NEED a new deer rifle
 

Ok, I am in desperate need for a new rifle. My skin is itching, finger randomly spasming, and a serious tick in my neck.:smilie:

Trying to decide, 7MM or .300 win mag.

The only reason I am really thinking about this is possible elk hunt next year. I have my .30-06 for little calif deer, but there is an outside 1% chance Ill be doing a elk next year, or at the very least another horseback trip (where long range is key).

I know the 06 can be chambered up and past 180 grains, but range SUCKS.

Thoughts? Anyone have one of the above and use it?

I am leaning towards the 7mm, since it is a great flat shooter and packs a nice punch at 200+ yards.

Also thinking about stocks. I like the wood, but the rage is synthetic and if I am humping it for miles, a few pounds matters. But kick gets brutal.. trade off i guess?

What about a 270 WSM? Bit lighter than 30.06, and it'll take down any ungulate with proper shot placement.

Ill check it out. I was under the impression that elk ect require 200+ grain bullet at pretty good speeds to kill quickly. (yes, i know many thousands were shot with the 06, but i cant justify buying a new rifle then can I?).


Edit.

Looked it up, very nice ballistics but light dont you think? For Elk? I watched a few vids on people using it on mule deer, has quite the punch on impact!

I shoot a 25-0-6 with a 100gr round.

Its sighted in for 150 yrd, shoots 1in high @ 100yds and is still dead on at 200-250yrds.

Its def plenty; I brought down an elk with it in colorado - course I shot it in the head! ;)

Normally its just a deer rifle however putting football size holes in my game. There has to be something about the speed of that bullet and the separation that makes it so violent.

I would look at something in the 260,270,280 range. 300 Win mag is a bit much for deer. Also depends on the range you are shooting, I have dropped an elk with a Ruger 260, have also watched my father drop one at 579 yards with a 300 Win mag. Its all personal preference.

7mm is much more versatile. Get the 300 if you are going to be mostly shooting elk and you don't mind big recoil.

I'm not much of a hunter as I don't need it to feed my family. But having been taught a thing or two by the Army about "hunting" two legged animals, and the ballistics associated; I have an opinion.

Personally, I'd not give a concern about recoil... Take that off the table right away. You're not going to be shooting a lot. You should be planning on taking as few shots as possible, so make the shots count; then recoil is not a concern. Proper cradling of your rifle will alleviate a portion of the recoil.

Next comes weight... Having initially started as a hawg gunner (M60 MG) in the Army, I came to enjoy the weight of the weapon. I got good at humping the hawg. <insert your smart ass remarks here> So when I moved on to other things, weapon weight, ammo, and distance were of little concern.

Those are my biases. That said, if you want a rifle that removes all questions and concerns about bullet weight and speed, .300 Winchester. I don't have specs in front of me, but I think a .300 moves at 2200 fps, and packs over 2200 ft/lbs of energy. And you can get a muzzle break to alleviate some recoil.

Next option... 7mm... Again, I don't have specs in front of me, but I think that this round still packs a LOT of punch at 400+ yards: something like 2k ft/lbs at 400 yards in a 175 grain bullet. I think. Can't go wrong.

If you're shooting at less than 200 yards (*****), then a .308 will work. After that, the round drops precipitously in all respects.

If there was a requirement to choose an "all rounder", I'd have to say the 7mm is it. IF you don't mind the recoil and the weight, .300, all day.

Want over kill? .338. Monster round, monster range, no good for most animals in the lower 48. Elk and big ass bears is about all this should be used for.
BTW, anyone who considers a 10 lb weapon heavy = woman.

I have a 257 Wby Mag and love it for Whitetail, hogs, anything else in TX. The 300Wby Mag and 30-378Wby Mag have great ballistics and knock down power for larger game like elk. All are great long range rounds.

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The .300WSM round is a good one too and probably the choice for both deer and elk if you are looking for just one rifle for everything.

Forbes in WV makes the best 300 win mag for hauling up and down mountains, bar none.

Ultra Light Arms - custom made rifles

Thanks all for the input. 7MM does seem to be the most commonly recommended rifle for Elk and deer, especially at ranges. Really my 06 does just fine, but heck, what fun is not getting a new one.
Rifle Ballistics Summary

I do like the ballistics of the 300wsm.

Heading to bass pro after work to price up a few options...