New rifle for bear and deer

H

hunter2009

Inactive
Hey guys i am new to this forum and i am looking at getting a rifle that i can use for deer and bear and maybe some day i could use it to go elk hunting. i was thinking a .308 or a 30-06 not sure witch one i want. I like the remington 700 action but i have looked at a couple of tikkas and i like the feel of them so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
First off, welcome to TFL!

Yes, for game up to moose or black bear, a 30-06 or 308 is a good choice. Pretty tough to beat, IMO. Tikkas are pretty nice, also take a look at Ruger M77, Remington 700, Winchester Model 70, Howa 1500, and TC Icon or Venture. My favorite is Ruger M77, but go handle a bunch of rifles and see what fits you well.
 
Either rifle will do the job as they are pretty close in power with a slight advantage going to the .30-06. So find the one that feels best to you when you shoulder it. That is the one I'd pick.
 
I have tried the ones listed above and the ones i liked best were the remington 700 cdl witch i can only get in a 30-06 or a Tikka witch i could get in a .308. how do the tikkas compaire to the remington
 
Welcome to TFL!

I'd go with a Tikka over a Remington... But I'm biased against everything Remington, so take that with a grain of salt.

The Tikka should serve you well (should you choose it) for all the game mentioned above.

While the .30/06 can handle bullets that are slightly heavier, the .308 is every bit as capable IMO. Yes, the .30/06 is slightly faster, but more speed doesn't automatically mean you have more game killing power, just means it's faster and will penetrate a bit further. By-and-large, all the bullet types available in factory ammo are the same for both cartridges.

Choose a well-made hunting bullet, 165gr Nosler Partition's and Serria GameKings are my favorites and are well-proven in the field. Either bullet type and either rifle cartridge will be plenty to put down any of the animals you listed.

If you like the Tikka better, get it, neither the .30/06 or the .308 is significantly better than the other for hunting applications.
 
Both will work fine. For me, I use an -06. I reload so I can build good loads for all of them critters.

I like the 180gr Nosler Partition for elk and bear and a 165gr Sierra Gameking SP for deer.
 
Both are good .30-06 is a little better for elk and bear. Check out the thompson center venture it looks really nice. Might be the best for your money shoots moa or less. My main hunting rifle is ruger m77 mark 2 ss .30-06couldnt ask for a better all around big game rifle. Plenty accurate for big game hunting.
 
Either caliber will do. If you like the 700 action you'll like the Tikka action better. Smooth as silk. More accurate too, based on my experience of owning both.
 
If you are going for bear, what about a 300 win mag? It would offer a little more hammer than a 06, which is a great gun by the way. I'm a big fan of Ruger...but it's a personal opinion.
 
If you are going for bear, what about a 300 win mag? It would offer a little more hammer than a 06, which is a great gun by the way.
Click to expand...

And what kind of bear? I think 308 might be light even for black bear, but 30-06 will get the job done.

For browns, something bigger than 0.3" might be preferable.
 
Its going to be for black bear in minnesota. hunting over bait so its not going to be long shots. this might be a stupid question but how can a 30-06 be big enough and not a 308
 
It would be hard to improve on what you mentioned in your first post.

Never heard of any valid problems with a 700. Military and Leos use thousands, are they are super accurate.

I'm partial to the 30:06, but it's really a toss up. The 308 may be a bit lighter and a little more accurate because of the shorter action. Most 308s use a 1 in 12twist, and the 30:06 a 1 in 10. The 308 is a little better with light or short bullets, and the 30:06 is better with heavier longer ones. The mid wieght/lgth. ther is no advantage in one over the other.

Plenty of easy to get ammo for either. Pick the one that feels the best, and the best buy that you can make. And the Rem. is American made.
 
Some other thoughts

If I were hunting bear at shorter ranges (< 125 yds.) over bait, I'd probably go for a semi-automatic (like a BAR) or a lever action. Something with ability for a quicker follow-up shot, in case you tick him off and he decides to attack.

I'd go with a Marlin lever action in 44 Magnum. Plenty of juice to take down even the biggest black bear. I'd carry my Ruger Redhawk chambered in the same round as a back-up.

Failing that, a Marlin lever action in 30-30.

There's no reason to punish your shoulder or your wallet with a hotter round.

If you want to be able to use it later for longer shots on elk, I'd goo for either a Savage or Ruger bolt action in 308 Win. (308 Win can be a bit more accurate, as stated above, and this, to me, is more important than ability to carry a slightly heavier bullet, because shot placement is more important)

I'd be nervous with a bolt action for close-range bear though.

Go with the lever action in 44 Mag or 30-30 and you can justify another rifle purchase later if you decide to go after elk at longer ranges. (44 Mag is probably 125 yd cartridge, while 30-30 is probably more like 200) Peep sight, iron sight, or 2.5X scope would be good for the closer range lever.)
 
HorseSoldier said:
You can load 30-06 hotter than 308 due to the greater case capacity.
Click to expand...

The marginal couple-hundred fps you'll get out of a .30/06 won't amount to any more bear killing power over a .308, period.

I know several people that use 7mm-08 & .308 rifles for black bear with great success. I plan on using my .260 if I ever get the chance. Pure speed doesn't kill.

Repeat after me.
Speed doesn't kill.
Speed doesn't kill.
Speed doesn't kill.
Speed doesn't kill.
Speed doesn't kill.
Speed doesn't kill.
Speed doesn't kill.
Speed doesn't kill.
Speed doesn't kill.
Speed doesn't kill.

Realistically, a .300 Win Mag will not significantly outperform the .308 Win in regards to killing power on game animals. If you hit a deer in the lungs with a .308, you'll kill it just as dead as you would've with a .300 Win Mag. They're identical bullets, one just burns $4 worth of powder sending the identical bullet down the barrel. Too many people these days have "magnumitis", I don't need no .300 or .338 whizz-bangearsplittenloudassboomer to kill a deer, black bear, or an elk.

Yes, the magnums have less bullet drop at given ranges, but for a hunting gun; what's that got to do with anything? We're talking about shots well inside 300yds for most of us....

Just the same as a .300 Win Mag doesn't kill any deader than a .308, neither does a .30/06.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top