looking for a new gun, need advice

[kybowhunter21]

im looking at getting a new gun, i would like to get a bolt action rifle but not too sure what to get. I want an extremely accurate but versatile gun, something for deer, elk, yotes, and a target gun. Want to be able to shoot relatively accurate out to 400 yards. What gun maker, caliber, and even scopes would you all recomend. As far as calliber ive looked at .270, .308 30.06 and even the new 30TC for the new icon. Any suggestions on any of these areas would be appreciated. Also for a competition scope, does anyone know of a really good and reliable adjustable scope, like ones you would see on sniper rifles, take wind and elevation into consideration?

[slipped cork]

I would check out the short magnums. As far as accuracy goes most all are ok nowdays.:)

[mwezell]

im looking at getting a new gun, i would like to get a bolt action rifle but not too sure what to get. I want an extremely accurate but versatile gun, something for deer, elk, yotes, and a target gun. Want to be able to shoot relatively accurate out to 400 yards. What gun maker, caliber, and even scopes would you all recomend. As far as calliber ive looked at .270, .308 30.06 and even the new 30TC for the new icon. Any suggestions on any of these areas would be appreciated. Also for a competition scope, does anyone know of a really good and reliable adjustable scope, like ones you would see on sniper rifles, take wind and elevation into consideration?

You're sure to get more replies to what everybody thinks is best, but I'd look at a Tikka T3 Varmint SS in .308. Very versatile too.--Mike Ezell:cool:

[Scott7m]

nothing wrong with mikes suggestion.. it's hard to find a gun that will do absolutely everything you mentioned.. i'd stick with a standard caliber like the .308.

as far as scopes go your talking big money when you talk about competition scopes. nightforce are hard to beat, they have an awesome 42X.

then your scope is better than your gun though! so i donno what to tell ya.. most people who buy a competition scope are putting it on a custom rifle or really high dollar piece

[The scout'n man]

I don't see a thing wrong with a good ol Remington 700! Dad has one that is sighted in out to 300 and shoots 2" groups out their it is a .270. It has a glass bedded barrel, lightened trigger, and a 3-9x40 BDC Tasco scope. They no longer make those scopes but you might find one on eBay. but I would look for some bigger glas than that for 400 yard shooting! I wouldn't recomend a .270 for elk either, not saying they wont take them down but I wouldn't risk it on a big bull! I too would look at the WSM's. some thing in the .30 range. Not real fond of the 30TC read a few bad reviews. Plus its not a well know caliber yet, not alot of options for bullets and factory ammo. If you are shooting 400 yards you will definantly need to build your own loads!

[C.L.Button]

Browning Abolt chambered in .308 with a Leupold 6.5-20X50 Vari X III on it. ;)

[WSM Man]

+1 for the good ole' Remington 700, or Model 7. +1 for the WSM's. Check out Remington's ballistics chart, or Winchester's on either of thier web sites. The 300WSM is more than enough for Elk, and the 270WSM is more powerful than the .308 or 30-06, slighty more than a 7mm Remington Magnum too, so it'd be fine for Elk also.

The WSM's also have about a foot higher trajectory at 400yds than a 30-06 or .308.

You will pay more for WSM ammo than any of the standard calibers. It's worth it to me though.

Good luck with whatever you choose, be it a .308 or 300WSM or whatever, they will all get the job done. You can't really go wrong with a good ole' 270Win, and they will take down Elk too.

[weedwalker]

A 7MM Mag would be a good choice too. There's several weight and style bullits available for anything from coyotes up to elk. I like the Remington 700's also. Very good shooting and accurate rifles for the price.

[ebsmc]

Remington 700 in 30-06. From what I understand, the newer models have an excellent trigger. I have an older model Mountain rifle with the sweetest trigger ever and I wouldn't trade it for nothing. The -06 has the greatest variety of loads than any other caliber. You can shoot 55 grainers (sabots) up to 220 grain elk and bear loads. I shoot 125 -130 handloads and use them for both deer and coyotes. Plus, you can go to any store that sells ammo and have a variety of -06 choices. (Even surplus Military fodder for plinking.) As far as scopes, go with a mid priced model from any one of the big players and you will be fine. I've shot a buddies rifle with a Simmon's Aetec on it recently and I was extremely impressed. Very clear with ample eye relief. Probably my next scope will be an Aetec.

[BigPete]

I use a Browning A-Bolt in 325 WSM caliber.VERY, VERY accurate gun at long range. Box of shells is over $50 now however. Gun has GREAT knockdown power. Recoil is a little more than my 300 magnum, but not terrible.

[Hoosier5]

I have two Deer Rifles that I use the most and had the best luck with them. One is a Ruger M-77 MKII in .270 with a Wideview Redfield Scope, and the other one is a Browning A-Bolt "Hunter" in .308 Win. with a 3-9 power Leupold Scope. I have four other rifles but the two mentioned get the most use.

[Scott7m]

i still don't see whats wrong with a good 30-06 bolt action... i've had the big 300 mags and such.. but i'm just as confident in my 30-06 as i was the 300... even at long distances. you have to learn how your gun shoots before you can start trying to take game long range.... most would be astonished at how much there bullet will drop from once it gets past 300 yards.......

[slipped cork]

i still don't see whats wrong with a good 30-06 bolt action... i've had the big 300 mags and such.. but i'm just as confident in my 30-06 as i was the 300... even at long distances. you have to learn how your gun shoots before you can start trying to take game long range.... most would be astonished at how much there bullet will drop from once it gets past 300 yards.......
I have never tried a shot at 400yds and definetly wouldnt try one on a deer. At 300 yds I can hit a 5 gal bucket every time though.:D Nothing wrong with a 30-06, I used to kill alot of deer with one, I shoot a 243 and love it but I want a 243 wsm for c-mas.:rolleyes:

[rascaldog]

I always stick with 30-06, 308, 270. These cartridges have all been around for a long time and for a good reason, they get the job done. I have closely followed anything to do with guns and shooting for more than 30 years and have seen a lot of cartridges come and go over the years. But these 3 have stood the test of time. I would suggest you find a good ballistics table and you will see that thers is not a lot of difference between some of these "wonder" cartridges and some of the old favorites. I don't think that a couple of hundred FPS or 100 pounds of muzzle energy is going to make a lot of difference to a dead critter. Sure there are some great rounds out now but just like any other thing performance has its price. Maybe I'm just cheap but I am not willing to pay that price. Good luck with your choice.

[Combat Triad]

I have a Savage 30-06 that I've killed everything from turtles eating all my fish in my pond to Buffalo and everything in between. In my opinion it is one of the most versitle calibers out there. You can get light loads that don't have much recoil for cyotes and smaller game on up to heavy bullets for large game such as Elk and Buffalo. I have tack driver rifles that will shoot 1/4inch groups at 300yds, but when I go hunting I alway's grab that Savage 30-06. Another good thing is that 30-06 ammo is everywhere. If you are hunting in some small town that doesn't have a gun store, you can usually find the 30-06 right next to the 30-30 ammo at the Mom and Pop store on the corner.

[shogan]

Yes 30-06 is good. What I don't like about it is that it kicks like a mule. I've used the light recoil loads and that is nice but they are hard to find and they are basically shooting like a 30-30. There for a while they where everywhere but now I can't find them and ultimately I want to be able to go to the store and pick them up so standard loads.

So .308 (meets all your caliber requirements) & I would say (rifle of your choice) I like the affordable savage with accutrigger but any rifle is good pick just find your price point. As far as scopes I'm partial to the Bushnell line Banner ($100 scope or less) or even better 3200 elite. ($200scope). Spend the money and get some good mounts I choose one that had quick release for those times that you just have to take the scope off.

[duckslayer870]

I am a 30-06 man, you can kill anything in any country given the righ bullet for the job. would I take it elephant hunting.....NO But I would shoot anything In north America. A 30 TC is nothing more than a fancy 308 and a 308 in a shorter 30-06 and a 270 is a necked down 30-06. Basically the 06 is the grandad of the cartridge world and can be found anywhere in any town. loads anywhere from 100gr -220gr can be found or handloaded easily. a 30-06 is deadly out past 1000 yards in well trained and capable hands. Deer at 3-400 are not a problem As for scope that you mentioned check out supersniper a SWFA. Supersnipers have earned the millitary contract and are currently in service. If you know about what they put them through to get that contract you would cry. They are garanteed to stand up to a 50 BMG and are waterproof up to 6 meters. A friend of mine who was a sniper in the rangers says they are better than anything he has ever seen. This includes his nightforce , leupolds and schmitt and benders.

[ptbrauch]

FWIW, I was watching the hunting show put on by the Rocky Mtn Elk Foundation a week or two ago and they were on there talking about elk hunting with a .243.

Not recommending it, just passing it on. And yes, I know a .243 is illegal for elk in Ky.

[ben hunting]

30.06 or .308 are great rounds. as has been said you can find 06 rounds almost anywhere. sure they have some felt recoil, but so does a 410. reload your own for the range, and you won't have all the kick. you don't have to shoot 3000 fps to punch holes in paper.
the savage is a very capable gun and can be very accurate. it can shoot with some very expensive guns, at a fraction of the cost. i hope you find the perfect gun for yourself and get the chance to enjoy it. good luck.
and don't worry this wont be your last gun purchase. it's addictive.

[A.K.A. GROUSEGUNNER]

as far as caliber, I wouldn't go any smaller than .270 since you mentioned elk. If you have high standards for accuracy(an inch or less at 100 yds.), I'd stay away from the remingtons, unless you plan to build a shooter off the action later down the road. As mike reccomended, a tikka is hard to beat for an out of the box rifle. if your a little more budget minded, & want high odds of having an accurate rifle I would go with a savage & top it off with a nikon buckmaster series scope.leupold also makes a decent scope under 300 bucks. 8 out of 10 times this combo will never let you down.

[Sand Gap Sniper]

Gun: I have a Remington 700BDL in .270, a Remington 7400 in 30-06, a Winchester Model 70 in .243WSSM, and a Savage Model 12FVSS in 22-250, if I lost them all and had to go buy a new rifle I would get another Savage. The trigger is awsome, the accuracy is far better than I can shoot, gun seems to be well built, basically, I can't find anything to complain about.

Caliber: If I wanted something that would do everything you want it to do I would probably go with .270 or one of the WSM calibers. I know alot of people are talking about the 30-06 with lighter or heavier bullets, but you will have to sight your rifle in for each bullet weight if you want to shoot the long shots, a 55 grain bullet will shoot a lot different than a 200 grain. If you go with the .270, you can buy something like the Winchester Ballistic Silver Tips in 130 grain and kill anything in the U.S.

Scope: My 2 favorites would be Nikon or Burris. I have a Nikon Buckmaster on my .270 that I haven't had to touch since I mounted it 11 years ago, it's also very clear optics. I also have a Burris Signature Select scope that I really like too, Burris makes a good scope and they are less pricey than the Leupolds. I don't really like the Luepolds for one little nit-picky reason, they don't click when you adjust them. Most of the guys on here probably don't have any trouble dialing them in, but I like the click to let me know how much I just moved the zero.

[WSM Man]

Good post Sand Gap Sniper, +1 on the scope and caliber recommendations, I am a big fan of Nikon scopes (got 4 of them) and the .270Win, and also of the WSM's (couln't guess from my user name, right?).

I like Remington's better and don't care to much for Savage however, although I did shoot a friend's Savage a little while back and the trigger was excellent!

Sand Gap Sniper eh? I could change my user name to New Zion Spotter, I'm on the other side of the County.....................

[canemaker]

Want guaranteed accuracy? Sub MOA's Weatherby's line is hard to beat....get yourself a good sub moa weatherby in 30-06 or something close, put a good Nikion, Burris, Lep or other quality scope on it...
Oh, then shoot and shoot and shoot....not just from the bench but from the ground, resting on a tree, on truck hood, ect.....

[Rather Hunt Than Sleep]

I have a .270, .25-06, and .22-250 in the Remington Model 700 and a 7mm-08 in the Remington 788. The .270, .25-06, and 7mm-08 are all three deadly deer rifles. I really enjoy hunting with the 7mm-08, but have never hunted with the .270, my buddy has and he loves it. Get a caliber that doesn't punish you and as far as brand, that's your decision. Savage, Ruger, and Remington are all good rifles for the money.

[25-06]

Its hard to argue with the 30/06! Alot of different choices in bullett selection for alot of different game.

[CUZZIN]

Browning Abolt chambered in .308 with a Leupold 6.5-20X50 Vari X III on it. ;)I am looking at a Browning Abolt chambered in the 22-250, my question is the gun has a carbon fiber barrel on it, is this a custom barrel and are they very accurate? Never had no dealings or even heard of them.

[mwezell]

CUZZIN....The barrel is likely custom. The carbon fiber tensioned barrel concept goes directly against benchrest gunsmithing protocol and I can't imagine it being conducive to accuracy. That said, I have had some dealings with these barrels and from what I've seen on hunting guns, they are fantastic! Obviously, the weight will be much less and the heat transfer will be much different. Here's a link that has some good info...albeit an advertisement.---Mike Ezell

http://home.alltel.net/mdegerness/

https://www.christensenarms.com/

[CUZZIN]

CUZZIN....The barrel is likely custom. The carbon fiber tensioned barrel concept goes directly against benchrest gunsmithing protocol and I can't imagine it being conducive to accuracy. That said, I have had some dealings with these barrels and from what I've seen on hunting guns, they are fantastic! Obviously, the weight will be much less and the heat transfer will be much different. Here's a link that has some good info...albeit an advertisement.---Mike Ezell

http://home.alltel.net/mdegerness/

https://www.christensenarms.com/ (https://www.christensenarms.com/[/quote)
It is a christensenarms barrel in the 22-250 caliber, I guess then as far as being accurate and reliable it must be good being a custom barrel. Never had no dealings with them and was just worried. Thanks for the info Mike.

[C.L.Button]

I am looking at a Browning Abolt chambered in the 22-250, my question is the gun has a carbon fiber barrel on it, is this a custom barrel and are they very accurate? Never had no dealings or even heard of them.

They made a "Shot Show Non-Cateloged" model that had a carbon fiber stock, but not barrel.