Which caliber do you think is the best?
- Thread starter Altec
- Start date
If you already own a 30-30 then you want a long-range 30-cal. 300 WM is still tops for long-range. Just look at 1000-yard competitions. 300WSM is also a great choice but the verdict is still out on the effects of increased pressure.
I also own 2 x .300 Winchester Magnum bolt actions.......a T/C Icon & a Ruger Model 77 Stainless with a crisp Timney trigger in place of the stock Ruger mini fence post.
The T/C had a 1 MOA guarantee out of the box & will do about 1 1/2 MOA with factory Winchester brand 180 grain XP3s. It is topped by a Bushnell Elite 2.5-10x 4200 scope.
The Model 77 Stainless .300 Win. Mag. that I own is a one in a million accuracy fluke from the Ruger factory and will deliver slightly tighter groups than the T/C which is made even more remarkable by the fact that it is topped by an economy Bushnell Trophy 3-9x scope......two second raters like Flatt & Scruggs that make beautiful music together......go figure !
I really lucked out on that 77 because if you can find a stock Ruger rifle that will do better than 2 MOA it's time to pick up the phone to the Ripley's people.
I like the Magnums for shooting from our 20 - 30' high tree stands in the extensive clear cut areas of Northern Ontario where my gang hunts moose.
I've shot moose from 400 - 600 yards with the Ruger from tree stands.
My bolt actions are my favorite Fudd guns.
Deltasilver
Regular
- Location
- Right behind you...
Went for Moose last year. 5 1/2 hr drive. 20 mins in a canoe. Dumped one canoe, packs on the bottom of the pile got wet. Other fella had 40 rnds of beautifully handloaded 300WSM to go in his $3k Rem 700. I had a couple boxes of Federal .30-06 from Crappy Tire for my old Savage. Both of us were left with 40 rounds of wets. 20 mins back in the boat and a 1/2 hr drive back to Wabasca. Any guesses as to which of us got shells at the general store and actually bagged a moose? .308 or 30-06. It's everywhere, it's easy to roll your own and its cheap to shoot.
- Location
- Sudbury, On
.270 Win, or .308 Win.
I was advised to stay away from magnums if I'm hunting under two hundred yards...
I was advised to stay away from magnums if I'm hunting under two hundred yards...
Are you saying your ammo got wet, so you didn't use it and went and bought more?
The ammo would have worked fine, unless there was something wrong wiht it.
Deltasilver
Regular
- Location
- Right behind you...
Ziploc bags, pelican cases, better canoes, extra trash bags... "Ok which one of you idiots was supposed to bring the (fill in the blank)". Shyt happens, lesson learned.
The shells were in little plastic boxes that had water in them when we got the gear back. Mike's Grandad made it pretty clear he wasn't taking us any further with a pocket full of potential mis-fires.
Point was the shells are readily available. EVERYBODY carries 30-06, 30-30 and usually .308. The Federal 30-06 I got had been on the shelf long enough for the box art to fade.
The shells were in little plastic boxes that had water in them when we got the gear back. Mike's Grandad made it pretty clear he wasn't taking us any further with a pocket full of potential mis-fires.
Point was the shells are readily available. EVERYBODY carries 30-06, 30-30 and usually .308. The Federal 30-06 I got had been on the shelf long enough for the box art to fade.
I own quite a few hunting rifles, somewhere between 50 and 60.
I tend to only use 2 of them on a regular basis. A 270 Win or a 338 Win mag depending upon where and what I am hunting. Even though I don't hunt with them I own a couple of 30-06 and 7mm Rem Mag. Those are the 2 calibers I usually recommend to someone looking to own 1 all around hunting rifle. Recoil wise they are tolerable by all except the very recoil sensitive. 300 Win Mag seems to take a big leap in the recoil department.
More importantly is to use whatever rifle you choose and become confident with it at various distances. A close second is to use a good hunting bullet (insert Nosler, Barnes, etc.) that will perform once it gets to the animal. All of our deer/moose/elk will succomb very quickly to a well placed shot with a good quality hunting bullet from any cartridge in the range you gave in the poll. A gut shot or poorly placed shot from the biggest fastest latest wonder cartridge will still result in a lost animal.
Practice lots and use a good bullet!
BTW, I have recently had a 270 WSM built and have used it with 130 gr Barnes Triple Shock for 2 elk and 2 whitetail. I think one cannot go wrong with any of the 3 Winchester Short Mags. Recoil on the 300 WSM I shot was much tamer than the 300 Win Mag.
I tend to only use 2 of them on a regular basis. A 270 Win or a 338 Win mag depending upon where and what I am hunting. Even though I don't hunt with them I own a couple of 30-06 and 7mm Rem Mag. Those are the 2 calibers I usually recommend to someone looking to own 1 all around hunting rifle. Recoil wise they are tolerable by all except the very recoil sensitive. 300 Win Mag seems to take a big leap in the recoil department.
More importantly is to use whatever rifle you choose and become confident with it at various distances. A close second is to use a good hunting bullet (insert Nosler, Barnes, etc.) that will perform once it gets to the animal. All of our deer/moose/elk will succomb very quickly to a well placed shot with a good quality hunting bullet from any cartridge in the range you gave in the poll. A gut shot or poorly placed shot from the biggest fastest latest wonder cartridge will still result in a lost animal.
Practice lots and use a good bullet!
BTW, I have recently had a 270 WSM built and have used it with 130 gr Barnes Triple Shock for 2 elk and 2 whitetail. I think one cannot go wrong with any of the 3 Winchester Short Mags. Recoil on the 300 WSM I shot was much tamer than the 300 Win Mag.
Learning lessons is a good thing, as long as you are learning them from the correct source with the correct information. Mike's granddad doesn't seem to be either, in this case!
Ammunition doens't mind getting a little wet. I put a 30-06 handloaded round in a glass of water for 7-10 days, took it outside and BOOM!
Here is a better lesson to learn- DOnt' forget your ammo. When hunting, keep your ammo reasonably safe, hopefully attached to your belt so you don't lose it. And if it gets wet....well, it gets wet. Hunting is often conducted in wet weather. If there is any question about how well the wet ammo works, shoot off a couple of rounds for confidence.
If your buddy didn't shoot a moose, it wasn't because his ammo that took a quick dunking wasn't able to make a loud noise.
TC Icon 300 Win mag
Try Federal in your TC Icon 300 Win mag. The first three shot group I shot from mine was 5/8" at 100. Just wait until it breaks in. My experience with all my rifles is that Federal shoots much tighter that Winchester. I bought a very expensive box of Winchester XP3 in 300WSM for my Sako and the group size doubled or tripled from that of Federal Powershock or Federal Vital Shok with Accubond bullets. I think Winchester loads their stuff too hot.
I also own 2 x .300 Winchester Magnum bolt actions.......a T/C Icon & a Ruger Model 77 Stainless with a crisp Timney trigger in place of the stock Ruger mini fence post.
The T/C had a 1 MOA guarantee out of the box & will do about 1 1/2 MOA with factory Winchester brand 180 grain XP3s. It is topped by a Bushnell Elite 2.5-10x 4200 scope.
The Model 77 Stainless .300 Win. Mag. that I own is a one in a million accuracy fluke from the Ruger factory and will deliver slightly tighter groups than the T/C which is made even more remarkable by the fact that it is topped by an economy Bushnell Trophy 3-9x scope......two second raters like Flatt & Scruggs that make beautiful music together......go figure !
I really lucked out on that 77 because if you can find a stock Ruger rifle that will do better than 2 MOA it's time to pick up the phone to the Ripley's people.
I like the Magnums for shooting from our 20 - 30' high tree stands in the extensive clear cut areas of Northern Ontario where my gang hunts moose.
I've shot moose from 400 - 600 yards with the Ruger from tree stands.
My bolt actions are my favorite Fudd guns.
Try Federal in your TC Icon 300 Win mag. The first three shot group I shot from mine was 5/8" at 100. Just wait until it breaks in. My experience with all my rifles is that Federal shoots much tighter that Winchester. I bought a very expensive box of Winchester XP3 in 300WSM for my Sako and the group size doubled or tripled from that of Federal Powershock or Federal Vital Shok with Accubond bullets. I think Winchester loads their stuff too hot.
