What Caliber?

R

Riffer

New member
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Location
Calgary, AB
As of now all I use for big game is a 270, but all I'm really hunting right now is deer, so I'm thinking of buying a new gun to use for Elk, Moose and backup for deer. I'm sure my 270 could take elk or moose but I dont know weather I would have the confidece with it on them, plus its another excuse to buy a new gun:p
So I was thinking a 300 win mag but ammo looks to be quite pricey, what do you guys think, and what do you recomend?
 
Well, I am all about "excuses to buy a new gun..." that's where I live man! :D

So...if you are going to "step up" a little - you may as well go with a .338 Win Mag, don't you think? This way, you would have a great long range deer rifle in the .270, and a long range "thumper" for everything else. ;)

Just an idea...

Jeff/1911.
 
Old classic cartridges would mean something along the lines of the 35 Whelen or 358 winchester. New cartridges (not really better, just new!) might get you into a 338 federal or the 30 TC. You really have to base your decision on availibility of both rifles and ammunition/reloading supplies. Sounds like fun, let us know what you go with!:)
 
I have a .300 win mag and winchester ammo in 180 gr power point at my local Walmart here in Yellowknife are around 23 dollars a box. Not too much if it is going to be used specifically for hunting. I have priced out .338 ammo here and it is significantly more expensive (only carried at Canadian tire here and it is 48 dollars a box for Federal speer hot cor 225 grain). I say, if it wont go down with a .300 magnum, time to take up gardening.
 
If I were you I'd go the other way. I'd buy a smaller cal rifle for deer and varmint ie a 6mm or 243. The 270 you have in plenty big enough for moose and elk. An earplittenloadenboomer would be a waste of money-----Cowboy
 
7mm.
Tried, tested, proven effective for everything that can be shot with a rifle.
Of course that's when loaded to European muzzle velocities, but you should handload anyway.
 
So I was thinking a 300 win mag but ammo looks to be quite pricey...
Click to expand...
Actually the 300 win mag ammo is pretty inexpensive when compared with other heavy hitters. It's market center, priced accordingly, and stocked on shelves mostly everywhere. Saw it at Crappy Tire yesterday for $23 I think and comes on special too from time to time. Not one box of 35 Whelen there though. I really love my 35 Whelens for moose and bear. But unless you reload, it will be more money to keep it fed than the 300 win mag. More than a few 300 win mags shoot very accurately out of the box.

I recommended the 300 win mag (and the 30-06) to my son for his first big game rifle as he has no interest in reloading like his old man. That's saying something coming from me - considering my own longstanding attachment to 35 calibres for hunting.

In the end get what "floats your boat" - learn to shoot it accurately and use well made hunting bullets on game. Nuff said from me.
 
yeah you can get .300 win mag ammo for $20-25ish - just a few bucks more than .30-06.... as for the premium ammo its pretty much the same price as the most common .30-06, .308s, etc.

.300 win mag is by far the cheapest of the magnums, its available everywhere and its not going anywhere anytime soon. you can also get reduced recoil loads for it off the shelf if you need it for some reason.
 
Riffer said:
As of now all I use for big game is a 270, but all I'm really hunting right now is deer, so I'm thinking of buying a new gun to use for Elk, Moose and backup for deer. I'm sure my 270 could take elk or moose but I dont know weather I would have the confidece with it on them, plus its another excuse to buy a new gun:p
So I was thinking a 300 win mag but ammo looks to be quite pricey, what do you guys think, and what do you recomend?
Click to expand...

Stay away from the mags, if you want to be able to practice alot with your gun, which should be done, then go with a .308/30-06. I find many big game hunters go out and buy these big high power mags, and never fire them, for two reasons, they can't afford too, or they don't like the recoil after a couple of shots. Stay with the .308/.06 cals, and you will be able to pratice regular, and make your shot count when needed.
 
I have shot alot of moose with my 270 never had a problem. Buddy of mine shoots a 270 as well had one shot blow up on front shoulder the second shot through the lungs but stuck in hide in other side. Moose didnt go far but due to lack of blood and conditions in old burn it took 30 min to find. I bought a 300 win after that and have yet to get a moose in the last 2 years:(. It does cost alot to shoot premium ammo. I was paying over $60.00 a box. I now reload so the cost isnt so much an issue. The best advice i could give is to find a few people with the guns your interested in and shoot them first.
 
Buy a .35 Whelen. It is an excellent cartridge and will handily take anything that walks in N.A., plus it has mild recoil. For bear, moose and elk the 250gr bullet would be the way to go.

There are usually a few for sale on the equipment exchange. Check it out.
 
The .270 has long been one of my enthusiams in cartridges, and I've been through a few of them. I'd say that if you want something different, get something a lot different. The difference between a .270, 280, 30-06, 7 mm Rem Mag and a lot of other cartridges isn't worth the gallons of ink spilt over them. The .300 Win Mag is at the beginning of getting into another catagory, but with it's trajectory being .270 like you may find that you don't use the .270 anymore. That's what happened to me, plus the STW absolutely made it obsolete for reaching out and touching things. Take a look at a .338 or up to .375. I've got a Whelen and although I like it, trajectory comes up short compared to the .270 and others. That may not matter for your use.
Cartridge choice should be so easy. Get a little gun, a medium size gun, and if you need it a big gun. Use the little gun for little things.........................and so on. Throw in a varmint caliber for varmints, a 12 gauge and you're done. It's too bad I'm so lousy at following my own advice.:slap: I could get rid of a truck load of stuff that is so redundant as to be laughable.
 
I went with a 25-06 for Varmints/Deer and a 35 Whelen for Moose.

Being a hanloader, it looked like a "natural", no changing shell holders or the trim length.

Now the 25-06 works fine with 120 Nosler Partitions on moose and the 35 Whelen works fine on deer with Hornady 200 RN's or Speer 220 Flat Points.
 
Just buy premium ammo(controlled expansion bullets) and be done with it. I'm not a fan of magnum rifles for their added weight, length, and needless recoil. Place your bullets in the "boiler room" and the elk/moose will drop and die quickly.
 
Another vote for the 300 Win. Add 200 grain Partitions or Accubonds and you have a real elk or moose rifle.

As the 300 can be insanely accurate I would vote for handloads...It's not difficult or expensive. If I were starting out (on a tight budget) I would start with the Lee complete kit.
http://www.wholesalesports.com/onlinestore/control/category/~category_id=10510055011063/~pcategory=1051005501

If you have more of a budget I would suggest adding an RCBS press and upgrading the dies to the Lee Collet version.

The basics of reloading are easy to learn...Lee even has online videos to help with the learning process.
http://www.leeprecision.com/html/HelpVideos/video.html

Good Luck!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom