New rifel

[reganranch]

Jump up to the 300 ultra,everyone who has one has never docked it or disregarded having one. Yeah their superior to most almost all the other cartridges except some weatherby's and its extremely versatile in the christensen rifles. With the ultras speaking just for the 7mm and 300 they take out alot of variables such as drop and distance and the power at those distances to break a shoulder bone and knock em down. It's really a great setup with a muzzle break and a high power scope with a 50mm objective. You want to save up at least for a nikon or higher such as zeiss or swaro with that rifle. If you want a nice set-up long distance rifle then no question get an ultra. If you have any questions pm me and ur in tucson so sportsmans is right there

[willhunt4coues]

Out of all the rifles I have ever had and shot I am now a .308 man for life. You can shoot out to what ever range you want and get bullets all the way up to 210 grain if need be. A .308 is an Elk, Coues, Coyotes, and on and on gun. There is absolutly no recoil compared to a 30-06, 7mm, and 300 rum. Get one you will not be dissapointed. I just bought the M1500 Howa varminter heavy barrel and topped it with a vortex viper scope and I can get under .50 at 100 yard groups, and hit 4 inch groups at 800 yards. It is a to die for gun just at 1100.00 to your local gun shop. Good luck with that 300 RUM.

 

A 308? Are you kidding me???? What kind of moron does it take to be a 308 man for life?? Elk? Are you serious? Has'nt anybody told you that the 308 is undergunned for hunting elk.

 

Oh crap! I have just been informed that I am a 308 fan.

 

your a funny man.

[azslim]

No need for a gun that kills on both ends here in Az, get one you can shoot a lot, put out the money for a tactical scope, a RCBS Rock Chucker kit, couple hundred pieces of brass, primers, powder, bullets and start to practicing. Trigger time is what you need for long distance shooting, and if you have to grit your teeth before you touch off a round you aren't going to want to shoot much.

[roninflag]

i am a youth as you look in your pic, but i wouldnt go with a 300 ultra mag, they are great guns but i weigh about 150 and my 300 win would pick me up with it. i could handle the kick of the gun fine, it didnt hurt, but i think i started to develop a flinch with it. if i was you i would put off being macho and a big gun and get something you can shoot all day long and accuratly at any range. just my $.02

 

sidenote: a 270 is a great rifle. ive killed 3 deer and 3 elk with one, farthest was 580 yds, and it dumped the elk. i am now shooting a 257 roberts which i am going to get bored into and AI soon. its a fun gun to shoot and i can shoot it all day long

deserthhnt- my experience with the 300wm is diefferent for yours. the us army marksmanship unit shoots the 300 wm in rem 700 for their 1000 yards matches. it is a very accurate round. my m70 shot .27, .31 and .35 @ 100 yards last time took it to the range, my son in law shot a 15 shot group at 1000yards with my sendero you could cover with sheet or notebook paper . with the muzzle breaks they kick less thana 257 roberts. the 300 wm has a lot of good bullets and brass( norma, lapua , nosler , rws) available. you handload it down to 3000 fps with a 168cbt and take anything; yet kick less than a 243. i shoot in f-clss matches at both rio salado and ben avery with my coues rifle. i feel it is a good way to wring it out. i have shot agaisnt savages, surgeon , bat and some others, never a ruger. never a .270 or a 257r. young - i always say the gun is more important than the caliber. the 300 wm is plenty for me. roninflag

[HaYen]

Whats up guys im thinking of buying a new hunting rifel to use mostly for deer. I am thinking of a 300 ultra mag was wondering if i could get your thoughts on this rifel caliber or any suggestions on any other rifels calibers. Thanks ...

 

 

I've shot 300 RUM's but never owned a rifle in that caliber. My thought is it is a flat shooter with the right ballistics and hard hitting. Suggestions on other calibers? There are a lot of other calibers both production and wildcats. People have used .224's all the way up to .45's and larger for deer so a discussion on other calibers could be ... long.

 

I will say this though, if you want one, get it. If the cost of ammo gets too absorbent or you find it too uncomfortable to practice with in the off season (because we all practice, right?), sell it. Or trade it or .... You get the idea. Point is you got a chance to own what you wanted.

 

I don't talk people out of a specific "caliber" or certain rifle manufacture. For every positive response you'll get a negative.

 

Have a great day

 

HaYen

[hunterdude]

Where is Lark ?

[roninflag]

ClintH- i usuaully carry those inexpensive puffs in my pockets to put in my ears. i don't get drawn that much so one or two shots a year in the field at big game. . i shoot my whitetaile rifle at lot of f-class matches and i believe that is a great way to tune your rifle and yourself. i have never shot against a .270 or a 257r. 30-06 and 260, and 308 are common though.

[More D]

308, 30-06 cant be beat for versatility.

 

i still shoot a 30-06, my first rifle i bought. i does every thing i have ever asked of it and then some. the boss, my wife, has even gone as far as insisted i get a ''bigger'' aka magnum but i just cant justify the expense.

 

as mentioned before...what are you really trying to do? if you shoot a 7mm already what are you really going to gain by a RUM. if it matters the ''long range'' hunting shows seem to shoot just as many 7mm's as RUM.

 

spend the money on high end binos, scopes, etc. things that will last you a lifetime of hunting if you have money burning a hole in your pocket. that, my friend, is something i trully know nothing about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MattMan]

.308 is about the LAST bullet diameter I'd select for shooting long range.

 

First rule to remember is velocity is fleeting and BC is forever.

 

Think .264, .284, and then .338

 

A 10+ lb braked high displacement 338 of any flavor is an impressive tool at VERY long distances if built with the correct twist and fed fodder of high BC.

 

 

[Coach]

Obviously, this is a subject that has a lot of interest, and a lot of good information. I've shot more than my share of rifles over many years and I've seen some interesting trends.

 

Jack O'Connor was a pioneer of rifle hunting, reloading, ballistics research and wildcat experimentation just to name a few. He favored the .270 Winchester. He killed just about everything that walks with a .270. Roy Wetherby hunted the globe while designing "world-class" rifles and cartridges that redefined an entire industry. His favorite round was the .257 Wby Magnum, with which he harvested game around the world from light-skinned to some of the most dangerous.

 

You can easily get wrapped up in the numbers, the ballistics charts, whatever. Bottom line, today, there are more options to hunters than ever before when it comes to high quality rifles and ammunition.

 

You'll find your .270 camps, your .308 camps, your 7mm-08, 7mm mag camps, ultra-mag, short-mag, this and that until you can't take it any more.

 

Here's my short summary: I find most "ultra" anything unappealing. Too much powder burns barrels out very quickly. The 7MM and 270 ultramag died off quckly because of this. Often as soon as the rifle is broken in, it's almost worn out. And aquiring the ability to shoot these guns at the range where the real "pay-off" occurs is at the cost of barrel life.

 

I also don't care much for belted cartridges as they are a little harder to reload, and seem to have a shorter case life and are more suceptible to failure.

 

There are a number of "old stand-by" rifles that have proven themselves for years. The 25-06, the .270 Win, the 7MM Win Mag which many long range rifles are based on, 7mm-08, and of course the .308 Win that has been an established "sniper riflle" caliber in our military since Viet Nam and even before. The british used .303 mausers when their life depended on them in war times and many more to put food on the tables when they got home.

 

Given the history of great guns a bullets we now have to choose from, if I had to choose 3, here's what I would pick. .300 WSM, .270 WSM and either 25-06 Win or .257 WBY. As far as the gun, take your pick. Most "American" brands are manufactured overseas. Most Weatherbys come from Japan, the list goes on.

 

I'd take an over-the-counter Savage 110, medium countour, accu-trigger .300 WSM and put it up against custom rifles all day long. Savage button-rifled barrels are renouned for accuracy, the "accu-trigger" completely redefined the idea of "factory" triggers, as they provide the kind of reliability, adjustability and precision that was once only available by custom gunshops. In addition, they were able to totally eliminate the dangers of most "custom" trigger modifications.

 

Savage did something ground-breaking with their trigger system. Some of the old codgers on here might remember the idea of the old Hawkins style rifles. They had a "set trigger" and the actual trirgger. If you've seen an old Hawkins or TC .50 caliber muzzle loader, you know the idea. There are 2 triggers in the guard. The one in back "sets" the first one - meaning it puts the primary trigger a hair a way from firing. Savage took the idea of a set trigger, and the idea of a trigger-based safety (from Glock) to create a trigger that was actually a trigger within a trigger to create the "accu-trigger", which, in my opinion, totally changed the world for production rifles. In short, they created a trigger that could compete with custom jobs, "Jewell" and other after-market triggers, and gave it to the normal hunter, available at any WalMart, Cabelas or whowever sold mass-production rifles.

 

So now you can buy a .300 wsm, .270 wsm with an incredibly accurate button-rifled barrel in either synthetic or wood for under $700 with a trigger that rivals what custom shops produced just 3 years ago, and still have cash left over for a great scope. And would you believe it, you can buy a Vortex rifle scope for a couple hundred bucks that is just as good, and has a better warranty, than Leopold, Nikon, Pentax etc.

 

If ever there was a "buyer's market" for a solid hunting rifle, it is now. Just don't get too caught up in the ultra mags, euro-glass and gunshop triggers. You can get the same quality for a lot less money by doing your research.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rclouse79]

I wrestled with what caliber to go with just last year. I think there are a lot of good options out there, but my advice is to spend a couple of months doing research to make absolutly sure of what you want before you buy. I changed my mind at least a couple of times before I ended up with a .270. Nothing is worse than discovering a gun you absolutely have to have after you have already spent all your money on one you are no longer happy with. I didn't do it with my gun, but did buy a boat from a dealer on a whim. Now I kick myself when I look on the internet and see someone selling twice the boat for the same amount of money.

If you decide to go BIG, I would check out the 338 edge as well. Some of the posts I have read involving that caliber are pretty impressive.

 

[youngbuck]

I grew up hunting with a .243, a 25-06, and 7mag. I bought a 300RUM about 5 years ago. I'm confident with my RUM, but there are some limitations. Its not a gun to put a few hundred rounds a year through. I shoot it enough to be proficient with it, but I'm not trying to burn out the barrel any time soon. In the past I've shot 180g and am going to try 210gr this summer. With heavy bullets, you will want a brake. With a brake it is loud, I never shoot it without ear protection, even while hunting. In AZ there are many good options; 25-06, most quarter bores, 270, 270wsm, 7mag, and the short, and most any 30 cal.

 

In my opinion a 338 edge is en entirely differntly animal. That will be my next rifle build as soon as I can convince my wallet. I wont be hauling it on long trips. It would be a "truck" gun, never venturing very far my wheels I have a 300RUm thats plenty heavy to be haulin all over the hills. A lot of people say big calibers are over kill, but I have never seen anything too dead. I can put my bullets from my RUM where I want them to go, at further distances, than with any of my other rifles. This is probably more to due with the time I've put in at the reloading bench and shooting those distances, many times.

 

My dad also practices with my gun and uses it hunting. He has an older 700 in 7mag that he wants to switch to. He has used this rifle for a long time, but wants to put the time in with his rifle and become profecient using it at longer ranges than in the past. It may turn out to be a better shooter than my RUM. It has always been a shooter, but neither of us put in the hours to make it a "long baller". Just cuz theres a ton of powder behind a high BC bullet, doesnt make a rifel an automatic long ranger. All of the calibers callibers mentioned ar capable of being great rifles here in AZ.

 

A lot of guys get caught up in the caliber choice. I know I do, I like hot rods, but I also know I can't go out and put a dozen round down range ever few days, if I want the barrel to last any length of time. What ever you decide on, get comfortable and confident using it. Put the time in so you know exactly where that bullet is going to go at waht ever distance you are profecient at.

 

For a comparison I put a lot of time in with my rifles and practice often enough to know where my bullet will go. I archery hunt as often as I rifle hunt. I, however, put far more time into shooting distance with a rifle than flinging arrows. My furthest pin on my bow is 60. I'm not that great of an archery shooter. I've never put in the time to shoot the distances a lot of guys do with their archery equipment. I also know if I go out and buy the newest fast bow, it wont do me any good.

[punxsutawn]

I have to +1 on the .257 Weatherby Mag. I used one for the past 15 years and have taken Javalina, Deer, and even two elk using that rifle. It has been a tack driver. I used the 100 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip very successfully however, in the climate of "lead free" I've gone to the Barnes 100 grain TTSX. It too is just a great performer! I did just buy a Remington 700 CDL in .257 Weatherby mag. last year and it is just as accurate as the Mark V has been but with a much better price tag!

I agree with the point that reloading is the way to go whichever caliber you choose. I've been using an RCBS Jr. since 1973 and it still cranks out precision loads at a fraction of the cost. You can really fine tune the bullet to the rifle.

And like has been stated...get a good scope for it. I personally like the Zeiss Conquest glass but that will cost just about as much as your rifle will. I made the mistake of getting a 6.5 - 20 X 40mm scope for one of my long range rifles. I should have gotten the same scope in 50mm. Following a running Javalina at 350 yards was quite a challenge. I got it but the wider field of view would have made it much easier!!

 

[coues hunter]

I used to have a Rem 700 in 300rum. I probably shot 500 rounds though it. It was a lightweight rifle and it kicked like heck. More then once I had the knurled bolt rip the flesh from my knuckles during recoil. I was not sad the day I sold it.

I would not recommend it for deer hunting. If youre trying to shoot through bullet proof glass, brick walls, or tanks then maybe consider it. Otherwise, stick with a smaller caliber like a .260. Cheaper to reload and way less recoil. Compare the exterior balistics of both. A 300 rum will have zero benefit for hunting deer.

Oh almost forgot. Its loud! hope you carry good ear protection while youre hunting.

 

[weatherby1]

I baught a 30-378 5 years ago and I love it just as much now as I did when I first got it. With that being said I am now getting a 6.5x284 built. It has great ballistics and will not cost as much to shoot, or hurt your ears as bad. For just deer I don't think that a 300 rum is really needed, but by the same token if you want it then get it. It's not about what everybody here wants or thinks

 

 

 

 

 

I used to have a Rem 700 in 300rum. I probably shot 500 rounds though it. It was a lightweight rifle and it kicked like heck. More then once I had the knurled bolt rip the flesh from my knuckles during recoil. I was not sad the day I sold it.

I would not recommend it for deer hunting. If youre trying to shoot through bullet proof glass, brick walls, or tanks then maybe consider it. Otherwise, stick with a smaller caliber like a .260. Cheaper to reload and way less recoil. Compare the exterior balistics of both. A 300 rum will have zero benefit for hunting deer.

Oh almost forgot. Its loud! hope you carry good ear protection while youre hunting.