Opinions on a caliber please

[Battleguy]

Have the same exact gun, And cannot say a single bad thing about it! I will own this gun until the day I die. The recoil is not bad at all, I can shoot it all day long and not be to sore. the first buck I killed with the gun was at 550 yards and hit true and he went 40 yards and piled up dead. The bolt is simply awesome you barely lift it up and the whole bolt slides back. You can really send the rounds down range with this gun.

I would never think twise about buying the same gun again, and I personally love the 300, flat shooter and packes one hell of a knock down.

Go for it you will not regret it

 

[eamyrick]

I would say having some weight behind the gun or a very good break will help with getting good repeatability. Cheek weld and setup on the rifle is also important and easier with an adjustable gun of something specific to you. Shooting a couple nice groups at 200 is completely different than working on the ability to ethically take game at 600 with a magnum caliber. It takes a dialed system or some luck. Some folks may fit a factory Tikka perfect which is awesome but from my experience this is not usually the case.

There is a reason PRS guys and snipers shoot heavy, adjustable guns.

 

[Burnt Reynolds]

short action mag to compliment your 7mm08... 300 wsm. Then you'll have an excellent 2 gun battery for anything that walks and you can buy a tag for.
Tikka's, while excellent - just don't do it for me. Owned a superlight 7mm and it shot lights out and carried well but was just kind of meh. I've had my bouts with lightweights and I personally prefer a little girth these days.
I've got a Nosler M48 Liberty that shoots factory Federal 180 accubonds superbly, if I were up to it I've got about 700 yards of range with that combo - I am not up to it though . It weighs about 9lbs with Talley's, vx5hd, bipod rail and sling. It's my mountain rifle + everything else rifle. Only thing I could see replacing it would be it's twin but with CRF.

 

[Lawnboi]

Something you need to consider as well is how well you can shoot a larger cal gun, that's lighter, without a break. Personally on the bench, with a lightweight magnum I can group with the gun, but that becomes more difficult as I change positions.

Just something to keep in mind picking a caliber. I own one rifle in 300win mag. Ammo is everywhere, and I'm currently shooting factory. Had a 300 WSM since I was a kid, with no brake. Ammo for the short mag was harder to come by, and without a break I couldn't shoot it like I can my current 300.

I just bought a tikka, for the wife, in 243. It's a pretty awesome gun, that I would have no reservations picking up and taking hunting. But I wouldn't buy one in a 300 anything.

 

[MallardSX2]

300 WSM. I really like it. But I would never shoot at an animal over 500 yards. Preferably less than 300 yards.

 

[luke moffat]

300 WSM. I really like it. But I would never shoot at an animal over 500 yards. Preferably less than 300 yards.

I can’t see the reason for a magnum especially if distances are under 300 yards. Only thing a magnum buys you other a standard cartridge in the same caliber is how much further out the bullet will still expand. Most any standard caliber can shoot decent bullets that will still expand at 500 yards even. Heck even the little 308 hits harder at 500 yards than a 30-30 does at just over 100 yards.

That said I have magnums as well, though not sure why as I have heck to kill anything over 500 yards. And the 1/2 of the critters I have seen taken beyond 500 yards are with standard calibers as well.

 

[Burnt Reynolds]

I can’t see the reason for a magnum especially if distances are under 300 yards. Only thing a magnum buys you other a standard cartridge in the same caliber is how much further out the bullet will still expand. Most any standard caliber can shoot decent bullets that will still expand at 500 yards even. Heck even the little 308 hits harder at 500 yards than a 30-30 does at just over 100 yards.

That said I have magnums as well, though not sure why as I have heck to kill anything over 500 yards. And the 1/2 of the critters I have seen taken beyond 500 yards are with standard calibers as well.

Truth right there.

The challenge for me in my anxiety ridden state of decision making over "which chambering" is that while intellectually I know that most non-mag cal's are plenty for 99.9% of the scenarios I may find myself in - I wanted a one gun solution for everything from filling a grizzly tag while on holiday chasing Dall sheep in AK to drilling that black tail 320 yards across a clear cut with a minor elevation hold to finishing off a friends wounded bull that walked from 300 to 400+ while said friend runs out of ammo trying to put him down (happened last year). All my wsm buys me over my '06 is about 125 yards and about 175 yards over my 308; I'll take it in a worst case scenario.

I'll tell you one thing for sure, after my two little outings to Alaska I learned real quick that 400 yards is not that far away after all compared to hunting here at home. I've been training and shooting religiously after my bittersweet return in '17 with unpunched tags and a pile of meat that I didn't put a round through. I'll be going back in 2019 and won't be taking my 308. Will the 300wsm make me a better hunter? No. All my training might make me better, but for my money - reminding myself what it's like to end up just a little too far away while awaiting a plane and soaking up the awful suck of having been gone for 3 weeks and nothing to show for it...a little extra range never hurts.

Recoil is the biggest problem for me. I'm generally about as manly as my 5 year old daughter when it comes to recoil. 338 win mag? Too much, sold. 7mm? I handled well but just didn't like the gun, gave to client. 300 wsm spitting 180's seems about right at the top of my threshold and can still shoot from field positions.

 

[Formidilosus]

All around western hunting caliber to 600yds or so. I will shoot factory ammo.

I have a 7mm-08 so I want something a bit bigger for elk at the longer ranges. I was at Sportsmans today to look at the Tikka 300WSM and they have a Tikka T3x Lite in 300WM for $699. I also have a $30 off coupon. I am tempted to go get it. Then I started reading about calibers, searching old threads, and now I dont know what I want. Should I get a 300, 7mm, 6.5-300, 270wsm? To many...

What would your top 3 calibers be in order of preference?

How often and how many rounds a year you currently shoot out to 600 yards?




None of the magnums. If you reload, the 7-08 with Hornady 180gr ELD-M’s is about the most ballistic performance for the least recoil one can get.



Top three-


6.5 PRC
6.5 Creedmoor
7-08 with the ELD-M’s

 

[Formidilosus]

Recoil is the biggest problem for me. I'm generally about as manly as my 5 year old daughter when it comes to recoil. 338 win mag? Too much, sold. 7mm? I handled well but just didn't like the gun, gave to client. 300 wsm spitting 180's seems about right at the top of my threshold and can still shoot from field positions.

What bullet and speed are you using in the WSM?

 

[Burnt Reynolds]

What bullet and speed are you using in the WSM?

Nosler accubond 180's, 2960 fps.

 

[luke moffat]

If you are concerned about recoil and the reason to go big is due to grizzly bears I can tell ya I have seen two grizzlies killed at over 500 yards with a 6.5 CM (one WELL beyond 500 yards) and they died just as fast as grizzlies I have seen killed with 338s and 375s and less than 200 yards. In fact I have seen somewhere around 35-40 grizzlies killed now and less than half of them were shot with magnums. I get wanting the extra insurance if more velocity and a larger bullet but I’ve seen 243s be equally as effective. If you really get in a pickle your guide will be carrying a rifle likely as well if something really goes south.

I am coninved that elk much be much harder to kill than moose, caribou, and grizzly bears because it seems that all the stories about needing magnums always revolve around elk. The little 6.5 PRC could be a sweet spot I just question how well the high BC bullets will do on impacts at closer ranges.

Lots of ways to skin a cat but for sheep especially I don’t see the need for a magnum at all. Granted I have never even seen an elk shot or killed so I can’t help you there. Personally your 7-08 is a sweet little setup as it is and I wouldn’t hesitate to engage a grizzly with one. In fact I am going to be rebarrel one of my Kimbers here shortly either another short 16” 6.5 or 7-08 for a short handy mountain rifle. Even a 147 ELDM at 2550 fps MV will still have plenty of velocity at 750 yards to reliably expand, not that I have the skill set to shoot a 5.5 pound scope rifle at that distance anyways for a first round hit but there are those that can I am sure.

 

[Burnt Reynolds]

For me it's not that I subscribe to the notion that hunting deer elk bear rams moose etc starts with a magnum, far from it. Non mags have done it for me for many years. I just decided that any extra steam I can add to a 30 cal and still carry up high or manage while riding my mtn bike and shoot for extended sessions, that I can shoot well from odd positions and so forth was what I wanted. I had a 7 lbs 308 in Alaska last year and it was phenomenal to carry and I'd have drilled a grizzly if given the chance, alas it was not to be. Carrying my 300 wsm won't improve my chances of being in right place at right time - further, my buddies bull took one 178 eldx from my 308 at 409 yards... bang flop (he had a hit on each knee on his right side and had limped out another 100+ yards so I had a perfect broadside shot on him as he stopped). Perfectly capable setup I just prefer a little extra kaboom and constant focus on that one platform so that when preparation meets opportunity I'm the lucky one. Well, save for my little 223 bolt gun. I shoot the piss out of that.

My wsm doesn't feel any harsher than my '06 in terms of recoil and weighs about the same with heavier glass and other features and I shoot it consistently better than any other rifle I have or had. And, pardon the pun, I get a kick out of it

 

[JeffRaines]

I'm gonna go out and suggest the ol' 30-06.

Running modern bullets in factory loads you'll have plenty of thump for elk up to 500-600 yards. Notice I said factory, those bullets can likely be pushed faster if you handload, pushing that distance out further. If you don't reload, there is a huge number of factory loads available at cheaper prices than the magnums.

Here a few months back I was along the same lines of thinking - just buying a 300. Once I looked at the numbers and compared the differences between the two, I came up with not really needing the extra powder capacity.

 

[marty0]

“Caliber” just refers to bullet diameter... I vote you keep your 7mm-08 and spend the new gun coin on practice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Azone]

I use a 7 mm Rem Mag for the exact same purposes.

With that said 7 mm Rem Mag or 300 Win Mag and you got it licked.

Quality ammo on every shelf world wide.

Nailed it.

 

[Thinkingman]

I would say having some weight behind the gun or a very good break will help with getting good repeatability. Cheek weld and setup on the rifle is also important and easier with an adjustable gun of something specific to you. Shooting a couple nice groups at 200 is completely different than working on the ability to ethically take game at 600 with a magnum caliber. It takes a dialed system or some luck. Some folks may fit a factory Tikka perfect which is awesome but from my experience this is not usually the case.

There is a reason PRS guys and snipers shoot heavy, adjustable guns.

A brake is just another way of developing a flinch. My shoulder bruise will recover, my hearing will not.
Forget the brake.
PRS guys and snipers typically don't hike 3 miles and 3000' of vertical in a day.
Take your 11.5 lb benchrest rifle on an elk hunt and tell me how that works out.
Like going chukar hunting with a trap gun.
300WSM Tikka with top quality glass and DNZ mounts.
165/168gr Barnes or other all-copper bullets will still bring the mail at 600 without the recoil of a 180.
My Tikkas are so accurate, they're boring.

 

[FLAK]

300 Win Mag, 200 gr. Partitions.