Questions about caliber for large game

Flatter trajectory advantage? With the advent of ballistic reticles? Zeiss makes pretty good ones. Among others.

http://ballistic-calculator.zeiss.com/

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There really isn't much difference between what happens to an animal when hit by a .309 or 270 or 30-06, assuming the same shot placement and similar bullet construction. Find the rifle you want and buy it in anything from 7-08 to 30-06, load it with good ammunition and good bullets and go hunting. Doesn't get much simpler than that...
 
Rob said:
Sorry, I'm just not buying it. I have too much experience with the Sako (in relation to many other fullstock carbines). There is no way a carbine should be so heavy and bulky.
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Your priority appears to be slenderness and weight... that is not everyones priority... personally, I like a rifle with some heft, a solid feeling piece... and I have big hands and long arms, I don't like a wispy rifle either, not bulky, but with enough wood to fill my hand (pun intended).
 
For comparison, my 275 Rigby Zastava Full Stock Carbine weighs 9.2 lbs as shown. Bit of a porker but has a balanced feel.

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.275 Rigby Zastava LKM70 Full Stock Carbine with Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 1.75-5x32mm
 
My 416 Rem. Mag. Zastava FS Carbine weighs 8.8 lbs as shown. Not much barrel wall thickness with that big hole. Nicely balanced feel.

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.416 Rem. Mag. custom Zastava LKM70 Full Stock Carbine with Nikon Monarch 1.5-4.5x20mm

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Rob will counter with a bevy of sweet little Mannlicher Schonauer rifles... not my cup of tea, but sweet none the less... I probably should have bought his Dumoulin FS .358 when he listed it, but I had just made a multiple rifle purchase.
 
l.viita ...

Greetings from B.C.

As mentioned a couple of times in posts above, you might want to consider a 7mm-08
The 7mm-08 is something close to a .270 bullet in a .308 case
It has some of the advantages of both, with one big plus ... almost no recoil.
And if you buy from Cabellas, 7mm-08 ammunition is almost always available at the same price.
I own .308's and .270's ... and have nothing negative to say about either ... but the 7mm-08 is my favourite.
And I'm not alone in that, for example:
https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/7mm-08+Remington.html

I own several 7mm-08's .. in Win70's, Sakos, Kimbers.
And, if you are interested, I might even consider selling you one of my nicest 7mm-08 rifles:
a gorgeous unfired Kimber Stainless Classic Select ... very lightweight, wonderfully crafted, AAA grade walnut
It is the top rifle in the photos in the 1st post of the following thread:
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1344221-Let-s-see-your-Kimbers-!!

Anyway, whatever calibre and rifle you choose, welcome to CGN and to hunting/shooting! :)

-Dennis
 
My preference is for 308, and some guys may slam me for this, but it's okay to put a muzzle brake on there. This will tame the recoil significantly for you and you wont bruise. The downside is noise, but you can find the right balance with different muzzle devices.
 
l.viita said:
Hey there,

I am starting to look for a hunting rifle and I am hesitant about the best caliber for large game like deer, elk, moose. I am hesitant between .270 win and .308 (I've already tried that caliber and it's not too bad when it comes to recoil). I've always been a fan of Sako bolt actions, so the caliber would need to be available for various Sako models (I like the Bavarian ones or 85, but I'm also considering buying a used one, maybe an older model).

That being said, would .270 be enough for larger game like moose? Would .308 be a better versatile option? What about the price for the ammos, is there a big difference between the two?
I would also like to use that gun for target shooting, so the cost/availability of the ammo would be in important factor for me!

Thanks in advance for your input! :)
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For the majority of hunting ammo .270 Winchester and .308 Winchester are about the same price for similar loads and I would be shocked if any place selling ammo didn't have at least a box or two of each, maybe not the load or brand you prefer though. The .308 has more match grade and bulk ammo options, but is that what you are looking to shoot? Even then the savings are for steel cased and military surplus ammo which can at times perform sub-par.
I wouldn't sweat carrying one or the other for whitetails to moose. There are a few posts here suggesting the 7mm-08 (one of my favorite cartridges) and all their points are accurate it in my experience offers less recoil then either and performs similarly on game, I must admit I haven't shot a moose with it yet but I am certain it will do the job as long as a bullet is put into the vitals. The down side to the 7mm-08 is ammo might not be found in every location ammo is sold. I am assuming you aren't interested in reloading, at least not in the immediate future. Not that any of the 3 cartridges I have mentioned require reloading but it does open up a world of choices and expand the hobby to another dimension. While sort of allowing you to save money on ammo, although I just shoot more so kind of a draw there.
 
My wife is just under 5' and bruises easily also. She shoots a Rem 700 man lss I shortened the stock for her and put on a softer recoil pad. I believe for a person of smaller stature that stock fit is most critical. If looking to replace her rifle I would look at a Browning x bolt in 7-08 or 308 in on of the micro or compact versions. They have a good pad that should not bruise.
I believe there are several different versions to look at Micro Midas or micro or compact hunter.
 
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