which is better?: .300 win mag, .308, or .30-06???

R

RugerKid17

Inactive
Hey everyone-

I'm new here, and i need some input-

Im looking to get a rifle that can double as a Large Game hunting rifle - Long distance target rifle. Considering Remington 700, Winchester 70, and numerous savages, probly with Leupold Vari-X III Scope. I need some advice on long distance accuracy (100-400yds), reliability, and overall best buys. On a budget.

Also, which round is best suited for my applications??? .300 Win Mag, .308, or .30-06? these are the three chamberings that I'm seriously considering. Leaning towards a Remington 700 Sendero in .300 Win Mag.

HELP ME PLEASE!
 
Rugerkid,
WELCOME to TFL!
Your question(s) raise more questions than anyone here is going to be able to answer, so if you could, narrow things down for us.
1.What game do you plan on hunting?
2.What is the real life average distance you'd shoot game at?
3.How often do you practice?
Ok, general stuff.........the .308, 30.06 and the .300 are all good calibers. Any will take most North American game animals, the .300 will do so with more energy than the other two.
400 yards is not a long distance shot for any of those calibers, all will handle that range easily, again the .300 delivering the most terminal energy to the target.
If you're going to target shoot ALOT ( 50+ rounds per session) the 308 is going to start looking really good, it is inherently accurate and won't beat you up like the '06 and .300 will do.
Rifles, well.....buy what you like. If possible try some shooring buddies rifles in the calibers and styles you're interested in, see what fits.
Good luck with everything.
 
clearing things up-

the main type of game im planning to take with what rifle i end up getting will be deer, but i would like to have the ability to take larger animals, such as bear, if the opportunity arises.

i like .300 win mag because of it's power, and good long range accuracy, but it's expensive compared to .308

i shoot alot, so price is a factor.

any input is welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks

RugerKid17
 
I've got a .300 Sendaro and I love it. I shoot 180g NBT and can wack a 9" plate at 600 yards until I get tired of it.Accuracy is not a problem.
I'm using a Leupold Vari X III tatical 4X14.
It looks good, it shoots better.

The real question is...Are you willing to lug that thing around all day long ? I have , for deer and bear , and here in the Ozarks it gets fairly heavy by the end of the day.

There are lighter guns that will do the same thing. You must decide what you want most. Hunting accuracy ? Bench rest accuracy ? It's a compromise for sure.
 
Carrying a rifle is not a problem-

im only 17, but I'm 6 foot, 260, and bench 350, and have had alot of experience prancing around in the woods with my dad's 30-06 with a leupold Vari-X II on it.

I have alot of my father's guns available to me, but i want my own, and thats' where this forum come into play.
 
Welcome to TFL! I would say you are best off with the 300 Win Mag. It has a ton of power for penetration or distance and the ammo is easy to come by.
 
The .300 win mag sounds like what you're looking for, but if you go to the range a lot, you'll be spending a lot of money, and nursing a sore shoulder a lot. :)
 
No arguments, but the .308 will do in anything you'll find in the Ozarks.

I've had some excellent recent correspondence with a fella who has discovered the Federal High Energy loadings. He has chronographed them at some 200+ ft/sec faster than his handloads for his '06. He also has done extensive testing of bullets on various game animals, and favors the 165- and 180-grain Noslers.

As to which brand of rifle, I recommend the one which feels best to you, and "looks purtiest". Almost anything can be tweaked with and made to drive tacks.

FWIW, Art
 
Welcome to the Firing Line. I struggled with this question about 10 years back.
After a lot of thought, research and talks with guides and other hunters I decided on the 7mm Rem. Mag. It's worked well for me.

In this months "Rifle" magazine, Ross Seyfried, one of my favorite hunting/shooting writers whose opinion I respect immensely, makes a good case for the 300 Mag as a "do everything cartridge.". The 300 Win. mag in the Sendero will probably be my next rifle purchase.

Doing rifle research is a lot of fun, isn't it?

[This message has been edited by Matrix (edited August 20, 2000).]
 
I have a Savage 116SE in .300 Winmag. EXCELLENT rifle. shoots tight with everything I have put through it. 3 leaf sight is standard. (1,2,300 yards) and the trigger is great despite what I have read.
 
Welcome RugerKid! This is the first and last place I visit when I log on. (even at work ;) )

I'm leaning towards a Savage myself, as the price is right, and everyone says the accuracy is quite comparable to much more expensive rifles. The one complaint, the trigger, was keeping me from making the purchase, until I found this...

Timney's new "Featherweight" trigger assembly for Savage rifles. 2-5 lbs adjustable... $85 installed! Their phone number is 602-274-2999 -- Talk to Debbie.

Add that price to what you pay for any of the other bolt-guns, and you STILL come out with money for ammo!
 
As for what rifle, you mention bear. I asked a similar question awhile back on several different boards, and I've decided to go with the Winchester M70 Classic. I want the reliability of it's controlled feed action and magazine, encase I ever go after dangerous game. I'll either be getting an -06 or .375H&H, depending on if my Africa trip comes through or not. I also thought about going with the magnum, but I'm leaning towards the -06 because I like to shoot alot to, and I can buy surplus ammo pretty darn cheap and have the extra energy that you get over the .308 without wearing out the barrel as fast as you would with the magnum.

Decisions! :confused:


[This message has been edited by BB (edited August 23, 2000).]
 
30-06.
More economical to shoot than the .300 mag, easier to reload, and does everything you want it to with less recoil.

I have taken a lot of black bear with the 30-06, and they never argued that I should have shot them with a .300 mag.
The 30-06 will waste less meat on those deer than the overpowered (for deer) 300 mag as well.
 
I've had all three, the .308, 30-06, & .300 win mag. I still have the .308 because I inherited it & I rechambered my 30-06 into a .300 win mag. Why? Because I just wanted to. Since I've done it, I've been very happy with the results. Even though it won't kill an animal deader than the 30-06, I still feel more confident in the .300 win mag. As far as cost is concerned, take up reloading. Then the only cost difference in the amount of powder the .300 uses. All the other components cost the same as they are the same.

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