New shooter preparing to hunt

My .2 Owned a 300wm..for me, overkill for mr. whitetail. I have never owned a 6.5 cr, I have read good things about the cartridge. owned a 6.5x55 many years ago, excellent cartridge, no complaints from the mulie or whitetail after the fact. Recoil was acceptable and the swiss surplus rifle carried well and the iron functioned as they should have at 200yrds. 6.5x55 factory ammo is not cheap, might need deeper pockets for a while until you consider reloading the round, reloading will be to your advantage.
Aside from the calibers you mentioned, i am a big advocate for the "keep it simple" ideology. Consider .270, 30-06, .243, .308 etc these calibers have been around for a long time and will absolutely kill deer just as well as the 300wm.
 
saskcop said:
Tikka or Sako lightweight rifles are both known to be decent kickers. The .300 WM will certainly emphasise that. If you can shoot it, go for it. If it is just for deer, and deer specifically, then .300 is just too much. Not to say that thousands of deer don't fall to the .300 every year, but there are more appropriate choices. If at some point you are hoping to hunt bigger stuff and you just want the one nice rifle, then it will certainly work. Use at least a 180 grain bullet of very stout construction to limit the meat damage on deer though.

Amidst all the naysayers on the use of .300 WM on deer, I will say that I used to use a .300 WM for just about everything. I shot truckloads of deer with a 200 grain Speer Grand Slam and the meat damage was quite minimal if shot through the ribs while avoiding shoulders, etc.

Your mileage may vary.
Click to expand...

On the other hand, a host of cartridges "smaller" then 300WM will also kill larger animals too. 6.5swede/308WIN/3006 etc have put piles of moose on the ground.

I just see a lot more downside to that cartridge for a new shooter and hunter.
 
Jay said:
My suggestion is you choose a different caliber with less recoil. If you are just starting out shooting & hunting, you will shoot it better. Grab a T3 in 243, 6.5CM, 6.5x55, 7mm08 or even 308 for less recoil than the 300WM.
Click to expand...

Lots of good suggestions in there. (The 300WM would be particularly brutal for recoil in the T3 platform.)
 
Thank you so much for all the advice, I am so grateful we have this forum to discuss. The barrier of learning seems like a very high threshold for people like me, but thanks to all you great folks it is at least possible. Notes taken and I will come back with more questions.

Thanks again I really appreciate all the discussion.
 
Nåjd said:
Thank you so much for all the advice, I am so grateful we have this forum to discuss. The barrier of learning seems like a very high threshold for people like me, but thanks to all you great folks it is at least possible. Notes taken and I will come back with more questions.

Thanks again I really appreciate all the discussion.
Click to expand...

just like anywhere on the internet, 99% of here are great and 1% are idiots.
Don't get put off when you eventually come across the 1% (its guaranteed to happen if you are here long enough)

The mods are pretty good at shutting them down quick
 
One of the best do-all cartridges for Ontario is the 7mm-08. Lots of options for bullet weights, from coyote to moose, without the recoil of a magnum.
 
if the deer your after its 600m away get the 300wm. and hold on tight because i knew a guy who developed a flinch with that same rifle even after getting a muzzle break installed it was punishing. or you could get the 6.5x55 and shoot the deer at 600m (you should probably just get closer anyways) and not get your ass kicked as well as pursue various other game like moose, elk and black bear becasue the 6.5x55 loaded to modern velocity is a hard hitter with minimal recoil and if you reload, it uses 40% less powder than the 300wm. ive had both cartridges and i liked my 300wm but i still own my 6.5x55. plus the 6.5x55 has been around forever so you can shoot a 6.5 without being made fun of for being a gun hipster lol
 
pescador said:
if the deer your after its 600m away get the 300wm. and hold on tight because i knew a guy who developed a flinch with that same rifle even after getting a muzzle break installed it was punishing. or you could get the 6.5x55 and shoot the deer at 600m (you should probably just get closer anyways) and not get your ass kicked as well as pursue various other game like moose, elk and black bear becasue the 6.5x55 loaded to modern velocity is a hard hitter with minimal recoil and if you reload, it uses 40% less powder than the 300wm. ive had both cartridges and i liked my 300wm but i still own my 6.5x55. plus the 6.5x55 has been around forever so you can shoot a 6.5 without being made fun of for being a gun hipster lol
Click to expand...

i dont know anyone in eastern Ontario shooting deer over 300m
 
If I was only ever going to shoot deer at what for me are reasonable hunting ranges I would buy a .243 or a 7x57.

300 wm on the tikka is a lot of recoil for a new shooter. 243 is very effective on white tails, barely recoils, readily available and fun to shoot. Not to mention it has a flat trajectory.

Tikkas are good guns but getting expensive for what they are. I was never super impressed by the wood on any that I’ve owned.
 
Like 53Izzy744 stated, you are surrounded by shotgun zones.
I hunt about 2hrs east of you and truth be told over 90% or the deer I have shot could have been taken with a slug gun. A good combo shotgun in a semi or pump would get you out for birds and deer. If you plan on ducks I'd go 12 gauge if only partridge/rabbits I'd go 20 gauge. The slug guns with sabot slugs are very accurate and plenty out to 150yds.
 
Over the years I have taken deer with many cartridges from .243 to .375 H&H one of my favorites is my 695 Tikka in a well known but not common 25-06 Rem.
I have found that this is a very good combination for whitetails.( any place but very heavy bush )
Regards : TGR
 
For someone new to deer hunting, I would recommend a 308 since they will likely not be reloading. You can do a lot more shooting at the range with a 308 compared to an odd caliber for the same money. Also get yourself a 22 with the same type of action (bolt, lever etc.). Shoot the 22 every time you take the 308 to the range and focus on trigger control. You learn a lot from shooting a 22 and its cheap.
 
Johan22 said:
For someone new to deer hunting, I would recommend a 308 since they will likely not be reloading. You can do a lot more shooting at the range with a 308 compared to an odd caliber for the same money. Also get yourself a 22 with the same type of action (bolt, lever etc.). Shoot the 22 every time you take the 308 to the range and focus on trigger control. You learn a lot from shooting a 22 and its cheap.
Click to expand...

this is good advice..
 
The best advice is whatever rifle you buy shoot it A LOT at various ranges and from various field positions that you would utilise while hunting. You must ensure an ethical kill. I cringe when I see people with fresh PALs, a 5 round 100m zero and bloodlust.
 
I'd go with a 6.5 CM, 7mm-08 or 308 in a Sako if you can afford it. If not Tikka is great too. I prefer stainless and synthetic, but stainless and wood is nice too. 6.5 CM and 308 will have the best factory ammo choices.
300 WM wouldn't even make my "top 10" for a deer rifle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom