Help with gun purchase

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DeadShot519

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So I’m on the fence as to which rifle I want to buy. I am looking to upgrade from my old beat up savage 338win mag. The rifle will primarily be used for black bear and moose hunting in northern Ontario. I also have a friend in Alberta whom I plan do do some mule deer/elk hunts with. I definitely want something in stainless/synthetic as I do a lot of walking through thick brush and hunting in rainy/snowy/inclement weather conditions. I have friends that are die hard weatherby lovers that are pushing me towards an accumark chambered in 300wby or 30-378wby. I have also read a lot of good things about the Remington 700 rifles. I was thinking about finding a used 700 chambered in 300win mag or 338win mag (what I have been hunting with). The new rifles caught my eye as well but I am unsure about a few things. I had a few questions I wanted to throw out to you extremely knowledgeable gun nuts out there.

What is the deal with this new 5R rifling. I am looking at the Remington 700 long range stainless in 300wm vs the new Remington 700 5R stainless in 300wm. Both come with 26” barrels. The long range comes in a B&C stock and the 5R comes in a HS precision. What are the pros and cons of the rifling and stocks here?

Am I wrong for looking at these remingtons. Should I go with one of the big weatherby calibers? I will say that recoil is 100% not a factor to me within these calibers.

Any insight or thoughts would be greatly appreciated guys. I’ve been hunting with basic rifles and have decided to step up and buy my first nice rifle and I am so lost. I have also had suggestions to go 300RUM. Help me out please

Thanks a lot
 
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In my opinion the remington 700 is a great choice, lots of aftermarket options available and usually easy to move if you ever want to sell it. 300wm is very capable for everything youre looking to do and there is tons of ammo and reloading components available. 30-378 is a monster and will be a lot more expensive to feed, its very overbore and tough on the shoulder and ears. 300 rum is also overbore and has less options for ammo and brass but I like it because its beltless. Some people dont mind belted magnums, I prefer belt less myself. I just put together a .300 prc, its similar to 300wm for capacity, no belt and man does it shoot! There are more factory built 300prc options all the time and hornady ammo and brass is available. I like the heavy bullets in the .30 cal, 212, 225, 230, for reaching a long ways out with lots of energy a 200+gr bullet in any of these cartridges will be deadly!! As for the stock, personal prefrence there, you should handle both and see what fits you. You can always buy one and try it and sell it to try another or keep it like some us have!!

A 7mm rem mag or 28 nolser would suit all of your game requirements as well. Not sure what kind of ranges you'll be shooting but a 180gr 7mm bullet in some sort of 7mm magnum is a pretty awesome combo, I've got a rem 700 in 7wby that has performed very well for me.
 
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The Remington 700 series is a great, proven rifle. As for chamberings, think about a 300 WSM. Our moose aren’t all that tough, nor are the bears. Shorter cartridge, similar ballistics to 300+ yards. Most shots are less than half that.
5R is nice, but 26 inches is a lot to pack and swing in brush.
 
Winchester M70 Extreme Weather in 300 WSM is another good option provided you can find one.
I own a lot of Model 70’s but that’s my go to when the game gets serious.
 
I have a few Remington 700 5R's, Gen1 & Gen 2 with HS Precision Stocks. The stock fits me perfect and all are accurate as heck.
The new model 5R's, Gen 2, come with tan/black spider web stock, black cerakote stainless steel fluted barrel & tactical bolt knob.
I do like over-sized bolt knob and find the action incredibly smooth, darn good package right out of the box.
Now, I did swap out the X-Mark Pro on a couple of them and installed the Timney Elite Hunter Trigger. The others were decent left as is.
 
As much as i admire speed in northern ontario shots just arent often that long. Especailly i. The timber. Ive never hubted western mule deer or elk. There im sure flatter shooting rifles are a benefit. Id stay with a regular 300wm or 338wm if you want the heavier bullet. Ammo is much easier to source if youre traveling and loose your ammo. If hunting close to home or your own truck ammo choice is mute. The 300wm benefits the least from handloading so if buying factory ammo it will have the most selection. For hunting rifles i dont see the rifling making a difference. Id find a rifle you like in the chamber you want and buy some really nice glass for it
 
I'm a die hard Ruger fan, but even I can't argue with the quality of weatherby rifles.... They just don't fit me well, and that's a personal thing.....

It sounds like you want one to do it all, pretty hard to argue with a weatherby in an all weather config in 300 win mag in that scenario if it fits you well....
 
As mentioned, the Weatherby ammo is more expensive and can be harder to find, if you do not handload.
The 300 RUM is also more expensive and getting harder to find in some stores, again, if you do not handload.
For these cartridges, are you expecting to shoot long range on a consistent basis? Or do you keep your shots on unwounded big game to less than 400 yards? Or 300 yards?

The Remingtons are smoother actions, less expensive to purchase than the Weatherby rifles and will shoot very well with most preferred loads.
The 300 Win Mag is a sensible choice and will perform well on everything you've listed, both in your neck of the woods, and here out west. The 180 gr bullet is a solid all-around choice. The AccuBond is both accurate and performs very well on all big game. Personally, as recommended above, I too like the 300 WSM as compared to the 300 Win Mag.Very happy with mine!
I too am a fan of the 338 Win Mag, and it is THE elk cartridge. Some may consider it overkill for all the other game you mentioned, but there is no denying, it will be effective!

The biggest concerns should be, what rifle fits and feels best to you, and what are your reasonable hunting and shooting distance, and on game performance expectations? Those questions should lead you to your answer.

Sako also makes a great rifle that is very smooth and have proven to be very accurate. More expensive than other rifles, but when compared to a custom rifle, do provide good value, in my opinion; and yes, I have several of each. (and I just picked up an older LH Sako AV in 338 Win Mag)
 
That’s a lot guys I really appreciate the information and opinions.

I really want to stay 338wm but I’m not seeing many new rifles chambered in this caliber. I have been looking online for a couple months now but am having a hard time finding even a used. 338wm in stainless/syn.

What do you guys think about the new ruger guide guns? The 338wm ruger guide gun caught my eye. I had a boat paddle m77 338wm back in the day and it was a frickin tack driver. Totally regret selling it. Is ruger still a good route to go? I know forsure the guide guns laminate stock will have to be replaced with a b&c or Hs. What’s your guys opinion on the ruger guide gun vs a remmy700
 
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Also. I’m hearing a lot of bad things about the detachable magazine rem700. I really like the idea of the DM as during bear season I’m often on and off the ATV a lot. A DM sounds great for this purpose but I keep hearing they have feeding issues.

I really can’t express how thankful I am for you guys to be sharing your knowledge with me. It’s seriously so helpful as I am very lost and don’t want to make a purchase I regret.
 
I do plan on keeping my shots well under 300 yards. And most will probably be in the 50-150 range. But I would really like the ability to reach out if I need to.

I really would be stoked to find something in a 338wm. As for overkill with the 338 win mag, I don’t think there is such a thing as “too dead”
 
DeadShot519 said:
I do plan on keeping my shots well under 300 yards. And most will probably be in the 50-150 range. But I would really like the ability to reach out if I need to.

I really would be stoked to find something in a 338wm. As for overkill with the 338 win mag, I don’t think there is such a thing as “too dead”
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The Winchester M70 Stainless is a very good rifle, and likely a better fit, unless you have one of those weird Weatherby bodies. As for the cartridge, the .30 cal magnums with a quality 180 grain bullet will be flat shooting and easily handle all of the game you want to hunt... forget the Weatherby cartridges and frankly, the .338 WM will do little more than the .300 WM or WSM. If you just want to go bigger for your own reasons... I think the .375 Ruger is the way to go... and to prove it's awesomeness, the cartridge has the Gatehouse stamp of approval.
 
The Rugers are solid rifles,but usually not as smooth out of the box as other brands. With work and time, they can become pretty smooth.
If you cannot find a stainless rifle that you like is to have the rifle tefloned or Cerakoted. These will protect the metal finish from the elements, and both treatments have a lubricity component that can smoothen up the action considerably, as the feed rails will be coated in the process. May run $300-350 dependent upon the gunsmith doing the work.

Another rifle you can look at in the Remington line is the XCR or the newer XCR II.
The former was in a stainless finish and had a proprietary finish applied that further protected the stainless metal from the elements, and made the action very smooth. My rifle in 280 Rem is probably the smoothest action of any rifle I have ever handled out of the box.
The latter has a black finish applied to the metal and is also very smooth.
Both of these models were offered in 338 Win Mag, if memory serves correct, but neither rifle had a DM, but will most likely be found used. An internet search may locate one.
Another Remington option is their KS Mountain rifle that they had available from their Custom Shop, that was also available in 338 WM. Have read great reviews on those. If I am not mistaken, there may have been one for sale recently on-line, just not sure if it was here in CGN - you could search on the EE.

Brownings make nice rifles w/ DM's, but they usually offer the 338 WM in 26" barrels only, and I believe the 24" barrel would suit your needs better, as they have mine.
 
DeadShot519 said:
That’s a lot guys I really appreciate the information and opinions.

I really want to stay 338wm but I’m not seeing many new rifles chambered in this caliber. I have been looking online for a couple months now but am having a hard time finding even a used. 338wm in stainless/syn.

What do you guys think about the new ruger guide guns? The 338wm ruger guide gun caught my eye. I had a boat paddle m77 338wm back in the day and it was a frickin tack driver. Totally regret selling it. Is ruger still a good route to go? I know forsure the guide guns laminate stock will have to be replaced with a b&c or Hs. What’s your guys opinion on the ruger guide gun vs a remmy700
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Just because I'm browsing the EE right now, here's a used Sako 85 in stainless and 338wm. This would be a great firearm that would last a lifetime. You'd also have a hard time upgrading from it IMHO.

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1972638-Few-used-rifles-that-gotta-go
 
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