Dukslayer26
FNG
I want to buy a new rifle and I can’t decide what caliber out of the two, to go with? Can any of you guys who have those calibers, give me some thoughts or opinions please? Thanks
I want to buy a new rifle and I can’t decide what caliber out of the two, to go with? Can any of you guys who have those calibers, give me some thoughts or opinions please? Thanks
Both are great hunting cartridges capable of pushing high bc bullets for just about any hunting situation. I have personally had better results with the 300wm when shooting heavier bullets but feel they are very close when shooting lighter bullets.
The right answer here will depend on your intended uses and whether or not your intended load will fit in whichever rifle you choose.
Here are a couple questions that will help get you the best cartridge for your use.
- What rifle are you planning to buy?
- What are your intended targets and distances?
- Do you reload or plan to?
- Are you looking to get a light weight setup?
I can’t claim a deep knowledge of either. I did just go through that decision myself when I decid3d on a magnum. I landed on the 300 win mag mainly because it was the caliber of the gun I selected. I may have had a slight preference due to ammo price and availability.
I shot both and couldn’t tell the difference in felt recoil. Accuracy is going to be a lot more about the specific gun than the caliber. Neither is going to be a dream to shoot unless you go with a heavy bench weight rig.
If you are looking for a backcountry gun I would say go with something light. It is way easy to add a big scope or a bipod or something if you want some mass to settle the rifle down. Much harder and more expensive to lighten them up.
Last point I would make is take a hard look at why you want a magnum. Higher ammo costs and considerably less pleasant to shoot than a 308 or any of numbe rof calibers that would be sufficient for a lot of game. Barrel life is going to be an issue much sooner as well. Not that I would deter a fellow rokslider from buying a gun, just suggesting a bit of additional consideration before you commit.
This was my thinking too in the long run... I stay sub 5-600 for hunting and am pushing 168s at 2950 with my 06... Been plenty on elk in the 300-400 yard range.And, this is what I was thinking before quoting the first post. Unless you intend to shoot over 200 grain bullets at longer ranges, I'm talking 500 plus yards, a '06 loaded with 180 grain bullets out of a 24 inch barrel is ALMOST the equivalent. I'm pumping 180 grain partitions at almost 2900 fps with reloader 21. Which is more than enough gun, for mid range and less, for anything that roams this continent. It starts losing out to the 300 wm after the 200 grain loads though. Just something to consider as the price to shoot the 300's versus the old '06 is pretty severe. God Bless