Caliber for my second rifle...suggestions?

suprcoolr

suprcoolr

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Looking for some thoughts on what caliber to buy for my second rifle. Some background info:

I have a Savage Model 99F in .300 Savage already. I am a southpaw and I would like a bolt action in LH which is why I am looking into another rifle. Game will be mostly deer and a bit of moose and elk in Alberta. I would prefer a commonly sold cartridge as I do not hand load. I am looking for something to supplement the rifle I have. Recoil is not a concern but I lean towards the lighter side rather than the heavier as a preference (I have nothing to prove ;) ). I am not an inexperienced shooter, it's just been awhile since I've done a lot of shooting.

Thanks for your input, I appreciate it.
 
If magnums are not your cup of tea then the 30-06 or its derivatives ( 270 or 280) would fit the bill ,though ammunition for the 280 is a bit less common than the other two.
 
J_MIL_20 said:
But why not just use your 99? It will do just about anything the bolt in these calibers will.
Click to expand...

exactly.

the only thing you might gain is the availability of ammo and afaik the 300sav is still being loaded by most of the major players in the ammo market.
Take half of what you would spend on a new rifle and buy ammo with it,then you won't have to worry about finding any ;)
 
Just me, but why not get a lh bolt in something like a .243 for varmint and whitetail, or something like the .375h&h, .45-70 etc. You already got a real good medium game rifle, my two cents is go for something different, fill a niche that hasn't been filled yet. :) but if you just gotta go for another 30ish rifle, go for the .30-06 its been around forever and for good reason, can't go wrong with it.
 
To compliment your .300 Savage Lever I would lean toward a flat shooting cartridge such as 7mm-08, .270,.280, .260 or 6.5x55. For Elk and Moose the first three would be the best choice
 
30-06. They choice of ammo is staggering.
It'll go light, it'll go heavy.
ammo is everywhere
What can't it do?
and why don't I have one anymore??
 
Lots of great ways to go. A .243 for whitetail or varmints is a good idea. Or a .30-06 for slightly more oomph, or a .270 for some added range. Your 300 savage will all of these nicely, but if it were me, I'd get a .270 in a light gun like a Rem 700 MTN rifle or a win 70 FWT.
 
Uh Oh...I can see what's gonna happen

So....what i'm getting is the feeling that I should just by TWO guns. Perhaps a .243 and a .338 winmag or something like that...:D. That way I should have a well rounded selection of rifles to hunt and shoot that will cover most of what I want to do.

Now that I've justified a two gun purchase to myself, can someone justify it to my wife? :nest:

Thanks again to everyone for your input. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
 
More guns = better. It's a simple equation. Lots of good options out there! If you want a 2-caliber combo I'd look at .243/.257/.25-06/.260/.270/7mm-08/.280 and then something in a .300/.325/.338 mag or .338-06/.35 Whelen.

Eventually you'll still want more, and that's okay, too. Throw in a .223 and a .30-30 or .45/70 and you might be somewhat satisfied.
 
Sounds like you have the close cover .30 cal bush gun angle covered. Now you need an open field laser beam because here in AB shots can be long on a wary trophy buck. A LH bolt 7mm Rem Mag will do it all. Lots of choices available depending on the $$$ you want to spend. Recoil is manageable and plenty of factory ammo choices to get you started until you start to load for it. I'd recommend a 26" barrel model.

Welcome to the board.
 
Most of the suggestions above are good rifles. Its always good to have a second rifle, kinda like a spare tire, you never know when you might need it, but its there when you do.
 
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