1100 dollar western rifle

[justin davis]

I like a 300 WM for a western rifle. Do it all. I prefer that to smaller Calibers. If your recoil sensitive. Put a brake on it.

 

[Fadetoblack188]

The 6.5 creedmore would be ok for moose caribou and elk? Or not really?

I would get a 6.5 if it could effectively take those animals. But from what I am reading doesn’t seem like it is.

the 300 win mag looks like it will take everything. Though I think the 300 win mag will be over kill for mule deer???

 

[mmac]

Either the 300 wm or a 7mm rem mag would be my choices.
There is a Kimber ducks unlimited rifle in classifieds that will shoot .5 moa and is lightweight for that price, buddy just got a weatherby meat eater that shoots really well for 900, lot's of options in that range.

 

[ericwh]

In my opinion, spend $1100 on a scope for your .30-06 and shoot a lot.

As an eastern hunter, I have a 6.5cm for my whitetail hunting here and pronghorn hunting out west and a .30-06 with the same scope for elk (and caribou and moose if I ever get after those). I have thought of upgrading the .30-06 to .300wsm but can't justify it for the marginal gains and the few times I use it.

 

[30338]

The 6.5 creedmore would be ok for moose caribou and elk? Or not really?

I would get a 6.5 if it could effectively take those animals. But from what I am reading doesn’t seem like it is.

the 300 win mag looks like it will take everything. Though I think the 300 win mag will be over kill for mule deer???

Worry less about headstamps and more about what bullet and velocity you want to get. We've killed a few truckloads of western game with 6.5 caliber 140 Berger VLDs doing 2650 fps to 2950 fps. So I use cartridges that push that bullet to those velocities from 18"-22" barrels. Heck, buy a 270 winchester and rule the world for that matter. Its easy to kill stuff.

And lastly, if I ever go grizzly or brown bear hunting, it will require about a $25,000 check. I already have a 30/06 or 9.3x62 I could use on those but if not, I'd just buy one as the $25,000 average hunt cost dwarfs rifle expense.

 

[z987k]

The 6.5 creedmore would be ok for moose caribou and elk? Or not really?

I would get a 6.5 if it could effectively take those animals. But from what I am reading doesn’t seem like it is.

the 300 win mag looks like it will take everything. Though I think the 300 win mag will be over kill for mule deer???

A .243 is honestly enough for caribou. They die easy. Bunch of guys even hunt them with a AR.

I killed my moose and caribou this year with the 6.5cm. Limited my range with the moose, but I knew I wouldn't have to take a long shot.

I carry a 44 mag for bears(not hunting them), since any centerfire rifle is better than that, I feel fine with whatever rifle I take for that purpose.

I'll take my 3006 for elk next year only because of the bears in the area. Otherwise, I'd take the 6.5. I might change my mind by then to. I just like my 6.5 rifle better at the moment. Not because of the caliber, but because it's a lot nicer rifle and I feel like I'm a lot more accurate with it. Which is a lot more important than energy.

If I was targeting coastal browns, I'd probably go buy a 375. Since I don't care about brown bear hunting, I have no use for going that big. And black bears die pretty easy to. 06, 308, 270, 7mm, 280 etc all work fine.
I'm of the opinion you don't need magnums until you start reaching out past 4-500yds.

 

[Fadetoblack188]

Ok so looks like if I were to ever do a grizzly hunt I would just have to get a separate rifle. The expensive of the trip like someone else said would make the price of another rifle no problem.

so I can get a round that would be good for moose down to mule deer.

the flattest shooting round for those animals would still be a 300 win mag? But would a 300 destroy a mule deer

 

[MThuntr]

So it seems you keep circling back to 300WinMag so get that...rifle wise get what fits you. A lot of rifles in the $1000 range are going to be good enough. The Browning lineup seems to be pretty good along with Tikka.

300WinMag won't destroy a deer if you shoot it in the right place with the right bullet. Also if you're wanting to hunt griz then you better start saving for the $25k+ outfitter fees. IF you're talking personal defense with a chance griz encounter in the 48 then about anything will be similar within those distances and you're probably better off with bear spray.

Personally I think the 300WinMag isn't necessary and can create a lot of bad habits if you can't handle the recoil. That's where the 270, 7mm-08, 308 etc really shine and have been killing elk for a very long time.

If you're shooting long range, then I'd suggest getting into reloading so your ammo is consistent and you have enough on hand to shoot regularly. You owe the animal your best and that typically requires shooting in varying conditions.

 

[rkcdvm]

Browning hells
Tikka
Savage 110 ultralite.
Bergara b-14
no specific order. They are all shooters

 

[Fadetoblack188]

Yes I have moved on from a grizzly round. I have side arms for self defense in that aspect.

looking for a round that will effectively take a moose and not destroy a mule deer or pronghorn . If there isn’t one round then I’ll have have to start my collection.

6.5 creed seems to be verrryyy popular. But seems a lot of people are on the fence with it for moose and elk.

 

[chutinlead]

Ok so looks like if I were to ever do a grizzly hunt I would just have to get a separate rifle. The expensive of the trip like someone else said would make the price of another rifle no problem.

so I can get a round that would be good for moose down to mule deer.

the flattest shooting round for those animals would still be a 300 win mag? But would a 300 destroy a mule deer

No a 300WM won't destroy a mule deer. Just like anything else mentioned here, if you hit it in the vitals, it will die. Bullet pick will probably make more difference. I shot both my mule deer this yet with a wildcat equivalent to about the 6.5PRC. Both lung shots, both died inside 100yds. My 338WM wouldn't have made them any more dead.

That said, Elk are some tough SOBs and can live with one lung deflated. I am looking at building something in the 7mm class like the 280AI. It's become a standard chambering and ammo on most gun store shelves. Also leaning towards a 7SAUM.

 

[Fadetoblack188]

I am thinking I need a 6.5 creed and a 300 win mag.

maybe I’ll get the hells canyon in a 6.5 creedmor. Then in a few months a tikka in a 300 win mag.

haha

 

[MThuntr]

I am thinking I need a 6.5 creed and a 300 win mag.

maybe I’ll get the hells canyon in a 6.5 creedmor. Then in a few months a tikka in a 300 win mag.

haha

split the difference...7mmRemMag

 

[chutinlead]

I am thinking I need a 6.5 creed and a 300 win mag.

maybe I’ll get the hells canyon in a 6.5 creedmor. Then in a few months a tikka in a 300 win mag.

haha

Can't go wrong with more guns lol. If you haven't seen backfire's little series they did this fall comparing 4 different rifles for their upcoming elk hunt, you should go check it out.

 

[Fadetoblack188]

Ugh I am so indecisive. I am set on rifle just stuck on round. 6.5 creed, 7mm rem mag, 300 wm

 

[Apollo117]

I highly recommend finding someone local to you who will let you shoot their 300 Win if you can. You'll likely be able to handle the recoil if you shoot a 30'06 often, but it won't hurt (much) to try a .300 Win before you buy.

To be frank, if you're used to shooting a 30'06 around 100 yards, it's going to take a fair bit of practice to shoot beyond 100 yards reliably. Not trying to be rude. This applies to me as well. I don't shoot as often as I would like to be as proficient as I would like. Certainly not with a 300 Win.

 

[Fadetoblack188]

I agree. But my thought was to get a rifle. Then practice practice . We have plenty of ranges to practice out to 500 yards

 

[ElDudarino]

Tikka with an upgraded stock is a no brainer in that price range IMO. Then it’s just a matter of cartridge.

For a round, they literally all work fine, you just have to evaluate the trade offs that they all have. TANSTAAFL

I lean towards the heaviest/highest BC bullet you can run in a caliber.

In magnums, I prefer 7mm to 300 in factory guns because factory 300s rarely have enough twist to run the real heavy bullets that would make it outperform the 7mm IMO. The 7 also recoils less. For example, 300mag tikkas are twisted to slow.

In non magnums I think .308 does what 30-06 does but more efficiently. However, I feel 6.5 creed and 7-08 outshoot (significantly better in wind) 308 with no real step down in on target damage due to their ability to push higher BC bullets.

I’ve killed deer with 7mm, 30-30, 30-06, .270, .308 and 6.5 creed.... all worked about the same and 6.5 shoots best of them IMO.

I’ve killed elk with .308 and 6.5 creed and couldn’t tell any real difference.

Anything pushing a .250 to .308 bullet at a reasonable speed will kill elk and deer, don’t over think it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Winnie]

One note on the Tikka, it does not have a bolt release lever or 3 position safety. Thus you must have the safety on the fire position to unload the gun. I, personally, do not like that and it throws out Tikkas for me. For others, it doesn't bother them in the slightest bit and they love the Tikkas. For my .02 on the cartridge, it is hard to beat a 7mm Mag for all of that. I have a couple of 7mm-08s that I love to shoot, but might be a whisker light on a big bodied Alaskan moose. Realistically, any of those mentioned will work.

 

[wannakillabigbull]

One note on the Tikka, it does not have a bolt release lever or 3 position safety. Thus you must have the safety on the fire position to unload the gun. I, personally, do not like that and it throws out Tikkas for me.

I feel the same way, but there are aftermarket triggers that solve this issue with the Tikkas. Maybe would bump the OP out of his price range, but just a note.