Only one rifle.

[307]

I'm focused on bowhunting but would like to have a properly set up rifle for when the bow doesn't produce. I'll only have one rifle for pronghorn, deer, elk, and ???

I live in west central Wyoming. Hunt in the mountains and am frequently in areas with grizzly bears so there's a certain self defense component to this firearm as well as the hunting.

7mm
300 wm
338 wm

Which would you prefer and why that choice over the others?

Thanks in advance. Total rifle gumby, I currently have a couple of .22's as my only shoulder fired weapons. There are way too many choices in rifles, it's a bit overwhelming to decipher all of the info.

 

[duchntr]

7mm or 300 winny

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

By the time 20 people have replied to your thread you will likely be more confused than ever but for what it's worth id go 300 WM simply because it's common a great round and will do it all.

Good luck with the one rifle thing too I'm a big time bow hunter and I can never have too many rifles.....

 

[dotman]

I like the 300wsm as a do all round.

 

[Chad E]

I think given the variety of game and situations you describe a 30 caliber(including a 30/06) would serve you well. You can load/buy lighter bullets for pronghorn and deer and heavy ones for bigger game or bear protection. The huge variety of bullet weights available especially if you reload make the 300s super versatile.

 

[hodgeman]

For a one gun hunter...the .300WM or .300WSM is pretty tough to beat. I've used a .300WSM almost exclusively for 8 years with perfect results.

But, in all honesty...any reasonable centerfire rifle in the .270 and up class will do everything you want...if you don't have a habit of dealing with recoil, you might find the .338WM a little too much of a good thing and maybe a .300 too for that matter. I'd go shooting with some friends and try out as many of their rifles as you can manage to determine what you are comfortable with.

Don't overthink this...it's really easy to do. As a bowhunter, you're comfortable stalking close and know how to shoot for important stuff, that's most of the problem. Getting to reasonable range and having the patience to wait for a broadside shot is something you're familiar with already.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Are you completely set on magnum cartridges? Of the three you list, I'd go 300 winny. However, I'd personally opt for something more boring, like a .308 or a 30-06 (assuming you don't reload). You can get a lighter gun and still have plenty of rifle for what you are wanting to do.

It's easy to completely overthink this. I have a .338-06 that I had built for the exact same reasons that you are wanting a bigger gun. The older I get, the more the shorter and lighter 30-06 gets the nod when it's time to go for a walk.

 

[Shrek]

The 300 wsm is as heavy as I would go if you are not really into rifles. A 7-08 , 308 , 30-06 , 280 rem might be better. Unless you get into shooting longer ranges they will all deliver plenty of energy to 400 yards . Go rang 400 yards. You don't need a Magnum to kill anything really. Luke Moffit and a bunch of other Alaskans kill grizzlies with 308's so it's not a limitation. You'll kill more effectively with a rifle you shoot well than a rifle that has given you a flinch and you shoot poorly. Since this is a western mountain rifle that will be carried much you will want a lighter rifle. This will compound dealing with recoil.

 

[BARichardson]

7mm cause u can load 100gr - 180gr and kill moose - yotes with it in any state (CO u cant varmint hunt with 30 cal.) had a buddy get in big trouble shooting a yote with his .308 in Rifle, CO.

Also the 300WM boys always get mad when u out shoot them with a 7RM hahaha!

 

[AZ Vince]

Currently I have a 3 gun battery.
6.5x284, 30-06, and .338 Win Mag. I'm adding a fourth rifle to the battery in 30-06. If I were you I'd look at the 30-06. It's not new, or flashy, and while other rounds might outperform it the 30-06 has been quietly getting the job done for over 100 years.
My reason for a second 30-06 is for a longer barrel to take advantage of the better ballistics at longer ranges.
Unless you're a shooter 30-06 is likely to be the maximum recoil you can tolerate. No shame in that. Better to have something you shoot well instead of something that causes you to flinch.

 

[ST52v]

Lots of good advise!! It is true that some calibers offer a large range of bullets to choose from. Most probably are not offered in factory rounds and depending on barrel twist rate may not shoot them very well. The Tikka 300's have 1-11 twist barrels, not ideal for the 215's or 230's , but the 180's down to 150's should be ideal. The barnes 180 should give you enough penetration for any critter. Keep us posted!!

 

[zac0419]

Long time lurker here, with the calibers listed I'd say the 300WM but I think you would be better served by a 308 or 30-06. I like my Kimber but most rifles shoot really well out of the box these days.

One more thing, if you're looking to just "fill the freezer" definitely get the rifle. If you're looking to be able to hunt another season I'd say get a Ruger Bisley 45 Colt($500). Handgun hunting incorporates many of the bowhunting disciplines of practice and stalking and allows you to "hunt" another separate season.

My 2c

 

[AXEL]

After, 56 years of shooting, 50+ huntng, decades working in remote western Canadian wilderness in densely populated Grizzly habitat and ownership of about 150 rifles, currently have 35 all told, I have some very definite opinions on this and similar queries.

I am a .338WM fan, 47 years with this superb round and a dozen rifles, have seven now. BUT, with the most useful bullet weight, in a rifle that one can pack all day in the mountains, the "kick" IS pretty tough to handle. I prefer a lighter rifle, my latest one, my second Dakota 76 in an MPI with Magnaports all factory, is about perfect, BUT, it is NOT a "noobie's" tool.

I own a couple, have owned others, but, am not much of a 7mm mag or 300mag fan, too much recoil and blast over a .270Win. and not quite the "thump" of my .338s. 9.3s or .375H&H rifles....SO, we come to the old, ubiquitous .30-06 and like several others here, I would strongly recommend buying a light, preferably CRF rifle so chambered and have at it.

I prefer a 200 NP over RE-22 in my .06s in Grizzly country, but, where I hunt in BC, the terrain is very steep and densely forested. I would not go lighter than 180 gr and only use premium CE bullets.

Also, do NOT buy some honking great scope, use a Leupold 4x and Talley QD-SL mounts, even an identical spare scope. HTH.

 

[TEmbry]

Don't overthink it. The gains in performance over a .30-06 are minimal for most cartridges. You can't hit a golf ball without hitting a store that sells .30-06 rounds, and the recoil is easily manageable.

I just went through this process, and settled on a Tikka T3 Lite .30-06 with Leupold VX-2 3-9x40 Scope. Will be used for everything from pronghorn to Grizzlies no problem. I too bowhunt for 90% of my hunts, just wanted a backup to fill tags I struck out on during archery seasons.

 

[wyosteve]

I'm kind of like AXEL, old and conservative. All I've used for all big game, i.e. from antelope through grizzlies the past 30 yrs. has been a .338. On the smaller critters, it just punches a nice hole through and has enough to take care of bigger animals as well. I don't find it difficult to shoot and it is very accurate. But--the final answer for you is to pick one that works best for you. I don't think you can go wrong with any on your list.

 

[5MilesBack]

(CO u cant varmint hunt with 30 cal.) had a buddy get in big trouble shooting a yote with his .308 in Rifle, CO.

I've been a resident of CO my entire life and have never heard of this. However, there are different rules while big game hunting if you don't have a furbearer or small game license as well. But those aren't delineated by a .30cal.

As for which rifle........I'd go with a .270 and carry your bear protection on your hip.

 

[LaGriz]

Only one rifle...Ok,

Knowing what my tastes are, it would be a pre-64 M70 FW in .280 Rem or a .280 AI - such a weapon would be a quality all around performer on most all North American game short of the big bears and Bison. My first bolt action was a Rem. model 700 Mt. rifle in .280 Rem. I own four bolt guns and a lever action and if I still can't find a sitation where the .280 won't get the job done. The 30-06 or a 270 would be a good choice also. The idea of finding a pet load at a Walmart is hard to wrap my head around. That is a consideration that had not occured to be as I shoot: 325WSM, .358Win.,.280 Rem., 308 Mar. Exp., and just bought a 30-06 for a planned build. Good luck on your quest.

LaGriz



I

 

[JG358]

7mm cause u can load 100gr - 180gr and kill moose - yotes with it in any state (CO u cant varmint hunt with 30 cal.) had a buddy get in big trouble shooting a yote with his .308 in Rifle, CO.

Also the 300WM boys always get mad when u out shoot them with a 7RM hahaha!

The regs state that you cant hunt yotes with a big game rifle(.243 or larger) during big game season unless you have a big game license for that season Outside of big game season, you can hunt yotes with what ever you want in CO.

 

[rileybassman]

30-06 - I'll echo what others have said. It is my only rifle for deer, elk, bear, coyote. So many bullets to choose from if you re-load and every hardware store has ammo. Even in the ammo panic a couple years ago, I never had trouble finding any. You will be just fine up to 500 yards with it if you learn your drops... used to be "the round" for 1000 yard competition. Recoil is very manageable. Killed every animal on the planet in the last 100 years. Boring... maybe to some... I still get a kick (pun intended) from shooting it

 

[5MilesBack]

The regs state that you cant hunt yotes with a big game rifle(.243 or larger) during big game season unless you have an unfilled big game license for that season Outside of big game season, you can hunt yotes with what ever you want in CO.

I fixed it for you.

Once you fill your big game tag, you must have a furbearer or small game license to hunt coyotes with anything .23 or larger, west of I-25.