7mm Remington Mag. I bought it because of the great deal ($300), not the caliber. I hate the B.O.S.S., but it will shoot 175 grain Barnes X's into 3/8" groups. The rifle is just too good to sell.

But, if I was starting out, I would buy a Model 70 pre '64 or classic, in .30-06 and never look back. When you think you need more power, get a .338, .35 Whelan, or .375 H&H, as necessary.




Scott

 

[killzone]

first rifle

For deer and elk 300 is great choice any where from 300 win mag or WSM - when it comes to what to use I would say get something that is not real wood. Win M70 blackshadow in 300 W mag is perfect for everyday use and hunting big and dangerus game. Its tough and accuret.

 

[one-shot-one]

+ 1

on every thing art said.
my 300wsm is the win. "old" style mod. 70. i like it but if you don't and never plan to hand load other choices might be better. however my 300 is very accurate and easy on my shoulder.

 

[RugerOldArmy]

I'd avoid the WSM like the plague. There's too little advantage over the old standby cartridges, more limited selection of rifles, and less availability of ammo.

.270, .308, or .30-06 will be everywhere.

If you reload, I'd consider 6.5x55 or 7x57.

Need anything bigger (which means brown bears), then .375 H&H seems the best next step up.

If you're a hunter, and really want to get close, .45-70 will do most any job.

There's a lot of decent rifles. See what fits you. In what I've mentioned, I consider Rem 700(s), Win Mod. 70, and Savage for the .308's or .270s, BRNO (CZ) for the .375, and Marlin for the .45-70 (or Shiloh).

 

[TwoRavens]

I ended up getting a T/C stainless Encore pistol frame and ordered 15" 7mm-08 and a 30-06 24" barrel and rifle stocks.

 

[Byron Quick]

I agree with Art. I've got a good .30-06. Thanks, Art!

On the other hand, I like the .35 Whelen.

 

[Sunray]

"...8 years of target shooting..." With what? If you're target shooting with a heavy barreled .308, I'd buy a hunting rifle in the same calibre and work up a load for it. .308, .30-06. Same thing, different case.
You don't need any calibre with the word 'magnum' in it for any game in North America. If you opt for the .300WSM, buy at least 500 cases too. If it gets discontinued, you won't be stuck.
Mind you, RugerOldArmy and Art have a very valid points too. If you get to Alaska and the airline loses your ammo, you may not be able to easily buy .300 WSM in the bullet weight you've sight in for.

 

[katonk]

All depending on the terrain etc, I've used a 12 gauge slug gun for many years here in western Washington as it's pretty dense where I usually go and distance isn't a big issue. However, I've recently went with an 06 since I started going over to eastern Washington.