Looking for my next rifle caliber

[bwp]

Good morning! I am on the search for my next rifle and am wanting something on the bigger end. My largest caliber is currently a 6.5 PRC. I’m wanting to pick something up that I can hunt elk/moos with. I know my 6.5 prc will get the job done, but I’ve got the itch for another rifle. So…do I move up to the .300’s or grab something like the 7mm PRC? I run the 147gr in the 6.5. So I’d like to step up to the 180gr+ range.

 

[EdP]

Depends on your age. You could go with the 7 PRC and then when you want to step up again go to a 30 cal, and then a .338 or .35. A man should always plan ahead.

 

[swavescatter]

Tikka. What was the question?

Search for a good deal on a stainless tikka 7Rem Mag or 300 win mag. Order a lightweight 8 twist 7mm barrel and have it chambered in 7 PRC. Put it into a lightweight stock and your itch for a magnum will be vanquished. My lightweight 7PRC is awesome. So awesome I have almost no desire to shoot it and get my teeth kicked in.

 

[bwp]

Tikka. What was the question?

Search for a good deal on a stainless tikka 7Rem Mag or 300 win mag. Order a lightweight 8 twist 7mm barrel and have it chambered in 7 PRC. Put it into a lightweight stock and your itch for a magnum will be vanquished. My lightweight 7PRC is awesome. So awesome I have almost no desire to shoot it and get my teeth kicked in.

Lol the easy button is always a Tikka. That’s what I did with my 6.5 PRC…luckily it’s a soft shooter. With this one I wouldn’t be going for the lightest weight.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

IF you want a larger caliber based cartridge than your currently have and like a tikka then 300WSM is a solid option. Fits the action length well.

 

[Matt5266]

exactly what I came to recommend. 300 WSM. Mine shoots lights out with 185 Bergers

 

[TaperPin]

That’s easy - a 7mag of whatever flavor is like going from a Toyota Corolla to a Camry, while the 300 mag is the Tundra pickup. Looking up ballistic gel tests for the PRC cartridges is telling - the 6.5 giggles the block a little, the 7mm shakes the block, and the 300 causes it to do a double back flip and breaks the bench under it. lol

If you’re recoil sensitive the 7 PRC or 7 mag are better choices since they’re only slightly more recoil than what you have now, but if you can shoot it well, a 300 of some flavor is a great gun.

Many people confuse a hunting gun with a training rifle and complain they can’t handle so much recoil over and over - that would be nuts, like skeet shooting with full duck loads - just use a larger cartridge to hunt with and use a training rifle for practice and don’t pay much attention to them.

 

[EdP]

just use a larger cartridge to hunt with and use a training rifle for practice and don’t pay much attention to them.

With a similar thought process I found a 165gr load for my 30-06 that had the same ballistics as my 180gr hunting load and did most of my practice with the 165. (Same ballistics out to my self imposed max range at least). It let me practice with the same rifle, trigger, scope, etc with lower recoil.

 

[mlevimadden]

If you're planning to build off a Tikka and want a heavier barrel contour, I'd lean more towards a 7 SAUM or 300 WSM over a 7 PRC/300WM, as you'll probably run out of mag room if you're wanting to run the long high BC bullets close to the lands.

I had a tikka superlite in 300WM that was 7.5# ready to hunt. That gun was so much fun to shoot, it's now a 9.5# suppressed 6.5 PRC. Been there done that, got the t-shirt, shooting the lightweight magnums. I shot that rifle worse and missed more shots with it than any other rifle by far.

I've come full circle now and it's well worth carrying an extra pound or two in a lighter-recoiling platform. And the animals die just as quickly (or faster) with the newer match bullets. My next build will 100% be a 6 creed unless CO decides to remove the 6mm minimum requirement for big game, and I would go 22 creed.

 

[keystone112]

280 AI is worth a look.

 

[bwp]

If you're planning to build off a Tikka and want a heavier barrel contour, I'd lean more towards a 7 SAUM or 300 WSM over a 7 PRC/300WM, as you'll probably run out of mag room if you're wanting to run the long high BC bullets close to the lands.

I had a tikka superlite in 300WM that was 7.5# ready to hunt. That gun was so much fun to shoot, it's now a 9.5# suppressed 6.5 PRC. Been there done that, got the t-shirt, shooting the lightweight magnums. I shot that rifle worse and missed more shots with it than any other rifle by far.

I've come full circle now and it's well worth carrying an extra pound or two in a lighter-recoiling platform. And the animals die just as quickly (or faster) with the newer match bullets. My next build will 100% be a 6 creed unless CO decides to remove the 6mm minimum requirement for big game, and I would go 22 creed.

I’m not set on a Tikka…it’s just what I’ve owned the most of. The browning xbolt has caught my eye a time or two as well.

 

[fuzzymarindave]

Good morning! I am on the search for my next rifle and am wanting something on the bigger end. My largest caliber is currently a 6.5 PRC. I’m wanting to pick something up that I can hunt elk/moos with. I know my 6.5 prc will get the job done, but I’ve got the itch for another rifle. So…do I move up to the .300’s or grab something like the 7mm PRC? I run the 147gr in the 6.5. So I’d like to step up to the 180gr+ range.

300 PRC will run your 180gr weight class of bullets at about 3250 fps.

 

[SloppyJ]

I’m not set on a Tikka…it’s just what I’ve owned the most of. The browning xbolt has caught my eye a time or two as well.

The difference between those is stark. One has aftermarket support and is more of a blank canvas. The other, well you'll have a hard time even finding an aftermarket stock for it.

I think the 300wsm is the ticket here in a Tikka. Personally, I don't care for the Tikka stocks after shooting my manners and mcmillans but you could swap that out to for something a bit more stable. You could even rebarrel your current gun and use it but let's be honest, you'd want both setup on separate actions eventually so just buy the flavor of 300wsm you want and go from there.

 

[Bowfinn]

If you're planning to build off a Tikka and want a heavier barrel contour, I'd lean more towards a 7 SAUM or 300 WSM over a 7 PRC/300WM, as you'll probably run out of mag room if you're wanting to run the long high BC bullets close to the lands.

I had a tikka superlite in 300WM that was 7.5# ready to hunt. That gun was so much fun to shoot, it's now a 9.5# suppressed 6.5 PRC. Been there done that, got the t-shirt, shooting the lightweight magnums. I shot that rifle worse and missed more shots with it than any other rifle by far.

I've come full circle now and it's well worth carrying an extra pound or two in a lighter-recoiling platform. And the animals die just as quickly (or faster) with the newer match bullets. My next build will 100% be a 6 creed unless CO decides to remove the 6mm minimum requirement for big game, and I would go 22 creed.

I’ve done this exact same thing except I had a 300 wsm and my next “ magnum” will be a 6 cm.

To the OP I recommend buying a couple boxes of ammo for what ever cartridge you choose, and shoot a few 10 round groups with a friends rifle. So you can see if you’re happy with the recoil and your groups. If I had done this originally I would’ve not bought anything that has more recoil than my suppressed 6.5 prc.

 

[mlevimadden]

I’ve done this exact same thing except I had a 300 wsm and my next “ magnum” will be a 6 cm. To the OP I recommend buying a couple boxes of ammo for what ever cartridge you choose and shoot a few 10 round groups with it. So you can see if you’re happy with the recoil and your groups. If I had done this originally I would’ve not bought anything that has more recoil than my suppressed 6.5 prc.

This is good advice. If you haven't shot a ton of big magnums, and have a buddy with a rifle that generates 35-40# of recoil, I'd see if you can borrow it before committing to buying one. A couple range sessions might cure your itch for an ultra mag, or at least help inform your decision of a target weight and purpose for your build.

I have a buddy who is a newer shooter with a 7# kimber montana in 300WM. It's a dream to carry, but horrible to shoot. He's 6' 200# with a high pain tolerance, so he takes it, but he typically shoots 4ish MOA groups at 100 with that gun. He consistently shoots 1.5 MOA groups from prone with my heavier suppressed 6.5 PRC.

 

[hereinaz]

180s in a 7mm have the ballistic advantage over most 300 until you shoot the 220+ class of bullets at the extreme range 800ish plus yards.

I don’t know why anyone would want a 300 magnum with the extra punishment when most shots are inside that 800.

At no time is a 180 grain bullet insufficient. Because of BC, it is like a 30-06 on steroids—-because 180 is on the high end for most 300s.

 

[podestaj01]

Following. I always try an plan ahead too but gets trick with whats cutting edge performance vs a round may not catch on or just stays pricey

 

[CJ_BG]

Personally, if I was ever hunting something that I felt a 6.5 PRC wouldn't be enough for, me next step up is definitely not going to be an extra 30 something grains of bullet at pretty much the same speed. I'd be wanting a big 30 or 338 with at least a 225 or 250gr. If you don't feel like you need to go that big, then do you really need more gun than the 6.5 PRC?

 

[Luked]

Have a Winchester Model 70 Supergrade 300 WSM I am about to put up for sale.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Go read the 223 & 6.5 threads and you will learn your cartridge is totally sufficient and you should spend your money elsewhere.