Cheaper hunting rig

evster

evster

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Waterloo, Ontario
Hello,

I have been hunting deer for a couple years now mostly archery and muzzleloader. I have some family who would like me to start rifle hunting with them farther up north. A while back my dad found a used Remington 740 .30-06 (semi-auto) in great shape and picked it up for me for a couple hundred bucks. I shot it a bit the first year and took it hunting once but was never really comfortable with it, maybe just because of the recoil I don't know. I am planning on seeing how much I would be able to sell it for, (side note: I am going to surf around to try and find value but if anyone has any ideas or can point me to a thread that talks about value I would appreciate that greatly!).

Now on to the point of this thread... So I want a bolt action set up that shoots well, nothing fancy just has to shoot as good as I can. So one gun stands out to me, Stevens 200. This will not be a fancy gun, just a gun that will get the job done. So I am pretty set on stevens because I can't really spend too much on the gun itself (and I already have an ok scope for it). The big question is calibre! I am not really looking for a big recoil gun that I would get with the 300 win mag or 7 mm mag, or even 30-06 for that matter. So I need to know the differences between a couple calibres, namely .308, 7mm-08, and 25-06. I know the difference in size, but what about performance? If needed I would like to be able to use this gun for bear hunting, probablly not moose, but caribou is on the radar, although deer is primary and I could get another gun if the other hunts present themsevles. Also, I don't have reloading equipment yet and so I would like a calibre that I would be able to find lots of factory ammo for so I can still find something that shoots ok.

Thanks for your time.
Evan
 
evster, IMHO and staying within the confines of the calibers which you mention, I suggest the 7mm-08. My Ruger M77 is chambered for that caliber as is my daughter's Stevens 200. Several deer have been harvested with only one shot. As far a factory ammo., I "hear" that Federal's Fusion bullets work very well and are inherently accurate. You might also want to do a search on this forum as this topic has been discussed probably more that once.
 
You might also want to do a search on this forum as this topic has been discussed probably more that once.
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I think I need a lesson in searching, because I can never find what I need :( and I dont like posting duplicates. Thanks for the info though. So would a 7mm-08 be able to take something larger (with a proper shot that is)?
 
I shoot a .270 and have for years. I've killed deer, moose, elk and black bear. The Stevens 200 is not a good gun, it's a great gun. The only feature it does not have is a detachable magazine. The Savage 111FCXP3 comes with a scope and detachable magazine for $429.95 at whole sale sports. The Stevens is $319 plus rings and bases. Either way two great guns. And .270 ammo can be bought everywhere.
 
evster said:
I think I need a lesson in searching, because I can never find what I need :( and I dont like posting duplicates. Thanks for the info though. So would a 7mm-08 be able to take something larger (with a proper shot that is)?
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The 7mm-08 will definitely be able to take larger game - proper placement, good bullet, etc.

If you are not going to reload, I would suggest the .308win as a calibre. Mainly because ammunition will be easier to find and have a wider 'selection' of loads than the 7mm-08. The .308win is the parent case to .243win, 260Rem (I think), 7mm-08, 338 Federal (338-08), and .358win. I might be missing a couple in there as well. So you can see how 'flexible' that cartridge is. Recoil is also quite mild - especially with lighter loads.

Good luck.

:D
 
if your recoil sensitive make sure you change hte hockey puck recoil pad on that stevens
Id say .308 more versatile and readily available
 
Its such a hard choice. I have changed my choices now to 7mm-08, 308, or 270. I am not recoil sensitive, I just enjoy target shooting with less recoil, so its not a huge issue.
 
Mossberg

I'm in the same boat as you an I think I'm going to go with the Mossberg. Its a little cheaper than the stevens and has the same features. I think its accuracy is close but I havn't read to much about it. It also comes with pre attached scope bases and a gun lock. Not big things but nice little ones. I'm torn between a 270 and 30-06. I some day plan on hunting Moose but havn't heard that a 270 has enough power. I know that a well placed shot will always take an animal cleanly but I like to have a little more grunt in my corner so I think I'll go with the 06. The savage is also a nice gun in the same range and its biggest adavntage is the detachable mag. But I would like a better scope put on it than the simmons. We'll see.
 
308. It is "essentially" ballistically 30-06, and you can buy cheap surplus 7.62x51 to practice and get to know your gun.

All the other cartridges are $1+ per shot for good factory loads.

And, as far as "take down" practice and bullet placement trumps "more power" on any game in Canada with the above mentioned calibres.
 
Flip a coin and see. You can't go wrong with either caliber. Good luck on your choice and let us know what you choose.

I myself have a 30-06 but it does kick hard and I wanted to go smaller. I was thinking 7mm-08 or a 308 just for recoil but I since got a good recoil pad and all seems fine now.
 
GRiNGo said:
The Savage 111FCXP3 comes with a scope and detachable magazine for $429.95 at whole sale sports. The Stevens is $319 plus rings and bases.
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I bought one of the Savages, great gun, and if you have a good scope allready you can just swap it over. The one I got is chambered in 300WM, my new moose gun.

the detachable mag is really a nice feature.

.308 is a good common round, easy to find if you don't reload

I have 3 .308's in my inventory all different all shooters, but I reload so I can tune the ammo a bit for each one.
 
"...a 270 has enough power..." It has plenty of 'power' for moose.
Any magnum is both uneccessary and will pound you when shooting for fun. However, putting on a recoil pad and reducing the load will help.
 
Someone mentioned getting it from Wholesale Sports. SIR doesn't have the 308 and so I was thinking wholesale would be the way to go. Has anybody dealt with them? Are they reliable?
 
I am also leaning towards a Stevens 200 in .308 ( or Evster's 740)
I would like my wife to use it, so a recoil pad and maybe even a recoil reducer might be in order. I have both kickin around the gun room.

Oh yeah and a little trick... Krylon's Fusion paint could do wonders on that horrible looking stock, make the gun look like a million bucks.

can anyone comment on accuracy? if it can't shoot MOA, I might as well go for something more fun than a bolt......
 
My dad is a firm beliver in the .270, he had one for 15+ years and has taken most of his deer with it. He asks me why I want a 308 over a 270 since he knows it does the trick, I also know the 308 does the trick to. Are there any advantages of the 308 over the 270 other than recoil? I am assuming the 270 has more range than the 308, but I am also assuming the 308 may be a bit better on larger game since it is a bigger bullet. Please correct me if I am wrong.
 
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