Help me pick a new rifle caliber

[mtnbkr]

I'm planning to buy a new rifle soon. I've narrowed the physical rifle down to a Remington 700 BDL due to classic good looks and it's fit to me (the only stock rifle that fits me well). Now, I need to pick a caliber. I have a 30-06 (bastardized Mauser 98, ugly as hell, but shoots decently) and want something other than another 30 caliber (will consider something from the 30cal short magnums if given a very good reason).

Use:
Mostly deer hunting and target shooting. Deer season and black bear season overlaps here so I may find myself in a situation of getting a bear while out for deer (happened to my friend this year). I'm not going to rule out any other game either. Who knows, maybe I'll get to go after Elk or some other larger game in my life...

I've been considering the 338WinMag because it's bigger than a 30-06 and sounds like an interesting caliber. I've shot maybe 10 rounds through a buddy's rifle. It kicks, but is tolerable. I'm also interested in 35Whelen, but have all but given up due to lack of guns chambered in it.

I'm open to intelligent suggestions on any caliber 243 and larger that is available in the Rem 700 BDL.

thanks,
Chris

 

[Beer for my Horses]

You can't do much better than '06 for a great all around caliber, though if pressed to suggest one I'd recommend .300 WINMAG. Great terminal ballistics. Put a muzzle brake on it and you'll hardly feel the recoil; I've got one on my Browning A-Bolt '06 and it makes it a joy to shoot. .338 WINMAG is fine, but really more cartridge than you need for deer.

The Rem 700 is a great choice, but if you're not totally convinced give the Browning A-Bolt a look. You can see what mine looks like, right down to the Leoupold scope HERE

Good Luck!

 

[HSMITH]

7mm mag. Why? Cause I like it, not leaps and bounds more rifle than the 06 you have but a tad more.

The short magnums in a 270 or 7mm are very interesting too.

 

[Kobun]

I'd recommend .300 WINMAG. Great terminal ballistics. Put a muzzle brake on it and you'll hardly feel the recoil

Don't put a muzzle brake on a hunting rifle unless you plan on wearing hearing protection the whole time.
You won't have time to put them on the instant a deer shows up, and you do want to protect your hearing!

I like the 6.5x55 (Swede ). Its good for deer, flat shooting, but not my choice for bears.

 

[MarineTech]

.270 Winchester. No problem taking deer or black bear, wide selection of ammo available, and numerous manufacturers have made firearms for it.

 

[Mr Bill]

That's going to be a tough decision since you've disqualified one of the best selections.

For a short action receiver consider the 7mm-08 or .308 or the 6.5x55 or even rechambering the -08 into .284 Win. If you wanted a wildcat and have the ways and means you could rechamber the .308 into a Super 30. But, then why not just go with the standard 30-06? The short action sporters are typically a little lighter than standard long actions if you will be carrying it much.

Non magnum std long action, besides the 30-06, there’s the 280 Rem, 338-06 or 35 Whelen but, since you've already got a 30-06 and presumably the reloading equip for it why change and create additional expense for yourself? A little twist to consider might be to have a 30-06 improved.

For belted case magnums the 7mm Rem and 300 Win are very strong contestants but, again will require more reloading equipment. At least with the 300 Win you could standardize on the 30 cal bullets. Of these two I have a slight preference toward the 7mm for no particular reason. As for the .338 mag, not unless you were principally going to be hunting elk, moose and bear at relatively close range (200 yards) and deer was a secondary consideration, instead of the reverse.

I don't have any experience with the short magnums. I don't need one but, I am slightly curious about them. Another coin toss between these and the belted mags.

If you're a gluten for recoil punishment and money is of little concern, try one of the Ultra Mags or Lazeroni ($pelled $$$). In this arena the Ultra Mags have my vote. Good for bean fields and longer shots than most of us should take. They’ll come with a weight penalty so not recommended for stalking in higher elevations.

My recommendation is to stay with the 30-06 or the improved case, or if you really don't want to, flip a coin for either the 300 Win Mag or 7mm Rem Mag. Either way you won't go wrong.

I also second the idea about shouldering a Browning A-Bolt before you choose. Also see if you can find yourself a good real pre-64 Winchester 70, they’re a dream.
Good luck and let us know which you choose.
Bill

 

[cratz2]

By all sources, your 30-06 should be more than adequate for all black bear hunting. But I certainly understand the desire for 'something different'.

Something in 35 Whelen would be just about perfect but as you say, new rifles so chambered are few and far between.

The Remington 673 chambered in 350 Remington Magnum would be something most folks don't have and the cartridge is certainly up to the task of combination deer/black bear hunting. Darn near tailor made for such hunting. May be difficult to find the rifles as they just started re-issuing them recently. Should about $100 more than the basic BDL. Something like a 1-4x or 1.5-5x scope would be ideal.

If you are open to considering lever action rifles, something in 45-70 or 444 Marlin would be ideal if you will only take shots under 200 yards.

Truth be told, any reasonably short rifle chambered in 308, 7mm-08, .270 Win or 30-06 should prove plenty effective on most black bear given proper shot placement. And deciding on one of those cartridges would open pretty much every door in the rifle world.

 

[Gordon]

Either a .375 H&H or a 45-70 and combined with a 30-06 you got it all-with fun . Replacing the 30-06? Can't beat a .270 or .308 in a ultralightweight gun.

 

[Gewehr98]

Might I suggest...

A Remington 700 chambered in .260 Remington? Same excellent ballistics as the 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser, in a short action. Light recoil, excellent accuracy and trajectory. They now have a 6 1/2 pound Mountain Rifle chambered in .260 that looks delightful to both carry and shoot:

I've seriously considered the above as my next new rifle, but something is keeping me from doing so - the Remington Model 7 in .260 Remington.

 

[sasnofear]

quote:

Don't put a muzzle brake on a hunting rifle unless you plan on wearing hearing protection the whole time.
You won't have time to put them on the instant a deer shows up, and you do want to protect your hearing!

-----------------------------------

rubbish!

 

[STEVE M]

Agree with Gordon, go with the 375 H&H. If you're after

something that a 30-06 can't handle you need a big boost in

power. This should cover you until you see a need for a 458!

 

[Traveler]

Bigger - .375 H&H

Best of the big bores for shootablity. Relativly light recoil, plentiful ammo supply, lots of different bullets for reloaders, capable of being used when you go on safari, and works great on North American game.

Smaller - .257 Roberts

An extremely versitile round that is capable of being used against all but the most dangerous game. Available everywhere, and easy to make if they do decise to stop production. The .25 calibers work great on varmints and bigger game. Low recoil, great accuracy, easy to reload, and inexpensive.

 

[mtnbkr]

I thought I had decided on a gun and caliber. Now, I find myself looking at lighter guns in smaller calibers for some reason. I'm not recoil sensitive, but I hate heavy guns. I hunt in the Blue Ridge Mtns. Unless you're hunting on a stand, you spend a lot of time walking up and down the slopes and dealing with lots of brush. Shots tend to be 200yds and less (usually 100yds and shorter). The Rem Mod 7 in 7mm-08 has my attention. It's not significantly different than my 30-06, but sounds like it is inherently more accurate. Plus, the Mod 7 should be much lighter than my current gun.

I've also entertained a 243, but I'm afraid that might be going too far.

I still think it would be fun to have a 338, but I'm trying to be practical...

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Smokey Joe]

Rubbish????

Shasnofear: I fail to take your meaning. Rubbish on the muzzle brake, rubbish on not being able to put on ear protection when a deer shows up, rubbish on the idea of protecting your hearing, or rubbish on the whole discussion?

 

[Art Eatman]

I now have a 700Ti in 7mm08 as my walking-hunting rifle. 6-1/4 pounds with sling, Weaver V3 and four rounds of ammo.

Per the reloading data book, I can get a 140-grain bullet moving at 2,900 ft/sec. This compares quite favorably to either a .308 or '06 and the 150-grain at around 2,900.

I can't see much "killability" difference.

Art

 

[mtnbkr]

I like the 700 Ti, but it's a bit out of my price range. I'm reading up on the 7mm-08. So far, I like what I'm reading.

Chris

 

[Maestro]

Agree with Gewehr98,
get a .260 Rem. model 7 with stainless barrel and action and riding in a synthetic stock.Light,handy,deadly.
Second choice,a Savage in .270 Win.
I lived in the upper Shenandoah Valley for almost 14yrs.Not far from Manassas.Over in Rockingham County.
My 15 yr. old son with his first deer taken this past Nov.Rifle..Rem Model 7 in .260 Rem.One shot,one kill.

 

[mtnbkr]

I lived in the upper Shenandoah Valley for almost 14yrs.Not far from Manassas.Over in Rockingham County.

Cool. I hunt in the GWNF near Rockingham Co (actually, in Shenandoah I believe).

BTW, one of my hunting buddies is named Ten Beers (yes, that's his nickname). Any relation?

Chris

 

[Maestro]

mtnbkr,
My wife worked in Woodstock at their hospital.Beautiful country.I have hunted many days in the GWNF.Nope,not TenBeers,just Ten Bears.

 

[mtnbkr]

Drifting in the other direction...

I started this thread looking for a larger caliber than my 30-06. No particular need other than "Iwantititis". After seeing some of the suggestions, I started looking into cartridges such as the 7mm-08, 260, 243, and 6.5mmx55. I've also become interested in the Rem Mod 7. My only concern is the lack of a cheekpad on the stock. That is a requirement on most guns for me as I don't "fit" standard stocks for some reason (The BDL is one of the few production guns that fit really well).

A coworker who is retiring to the Philipines and can't take most (all?) of his guns is selling off much of his collection, including a 6.5mmx55 Rem 700 Classic. It has a Leupold VariX-III mounted. If the price is right and it fits, I may pick it up.

I'm also checking into a Howa barreled action in 6.5x55 or 338WinMag (here I go again). If I buy the barreled action and get a stock to fit, I may be able to get the gun I want for a good rate. Either way, it'll fit me.

Anyway, thanks for the help. It looks like I'll be going with either a 7mm-08 or a 6.5x55 depending on the price and fit of the particular gun. If the price of the Howa action is low enough, I may still get my 338.

Chris

 

[Badger Arms]

I had tried to write a longer message but the server was acting up and I lost it.

You are making good choices with either the 7mm-08 or the 6.5 Swede. With a 30-06 already, you are taking about a half a step down. These calibers cross over the bottom half of the capabilities of the 30-06 and you will probably have a choice for much of the game you described. I would stop short of Elk, but either caliber would surely do the job with good shot placement.

May I suggest you look stronger at the .243 for one reason. It is generally more accepted than the other two and therefore you are more likely to find ammo and reloading components for it. This is a personal preference when adding another caliber. I want a common caliber that I can buy in the mom-and-pop stores if I run out and I can usually find it cheap.

The .243 is a smaller round and will have these advantages: lighter kicking, flatter trajectory, more smaller game versatility. It has the disadvantage of not being suitable for larger game. With your scenario, only Elk is really unsuitable. You end up with a light-kicking, inherintly accurate rifle. If you run out of ammo, even the smallest, most remote tackle shop will probably have a box of .243 sitting next to the 30-30 and 30-06 on the shelf.

 

[WYO]

The .338 seems like a bit much for deer and black bear and the potential opportunity to hunt elk in the future. The newer high energy cartridges really bridge the gap that used to exist betwen the .30-06 and the .338 anyway.

I tried a Ruger .338 synthetic stock for 4 years and just didn't like it. It was heavier than the typical Remington products and the combination of weight and the 24" barrel caused it to balance differenty than I prefer. For lugging around in the hills and for picking my way through thickets, it just felt a lot more awkward to me. If the primary application is going to be sitting on a deer stand, then maybe this doesn't matter.

It's hard for me to suggest an alternative that the '06 cannot do, but if you want to go to a lighter package, then a short action is the way to go. A model 7 in 7mm-08 would be nice and handy if it fits you. You could load it up for elk, or just take your '06 and stoke it with Federal High Energy cartridges.

 

[Bottom Gun]

Since you already have a 30-06, why not go a bit larger and get a .338 Win Mag? It's a superb elk cartridge and good bear medicine as well. I'm very happy with mine.
Look at the Tikka rifles. They're great rifles for the money. They shoot as well as the Sakos do.

 

[labgrade]

Other than not wanting another .30 cal, sounds like a .308 is right there, although I couldn't argue against several of those mentioned.

.243's a beaut, but somewhat light for "moving up," especially from an '06, 7-08's a great round.

For grins, I'm gonnatake a longer look at some of the short fatties pretty soon. Have no idea why as my .308/.30-06 will do anything I already do, but part of the fun, no?

 

[mtnbkr]

For grins, I'm gonnatake a longer look at some of the short fatties pretty soon. Have no idea why as my .308/.30-06 will do anything I already do, but part of the fun, no?

Exactly. If practicality ruled, I would be satisfied wity my 3006, but I want something different. The more I read, the more the 6.5mm's sound interesting, especially the 260 and 6.5x55. I'm leaning in that direction.

Chris