opinion wanted

R

Right to bear arms

New member
I'm a newbie to the firingline. I've read posts for many years but have decided to join. I'll admit I haven't studied all the rules, so I'm sure I will make newbie mistakes in posting. All I can say is that I love Freedom, America, and the Right to bear Arms. I've owned, traded, and pontificated about various rifles and calibers my whole life so I hope some of the expert members of this community won't be too hard on me. My opening question is whether I should trade a new Savage "package gun" 7mm-08 (retail $497) for a slightly used 300 Weatherby Vanguard synthetic with a 3x9 buckmaster scope? I have plenty of rifles, but I am hankering for something new. Mostly I hunt 85 lb Georgia whitetails. When I was a youngster I sighted in a .300 weatherby fore someone and my shoulder recovered about a week later.
 
No Brainer

Welcome R T B A ! Thanks for starting off with with an easy question . If you want to take a beating , make the trade ! :cool:
 
Welcome! Take a little time to read the FAQ page when you get a chance as well as the Forum Rules. There aren't many and it is a quick read.

As far as trading goes I'm not a fan of either cartridge, but I would choose the 7mm-08 over the .300 Weatherby just for cost. If you are hand loading you'll not be as hurt in the wallet by the Weatherby once the initial costs are paid for. However the 7mm-08 is much cheaper to buy ammunition or brass. Both will do the job when hunting a white tail deer so I wouldn't worry about that. Just enjoy whatever you decide on.
 
+.300 weatherby for new Savage 111 7mm-08

Right off the bat . . what does R T B A mean? I probably won't do the trade because the weatherby has some slight rust on the bolt and some scuffs on the plastic. I do handload so I could afford the shells. If I ever do hunt elk again out west. I have an 06 and a .270 so I could rely on them. The big Weatherby stick could reach out a 100 yards or so further but I don't know about the 20-30 grains of more powder i need to stuff in the case.
 
Duh! Now I feel like an idiot! Like I said I've "grazed" your forums before but never joined. It seems like you run a real tight ship and don't tolerate fools! I'll do my best to be a semi-useful contributor. Thanks for the warm greetings and remember "If one gun makes you happy . . 10 guns will make you ten times as happy"
 
welcome to TFL!

And the rules aren't tough, just be civil, no matter what kind of fools you deal with (including fools like me;)).

Its the big question with the big magnums, is the extra cost (powder, brass, etc.,) worth the extra performance? Or vice versa, if you will. I would make the trade, if I wanted a .300 Weatherby, and didn't have one. I have shot them before, and I agree about the recoil!

I don't know about the value of the rifles involved, because there's book value, and then there's what it is worth, to you or me. Often quite different things.

If you are not in love with the Weatherby, don't do it. It sounds like the owner (or a previous owner) didn't take good care of it. But scratches and surface rust are only cosmetic. An ugly gun can still be a beautiful shooter, it just isn't as much fun to show off.

For 85lb Georgia whitetails, a .300 Weatherby is far from the best choice, especially if you want enough meat left to make a decent meal. But as a "new" rifle to play with and learn the ins and outs of the cartridge, its as good as anything else that strikes your fancy.

Welcome to TFL, enjoy the forums, and if we can help confuse you further, just ask!:D
 
Maybe you could get a better recoil pad for the .300?;) Or maybe you hang on to the Savage!!:;) I guess I'll just welcome you to the Forum and quit trying to help.:rolleyes:
 
I dunow about whitetails with a .300 Mag but I bet it would be dandy for plugging your famous Georgia monster hogs.
 
Yeh, I know. It was kind of a leading question. In all honesty I like classic historic calibers like .257 roberts, 7X57, .270, .308, 30-06. 300 H&H .375 H&H,, etc. I do own a .350 remington magnum classic that I have shot 4 elk and dozens of deer with when I lived in montana. I call it the "hammer of Thor". Just once in a while I get the hankering for a new caliber. I will probably stay away from the .300 wthby. unless I can hire a native to sight it in.
 
You might try going the other direction: Drop down to, say, a .223 or .204.

A buddy down in Thomasville, GA, swears by his .204 for coyotes, and I've done in a few with my .223 here in west Texas.

By Texas standards, Georgia regulations on varmint hunting are sorta weird and picky, but that's the way it goes...
 
I've always been intrigued with a .204 . I've never shot one. I have a 22-250 and a 17hmr. The .204 looks like a hoot. I've killed several deer with a .22-250 and they dropped like a load of bricks. The problem was too much chest damage. The only .223 I owned was a ruger mini and it shot 6" groups at a 100 yards.
 
I think a new Savage is a better rifle than an old Vanguard.

The accutrigger and accustock are more than just marketing gimmicks.

What ever floats your boat as far as the cartridge is concerned.
 
There's not much, if anything, I'd trade a good accurate 7mm-08 for but there is no way I'd even consider trading it for anything with the magnum moniker unless I was after really really big game. No way no how.

LK
 
I had a .300 Wby Vanguard but wouldn't ever buy another one. Even if you handload its still expensive when you think about dumping 85 grns of powder into one shot to gain 500fps over standard catridges. The .300Wby isn't even needed for the biggest pigs, a well placed shot from a rifle that you can handle well is.

Nowadays, I have one magnum catridge that I actually enjoy shooting and its the 7mm Remington but its not needed on anything walking in the southern woods of either SC or GA. I'd stick with that 7mm-08, there isn't a finer round for a wood goat roaming the Southern Pines out there. Dead is dead when you put the bullet in the right place.
 
Stick with the Savage

i would stay with the savage for the basis that savage gives you better accuracy and 2ndly it's new. a used vanguard with rust on it isn't worth nearly as much. im new too i feel your pain.
 
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