FlyGuy
WKR
Archery hunting is much more of a passion for me than rifle, but I've been itching to get a new rifle for a few years now. Since I've never been a rifle guy I'm looking for some advice on the caliber selection for my next purchase.
For starters - I don't reload. God knows the last thing I need is another hobby. I also don't spend a lot of time out at the range, 2-3 times a year is about average for me.
I hunt as many critters as I can. Annually, that list would include: Whitetail, pigs, Axis, Nilgai and (starting this Spring) Black Bear. Elk is usually an Archery Hunt but I have rifle hunted them in the past and I’m sure I will again in the future. Antelope and Mule deer have not yet been targets but will be in the next few years. The rest of my “Want to Hunt” list is pretty much everything else, though mostly limited by points/tag draw odds: Aoudad, Oryx, Moose, Goats, Caribou, all the sheep...
I currently have one "do it all" big game rifle - a Ruger Mark II M77 in 7mag that I've owned for 27 years. It’s stainless/composite and has an old 4x12 40mm Leupold on it. It weighs in at 8lbs complete, and it shoots very well. I have it zeroed at 330 yards with Hornady 162 gr precision hunter ammo, which gives me essentially point and shoot (+/- 5”) out to 400 yards. I am comfortable shooting at game inside of 400 yards in ideal conditions, but I don’t practice enough to shoot at anything but paper or pigs out past that. I really like this gun and I have no plans to sell it. It does everything I need it to do in a fairly lightweight package and without too much recoil. So, I’ve been stuck trying to come up a rifle that I liked any better than what I already have.
I've been contemplating this dilemma for a few years now. Then last week I had an Epiphany. Maybe instead of adding just one new rifle, what I really needed was TWO new rifles! One smaller, one larger. Once I came to that realization things started becoming a lot clearer.
For the smaller caliber, a few buddies of mine have gotten 6.5 CM and they love them. I feel like one of these is in my future as it closes the gap between centerfire and 7mag.
Now I just need to hone in on the larger caliber and that's where I am really kind of lost. I have a nilgai hunt coming up in Mid-January and I'd like to use something larger than the 7 on this hunt. I plan to shoot with a break at the range and eventually with a suppressor on hunts, so I'm not too too worried about recoil. I don't want a heavy weight rifle, but for this gun 9lbs all in seems like a good target weight. I hear a lot of talk about the 300 and I am drawn to the 300wsm. But, is it different enough from the 7? Since I’m keeping the 7, should I be looking to skip the 300 and step all the way up to the 338 win mag? 300RUM?
For starters - I don't reload. God knows the last thing I need is another hobby. I also don't spend a lot of time out at the range, 2-3 times a year is about average for me.
I hunt as many critters as I can. Annually, that list would include: Whitetail, pigs, Axis, Nilgai and (starting this Spring) Black Bear. Elk is usually an Archery Hunt but I have rifle hunted them in the past and I’m sure I will again in the future. Antelope and Mule deer have not yet been targets but will be in the next few years. The rest of my “Want to Hunt” list is pretty much everything else, though mostly limited by points/tag draw odds: Aoudad, Oryx, Moose, Goats, Caribou, all the sheep...
I currently have one "do it all" big game rifle - a Ruger Mark II M77 in 7mag that I've owned for 27 years. It’s stainless/composite and has an old 4x12 40mm Leupold on it. It weighs in at 8lbs complete, and it shoots very well. I have it zeroed at 330 yards with Hornady 162 gr precision hunter ammo, which gives me essentially point and shoot (+/- 5”) out to 400 yards. I am comfortable shooting at game inside of 400 yards in ideal conditions, but I don’t practice enough to shoot at anything but paper or pigs out past that. I really like this gun and I have no plans to sell it. It does everything I need it to do in a fairly lightweight package and without too much recoil. So, I’ve been stuck trying to come up a rifle that I liked any better than what I already have.
I've been contemplating this dilemma for a few years now. Then last week I had an Epiphany. Maybe instead of adding just one new rifle, what I really needed was TWO new rifles! One smaller, one larger. Once I came to that realization things started becoming a lot clearer.
For the smaller caliber, a few buddies of mine have gotten 6.5 CM and they love them. I feel like one of these is in my future as it closes the gap between centerfire and 7mag.
Now I just need to hone in on the larger caliber and that's where I am really kind of lost. I have a nilgai hunt coming up in Mid-January and I'd like to use something larger than the 7 on this hunt. I plan to shoot with a break at the range and eventually with a suppressor on hunts, so I'm not too too worried about recoil. I don't want a heavy weight rifle, but for this gun 9lbs all in seems like a good target weight. I hear a lot of talk about the 300 and I am drawn to the 300wsm. But, is it different enough from the 7? Since I’m keeping the 7, should I be looking to skip the 300 and step all the way up to the 338 win mag? 300RUM?