I have just moved to Co. and want to get a new rifle to hunt big game with. I have varmit hunted for years now and want to start hunting something new. I just wanted to get some input from you guys on what is good. Wanting to spend no more than $700. Would like to use this rifle for mostly deer and elk but maybe try bear and sheep at some time. I am open to cal. and make of rifle. Thanks for your help.
good big game rifle?
- Thread starter phelpsj
- Start date
mikejonestkd
New member
You may get more than you asked for
You are going to get a huge number of replies, most of them very good about rifles and calibers for deer and elk. good luck sorting through them to find what is best for you.
IMO: there are several great bolt rifles out there, Remmington, Browning, Ruger, Savage, and weatherby. several can be had for a reasonable price. The savages are well known for their accuracy and dependability for the money.
any caliber in the range between the .270/ .280/ 30-06 class and the 7 mm rem mag/ 300 win mag class will do just fine for deer and elk. pick a tough bullet for elk and bear ( partition/ bonded/ barnes/ failsafe ) and a more quickly expanding bullet ( most polymer tips and all other conventional expanding designs ) for deer and sheep.
Burris, Leupold, Bushnell, nikon and several others all make very good glass for the money.
good luck!!!
You are going to get a huge number of replies, most of them very good about rifles and calibers for deer and elk. good luck sorting through them to find what is best for you.
IMO: there are several great bolt rifles out there, Remmington, Browning, Ruger, Savage, and weatherby. several can be had for a reasonable price. The savages are well known for their accuracy and dependability for the money.
any caliber in the range between the .270/ .280/ 30-06 class and the 7 mm rem mag/ 300 win mag class will do just fine for deer and elk. pick a tough bullet for elk and bear ( partition/ bonded/ barnes/ failsafe ) and a more quickly expanding bullet ( most polymer tips and all other conventional expanding designs ) for deer and sheep.
Burris, Leupold, Bushnell, nikon and several others all make very good glass for the money.
good luck!!!
ClarkEMyers
New member
I'd suggest a Winchester Model 70 in .30-'06 myself.
I'd suggest a Winchester Model 70 in .30-'06 myself. And I'd start making connections for places to shoot right now.
Among other vendors Denver has a couple Sportsman's Warehouse and one Gander Mountain along with a number of dedicated gunshops and lots of pawnshops - more vendors abuilding to service more folks with fewer places to shoot. With cash in your pocket and getting used to a new community visiting a lot of vendors should be fun.
I suggest a Winchester not just because it is a fine rifle but because Winchester brand rifles may not be around (notice Winchester proper is not going out of business, the licensee is closing one plant and rationalizing distribution) so now is the the time to buy a Winchester.
The .30-'06 is as good a choice as there is for an all around rifle with ample power and yet not so much recoil as to make sustained practice and comfortable use impossible. The American military established that the .30-'06 has as much recoil as most people can stand on a sustained basis but not more.
No reason to go lighter - although a .280 Remington Improved (Huntington) just may be the single very best all around caliber in the lower 48 and no reason to go heavier although a .338 Winchester in an all weather not too heavy rifle with a 22 inch barrel is a fine mountain/heavier game rifle.
Spend as much on your scope as you can but I'd suggest NOT buying a scope aimed more at paper punching than serving as a hunting sight - for my money a 2X7 is a hunting sight and 3X9 is more of a load testing paper punching sight.
Myself I use a Mannlicher Scout which is a fine all around rifle but I hunt family land where I kick elk out of the brush on the north faces as opposed to glassing basins and trying for a once in a lifetime trophy.
I'd suggest a Winchester Model 70 in .30-'06 myself. And I'd start making connections for places to shoot right now.
Among other vendors Denver has a couple Sportsman's Warehouse and one Gander Mountain along with a number of dedicated gunshops and lots of pawnshops - more vendors abuilding to service more folks with fewer places to shoot. With cash in your pocket and getting used to a new community visiting a lot of vendors should be fun.
I suggest a Winchester not just because it is a fine rifle but because Winchester brand rifles may not be around (notice Winchester proper is not going out of business, the licensee is closing one plant and rationalizing distribution) so now is the the time to buy a Winchester.
The .30-'06 is as good a choice as there is for an all around rifle with ample power and yet not so much recoil as to make sustained practice and comfortable use impossible. The American military established that the .30-'06 has as much recoil as most people can stand on a sustained basis but not more.
No reason to go lighter - although a .280 Remington Improved (Huntington) just may be the single very best all around caliber in the lower 48 and no reason to go heavier although a .338 Winchester in an all weather not too heavy rifle with a 22 inch barrel is a fine mountain/heavier game rifle.
Spend as much on your scope as you can but I'd suggest NOT buying a scope aimed more at paper punching than serving as a hunting sight - for my money a 2X7 is a hunting sight and 3X9 is more of a load testing paper punching sight.
Myself I use a Mannlicher Scout which is a fine all around rifle but I hunt family land where I kick elk out of the brush on the north faces as opposed to glassing basins and trying for a once in a lifetime trophy.
Rich Lucibella
Staff
Add the descriptive "Classic" to that description and you're cookin' with gas.
Rich
So far I think I have narroed it down to: Weatherby-vanguard, Remington-700SPS, or Savage-111f. I have handled all three and I seem to like the Savage the most. I am still debating on the cal. either 30-06 or 7mm rem mag. From what I have been told the 7mm shoots alot flater for long shots. What do you think so far? Am I on the right track for a western big game rifle?
You can go to Remington (and I'm sure other sites, too) and compare balistics of 2-3 calibers. Here is a comparison of 150gr Remington 30-06 and 7mm Rem Mag cartridges. Note, though, that at least in Remington, the 30-06 is available in much larger bullets than 7mm.
I don't think you can go wrong either way.
I don't think you can go wrong either way.
Attachments
Rich Lucibella
Staff
Only for those who can hold one MOA under field conditions....and that means gunshop and internet gurus only.
Seriously, look at the sample data posted by Zoomie. At 400 yards the 7mmMag drops 17" while the 30-06 drops 22. That's just over one minute of angle in difference...and BOTH are misses unless you have your dope straight. Plugging in the dope takes no more time for the 30-06 than the 7mmMag....so I keep trying to understand what these guys mean by, "Oh, it's much flatter shooting." My response is generally, "Oh, you mean out past Fort Mudge I'll miss by LESS."
The 7mmMag is loved by many. However, you WILL hear stories of it breaking up on an Elk shoulder. You'll have to search real hard to ever hear about that with a 30.06.
In the interests of parity, I do not shoot either. My staple NA gun is a .338 WinMag. But, I'd not feel the least bit "undergunned" with a .30-06. I'd accept a 7mmMag, but only with the right loads and never with my nose in the air over my pal with the 30-06. Newer is not always sexier.
Rich
Dave Haven
New member
What Rich said!
I also use a .338 for elk.
I wouldn't hesitate to use a .30-'06 for elk. If I had an '06 with a scope.
A .338 with a 250 grain bullet shoots as flat or flatter than a 7 mag with a 175 grain bullet.
A 7 mag makes more noise and has more recoil than a .30-'06. Energy is NOT that much greater.
An interesting hunting story... In '96, my uncle, my cousin, and cousin's two sons got drawn for elk in my Dad's and my favorite elk hunting area.
Cousin shot an elk (neck shot) with a 7 mag 20 minutes after the season opened. Had to finish it off with a head shot as it was trying to run away.
Cousin's youngest son killed an elk with one shot from a .30-'06 (boiler room shot) on the second day. Biggest bull of the harvest.
Cousin's oldest son killed an elk with a heart shot at 300+ yards with a 7 mag on the third day. (6th shot - missed the first 5)
Uncle never got a shot at one with his .300 WinMag.
That said, the 100-year-old .30-'06 is hard to beat for versatility.
I also use a .338 for elk.
I wouldn't hesitate to use a .30-'06 for elk. If I had an '06 with a scope.
A .338 with a 250 grain bullet shoots as flat or flatter than a 7 mag with a 175 grain bullet.
A 7 mag makes more noise and has more recoil than a .30-'06. Energy is NOT that much greater.
An interesting hunting story... In '96, my uncle, my cousin, and cousin's two sons got drawn for elk in my Dad's and my favorite elk hunting area.
Cousin shot an elk (neck shot) with a 7 mag 20 minutes after the season opened. Had to finish it off with a head shot as it was trying to run away.
Cousin's youngest son killed an elk with one shot from a .30-'06 (boiler room shot) on the second day. Biggest bull of the harvest.
Cousin's oldest son killed an elk with a heart shot at 300+ yards with a 7 mag on the third day. (6th shot - missed the first 5)
Uncle never got a shot at one with his .300 WinMag.
That said, the 100-year-old .30-'06 is hard to beat for versatility.
06 rules
I have had and still do several high power rifles, a customer came in the other day and asked me if I was limited to only one rifle what one would I keep. My answer was simple my Ruger No. 1 in 30-06.
I also ask customers buying there first high powered rifle if they reload or not. If they don't reload I recomend the 30-06. If someone is making a high performance bullet in any caliber usually the first caliber it is offered in is the 06. There is a reason for this! Also if they do not reload they can get ammunition at just about any gas station or country store. The 06 is I believe one extremely good cartridge. I bought my first one when I was 17, before the gun control act of 1968. I have owned a lot of guns over the years and there has been and will always be at least one 06 in my gun cabinet.
Happy hunting and keep your powder dry.
I have had and still do several high power rifles, a customer came in the other day and asked me if I was limited to only one rifle what one would I keep. My answer was simple my Ruger No. 1 in 30-06.
I also ask customers buying there first high powered rifle if they reload or not. If they don't reload I recomend the 30-06. If someone is making a high performance bullet in any caliber usually the first caliber it is offered in is the 06. There is a reason for this! Also if they do not reload they can get ammunition at just about any gas station or country store. The 06 is I believe one extremely good cartridge. I bought my first one when I was 17, before the gun control act of 1968. I have owned a lot of guns over the years and there has been and will always be at least one 06 in my gun cabinet.
Happy hunting and keep your powder dry.
sanctified
New member
a 30-06 in any make or model would be good. i like remington 700's.
Old Time Hunter
New member
30-30 Leverevolution from Hornaday out of a '94 or 336. Cheap, versatile, and easy to use. Especially if you can not afford to pay a porter to carry it.
riverrat66
New member
Good choice
Two good choices Savage 111F and Winchester Model 70 I own one of each in .308 and .270 respectively. The 30-06 seems to be the all-around caliber.
Two good choices Savage 111F and Winchester Model 70 I own one of each in .308 and .270 respectively. The 30-06 seems to be the all-around caliber.
FirstFreedom
Moderator
I can't really add much to what Rich & others said. I'll just say that my *primary* hunter at this point is a Savage 110 in .270 win. I've heard it said that if you have a .30-06 or .308 or .270 or 7x57mm or 7mm-08 and you're thinking of getting another gun in one of those same calibers, but not the same as the one you have, then you're just looking for an excuse to buy a gun, because they're that close to all being the same, in the real world. I tend to agree with that, for the most part. As for brand of rifle, many good, but for the best value in a turnbolt, I like Savage 10/110/11/111/12/112, Remington 700 or 7 (not 710), CZ 550, Tikka T3, Howa 1500, & Wincheester 70 the best, roughly in that order. I don't like Ruger for political reasons.
DonR101395
New member
I can't add much that hasn't been said except maybe Marlin 1895 45-70 if you're not shooting over 150 yards. I also like my Ruger M77 I just bought in 30-06.
I have been shooting a Tikka T3 lite for about a year. Chambered in 30/06, came standard w/ fully floated barrel, adjustable trigger, comes from the factory guaranteed to a one in group at 100yds. All this in a 6lb 3oz package. Not a bad choice for just over $500. I'm shooting 150 gr bullets at about 3000fps and it knocked the crap out of one elk and two deer this last fall.
Elkman06
Oh, and just joined, hi all..
Elkman06
Oh, and just joined, hi all..