Recommend me a new hunting rifle.

Declared Bishop

Declared Bishop

Regular
Rating - 100%
5   0   0
Location
Calgary
So I am in Alberta, and I hunt right along the CAN/US border. I was able to snag an undersubscribed antlerless elk tag this year. I have never hunted anything this large before, and I think I want to step up from my 6.5 Creedmoor to a 7mm Rem Mag or PRC for hunting elk and moose.

I am just looking for thoughts and rifle recommendations on an appropriate rifle for this endeavor. It's a hunting rifle, so I don't need anything extravagant or something I will be afraid to nick up. It will probably see 2 boxes of ammo the first year to sight it in and 5 rounds yearly after that.

Budget-friendly and accurate.

Thanks Hive Mind!
 
How far do you plan on shooting? I hunted moose for a few years and people carried .308, .270 winchester and .30-06. I never harvested myself but the ones my cousins and uncles shot never traveled more than 50 yards from a well placed shot. I don't see why they would not work well on elks.

Guns were typically browning blrs, remington 7600, basic stuff with good leupold or european scopes. Worked well up to 150 yards.
 
bisonviril said:
How far do you plan on shooting? I hunted moose for a few years and people carried .308, .270 winchester and .30-06. I never harvested myself but the ones my cousins and uncles shot never traveled more than 50 yards from a well placed shot. I don't see why they would not work well on elks.

Guns were typically browning blrs, remington 7600, basic stuff with good leupold or european scopes. Worked well up to 150 yards.
Click to expand...

I lamented that I would never shoot a deer at 300 meters, and then immedately went out and took my first deer ever at 330 meters.

I would like to think that will be similar distance for an elk or moose, so I will say out to 500 meters maximum with an absolutely perfect shot setup. (nothing between me and the target, perfect broadside, no wind, etc).
 
I'm only suggesting this because your hunting big and willing to shoot a little farther than some.
I picked up a Winchester XPR 6.8western on the EE here brand new, unfired, for under 700 including shipping and insurance. I managed to get it scoped all in for right around 900. The pic rail was more than the scope.. It smacks the 6" steel constantly at 300 with factory and handloads. Likes the Nosler ABLR 165 grain. The cartridge is exceptional for what your describing and capable of much further than what your comfortable with.. If it's not a beauty pageant it will perform.. Cheers
 
Declared Bishop said:
I lamented that I would never shoot a deer at 300 meters, and then immedately went out and took my first deer ever at 330 meters.

I would like to think that will be similar distance for an elk or moose, so I will say out to 500 meters maximum with an absolutely perfect shot setup. (nothing between me and the target, perfect broadside, no wind, etc).
Click to expand...
In that case I can't help with those ranges, sorry. Just out of curiosity, what kind of budget are you working with?
 
bisonviril said:
In that case I can't help with those ranges, sorry. Just out of curiosity, what kind of budget are you working with?
Click to expand...

I would like to keep it under $1000. It's a hunting rifle that won't get used much, and only when I am hunting bigger game. I don't need anything pretty or flashy, just accurate. Its going to get dinged up.

As I said, 500 meters would be a perfect shot. I am perfectly comfortable out to 300 meters now, and a second thought about taking the shot wouldn't take long.

My hunting partners tease me that I am too picky with my shots, and then, in the same breath, tell me that they respect me all the more for it, and that if I take the shot, it's because I truly think I can drop it quickly.
 
Smokinyotes said:
For not much more than a 1g you could get a Tikka blued synthetic in 7RM. Shoot 150’s and that will flatten elk.
Click to expand...


I thought about that, but, spending more than 1g for this rifle is a waste of money for how much I am going to use it.

If I was going to shoot 150's I can load those in my 6.5. But that does raise an interesting question, are those 6.5 PEAK rounds available anywhere yet?
 
Declared Bishop said:
So I am in Alberta, and I hunt right along the CAN/US border. I was able to snag an undersubscribed antlerless elk tag this year. I have never hunted anything this large before, and I think I want to step up from my 6.5 Creedmoor to a 7mm Rem Mag or PRC for hunting elk and moose.

I am just looking for thoughts and rifle recommendations on an appropriate rifle for this endeavor. It's a hunting rifle, so I don't need anything extravagant or something I will be afraid to nick up. It will probably see 2 boxes of ammo the first year to sight it in and 5 rounds yearly after that.

Budget-friendly and accurate.

Thanks Hive Mind!
Click to expand...
My suggestion would be to simply practice with your current rifle, it has more than enough jam- unless of course, you just have to buy another rifle! LOL
Cat
 
YOUR 6.5 Creedmoor with a 140 gr Accubond or 150 ABLR or Barnes 127 LRX or Sierra 145 TGK will kill Elk and Moose Just FINE !
Remember its the Accuracy of the bullet shot into the Vitals that KILLs the animal ! (y)
If you decide you want a bigger caliber get a 30-06 ! lots of Great bullets for it and NOT to bad on recoil either ! :) jmho
 
remington jim said:
YOUR 6.5 Creedmoor with a 140 gr Accubond or 150 ABLR or Barnes 127 LRX or Sierra 145 TGK will kill Elk and Moose Just FINE !
Remember its the Accuracy of the bullet shot into the Vitals that KILLs the animal ! (y)
If you decide you want a bigger caliber get a 30-06 ! lots of Great bullets for it and NOT to bad on recoil either ! :) jmho
Click to expand...

You're no fun. I even have my wife on board with me getting a new gun... LOL.

I keep hearing this debate, though. It seems like the consensus is that the 6.5 is too light to use ethically on elk and moose. I am pretty accurate with mine, and I am completely comfortable shooting game with it out past 300 meters, but, is there enough kinetic energy in it at that distance to do enough damage to an elk or moose?

I have loaded up some 130-grain tipped Sierra Game Kings that cook at about 2800 FPS for deer this year. I could easily make up some 143 ELD-X or whatnot. If it's capable, then I am willing to do it; I just want to make sure I am ethical about it.
 
It'll do it no problem out to 500. 143 eldx would work. So would the 130 tgk. So would 130 tmk. An elk is only about 12-14 inches between the ribs. All you have to do is pop 2 balloons that have some leather over them. People over think it way too much, myself included. Do some reading on rokslide about the sub 6.5 cals down to 223 on big game.
 
browning xbolt 7mm rem mag
tikka t3 hunter in 7mm rem mag
Consider spending at least half as much on the optics as you will do on the gun.
 
Declared Bishop said:
So I am in Alberta, and I hunt right along the CAN/US border. I was able to snag an undersubscribed antlerless elk tag this year. I have never hunted anything this large before, and I think I want to step up from my 6.5 Creedmoor to a 7mm Rem Mag or PRC for hunting elk and moose.

I am just looking for thoughts and rifle recommendations on an appropriate rifle for this endeavor. It's a hunting rifle, so I don't need anything extravagant or something I will be afraid to nick up. It will probably see 2 boxes of ammo the first year to sight it in and 5 rounds yearly after that.

Budget-friendly and accurate.

Thanks Hive Mind!
Click to expand...
Shoot your 6.5 Creed more. More horsepower that you don’t shoot enough is the wrong direction to be going.
 
Declared Bishop said:
I keep hearing this debate, though. It seems like the consensus is that the 6.5 is too light to use ethically on elk and moose. I am pretty accurate with mine, and I am completely comfortable shooting game with it out past 300 meters, but, is there enough kinetic energy in it at that distance to do enough damage to an elk or moose?
Click to expand...
worry less about “energy”, and use a bullet that maximizes lethality.

TMK, ELDm.
 
6.5cm is basically the same as the 6.5x55 and lots of moose have been taken with that in Sweden Norway and Finland so I’m sure it will do just fine!
But if you insist, find a used Husqvarna 1640 or 1900 in 30-06 it will cost you way less than $1k and it will be plenty accurate enough to shoot moose to 3-400m if you do your part!
Or find something like a rem 783 in 30-06 or 7 rem mag or… man there is so many used guns out there it’s hard not to find what you want these days… unless like me you are looking for a good combination gun in 16g/7x65r or 8x57jrs …
 
bisonviril said:
How far do you plan on shooting? I hunted moose for a few years and people carried .308, .270 winchester and .30-06. I never harvested myself but the ones my cousins and uncles shot never traveled more than 50 yards from a well placed shot. I don't see why they would not work well on elks.

Guns were typically browning blrs, remington 7600, basic stuff with good leupold or european scopes. Worked well up to 150 yards.
Click to expand...
moose and elk hunting have nothing in common moose are east to hunt and 90% of the time are very obliging
Elk on the other hand are nerves and always aware and do not stand around also elk are very much naucternal
shots are typically 200 yds and further
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom