Classic hunting rifle discussion

peterk123

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I have been thinking about this for a year and still have not made up my mind. Bolt action 308 or 30-06? While the 30-06 seems offer some heavier bullet offerings, is it really needed for any of our american game? Can the 308 do the job? The 308 can be built lighter. Then there is the 270win mag. Flatter trajectory for longer shots. But realistically, how long of a shot would I ever take? 250 yards? Now, I have a few years before I need to worry about in theory. See, the goal is to retire to Montana. However, would it not be prudent to buy a gun now and practice? :)

I am interested in what you guys think and if there are some other calibers I should consider. Thanks Pete
 
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I was leaning hard for a .308. But I opted for a 6.5 creed. It’s accurate and lethal to ranges further than I’d be inclined to drag a deer or elk. And it’s less recoil than the .308. Pleasant to shoot even. Much more so than the .300 wby.

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Right now I'm planning on schlepping thru this Fall with only 3 deer guns, if you count the 12ga, but I think I can come up with a fairly decent excuse to add a 7mm/08 to the rotation. See, there's this great spot up north just crying out for a rifle with some legs on this stretch of power lines......
 
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Ballistically they are identical performers, though you can load 220gr in an -06 but not in a .308. I would find the rifle I like best in either chambering. Out to 800 yards, the .308 has more energy than a 6.5, but the 6.5 is noticeably more comfortable to shoot and flies much flatter. You could always get another rifle in another chambering as a retirement gift.
 
You want/need heavier weight .30 cal bullets when you're hunting herbivores larger than deer. Think elk, moose, caribou, etc. If you legitimately expect to hunt game bigger than a deer and smaller than a grizz and a bison, you should be fine with any loading of .30-06. Loads for .308 peter out around 174gr, which are usually match loads like BTHP. Most .308 comes in 150gr.

In New England, the typical hunting shot is not more than 50 yards. Think treestand, whitetail deer, brush, forest cover. I have no clue what hunting Montana is like and Montana isn't even one uniform kind of geography - there's the mountainous western part, basically the Rockies, and then there's extremely windy plains, devoid of trees. From what I've read (and have no practical application with), a 600-yard shot isn't unheard of in Mountain West mountain hunting.

Ask yourself these questions:

*What am I hunting?
*Where am I hunting?
*What are the legal requirements for harvesting the game I want to hunt (put another way, what's the minimum bore diameter, what seasons are there, etc.)?
*Am I moving around or am I sitting still?
*Am I going about this objectively and rationally or do I want a gun because damnit, I want a gun?

To put these questions in action, if you're hunting deer in southern New Hampshire (in a town that doesn't ban rifle hunting) in a treestand, you're fine with a .270 or a .308 and you'll probably never need more gun in your hunting lifetime. If you're taking 600-yard shots on the vast, open plains of Montana at elk, you might want to step your game up to something beyond a .30-06, like say a .300 Magnum or a .338 Lapua.

I think the best "all things considered" option is a Savage 110 or a Winchester Model 70 in .30-06 or an AR or a bolt action in .223 if you're primarily a deer hunter and not trying to hunt anything bigger. If you are hunting something bigger, talk to professional guides in the area and see what they use. Around here, when people hire professional hunters to cull deer, the PH's use .223s.
 
I’ve become a big fan of 6.5 creedmoor. Ammo availability has become good since it’s taken the shooting world by storm. Great balanced cartridge.

I think the .308 and 30-06 are virtually inter-changeable. Either serves a similar purpose. A .308 is a short action if that matters to you. In some rifles it can be lighter. Not all rifles are made in long and short actions though. Some make do with the same receiver, particularly less expensive rifles.
 
.308 IS a product improved 30-06...that being said, the heavier projectiles can only be loaded in a 30-06 and still have them fit in the magazine. If you single load, that might open up a few more options, but you still have to stay off the lands.

I'd say go with the 6.5 if it's just deer. If you're planning on getting into anything larger at any point, go for the -06 so you have room to play/experiment.
 
Ask yourself these questions:

*What am I hunting?
*Where am I hunting?
*What are the legal requirements for harvesting the game I want to hunt (put another way, what's the minimum bore diameter, what seasons are there, etc.)?
*Am I moving around or am I sitting still?
*Am I going about this objectively and rationally or do I want a gun because damnit, I want a gun?

^ this right here. The answer is, as always, "it depends."

Answer those five questions and you'll know what you need. For anything the size of a whitetail or smaller, .243 or your classic .270 Winchester do just fine (I have taken deer with both). The .270 even has some legs, so you can stretch it out some if you want (it is a necked down .30-06, after all). Hand load some good rounds and you can easily stretch it out a couple hundred yards without any problem.

Are you going brush hunting? You may want something fatter and slower like a .35 Remington or a .45-70 that can pound through the brush without any problem.

What sort of laws will you need to contend with? Do you have to use a straight-walled cartridge or can you go with a bottleneck? Are you limited in action type to bolt, lever, or pump?

This isn't a simple question.
 
My grandfather has been taking deer since the 40's with a Winchester Lever Gun in .30-30.

About 30 years ago, he added a 2-8 power scope.

It is more or less his rifle of choice for deer and elk in Oregon.
 
Long range elk hunting I like the .338 Win mag. Well all except the target shooting, the thing kicks like hell. I have 30-06 bolt action hunting rifles and have taken deer, elk and hogs with 30-06 never with any issues but I wouldn't take a 500 yard shot on an elk with a 30-06, though I am sure many people do. Like others have said, all depends on your usage but in my mind a 30-06 is pretty well suited for most of the game in the US that we typically hunt and at the ranges most people hunt at.
 
When I hear classic hunting rifle I think of a Winchester 70, a Remington BDL, Model 94, or my all time super classy favorite, a Ruger No1, all in 30-06 sans the 94 of course. I'm in the "there's nothing the 30-06 cant do crowd" though I do love the European varieties earlier mentioned.

There is no right or wrong answer, it all depends on your hunting situation, wants, desires and needs.

It's fun bench racing and arm chairing the topic though.
 
Theres flatter and theres faster but not much you cant do with a 06

This. If you handload you can get near 300 win mag speed with the bevy of good powders out there

That said 7mm Mag is one of the most popular cartridges out west.

If you want short action 270wsm, or 300 wsm is out there.

As far as classic west hunting rifles go the Winchester model 70 is it for hunting.
A featherweight or super grade can be had in all of the above calibers for 800-1200 dollars. They are well made beautiful classic looking mauser claw action rifles.

If I was out west I think id go with 2 rifles. A 300wsm and handload for general use. A 6.5 creed for smaller game like antelope.
Id also have a Savage 116 in 30-06 for the nasty weather and as a backup rifle, stainless and black poly stock. In a pinch you can always find ammo for it too
 
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I have been thinking about this for a year and still have not made up my mind. Bolt action 308 or 30-06? While the 30-06 seems offer some heavier bullet offerings, is it really needed for any of our american game? Can the 308 do the job? The 308 can be built lighter. Then there is the 270win mag. Flatter trajectory for longer shots. But realistically, how long of a shot would I ever take? 250 yards? Now, I have a few years before I need to worry about in theory. See, the goal is to retire to Montana. However, would it not be prudent to buy a gun now and practice? :)

I am interested in what you guys think and if there are some other calibers I should consider. Thanks Pete


As far as how far. My friend killed his last elk in Colorado with a 300 wsm at 400 yards.
 
an old timer i once knew would add .270 to the 30-06 & .308 for any game in the lower 48. said if you couldn't get the job done with one of those 3 stick to harassing squirrels off your porch with a .22.
 
This. If you handload you can get near 300 win mag speed with the bevy of good powders out there

That said 7mm Mag is one of the most popular cartridges out west.

If you want short action 270wsm, or 300 wsm is out there.

As far as classic west hunting rifles go the Winchester model 70 is it for hunting.
A featherweight or super grade can be had in all of the above calibers for 800-1200 dollars. They are well made beautiful classic looking mauser claw action rifles.

If I was out west I think id go with 2 rifles. A 300wsm and handload for general use. A 6.5 creed for smaller game like antelope.
Id also have a Savage 116 in 30-06 for the nasty weather and as a backup rifle, stainless and black poly stock. In a pinch you can always find ammo for it too
I know: I'd hate to just be limited to 1, 'Do everything" rifle. I'd have 2 or 3. What am I talking about: I have 3 or 4 hunting rifles (maybe 5? I'd have to check). A light rifle for deer out to 300 yards (257 Roberts), a flat rifle for long distance (270), a heavy rifle for bear (35 Whelen).
The 257 and 270 is a lot of overlap, so I'd probably drop the 270.
In reality, you could do everything with the 35 Whelen, which is good out to 350 yards or so, and lets be honest: not many of us should be shooting at game even at that distance.

I'll probably never own a 300 or 338.
 
Since you say "Classic hunting rifle", I answer 7x57, 6.5x55, 257 Roberts, 8mm.

The .308, 30-06 bore me.
How about 300 Savage? My 89 yo grandfather as well as my father have been using a Savage 99 in 300 savage since the 50s/60s. Real nice rifles.
 
Well, pop has been crushing western game with his old Winchester 70 in 7mm win mag since forever. He did end up with another model 70 in .300 wby mag. (Custom shop job? And what a** h**e gets a featherweight model 70 in .300 weatherby?!!!)

It was on his advice I went with the creedmoor. And now he is leaning to picking on up as well. The 143 grain eldx will smote elk just fine. But it’s pleasant for extended shooting sessions. Those two big belted magnums, not so much.
 
How about 300 Savage? My 89 yo grandfather as well as my father have been using a Savage 99 in 300 savage since the 50s/60s. Real nice rifles.
Definitely a classic. Remember Clint shooting Mingo with the 99 he stole from Robert Duvall in "Joe Kidd"?
 
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