Elk rifle

[cecil30-30]

I've got a hankering to buy a new rifle. Just can't settle on one. I'd like it to be for elk and mule deer if and when I get those hunts started. It's a good excuse to buy one. I want it to be in 300 win mag. I'd like to get one of the new Remington 700 cdl. But I can't decide if they are worth a flip or not. I keep seeing Bergara B-14 pop up in my search. I have no experience with bergara. I want one with a wood stock. Personal preference. The bergara has a 24 inch barrel. Would I be hurting myself with a 24 inch barreled 300 win mag?

 

[MUP]

Only hurting your shoulder, if you don't have a brake that is!

 

[cecil30-30]

Only hurting your shoulder, if you don't have a brake that is!

The ruger hawkeye comes in wood/stainless with a break

 

[rickyk280]

One of my favorite calibers 300 win mag used one for several years across these beanfields on the farm.

 

[Jcalder]

The bergara is just a 700, but better. 24" barrel is gonna be fine, not sure why'd you question that. I had a composite stock bergara in 300wm, and recoil was manageable without a break. Breaks are fine, until you finish off your hearing.

 

[backyardtndeer]

You may want to check out the cva Cascade xt. Doesn't have a wood stock, but you should be able to use a 700 long action stock.

 

[cecil30-30]

The bergara is just a 700, but better. 24" barrel is gonna be fine, not sure why'd you question that. I had a composite stock bergara in 300wm, and recoil was manageable without a break. Breaks are fine, until you finish off your hearing.

A few of the rifles I was looking at had 26 inch barrels. The bergara was the first one with anything other than a 26.inch.

 

[BuckWild]

Not much help on a 300 win mag, but when I was elk hunting in Idaho years ago, I went up there with my 7mmRem Mag and all the local guys I hunted with made fun of me for bringing an "Elephant gun" to hunt elk with.

All six of them used either .270 or 30.06 They spent double on optics what their rifle cost. They had been hunting elk for over 20 years. I was hunting with Pete one morning and he shot a dandy 6x6 with his 30.06 at 468 yards that we ranged with a Leica range finder. Went 40 yards after the shot.

I hunted with those guys for six years and they always picked on me for using that 7mm Rem mag.

 

[Jcalder]

A few of the rifles I was looking at had 26 inch barrels. The bergara was the first one with anything other than a 26.inch.

I have no idea what rifles you looked at, but you'll never notice any difference other than the 24" will carry and handle just a fuzz better. The shooting part is negligible.

 

[Remi]

Not much help on a 300 win mag, but when I was elk hunting in Idaho years ago, I went up there with my 7mmRem Mag and all the local guys I hunted with made fun of me for bringing an "Elephant gun" to hunt elk with.

All six of them used either .270 or 30.06 They spent double on optics what their rifle cost. They had been hunting elk for over 20 years. I was hunting with Pete one morning and he shot a dandy 6x6 with his 30.06 at 468 yards that we ranged with a Leica range finder. Went 40 yards after the shot.

I hunted with those guys for six years and they always picked on me for using that 7mm Rem mag.

When I went on an elk hunt a few years ago I took a 7mm08 and everyone else had magnums. The other guys made fun of me and they asked our outfitter what he saw the most of when it came to cartridges. He said western guys use normal stuff and everyone from the East brings magnums. He said he wasn't sure if I was actually an easterner since I wasn't carrying something in a magnum cartridge, lol.

 

[cecil30-30]

When I went on an elk hunt a few years ago I took a 7mm08 and everyone else had magnums. The other guys made fun of me and they asked our outfitter what he saw the most of when it came to cartridges. He said western guys use normal stuff and everyone from the East brings magnums. He said he wasn't sure if I was actually an easterner since I wasn't carrying something in a magnum cartridge, lol.

Maybe I just need to add another 30-06 to the safe. I'm not hell bent on the 300 win mag

 

[MUP]

Can't go wrong with either I'd say.

 

[Remi]

Maybe I just need to add another 30-06 to the safe. I'm not hell bent on the 300 win mag

I don't think the 30-06 is ever a bad choice, nothing wrong with a 300 win either. The biggest thing for me when I went west was I wanted something I could practice with a lot and be confident with out to 400-500yds. I went with the 7-08 because I like the .284 bullet selection and it's something from my 7lb tikka I can shoot from field positions 20-40 times in a range session and not need a trip to the ER.

One of the guys brought his 7rm mag over and we shot at 400 and 600yds. He made zero hits on a 12" plate, no fault of rifle or cartridge, and after 20 rounds he quit shooting. He was absolutely beat to death, we were shooting prone off of backpacks.


3 from my Tikka 7mm08 at 808yds with an swfa 6x. I didn't feel under gunned

 

[MUP]

Even at 1000 you'll likely not have the terminal performance to kill an elk, unless you handload a heckuva hot round. A WinMag may allow for a couple hundred more yards, maybe out to 750-800, to keep the terminal velocity needed for bullet performance tho. Even tho I've shot longer distances I'll set my limit for shooting an animal to 600 if I ever get to hunt distances and animals of elk size.

 

[Remi]

I don't think the 30-06 is ever a bad choice, nothing wrong with a 300 win either. The biggest thing for me when I went west was I wanted something I could practice with a lot and be confident with out to 400-500yds. I went with the 7-08 because I like the .284 bullet selection and it's something from my 7lb tikka I can shoot from field positions 20-40 times in a range session and not need a trip to the ER.

One of the guys brought his 7rm mag over and we shot at 400 and 600yds. He made zero hits on a 12" plate, no fault of rifle or cartridge, and after 20 rounds he quit shooting. He was absolutely beat to death, we were shooting prone off of backpacks.


3 from my Tikka 7mm08 at 808yds with an swfa 6x. I didn't feel under gunned

Also, I went with synthetic because I didn't want to deal with POI shift from moisture, temp, etc. We were there 6 nights, 5 were below zero with the lowest two being below -20. We also had 16" of snow. Everything stayed soaked and frozen.

 

[Jcalder]

Whatever you get, get something you can shoot with confidence. No need in too much gun. Practice all you can. Good ammo is much more important than cartridge. Good optics. Practice. You may have a 50 yard shot, you may have a several hundred yard shot. Build confidence between now and when you go.

 

[Jcalder]

Even at 1000 you'll likely not have the terminal performance to kill an elk, unless you handload a heckuva hot round. A WinMag may allow for a couple hundred more yards, maybe out to 750-800, to keep the terminal velocity needed for bullet performance tho. Even tho I've shot longer distances I'll set my limit for shooting an animal to 600 if I ever get to hunt distances and animals of elk size.

Comparing a 6.5cm and 300wm, you'd need to step up well over 200 gr bullets to carry the same velocity past 800 yards. Not downplaying a 300wm, but that's a bunch of unneeded recoil

 

[Remi]

Even at 1000 you'll likely not have the terminal performance to kill an elk, unless you handload a heckuva hot round. A WinMag may allow for a couple hundred more yards, maybe out to 750-800, to keep the terminal velocity needed for bullet performance tho. Even tho I've shot longer distances I'll set my limit for shooting an animal to 600 if I ever get to hunt distances and animals of elk size.

My limit was 400-500 depending on conditions. Dialing for drop is so easy I can do it, reading cross canyon winds and thermals is voodoo.

I've always heard for the average guy that isn't dialing etc the magnum advantage is around 10%. So if you're proficient at 300yds with a 30-06 you're good to 330-350 with a 300. That's a lot more ass whipping on the recoil side for 30yds of shooting.

I actually got rid of a 300 weatherby to get the 7mm08 when I was going.

No idea if that's right on the 10%. I'm a dialer. Lol

 

[knightrider]

I would take my 270 and be very confident in its abilities to kill an elk to 4-500 yards with partitions. If i was buying 300 to elk hunt it would be an x bolt with break!

 

[mike243]

I wouldn't trade my 300wm for a 3006, I have had both and shot deer with them, 300wm has some more thump, speed kills no matter what the 45/70 shooters say lol