Elk/muley/whitetail rifle help

[Vikinger]

Lots of good ideas here and some really good deals and offers (Savage 110 timberline left hand in 280 AI!! what more do you want?)

One question from this left hander.... If you are willing to spend $$ on a second, third, or fourth(?) rifle, you are not lacking the means to get a rifle that actually works like you do. Why compromise?

I had to use right hand rifles when I was a kid, and as a student too poor to have my own rifle. But I would never pay good money for bolt gun I had to fight and run backwards. There is no reason. LH bolt guns may not be on the shelf at Cabelas but they are not unicorns.

I shopped Nov/Dec for the same type of rifle, same reasons, and same flexibility in cartridges as you. But I was not flexible on LH vs RH. I found several possible rifles a week on line. Shopping used at Cabelas, Guns.com and some others gave me even more options. I just shopped for a few weeks till what I wanted showed up. I ended up with a GREAT deal on a very sweet LH Savage 110 ultralight.

You'd never buy the wrong height rings because the correct height were a bit harder to find, and you'd tune the trigger and fix the length of pull on any rifle you are going to truly work/hunt with ... because fit, comfort, and ease of operation of the rifle matter. Get a rifle that operates like you do.

 

[Vikinger]

I would never talk anyone out of a new rifle but …
Best hunting rifle is the one you own and shoot well. Spend the extra money on a better scope, practice ammo and a good pair of boots. A .270 will handle anything in the lower 48.

Roger that.
And I'd add that, heading West from PA he will be spending $$ on quality Binos and a Spotter, and some other gear. You'll get more gains from training your body and training your shooting than from any caliber, chassis, or barrel choice.
With modern powders and bullets especially, that .270 is good to go for anything. Are you?
Practice till you can shoot that .270 like Jack did LOL! Money well spent.

 

[Trans Yank]

I agree with the above comments. I'm not an expert but have made 6 trips to Colorado elk / deer hunting. 1st trip killed a nice 6x6 one shot 338-win mag (Rem 700) with TSX Barnes handloads & 2nd killed a cow same gun 1 shot. After hiking around mountain and age in mid 50's decided needed a liter rifle got a Winchester model 70 in 7mm WSM handload Barnes TTSX killed 5 or 6 Whitetails with it. Before heading to Colorado found a Browning A bolt 7mm WSM which was less weight (I'm 62 now) than Winchester 2017 killed a 5x6 and a cow with it. It has become my go to rifle. Also in between there my brother killed a 5x5 hunting with me with a A-Bolt 300 Win Mag with factory Winchester soft point bullets (had to shoot it like 4 times bullets were coming apart). Load or buy good bullets and WSM will do the job when you need deep penetration.

 

[Wyoming Nimrod]

OP, this is a seriously slippery slope, finding the need for a new rifle better suited to your needs. One that I am terribly afflicted with (I started with a Vanguard .30-06 for elk, and then snowballed from there; now I have .270Win-.338WM and every rifle is more than capable of accomplishing the same task: hunting elk and deer and antelope). The right answer is that you should always get another gun, but not at the expense of losing faith in the one/s you already have.

 

[nicsegebrecht]

I guessed that was a pretty good deal based on the cost of the rifle alone, just have never had any experience with the caliber so was waiting on input about that. Thank you


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CARTRIDGE, not CALIBER! Cartridge would be 300 WSM, Caliber would be .308! Sorry, just a huge pet peeve of mine that people constantly misuse these terms. Cartridges = 6.5 Creedmoor, 270 Win, 7mm, 300 Win Mag... Calibers = .264, .277, .284, .308...

 

[shootsacreed]

aspade17 unless you hunt PA with a 30-30, or brush caliber of that ilk your current rifle is probably good to go. Spend money on footwear, glass(binoculars, upgraded scope) practice time at the range, and conditioning. 30-06,270,308 and you're good to go. I grew up in PA, the aforementioned is way more important than a new rifle!

 

[shootsacreed]

I might add that if you do the conditioning aspect of preparing for the mountains your current rifle won't seem to heavy when you get here, and you'll probably lose a few pounds in the process!