2 guns for hunting out west.

[Samwise]

I am looking for 2 rifles to cover the board in the lower 48 in big game hunting. With both guns I want to be weight conscious and I have different budgets for both. The first rifle I am looking to keep under a $1000 trying to go as light as I can. I want the first rifle chambered in something that is a lighter recoiling gun due to the weight and have a good gun for back country deer and an antelope gun and still shoot elk and black bear inside 350 yards. The second gun the budget I'm looking for in the rifle is under $1500 and I am also looking for a larger caliber for longer shots but still be weight conscious for back country hunts where a longer range gun can come into play. There are a few guns in that price range with carbon barrels and I want to put a larger scope on the second gun so the overall weight for it will be heavier then the first. I was wondering what you guys thought in calibers and guns. Right now I am thinking 7mm-08 and 300wsm and I'm not sure on manufacturer yet. What do you guys think? Right now I'm trying to narrow the guns down then start a conversation after on scopes.

 

[hodgeman]

You'll likely have better results going with a single rifle with a better scope in a typical "all around" cartridge like a 30-06, 300WSM, 300WM, or 7mm RM. I'll go a step farther yet and suggest a single well developed load with a good hunting bullet.

Doing all your big game hunting with a single rifle and load might seem counterintuitive, but it's not. There's a lot of advantage to knowing exactly what your one rifle is going to do from 20' to the limits of your shooting ability on any animal you might hunt.

 

[Shraggs]

I’m not an expert…

but I think you’re research (here) my yield that. 223, tikka lite bolt - specifically shooting 77 grain Sierra tipped match king will get to 450 yards for any thin skinned game including elk. Spend the extra on a 1500 scope…

That is direction I’m going, but I also have a browning blr lever in 358 win a mid bore shooting 220 grain hammer hunters. Good to about the same range, great for elk in big bear country or when optimal conditions or angles are expected.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

I am looking for 2 rifles to cover the board in the lower 48 in big game hunting. With both guns I want to be weight conscious and I have different budgets for both. The first rifle I am looking to keep under a $1000 trying to go as light as I can. I want the first rifle chambered in something that is a lighter recoiling gun due to the weight and have a good gun for back country deer and an antelope gun and still shoot elk and black bear inside 350 yards. The second gun the budget I'm looking for in the rifle is under $1500 and I am also looking for a larger caliber for longer shots but still be weight conscious for back country hunts where a longer range gun can come into play. There are a few guns in that price range with carbon barrels and I want to put a larger scope on the second gun so the overall weight for it will be heavier then the first. I was wondering what you guys thought in calibers and guns. Right now I am thinking 7mm-08 and 300wsm and I'm not sure on manufacturer yet. What do you guys think? Right now I'm trying to narrow the guns down then start a conversation after on scopes.

I like having two purpose specific rifles as well

My ultralight timber to 600 yards rifle is a 5.8 lb tikka with a 16" 6.5 saum barrel.
My LR hammer is a 6.9 lb 30 Nosler, these are naked weights for both.

I'd get a Tikka superlight in the chambering of your choice, but please for the love of Jesus ignore the stupid crap about killing elk at 500 yards with a 223
6.5 creedmoor would be a good option along with the 7-08

For the LR setup I'd get a Fierce Fury or Seekins Havak PH2 chambered in 300 prc, they're both plenty light and are packed with custom features

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I’m not an expert…

but I think you’re research (here) my yield that. 223, tikka lite bolt - specifically shooting 77 grain Sierra tipped match king will get to 450 yards for any thin skinned game including elk. Spend the extra on a 1500 scope…

That is direction I’m going, but I also have a browning blr lever in 358 win a mid bore shooting 220 grain hammer hunters. Good to about the same range, great for elk in big bear country or when optimal conditions or angles are expected.

223 isn't legal for big game in numerous places. Definitely would be WAY down the list of calibers I'd grab for hunting big game out west even if it was legal.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

The advice of starting with one all around caliber is decent, it'll do what you need to do (and you can put on a muzzlebrake if worried about recoil). In the long run you'll almost certainly get that second rifle either way but right now you don't have a clue what you really want so why take advice on two rifles you are trying to specialize from the internet? Get out there with a baseline gun and figure out what you like and your preferences then add in that other gun later if desired. Frankly if you picked 2 guns/calibers based off this thread I bet you'd end up changing/adding another rifle later.

 

[DJL2]

I’d do about an 8.5 lb 7mm Rem Mag with a straight stock design and a good recoil pad. If you insist on having two, get the second in 7mm-08 and find a recoil calculator that evens the recoil out between the lighter -08 and the heavier RM - put the same stock and trigger on both guns. They’ll feel near identical when shooting, but will obviously handle/carry differently. You can use the same bullets, at least in theory.

For the cost of that second gun, you can buy better glass, get a custom stock, contemplate a brake and a suppressor, etc.

I‘d get the 7mm RM barrel to handle up to 180 ELD-M. I’d look at 160 TMK, 162 SST/ELD-X/ELD-M, 180 ELD-M depending on your preference and what the rifle likes. You could feed it the 139 grain LRX if you want an “anything, from any angle” rifle out to about 300 yards or so.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

What are you defining as “longer shots”? What is the largest game you are intending to hunt at those longer distances?

The 7mm-08 is a great choice and should serve you well.

For bigger game at extended distances do take a look at the 280 AI.

 

[ManyBullets]

I'd just go with one really nice rifle in 270, 7mm or 30 cal and call it a day. When you get a wild hair down the road pick up a 2nd rifle.
There's something to be said for getting to know one rifle really well and any of those calibers will take anything you're after no problem. Components and ammo are a pain to find for one rifle, much less 2 in today's environment.

 

[MTElkChaser]

I don’t own any Tikka rifles myself, but if I was in the market for a new lightweight rifle under $1,000 - that’s where I’d start for sure. Good luck!

 

[Michael54]

Just go with the 7mm08 and 7mm mag. Its real nice having two guns that take the .284 bullet. You can load the 7mm08 up or the 7mm mag down at that point and cover any possible hunting scenario in the lower 48 outside of a grizzly bear hunt

 

[deadwolf]

I chose 7 saum and 300 PRC


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[Glockster26]

I was going to go two gun route:
1st gun would be .243, 25-06, 6.5 CM, or 270
2nd would be a .300WM, 300 Wsm, or 300Prc

I would recommend splitting the difference using all the 2500 on a semi custom tikka long action in something like a 300 WSM or 7saum.

 

[FLS]

.270 Winchester. Ammo was easy to find.
.338 Win Mag. Major step up over the .30 cal mags if you actually need magnum performance.
I wouldn’t go super light because they kick more and are harder to shoot accurately.

 

[FlyGuy]

I’ve spent some time on this one myself, but I am no expert…

If I were starting from scratch I’d go with a 6.5 PRC and a 300 PRC, likely in the exact same model with the exact same scopes on them, and call it a day.

Second choice would be 6.5 CM and a 300 WM. Ammo availability should be good with both of these and there are plenty of manufacturers that make a great rifle inside your budget.

I have a 300WSM, which is a great gun, but it’s really for reloaders, and I ain’t one. Off the shelf ammo choices were limited before covid, but I like the rifle so I’m going to stick with it and I like that it’s a little shorter/lighter than the WM. But if I were to do it again I’d go with the WM or PRC. I’m planning to pair it with a 6.5 here shortly if I can ever draw a decent tag.


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[aschuler]

I hunt "out west" and my two are currently 7 SAUM and 6mm Creedmoor.

You might substitute 280ai and 243win (fast twist) as they're pretty much the same in terms of ballistics.

The 7mm is great for larger game (load 180s all the way down to 140s). The 6mm is the backup for the 7mm on big game and gets me all the way down to varmints . Both shoot well out of shorter barrels, so they are good handling and can take a suppressor. I feel like this is a great combination for 2 hunting rifles.

 

[Sadler]

I went through this late last year and decided on a 6.5 PRC for my main deer gun and a 300 WSM for my main elk gun. Both are tikkas and will be sharing an xlr chassis.

 

[Magnum61]

After going into so many gun stores during Covid and now at the tail end.. The 2 cartridges EVERYONE had in stock for ammo were 25-06 Rem and 338 win mag. Those 2 would be ideal. Just my thoughts after seeing that in multiple states.

 

[gunnerblue]

I hunt in Montana and Idaho primarily for elk and bear. For both of these I use a 24" barreled .300 Winchester- it has both a CF barrel and stock and weighs right at 10.5 lbs loaded, scoped and suppressed (TBAC Ultra 5). Currently I'm running a NXS 3.5-15 F1 but will soon be switching to March 3-24x42 for the eight ounce weight savings.

I'm in the process of building a lightweight 6.5 Creedmoor for November deer season only. CF stock and barrel (18-20") sharing the Ultra 5 with either a NXS 2.5-10x42 or SWFA 3-9 HD.

 

[TN2shot07]

Lots of good opinions already but I’ll throw mine out too.
The first rifle I’d have to go 25-06 or 270, it doesn’t get any better for deer and antelope. If you shoot quality bullets and are patient with your shot choices plenty of elk have fallen to both.
The second one it sounds like you’re looking for something in a magnum. Based on this last ammo shortage I’ve still been able to see 300 wm and 300 wsm, so find a rifle you like in one of those. Like mentioned above scoping them the same also helps you know what to expect when you need it.