Help choosing a Rifle

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Buckdown

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Hi I live in southern wisconsin & mostly hunting whitetail deer. With shooting between 50-300 yards. But I'm also planning a trip out west for mule deer & elk. I have my search down to a 300 win mag. But what would be the best for light weight & cost I'm 20 years old with a somewhat limited budget but I want the rifle to last me a long time so if it calls for some saving that's ok for me.

P.S. I'm an Archery Freak but when it comes to rifles I'm a virgin! Thanks for the Help!
 
What kind of budget are we talking about? Are you buying the rifle only at this time, or do you want to buy optics at the same time? What are your expectations for accuracy? What have you looked at, like/dislike?
 
Well,a .300 Win. mag. will be overkill for almost everything on the North American continent, aside from the Largest of Bears. With a light weight rifle recoil will be conciderable. For hunting in southern Wisconsin(I live near madison) You couldnt go to wrong with anything from a.243 on up Check around at the gun shops in youre area and see what is available used,sometimes you can find a bargain. you would be SURPRISED how many deer have been taken with the old 30/30 . and besides you will have room in the gun safe for a couple of rifles, find one that will work for what you do most,then when you are going to head out west find an approiate tool for that kind of hunting
 
Hard to beat 30-06 or .270 for an all round western hunting cartridge. Look for something in a moderate weight and 24/26" barrel. Don't cheap out on the scope and binos.
 
Take a look at Savage light weight hunter. It comes in 30-06! You can buy ammo for it almost anywhere. Great handling rifle.
 
.300winmag is a nice flat shooter, but like others say, it's overkill for North American game, and in a lightweight rifle, the recoil is going to beat you up. I knew some guys who used .300winmag for white tail and they always dropped straight-away, but it can really do a number on the insides...
 
Over kill is okay for me because
I'm looking for a Rifle that's going to get the job done when I go out west or when I'm hunting black bear. I can always get a lighter grain bullet for the 300. But I'm looking more for what name brands you prefer & models in a 300 win mag.
My budget is about $1200 rifle & scope. Thanks again
 
300wm in a light rifle is gonna pound you good. 30-06, 308 are good for it. 270 is too. Inexpensive but good enough to make custom guns off of.. savage 110 or 10.
 
Buckdown: Think about things a little more long-term. If you are only 20, then you have PLENTY of time to collect more rifles, one appropriate for each species you are hunting. It will make the process much more enjoyable. I know you seem dead-set on .300winmag but I'm trying to tell you that it can easily make a mess out of a deer. Heck, this year I made a mess out of a small buck with a soft-point .308.

If I was you, I'd consider .308 or .30-06; both are fantastic calibers and the ammo prices won't kill you either (not sure if you are a reloader or not). Guys shoot the .308 all the way out to 1000 yards accurately; not necessarily for game, but that should give you an idea of what the cartridge it capable of.

You don't need a .338 lapua or .300winmag for taking deer. Plus they are loud as hell and beat you up when you are trying to zero them in and might cause you to develop a flinch.
 
308 would be my choice for what you have stated you want to do. I shoot a 300winmag alot and kill alot of deer with it but I shoot it suppressed which takes most of the noise and recoil out. Sako would be and is my choice of brand of rifle.;)
 
I live “out west” (CO) and can testify that a .300 WM is more rifle than needed for Mule Deer and Elk. A .270 - .30-06 will take anything you encounter out here and, between cost to shoot and recoil, you’ll enjoy anything in that family (.270, .280, .308, .30-06) more. For WI whitetails, a .270 with 130gr bullets is plenty as well.

If you know the trajectory of the ammo you’re using out to 300-350 yards, you’re good to go. Just my opinion but I think most long-time hunters will agree. Longer shots require a level of skill and amount of practice most don’t commit to.

FH
 
The light rifle part and budget points to a Tikka T3 Lite.

If you're going to shoot as close as fifty yards, you want to start relatively low on the magnification range scope-wise with at least 40' at 100 yards in field of view. Nikon, Weaver, Vortex and Bushnell all have 2-10x and 2.5-10x scopes in their better scopes. If you have time to wait, keep an eye on midwayusa for the Weaver Super Slam to go on sale. That'll save you a couple hundred bucks.

Either way you'll have enough left over to upgrade to a DNZ scope mount.
 
Delford, I live in California. In most of the areas where you'll be shooting Muleys, it's hilly and there is often brush or forest (I'm assuming). It is not likely to be wide open plains, where a long range cartridge is needed (like the 300 WM). Quite honestly, whatever you have should be sufficient. A local owner of a gun and sports store uses a 30-06 for everything.....and I mean everything. He has taken game all over the States with it, as well as it Scotland and Africa. He used it to take an Elk in Colorado. Good luck....
 
tuj said:
Buckdown: Think about things a little more long-term. If you are only 20, then you have PLENTY of time to collect more rifles, one appropriate for each species you are hunting. It will make the process much more enjoyable. I know you seem dead-set on .300winmag but I'm trying to tell you that it can easily make a mess out of a deer. Heck, this year I made a mess out of a small buck with a soft-point .308.

If I was you, I'd consider .308 or .30-06; both are fantastic calibers and the ammo prices won't kill you either (not sure if you are a reloader or not). Guys shoot the .308 all the way out to 1000 yards accurately; not necessarily for game, but that should give you an idea of what the cartridge it capable of.

You don't need a .338 lapua or .300winmag for taking deer. Plus they are loud as hell and beat you up when you are trying to zero them in and might cause you to develop a flinch.
Click to expand...
Right now I'm using my dad's 300 ultra mag & with 180 GR. Scirocco Bonded bullets & I make less of a mess out of a deer shooting it through both shoulders then my brother shooting a 243 100grain bullet through the guts. Over kill yes but it didn't move 6 inch after pass through at 150 yard dead run. This buck weighted 212lbs dressed.
 
Another recommendation for a 270 or 30-06. The 300WM will likely prove too much, at both ends, to be worthwhile as a starting point.

Try a Ruger American in 30-06 is you want to get smacked around some. A better choice still would be the same rifle in 308 for a little less smack in' around.

As far a scopes I'm a big fan of the Leupold VX1. I have a VX2 and can barely tell a difference if any at all. They have great eye relief too which is important if you like to get smacked around by a light weight rifle.
 
Buckdown;

I live & hunt in Montana, hunting deer, antelope, elk, moose, and bear. Get a .30-06. My suggestion would also be a Tikka, or a CZ550 if you could find one. Don't get a scope for hunting big game with an A/O function, 10X is the maximum you'd need anyway.

In point of fact, I use a 6.5X55 mm Swedish Mauser almost exclusively anymore. And, yes, I do hunt elk with it, and no I don't feel undergunned. It wears a Zeiss 3.5-10X 44mm scope with the Zeiss #43 reticle, ie., a mil-dot. I could load it up with 160 grain bullets & hunt bear, but I do have a .30-06 (or two - surprise!) and would probably use that.

900F
 
If you can only have one rifle, get a 30-06. You can load jacketed bullet weights of 110, 125, 130, 150, 165, 168, 180, and 200 grains. It's good for any North American game and there are many very good factory ammunition offerings if you choose that route.

The only problem I ever found with the 30-06 even with light bullets loads it's pretty rough on the shoulder for extended varmint hunts. For that I got a .223 Remington.
 
Lots of good advice in this thread, but if you want a .300wm, get one. I did what you are planning with a couple differences. I wanted one rifle for anything I wanted to hunt and got a .300wm. I'm satisfied with my choice, but here are the differences: I wasn't worried about weight so I got a Ruger Hawkeye with the laminate stock (heavier so less felt recoil) and I was in my 30s with a very good job, so ammo cost didn't bother me.

I'm happy with my rifle, Ruger Hawkeye stainless steel with laminate stock. I've developed a hand load that shoots 1/2 moa at 100 yards. My scope is a Leupold VX-II in 3-9X40. I am going to upgrade my glass now that I have a load that should be accurate at long range.

Here is my advice if you really want a .300wm. Don't go too light. You're 20 and should be able to hump an extra pound in the field. That extra weight will make practicing much more enjoyable. My rifle is not light, I don't mind recoil, and even so I get tired of the recoil off the bench after 30 rounds.

If you are open to other cartridges, I would suggest .30-06 for flexibility, lower recoil in a light rifle and cost of ammo. If you really want a big boomer, you could step up to .338wm or .375h&h.

Btw, to those who say a .300 damages too much meat on a whitetail, I say don't shoot them in the meat. A .30-06 in the shoulder is going to ruin more meat than a .300 in the vitals.

P.s. If I were doing it over again, I would get a .30-06 first. Then if I wanted something bigger I'd go with a .375. That said, a .300wm is not a bad choice.
 
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I say look into the Tikka T3's in the hunter version (wood stock) or the lite versions with the plastic stocks. They are generally very accurate rifles. My choice in caliber is 7mm Rem Mag, I have one and its my "go to" rifle for most wild game, elk included. I also have one in 308 win as a back up deer rifle, both are amazingly accurate.
 
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Well the expected Magmun haters have spoken their piece.
Pay them no mind but since you already have access to an Ultra I would point you to a 280 or 7-08 if for no other reason than the wider choice of bullets than the 270 or 30-06.
As mentioned, you have much time to build up your specialized arsenal and the 7mm's are very versatile with excellent bullets ranging from 120-175.
 
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