First Hunting Rifle - For Hunting and Targets

Bezzy

Bezzy

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Saskatoon SK
Hey everyone so I'm relatively new to larger caliber firearms and I'm looking for a long range deer rifle with the ability to shoot targets at long range (800 minimum). I basically want a rifle that I can take hunting this fall as I've never gone, but I also want it to shoot well out at longer ranges. Basically my question is what caliber and rifle will allow me to do this? I've been looking into the 7mm Rem Mag and 7mm RUM and am pretty set on one of those and I was wondering if someone could tell me the pros and cons of those. What are some pros and cons of some similar cartridges? I've been leaning towards the 7mm Rem Mag as it seems very versatile. I don't really have a budget, I know getting out to long ranges gets expensive, I'd rather spend more money on something that works well and will continue working for a long time.

I do plan on starting to handload for this rifle. I currently know very little about that subject as well but hey thats part of the reason I'm on this forum.

Basically I'm looking for a versatile long range cartridge that will not only get out to minimum 800 yds, but also kill at that range. And a rifle that I can take hunting and wont be afraid of getting bumped but still can hold up at the range. If someone could give me some more info and insight that would be appreciated.

Here is a chart I've been doing some quick comparing on.



Thanks.
 
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I'd start with a 7-08 if you load your own ammo. A .308 if not.

Long barrel life, less recoil, more practice. When you're ready you can step up to a 7mm Rem Mag and handle it well.
 
No offense... but if you are new to the sport of hunting, please remove the thought of making 800 yard kills... give the game a break... work on your hunting skills and cut that distance by half (or more).

Go with the 7 RM of those two... but being new, I would recommend a .308.
 
i would go with 7mm-08.. i had a custom rifle built for this exact purpose.. I AGREE WITH hoytcanon WITH THE STATMENT ABOVE FOR HUNTING. That aside. I love my 7mm-08. I can successfully shoot 6" targets now out to 550 yards with 150gr Nosler Ballistic Tips and 160gr Sierra Game Kings. Even got lucky on a groundhog at 400 lol. Anyways it all depends on what your looking for cost with rifle and optics combined.. are you going to reload or shot factory ammo..
 
If you want to hunt at that distance that is your choice.

As for chambering available that will do what you want.Anything 7mm and 50grains of powder or larger will do it.

You could look at 30-06 , plenty of componets available and can be loaded up or down.

.280 Remington, 7mm STW , many choices out there that will do what you want.

Remember to choose the appropriate bullet for intended target/distance.

300WM is also a choice, the list goes on forever.

I must however say that a test drive of various chamberings to feel the recoil and what your limits are, a long bomber at the range can get old fast if your body is taking a beating.

If you are going to use factory ammo or reload will really play into what choice you should make.
 
hoytcanon said:
No offense... but if you are new to the sport of hunting, please remove the thought of making 800 yard kills... give the game a break... work on your hunting skills and cut that distance by half (or more).

Go with the 7 RM of those two... but being new, I would recommend a .308.
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I guess I should of been more specific. Im not looking for a 308 as I will be getting mine back soon (hopefully). Long story.. but ive never fired that 308, so i dont know the feeling of it. Im completely new to the sport of hunting. Zero experience other than gophers, muskrats, beavers, rabbits, etc. However I know enough to not attempt shots that I wasn't 100% percent sure I'd hit and kill. I agree with you that a good hunter does not need to make 800 yd kill shots, however, I really don't want to make this thread about my marksmanship and hunting skills and want to keep it solely about the rifles and cartridge capabilities. As stated earlier, this will be a target rifle as well.

I did forget to mention that I am hoping to start handloading and this would be the rifle I start handloading for.
 
I hear what you're saying and I don't know what .308 rifle you are getting back but I still say get a Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .308
Heavy enough barrel to target shoot without overheating, light enough to take hunting. (As long as you aren't hiking for miles and miles all day)
I am in a similar situation as you, fairly new to long range shooting. Not new to shooting in general just longer range. If you want a drag through the dirt reliable rifle get a 700. The military use them for a reason.
Shoot out a .308 barrel learning long range then think about other calibers.
 
The ballistics for 7 mm are every nice, having both range and associated killing power, and I have both a 7 mm Rem Mag and a 7-08. Of the two, however, I prefer the 7-08, which is a pleasure to shoot, having much less felt recoil than the 7 Rem Mag. The 7 Rem Mag has a synthetic stock so I scraped out the filler in the stock and put in a double layered bag of sand to increase the weight / reduce recoil.

I will do most of my big game hunting with the 7-08.

My opinion, worth what it cost.
 
Another vote for 7-08. Sweet shooting, not expensive to load for and accurate for long shots on targets and
varmint type critters. Big game.....keep the shots under 300 yds. to be sure.:)

And that's on game that is not alert to your presence.
 
The 7-08 will expand a 168 VLD out to 800 yards, no problem. And if the bullet expands and fragments, much tissue gets destroyed. When plenty of vital tissue gets destroyed, game dies quick.
 
Jordan Smith said:
The 7-08 will expand a 168 VLD out to 800 yards, no problem. And if the bullet expands and fragments, much tissue gets destroyed. When plenty of vital tissue gets destroyed, game dies quick.
Click to expand...

And if a wee puff of wind blows at around the mid-range of said shot or the critter decides to move one way or the other, it's either a miss or a wound shot.
 
Bezzy said:
I guess I should of been more specific. Im not looking for a 308 as I will be getting mine back soon (hopefully). Long story.. but ive never fired that 308, so i dont know the feeling of it. Im completely new to the sport of hunting. Zero experience other than gophers, muskrats, beavers, rabbits, etc. However I know enough to not attempt shots that I wasn't 100% percent sure I'd hit and kill. I agree with you that a good hunter does not need to make 800 yd kill shots, however, I really don't want to make this thread about my marksmanship and hunting skills and want to keep it solely about the rifles and cartridge capabilities. As stated earlier, this will be a target rifle as well.

I did forget to mention that I am hoping to start handloading and this would be the rifle I start handloading for.
Click to expand...

Why don't you get that .308 into action for awhile before you decide on a new one... you may find that your priorities change with a little experience.
 
First of all take what Hoyt said about the 800 yard shots. Until you can consistently (I say 7 times in a row) hit a pie plate at the range you want to hunt at, forget it.

Second, buy a gun that fits you well, and then pick a caliber. If you pick a popular caliber, you have a wide choice to choose from. Keep in mind ammo availability. Im in the boonies and 7-08 isnt a choice unless you drive an hour to buy shells. Your options here are 270, 308, 30-06, 7mm rem mag, 300 WM, 30-30 and 243. You do see the odd box of 300 WSM but thats on a rare occasion. For just deer and coyotes, 270 win will do anything you want. Light recoil, super flat and very common for ammo and rifle choice. If you want the extra thump, I say 7mm. The recoil is a tad more then a 30-06 but not unbearable. It is also very very flat (as you can see in your chart) and it will do the same thing as a 300 WM with a little less recoil.

Good luck in your search, and happy hunting!
 
It looks like quite a few 7mm-08 fans here. I really wish I could shoot them both and decide which one feels better. Ammo isn't really a huge concern because no one within 45 minutes sells ammo at all. I live 45 mins from saskatoon which obviously has basically any ammo I can think of. And I really want to learn to handload.

Just by these comments, I'm assuming the two 7mm calibers recoil quite a bit more than a 308? Is there any way someone could describe how much more?

hoytcanon said:
Why don't you get that .308 into action for awhile before you decide on a new one... you may find that your priorities change with a little experience.
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Well basically my grandpa gave me his 308 and other firearms saying I might as well have it because he will never use it. He gave me a 308, 2 30-30s, a 12 gauge and an old cooey 22lr. Approximately 1 week after giving them to me he says I cant have them because it will "look like I'm preparing for war." He then demanded them back. Reluctant and extremely confused, I gave him back his rifles. So although I should get the rifles back eventually, I'm kinda sceptical as to when that will be. If I get them back at all. He did say that we can take the 308 out sometime just to fire it and shoot a few targets.
 
Sounds like you've got to get some shooting experience under your belt. The 7-08 will recoil less than the .308. The 7mm mag will have more recoil than the .308, but less than the 300 win mag. I'd have to agree with Hoyt on this one for sure, get some good practice time in with the .308 and see how it handles/shoots at the yardage you want to shoot. For a relatively new shooter, you can read all the ballistic charts you want, but at the end of the day if you can't do it with a .308, you won't be able do it with anything else. Try the .308 out to 800 plus yards, if you can do your part, the rifle will follow; if not consider more reasonable distances for shooting until you get the hang of it. As others have said, don't shoot beyond your capabilities, the game deserves better.
 
I am a huge fan of 7mm-08 and used it for years for hunting.

I would not however use it on game myself at long range , well what is considered long range here.I have taken game at varying distances with the 7mm-08 but will not get into details about distance and it's capabilities due to the current state of ethics police here on CGN.I know what it can do I know what it cannot do.

It is a superb accuracy round for target and low recoil.

As for game getting, it is more than capable of filling your freezer with moose and even elk, however, the choice of distance is purely your own, and you must deal with all repercussions good or bad.Only you know what you are truly capable of.

If you decide on 7mm-08 , the Swift Scirocco II in 150gr is an excellent bonded bullet with a high BC.Move these at 2750+ ft/sec and you have a dandy trajectory and a possible target load with the same bullet.

If you are going exotic, 284 WIN is a nice little toy also if you are liking the .284 family.
 
SHELL SHUCKER said:
And if a wee puff of wind blows at around the mid-range of said shot or the critter decides to move one way or the other, it's either a miss or a wound shot.
Click to expand...

Hence the practice that I mentioned in my first post. That supersedes cartridge and everything else. Practice is how you learn what your bullet does in a given wind condition at a given range. And wind is the real trick to hitting at LR. It is written- spent primers are THE supreme tutorial...
 
Bezzy said:
Hey everyone so I'm relatively new to larger caliber firearms and I'm looking for a long range deer rifle with the ability to shoot targets at long range (800 minimum). I basically want a rifle that I can take hunting this fall as I've never gone, but I also want it to shoot well out at longer ranges. Basically my question is what caliber and rifle will allow me to do this? I've been looking into the 7mm Rem Mag and 7mm RUM and am pretty set on one of those and I was wondering if someone could tell me the pros and cons of those. What are some pros and cons of some similar cartridges? I've been leaning towards the 7mm Rem Mag as it seems very versatile. I don't really have a budget, I know getting out to long ranges gets expensive, I'd rather spend more money on something that works well and will continue working for a long time.

I do plan on starting to handload for this rifle. I currently know very little about that subject as well but hey thats part of the reason I'm on this forum.

Basically I'm looking for a versatile long range cartridge that will not only get out to minimum 800 yds, but also kill at that range. And a rifle that I can take hunting and wont be afraid of getting bumped but still can hold up at the range. If someone could give me some more info and insight that would be appreciated.

Here is a chart I've been doing some quick comparing on.



Thanks.
Click to expand...
for the range you are wanting to shoot and kill big game at you want a cartridge that can do the job more reliably in the field, you want a cartridge big enough to buck the wind and a rifle light and compact enought to pack around in the woods. It also has to be able to take a beating as most hunting rifles do in their lifetime.

For those reasons you are looking for more of a sniper rifle than a heavy bench gun. I suggest a Desert Tactical Arms SRS in 338Lapua. The caliber can take the wind better and you have room to grow with the rifle.
 
Brian46 said:
for the range you are wanting to shoot and kill big game at you want a cartridge that can do the job more reliably in the field, you want a cartridge big enough to buck the wind and a rifle light and compact enought to pack around in the woods. It also has to be able to take a beating as most hunting rifles do in their lifetime.

For those reasons you are looking for more of a sniper rifle than a heavy bench gun. I suggest a Desert Tactical Arms SRS in 338Lapua. The caliber can take the wind better and you have room to grow with the rifle.
Click to expand...

Ha I guess when u put it that way I do want a sniper rifle, def not a bench gun. However I don't think i should get a 338 lapua yet. Don't get me wrong I will own one eventually but I don't think I'm quite ready for one yet. I kinda have to learn how to walk before I can run with the big dogs.

Im currently looking at a Remington model 700 SPS 7mm magnum with 4x12x40 scope. 26 " barrel. Detachable magazine. Fired seven times. Some guy in my area is selling one asking $625 with scope.

Any feedback or insight on this rifle?
 
Bezzy said:
Ha I guess when u put it that way I do want a sniper rifle, def not a bench gun. However I don't think i should get a 338 lapua yet. Don't get me wrong I will own one eventually but I don't think I'm quite ready for one yet. I kinda have to learn how to walk before I can run with the big dogs.

Im currently looking at a Remington model 700 SPS 7mm magnum with 4x12x40 scope. 26 " barrel. Detachable magazine. Fired seven times. Some guy in my area is selling one asking $625 with scope.

Any feedback or insight on this rifle?
Click to expand...

Good thinking. The Lapua is definitely the wrong cartridge for a new LR hunter.

If you're set on the 7RM, then that sounds like a good deal if the scope is any good. What kind of scope? You'll most likely have to flip the scope and buy a LR-appropriate scope anyway. I still think you should be looking 7-08 rather than 7RM, but it's your money :)
 
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