Rifle hunters

[iccyman001]

What calibers do you shoot commonly and at what animals?
Do you have one all around gun or do you change it up for different stuff?


I am thinking about selling off a few of my OK rifles and just buying one nice rifle to use.
I won\'t use it that often because most of my hunts will be bow hunts, but I do want something nice for when I need it.


I am looking at the tikka T3 lite in .300 win mag.
I will have plenty of range to it and knock down power.




So, what do you use?

 

[cnelk]

The 300 mag is prob a good choice for an all around caliber.
I have calibers from .24 to .34 and lots between.
I must say that a 30-06 or .308 would be my top all around gun with a .270 coming a close second

 

[elky McElkerson]

as a young kid, i read stories of Ed Weatherby\'s favorite caliber. the 257 weatherby mag. as an adult i bought one. as a poor adult.

anyways, i love the thing. mulies..i am 7 shots for 7 shots. something like that. they just shut off - the deer. every one of them died standing and just collapsed. Ed W. wrote of killing a myriad of elk with the caliber. i never had the chance.

now? i\'m not so sure. the ammo is brutally expensive. i can reload, sure. but my reloads are like regular 25-06 velocities. i asked around and apparently, Weatherby has some voodoo black magic power mix that they use to get the famous weatherby velocities. any home reloader cannot match it.

i want to sell the rifle, but selling a gun is a PIA. i use my 30 06 mostly now, but admittedly, the rifle is about as exciting as white bread.

IF i got a new rifle, i would get a big 30 cal. i like the short magnums.

 

[bnsafe]

im a 3006 man thru and thru. i bought both my kids one when they were young because with the remington reduced recoil loads they kick less than a 243 yet they can load up for elk etc. love me some 3006.
with that said, if i was you and i was considering moving to alaska, i would go with something in the 338 range. better gun for moose and if browns are on the agenda bigger is better as long as you arnt recoil shy.
obviously something with a good trigger is a must.

 

[bowhunter]

I don\'t use a rifle much but for what its worth. I bought a Browning A-Bolt in a 300 Win Mag. I topped it wit a Leupold VX3 3,5-10x50. Good clear glass. Great groups at the 200yds I have shot it at.I really like the trigger pull. On the bags shooting at a target I can squeeze the trigger and feel the hardware slide. Stop and breathe then squeeze and feel the slide an BOOM it goes off totally unexpected. Smooth pull with a factory gun. :upthumb:

 

[Zpd307]

I also have an a-bolt in 300 win mag. I bought it as an all around gun. I was young and poor, I paid it off on lay away.... it has shot many deer and an elk.

 

[cohunter14]

Dan, I think you are on the right track with the 300 Win Mag. Personally, I have a 300 RUM that I use for pretty much all big game hunting. Some would say it\'s overkill for antelope and deer, but I love the idea of a flat shooting rifle and I can handle the recoil without a muzzle break. I have also hunted with a 30-06 and .270 and they are great calibers, but I would still lean more towards the 300 Win Mag if I were you. If you ever decide to stretch the legs on it, you can. It would easily take elk at 1,000+ yards if you wanted, whereas the 30-06, .308, and .270 are all maxed out in the 500 yard range. Even if you keep it under 500, I would still prefer the extra energy from the 300 Win Mag.

As far as .338\'s go, I think that would definitely fit the bill if you are moving to Alaska, but I don\'t know if you could shoot it accurately without a break. But maybe you are open to having a break on it? Personally, my hearing is bad enough, so that was not an option

 

[Swede]

If I had to go with one gun, it would be the 30-06 for almost all game animals in the lower 48.

 

[david.denham.39]

If you reload the 30-06 would be my choice. You can load it up to 220 grain bullets and down to 110 grain. It has a lot of versatility!

 

[Wake26]

I have many different rifles from 30-40 krag to 300 win mag. My browning 308 is one of my go to guns close second was my grandpas old 30-06. But last year I bought a Browning X bolt in 300 win mag, and absolutely love this gun. I only hunt deer with a rifle and have 3 main spots that I hunt. Two of the places are more open so the 300 will be the choice where as the other spot has a lot more cover so take the 308 to that spot. If I only had one to choose I would lean towards the 300.

 

[iccyman001]

Thank you guys for all of the feedback!

 

[Deertick]

Count me as a .30-06 guy, too. I have several ... from lever-action, to bolt-action, to semi-auto. Very versatile.

I\'m starting to work with a .308, though, and I\'m always looking for less recoil, which I think is more important to good shooting than about anything.

 

[bnsafe]

amen deertick, i would rather shoot a grizz with a 3006 i can drive tacks with than a 338 that i shoot 2 foot groups with cause im flinching. however, if i was moving to alaska i would own the biggest gun i could shoot accurately

 

[mainebrdr]

Deertick nailed it for me. The 06 is really the max amount of recoil I want to endure. Shooting at game, don\'t notice it so much but in the pasture, another story. Has always done a good job for me. Of course I don\'t very often enter the \"Hey, here\'s what I shoot!\" conversations. :yawn:

 

[Deertick]

amen deertick, i would rather shoot a grizz with a 3006 i can drive tacks with than a 338 that i shoot 2 foot groups with cause im flinching. however, if i was moving to alaska i would own the biggest gun i could shoot accurately

The most accurate gun I ever owned was a Tikka in .338.

It remains the only rifle I\'ve ever sold. Too much recoil to be enjoyable. ... It was accurate, sure, but I just didn\'t want to deal with its recoil. On top of that, it was about as tall as a 3rd-grader.

I\'m into small rifles now. Easy to carry in hand, or a scabbard. Agile in close-quarters.

 

[colorado russ]

What? No 7mm mag guys out there but me? I own a .30-06 also but it never leaves the safe.....unless me and my wife both have tags then she shoots the 7mm magnum and I get stuck with the .30-06! Not knocking that round or rifle but doesn\'t shoot as well for me. Key for my selection was the BOSS muzzlebrake that came on the rifle from Browning. It\'s one tack driving machine with little recoil.

Would strongly suggest a muzzlebreak for any magnum rifles.