I've been through this theoretical question before with y'all guys here and elsewhere, BUT since I haven't yet settled on the gun and cal choice (short on fundage), there's still time to pontificate further, esp. in light of new guns/offerings out there, and it's fun, so why not.
The purpose is a medium caliber (.338 to .375, give or take), very large game rifle, INCLUDING dangerous game like grizzly bears, P.O.'ed meese and such. This is my "Canada/Alaska" rifle. It might also be used going after big bruiser elk perhaps, but not likely (I have other rifles perhaps more ideal than this one for elk, like 7remmag, 30-06, .308, and 7.5x55mm). It will also, *possibly*, if I ever make it to the Dark Continent, be used there, for small/medium dangerous game, and nondangerous game as well. It would NOT be the large dangerous game rifle, as I'd surely have another BIIIIIG boy for that use if I ever actually can afford to go (probably something in .458 Lott). But the main focus is meese or maybe caribou, but also brown bear, polar bear, or bison, in the event I can ever get a hunt/tag for the latter 3. And it needs to be capable of reaching a ways across fields, so something in a necked cartridge I'm thinking with some oomph, such that I can have a PBR of 250 yards with a kill zone the size of a moose, let's say, with the heaviest bullets available for the cartridge.
Caliber choices are probably either .338, .35, .366 (9.3mm), or .375, preferably one of the latter 3, but I'm open to suggestions.
Cartridge choice preference is something in .35 Whelen (or reamed to .35 Brown-Whelen), .350 rem mag, 9.3x62mm, 9.3x64mm, or .375 H&H mag, but I'm also open to other suggestions like .338 Winmag or others.
As to rifle action and brand, the key key factors for me here are RELIABILITY and FAST-CYCLING. So I had initially 'settled' in my mind on a Remington 7600 pump in .35 Whelen (there's some still available on gunsamerica & elsewhere, even though they were limited production). My thinking here was that nothing is faster than pump, except semi-auto, but semi-auto does not measure up in the reliability dept, so the pump might be the ideal choice for unloading many fast rounds into a charging moose or grizzly. Obvious second place, or perhaps the preferred choice, is a turnbolt. Since I don't know much about the pumps like the 7600 (their reliability with various loads, sturdiness under adverse conditions, etc.), now I'm kind of leery of them. I'm thinking steel receiver, not aluminum (isn't the 7600 an aluminum receiver?). Obviously, I want an accurate gun, but benchrest/precision accuracy is not at a premium with this rifle. Finally, the gun must be an economy choice, due to budget. So can't afford a double rifle. Needs to be under $900-$1,000 new. So, questions:
1. If I got did get a 7600 in .35 Whelen, is there enough 'meat' in the chamber ring area to safely ream and shoot .35 Brown-Whelen? (Vern Humphrey question
). The Brown-Whelen has very impressive ballistics, and it can be fire-formed in my understanding from regular whelens.
2. What other experiences can you tell me about the rem 7600s, in terms of anything - reliability, accuracy, durability/sturdiness, quirks, etc.
3. Are there any other pumps to consider, or for that matter, any leverguns to consider?
4. What cartridges choice do you recommend? I added the 9.3x62mm to the list because it's gaining in popularity, and CZ offers the 550 chambered for it. I also just added the fairly odd choice of 9.3x64mm since apparently Russian American Armory is about to bring in a nice-looking turnbolt chambered in this caliber:
http://www.raacfirearms.com/Los_9-1.htm
Is the .375 H&H "too much" for this purpose, or have a major drawback due to the case belt? I doubt it - this may be just the ticket, if there's a CRF gun under $1k chambered in .375 HH (yes, the concurrent thread on PF vs. CRF has me convinced; but I still think I'd prefer a pump, as the pump shotguns I've owned have been the epitome of reliabity, not to mention extremely fast, and not to mention you stay on target while cycling, which would be very important for dangerous game). A pump in .375 HH would be the pig's feces, but I don't think such a critter exists.
5. What rifle choice do you recommend, all things considered ?
P.S. I already have a .45-70 (Marlin 1895) for the short-range rifle for this purpose, but I want a primary, and to use the .45-70 as a backup and/or brush-excursion gun for Canada/Alaska.
Thanks.
The purpose is a medium caliber (.338 to .375, give or take), very large game rifle, INCLUDING dangerous game like grizzly bears, P.O.'ed meese and such. This is my "Canada/Alaska" rifle. It might also be used going after big bruiser elk perhaps, but not likely (I have other rifles perhaps more ideal than this one for elk, like 7remmag, 30-06, .308, and 7.5x55mm). It will also, *possibly*, if I ever make it to the Dark Continent, be used there, for small/medium dangerous game, and nondangerous game as well. It would NOT be the large dangerous game rifle, as I'd surely have another BIIIIIG boy for that use if I ever actually can afford to go (probably something in .458 Lott). But the main focus is meese or maybe caribou, but also brown bear, polar bear, or bison, in the event I can ever get a hunt/tag for the latter 3. And it needs to be capable of reaching a ways across fields, so something in a necked cartridge I'm thinking with some oomph, such that I can have a PBR of 250 yards with a kill zone the size of a moose, let's say, with the heaviest bullets available for the cartridge.
Caliber choices are probably either .338, .35, .366 (9.3mm), or .375, preferably one of the latter 3, but I'm open to suggestions.
Cartridge choice preference is something in .35 Whelen (or reamed to .35 Brown-Whelen), .350 rem mag, 9.3x62mm, 9.3x64mm, or .375 H&H mag, but I'm also open to other suggestions like .338 Winmag or others.
As to rifle action and brand, the key key factors for me here are RELIABILITY and FAST-CYCLING. So I had initially 'settled' in my mind on a Remington 7600 pump in .35 Whelen (there's some still available on gunsamerica & elsewhere, even though they were limited production). My thinking here was that nothing is faster than pump, except semi-auto, but semi-auto does not measure up in the reliability dept, so the pump might be the ideal choice for unloading many fast rounds into a charging moose or grizzly. Obvious second place, or perhaps the preferred choice, is a turnbolt. Since I don't know much about the pumps like the 7600 (their reliability with various loads, sturdiness under adverse conditions, etc.), now I'm kind of leery of them. I'm thinking steel receiver, not aluminum (isn't the 7600 an aluminum receiver?). Obviously, I want an accurate gun, but benchrest/precision accuracy is not at a premium with this rifle. Finally, the gun must be an economy choice, due to budget. So can't afford a double rifle. Needs to be under $900-$1,000 new. So, questions:
1. If I got did get a 7600 in .35 Whelen, is there enough 'meat' in the chamber ring area to safely ream and shoot .35 Brown-Whelen? (Vern Humphrey question
). The Brown-Whelen has very impressive ballistics, and it can be fire-formed in my understanding from regular whelens.2. What other experiences can you tell me about the rem 7600s, in terms of anything - reliability, accuracy, durability/sturdiness, quirks, etc.
3. Are there any other pumps to consider, or for that matter, any leverguns to consider?
4. What cartridges choice do you recommend? I added the 9.3x62mm to the list because it's gaining in popularity, and CZ offers the 550 chambered for it. I also just added the fairly odd choice of 9.3x64mm since apparently Russian American Armory is about to bring in a nice-looking turnbolt chambered in this caliber:
http://www.raacfirearms.com/Los_9-1.htm
Is the .375 H&H "too much" for this purpose, or have a major drawback due to the case belt? I doubt it - this may be just the ticket, if there's a CRF gun under $1k chambered in .375 HH (yes, the concurrent thread on PF vs. CRF has me convinced; but I still think I'd prefer a pump, as the pump shotguns I've owned have been the epitome of reliabity, not to mention extremely fast, and not to mention you stay on target while cycling, which would be very important for dangerous game). A pump in .375 HH would be the pig's feces, but I don't think such a critter exists.
5. What rifle choice do you recommend, all things considered ?
P.S. I already have a .45-70 (Marlin 1895) for the short-range rifle for this purpose, but I want a primary, and to use the .45-70 as a backup and/or brush-excursion gun for Canada/Alaska.
Thanks.
