Ok magnum hunters, recommend me one.

[redactor]

I have a Savage/Stevens 200 in .25-06 that I intend to use on deer. I've been invited out west for elk next year, and I don't trust myself quite enough with the .25-06 for elk, even though I know it has been done. My original thought was to buy a second barrel in .30-06, and just swap them out as needed. Then I found out about the .338-06 Asquare. It is a .30-06 necked up to .338, and seems just about ideal for elk and larger North American game. Since they .338-06 barrel costs the same as the .30-06 one (from E.R. Shaw), there really isn't much of a down-side (dies are a little more expensive, but you only buy them once). I'm leaning heavily toward the 225 grain Nosler AccuBond, started at around 2500-2600 fps.

The .338 caliber bullets seem to come with really good BCs and SDs in the box, kind of like the 6.5 and 7mm ones do. The .338-06 also has the advantage of being fairly efficient with regards to powder usage, not requiring much more than a .30-06, for the reason that it uses the same case.

It's worth a look.

 

[Fremmer]

I think the 7mm Rem Mag would do the trick as a deer/elk gun. Recoil isn't bad at all, and ammo is readily available in stores (if he ever needs to buy some). I think the 7mm and the WSM round will both perform very well on elk (and deer).

I suppose it would probably best just to let him pick the one he seems to want, and load up a bunch of rounds for him. The difference in performance (if any significant difference exists) probably doesn't matter enough to get too worried about. As long as he's happy with the rifle.

 

[chas08]

My original thought was to buy a second barrel in .30-06, and just swap them out as needed.

redactor
Are you sure you can do that, that easily? All the bolt actions I've been aquainted with don't work that way. Most require the services of a competent gunsmith to get it set up right when you re-barrel an action. I've never seen a bolt action that you can just swap the barrels around on. I looked at the Savage / Stevens 200 on Gunbroker. It's a very modestly priced rifle. None of the sales adds made mention of swapable barrels. you might be able to buy a complete gun cheaper than the route you plan to go. Or, am I totaly misunderstanding your post?

 

[rcmodel]

His Savage/Stevens 200 is basically a Savage 110 without the accutrigger.

As such, all he needs to swap barrels is a barrel nut wrench and a GO headspace gage.

Savage has long used a lock-nut to hold the barrel on, and if you have the wrench & headspace gage it is a simple 30 minute job to change barrels.

Most all other bolt-actions do require gunsmith tools & knowledge to change barrels.

rc

 

[redactor]

His Savage/Stevens 200 is basically a Savage 110 without the accutrigger.

As such, all he needs to swap barrels is a barrel nut wrench and a GO headspace gage.

Savage has long used a lock-nut to hold the barrel on, and if you have the wrench & headspace gage it is a simple 30 minute job to change barrels.

Most all other bolt-actions do require gunsmith tools & knowledge to change barrels.

rc

rcmodel (as usual) is right on the ball. The Savage 110/Stevens 200 has a fairly unique design that lets you swap the barrels easily, once you get the tools. I've read that most people can do it in less than 10 minutes. That being said, a lot of people recommend buying and installing a replacement recoil lug from Sharp Shooter Supply while you have the barrel off.

From what I understand, if you don't have a "go" gauge, you can get by with a full-length resized and trimmed case. I'd recommend buying the gauge, and from what I understand, you'd only need to buy a .30-06 gauge for all cartridges based on a simple necked up/down .30-06 case.

 

[chas08]

redactor and rcmodel

Thanks for teaching me something today. I've never owned a Savage Bolt Action, Just a model 99 Lever Action that wasn't the takedown model. That's an atractive feature in such a reasonably priced bolt action.

 

[qajaq59]

Originally Posted by rcmodel
His Savage/Stevens 200 is basically a Savage 110 without the accutrigger.

As such, all he needs to swap barrels is a barrel nut wrench and a GO headspace gage.

Savage has long used a lock-nut to hold the barrel on, and if you have the wrench & headspace gage it is a simple 30 minute job to change barrels.

Most all other bolt-actions do require gunsmith tools & knowledge to change barrels.

rc

I had no idea you could do that. But I will definitely do some reading on that rifle.
Thanks RC

 

[redactor]

Glad to have been of some use, Chas! If you get interested, you might want to check out the Savage Shooters Forum. You have to be a paying member to see the classified ads, but often you can find people selling their take-off barrels and other things reasonably. It's only $12 a year.

 

[t165]

At 6'5 and 325 I would just say "good choice sir" regarding whatever caliber he chooses! Truth is the 270, 270 wsm, 7mm Remington magnum, 30-06, 300 wsm, or any flavor 300 magnum will do whatever he needs to do to a deer/elk. There has never been a better/best...only what the individual actually wants and is deemed legal to hunt with. Happy hunting/shooting.

 

[cerberus65]

A friend of mine has taken whitetails, mule deer, and elk with his .270 Win. But magnumitis is well-nigh uncurable (hey I love my .357 Magnums and have been drooling over .44 Magnums). So you may have no chance of talking him out of a magnum of some sort.

I have another friend who was sold on a 270 WSM by a friend he no longer lives near. He really wishes he'd stuck with a caliber that is easier to find on the shelf.

So:
1) +1 on .30-06 if you can talk him into it. Been getting it done for 100+ years. Love mine. Wouldn't worry at all about using it on an elk.
2) +1 on 7mm Rem. Mag. if he has to have a magnum and can be talked out of a short mag.
3) If all else fails, enjoy learning about whatever he picks. He's paying for the components, right?

 

[wankerjake]

Hey thanks for all the advice guys, he's coming to hunt deer this weekend and I'll show him this post. I've been working the 7mag angle myself, but yeah he's paying for components so I guess it don't really matter, they'll all get the job done. Hopefully I can put him on a buck this weekend!

 

[7mmstalker]

+1 for 7mmRem. Good bullet selection, loading components commonly available, manageable recoil, nearly all makers of rifles offer it. Then steer him toward a quarter-bore deer rifle.

 

[MCgunner]

In my mind, the easy caliber change is a great reason to own a Savage. Mine's in 7 mag, but i could easily swap to .338 and have considered it just so I could have a .333, but I like the way the 7 shoots and, I mean, my God, it's more'n I need in Texas. LOL I bought it years ago with elk in mind.

You can even go from a belted magnum to a .30-06 case head by swapping the bolt head out. The bolt comes apart, really neat design. It was originally designed to reduce production costs, but it's a strong action and has other advantages. Its main design flaw, IMHO, is the barrel nut is butt fugly compared to my Remingtons. But, I wouldn't want to be without at least one Savage. They're just too neat and are great shooters.

As to the "incurable" magnumitis, I got over it years ago. In Texas, belted magnums are overkill. I really love my little .308 and my old tried and true .257 Roberts is probably all I REALLY need unless I win the lotto and get to go for elk some day. 7 mag, though, really ain't much more'n .30-06, offers better BCs, maybe 50 yards more point blank range. No biggy. .338 is where REAL magnums start and what the hell do I need a .338 for? ROFL!

 

[LeonCarr]

.30-06

Leave the fancy here today gone tomorrow calibers for the gun writers.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[Geno]

7mm Rem Mag is a great round, as is the .300 Win Mag. Take either if it has to be a magnum. For me, the "lowly" .270 Win and the .30-06 Sprg will kill anything equally dead. This year I have parked my Mark V in .300 Win Mag and am using my Rem 700 Tactical .308 Win. I doubt the deer will know the difference. For what it's worth, the combination of a .270 Win (with 130 or 140 grain projectiles), and a .300 Win Mag (with either 180 or 200 grain projectiles) is going to be durned hard to top. Or, you can just go a .30-06 and load it with 165, 180 or 200 grain projectiles and never look back.

Geno

 

[wade rigsby]

get a contender with two barrels. then you can hunt whatever you want.

 

[blacklab]

300 win mag

 

[millertyme]

Brass for WSM's is readily available unless you're trying to stockpile more than a couple hundred rounds. Sportsman's has it up here in Mesa all the time, along with the other short-action magnums. Shoot whatever the hell you're comfortable with, accurate with, and have ammo for.