Lightweight Rifle for Western Hunting

[43.6N]

I appreciate it. Seeing impact is one thing I knew would be hard to do with that rifle. Main reason for the 300 is I like my 30 caliber bullets. My dad and I shoot a 30-06 and 308 now for deer. Both rifles are heavy with a wood stock and I want a dedicated western rifle. I also hunted with someone that shot a 270 short mag at deer the same distances as me with my 308 and his deer ran off every time. Mine did not. I guess that experience is what makes me more apprehensive about smaller bullets.

I will definitely start looking at the 6.5 CM. I appreciate your comment and opinion on this.

Man I love the positive attitude you’ve shown so far in this thread.

Tell us more about your 308. That’s plenty of rifle for “western” hunting, and you can get quite a bit of practice with it too.

As far as scopes, I’d look really hard at the 3-9 or 3-15 SWFA scopes. Just as light, or lighter than the Leupold. And they’ll pass drop testing just fine.

 

[madcalfe]

7 SS is awesome. After mine blew apart a Coues buck at 730 yards, I knew I was overgunned. It also took elk at 1000 (in perfect conditions). I blew a baseball sized hole in the far side of a broadside caribou at 100, slinging lung and blood all over.

I downsized to a 25 SST, and the next caribou it only blew a golf ball sized hole in the offside…

I will sell you my 7 SS with all the accoutrements for a good deal!

A Tikka 300 WSM is the rifle for you, but dang the recoil…

lol thanks for the offer. if i decide to build a 7SS i wanna get it under the 5lb mark.
light weight short barrel magnums are my thing lol

 

[wytx]

I shoot a Sako A7 Tecomate in 300wsm and love this rifle.
Yep, it wears a Leupold scope and has not failed me yet.

Great caliber for Western hunting and knocks the snot out of hogs too.
I load my rounds a little hot an recoil is no issue.
Wide variety of 30 cal bullets out there to find one that works for your rifle choice. Mine likes 165 gr bonded bullets just fine.

 

[No_Murphy]

Man I love the positive attitude you’ve shown so far in this thread.

Tell us more about your 308. That’s plenty of rifle for “western” hunting, and you can get quite a bit of practice with it too.

As far as scopes, I’d look really hard at the 3-9 or 3-15 SWFA scopes. Just as light, or lighter than the Leupold. And they’ll pass drop testing just fine.

It's a browning A-bolt. Has a wood stock and I put a vortex viper hst 4-24x50 on it. I used it a few years ago to shoot my pronghorn. I really don't want to use it in thick country though. I want a rifle that I do not care to let it get beat up.

As far as ammo, I shoot 150 grain Winchester silver ballistic tips in it and it shoots them very good. Wanted to shoot heavier bullets when I elk hunt, but I have not found factory ammo over 150 grains that it likes.

I will take a look at those scopes. Sounds like those would work well.

About the positive attitude... There are so many people that are here to complain and say that they are right and no one else is. I have found it more useful to respond kindly to everyone and take all the information I have been given to make a more educated decision about whatever the topic is I am asking about. If we would all stay positive, there would be more people respond to our posts.

 

[grfox92]

ill chime in.
I've solely hunted with 3 different light weight 300wsm over the last 15 years.
my current custom 300wsm weights 5lbs 2oz bare. spotting shots without a muzzle device will be hard, but throw a brake on it its like shooting a .243, not sure how it would be shooting one suppressed though, so take that into consideration if your wanting to not run a muzzle device. As someone that hunts sheep and goats in G bear country every year id rather have a 300 than a 6.5 needmore.
Also the tikka stock is complete trash and the perceived recoil in the 300wsm is quite noticeable with that stock and no brake. And don't get a VX5 unless you want to send it away for warranty.

As someone who hunts deer, elk, and antelope in major G Bear country every year, can I ask why it makes a difference what cartridge your hunting rifle is chambered in?

 

[grfox92]

About the positive attitude... There are so many people that are here to complain and say that they are right and no one else is. I have found it more useful to respond kindly to everyone and take all the information I have been given to make a more educated decision about whatever the topic is I am asking about. If we would all stay positive, there would be more people respond to our posts.

I also wanted to comment on your open mindedness in this thread.

If you decide on a WSM, power to you and I support your choice. But there a ton of people on this forum who have been there and done that with the bigger cartridges and I have yet to hear of anyone switching to 6.5, 6mm or .223 that goes back to a bigger gun because the the smaller ones dont kill well enough. They just do (when using the right high BC bullets).

 

[No_Murphy]

I also wanted to comment on your open mindedness in this thread.

If you decide on a WSM, power to you and I support your choice. But there a ton of people on this forum who have been there and done that with the bigger cartridges and I have yet to hear of anyone switching to 6.5, 6mm or .223 that goes back to a bigger gun because the the smaller ones dont kill well enough. They just do (when using the right high BC bullets).

I try to be open minded about stuff like this. I really do like a 30 caliber bullet and think they are better than smaller ones but if there are people that have just as good opportunities with something else I want to hear it. I think the best thing for me to do is find a friend that will let me shoot these rifles. That way I can make a better decision for myself. If I am able to go lighter with less recoil and take the same game, then what is the loss?

 

[grfox92]

I try to be open minded about stuff like this. I really do like a 30 caliber bullet and think they are better than smaller ones but if there are people that have just as good opportunities with something else I want to hear it. I think the best thing for me to do is find a friend that will let me shoot these rifles. That way I can make a better decision for myself. If I am able to go lighter with less recoil and take the same game, then what is the loss?

In all honesty there is nothing lost. With modern bullets, believing you NEED a magnum is nothing more than mental masturbation.

If you like the .30 cal bullets and will shoot animals 500 yards and in, you could do a Tikka in .308, short barrel suppressed and shoot 178 ELDMs or 168 TMKs.

 

[madcalfe]

As someone who hunts deer, elk, and antelope in major G Bear country every year, can I ask why it makes a difference what cartridge your hunting rifle is chambered in?

each to their own,
Just have more confidence with a heavier grain bullet at close range than a bullet from a smaller caliber.
I'm not arguing that all the smaller caliber high BC bullets don't outshine some of the larger calibers at extended ranges but that's not what were talking about.
i also load different bullets for different hunting situations. wouldn't take a ELDX elk hunting where i go cause shot are usually under 75yards.

 

[madcalfe]

In all honesty there is nothing lost. With modern bullets, believing you NEED a magnum is nothing more than mental masturbation.

If you like the .30 cal bullets and will shoot animals 500 yards and in, you could do a Tikka in .308, short barrel suppressed and shoot 178 ELDMs or 168 TMKs.

500 yards with a 20" 308 your probably under minimum recommended fps for expansion on a 178gr eldx.
now you go to a short barreled magnum you've gained upwards of 300-400fps and extended your distance.

 

[SDHNTR]

I appreciate it. Seeing impact is one thing I knew would be hard to do with that rifle. Main reason for the 300 is I like my 30 caliber bullets. My dad and I shoot a 30-06 and 308 now for deer. Both rifles are heavy with a wood stock and I want a dedicated western rifle. I also hunted with someone that shot a 270 short mag at deer the same distances as me with my 308 and his deer ran off every time. Mine did not. I guess that experience is what makes me more apprehensive about smaller bullets.

I will definitely start looking at the 6.5 CM. I appreciate your comment and opinion on this.

Then get a .308

 

[grfox92]

500 yards with a 20" 308 your probably under minimum recommended fps for expansion on a 178gr eldx.
now you go to a short barreled magnum you've gained upwards of 300-400fps and extended your distance.

With a 20" barrel 2550 MV should hit 1800 fps at 500. So it would be cutting it close.

 

[z987k]

500 yards with a 20" 308 your probably under minimum recommended fps for expansion on a 178gr eldx.
now you go to a short barreled magnum you've gained upwards of 300-400fps and extended your distance.

He'd likely be better off dropping some weight for MV. At some distance that will cross over, but I doubt it's inside 500 in a 308 without going to a ballistics solver for it.

 

[z987k]

I try to be open minded about stuff like this. I really do like a 30 caliber bullet and think they are better than smaller ones but if there are people that have just as good opportunities with something else I want to hear it. I think the best thing for me to do is find a friend that will let me shoot these rifles. That way I can make a better decision for myself. If I am able to go lighter with less recoil and take the same game, then what is the loss?

The problem with 30 cals and really light rifles in 30 cal, to have much of any BC or SD for that matter gets a bit heavy of a bullet, which causes more recoil than anyone cares to have due to the weight of the gun. You will not be spotting shots. You will not be as accurate as you could be.

Any bullet correctly placed is going to kill the animal. Some bullets(not cartridges) give a little bit larger wound allowing for a little bit less accuracy from you, but the most important thing is accuracy, almost to the complete disregard of everything else. So why would you build a rifle that severely handicaps you in that department?

I have a 30-06. It's set up with enough weight, stock design and suppressed to the point that I can spot my shots. That rifle never goes with me into the mountains if much hiking is involved.

 

[BLJ]

500 yards with a 20" 308 your probably under minimum recommended fps for expansion on a 178gr eldx.
now you go to a short barreled magnum you've gained upwards of 300-400fps and extended your distance.

With a 20" barrel 2550 MV should hit 1800 fps at 500. So it would be cutting it close.

He'd likely be better off dropping some weight for MV. At some distance that will cross over, but I doubt it's inside 500 in a 308 without going to a ballistics solver for it.

My 18” Tikka 308 shooting 155 TMK’s at 2728 MV is 1807 FPS at 600.

This is at 1500’ of elevation.

For the sake of conversation.

 

[Aussie Dan]

Look to the 6.5/260 success on game thread for visual proof, not just anecdotes that 6.5s of many flavours are killing things as dead as dead can be.
I'd also suggest searching all things sierra TMK on here. They punch well above their weight.

As for 300wsm- it'll do the job for sure, just depends on factory ammo availability in your area based on your current need for factory ammo.
How Confident and comfortable are you with higher recoiling cartridges in lightweight rifles?

 

[grfox92]

My 18” Tikka 308 shooting 155 TMK’s at 2728 MV is 1807 FPS at 600.

This is at 1500’ of elevation.

For the sake of conversation.

Excellent. Have you ever run 168 TMKs through it?

 

[No_Murphy]

Look to the 6.5/260 success on game thread for visual proof, not just anecdotes that 6.5s of many flavours are killing things as dead as dead can be.
I'd also suggest searching all things sierra TMK on here. They punch well above their weight.

As for 300wsm- it'll do the job for sure, just depends on factory ammo availability in your area based on your current need for factory ammo.
How Confident and comfortable are you with higher recoiling cartridges in lightweight rifles?

To be honest, I do not have a high recoil cartridge or a lightweight rifle. I just know I want something that is a lighter rifle once I put everything on it and something that I can be confident in shooting any animal. I think that is why I need to try to find someone that has a similar rifle to what I want that will let me shoot it. That is also why I come to the forum, to see what other people have to say.

 

[glock233]

Everyone saying 6.5 CM is right. If you need to imagine more power is needed to make yourself feel better, 6.5 PRC is the ticket.

The 300 WSM isn’t horrible but 30 cal is a flying potato abd thr recoil is high. You’d be better off with a 270 WIN or WSM.

6.5 cm allows you to shoot more, get better at shooting, and shoot accurately without recoil penalties. Use a cup and core bullet like the ELDX.

 

[z987k]

To be honest, I do not have a high recoil cartridge or a lightweight rifle. I just know I want something that is a lighter rifle once I put everything on it and something that I can be confident in shooting any animal. I think that is why I need to try to find someone that has a similar rifle to what I want that will let me shoot it. That is also why I come to the forum, to see what other people have to say.

When I built my ultralight mountain rifle(it's 5lbs 2oz scoped and suppressed.) It was originally a 27cal.

I never went hunting with that barrel after getting it all dialed in at the range. Couldn't spot the shots from a bench. It just wasn't a gun that was ever going to be a very good from difficult positions. It's now a 22cm and a lot more lethal.