Top two mountain cartridges

[thinhorn_AK]

308

375HH

 

[Anello]

I'm not a long range shooter type, either, so, using your criteria, I run with:

1. .280 Rem -Plenty of power, without the recoil, and fantastic bullet selection.

2. 35 Whelen - Super comfortable to shoot, and can knock down anything on this continent. Not a long range gun, but, per your criteria, you realize that almost none of us need a long range gun for hunting. Inside of 400 yards, there is very little appreciable difference in most hunting cartridges anyways, so I would opt for cartridges that give you significant differences in the size of the bullets you can deliver.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

243 and 7mm-08

 

[HuntnPack]

6.5 PRC. &

 

[SoDaky]

257 w mag and 300 win.

 

[TxxAgg]

Right now I have a 6.5CM, .308, and 30-06

Thinking about selling the 30-06

 

[16Bore]

Exactly, that argument always cracks me up.

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

It’s almost as funny as “this bullet has 1” less drift at 500 vs that bullet, so I must sell everything to get it”


To answer the OP:

223, because you’ll actually spend a shit pile of time shooting it.

30-06, because it’s taken shit pile of big game.

And both because there’s a shit pile of ammo available.

2 Tikkas, 2 SWFA’s, and forget about it.

 

[buckchaser]

Well, I came across a Kimber Montana in 257 Roberts so my two mountain rifles are set for the time bring between it and my Montana 280 Remington.

Until I decide I need another ...

 

[BjornF16]

Rifle 1 - X-bolt Pro (6.1 lbs) 6.5 CM

Rifle 2 - X-bolt Pro (6.1 lbs) 308 Win

If you don't mind the heavier weights, then you can get other X-bolt models (e.g. Stainless Stalker) in 25-06 (Rifle 1 - 6.75 lbs) and 280 Rem (Rifle 2 - 6.6 lbs).

Edit: Just saw your last post. I just picked up Kimber MA in 280 AI. Had it at the range last week (finally). Appears to be sub-MOA after fixing magazine issue and bedding recoil lug.

 

[JeffRaines]

I wonder what percentage of people actually run into the scenario where they either forget to bring the MOST important component to their hunt or somehow lose their ammo? I bet the % is EXTREMELY low.

“Don’t pack your fears”

The same thing that leads people to put the kitchen sink into their packs on pack in hunts.

 

[Kotaman]

Rifle 1: 6.5 PRC

Rifle 2: .300 PRC, .300 WIN, or .300 RUM

 

[Wyoming Nimrod]

Thought there would be more variety:
I am falling in line with what most others are saying.
I have and like a 243, 25-06 and 260. Then jump up to a 30-06 and 300 WM.

I have an addiction to building and getting really really tight groups in rifles so i keep building more to take on a new task but I like the 25/6.5 mm cartridges and then the 30's. Any animal on the planet, except for Africa are susceptible to these rounds in very ethical, efficient manner.

I am developing that addiction as well, though it is new for me and I have less experience than you, I’m sure. Tell me how the story ends; do I find/create the perfect rifle I was looking for all along, or do I end up with a shit ton of “perfect rifles” (or none)?

 

[Sccritterkiller]

308...lots of different bullet choices, easy to reload if you decide to go that route. Instead of 2nd rifle get a can and chop down your barrel. I have .270, 06, and 300WM...I grab my 18" 308 FC with my can 99.9% of the time...just change ammo for my intended target...

 

[ClunesAdventures]

Late to the party with a reply but I would go 7-08 and a 338 Federal

 

[Northern-Nomad]

Personally I would buy a 280AI and invest the rest into ammo and the trips themselves. But if you really wanted a second rifle (because who doesn't) then I would pair the 280AI with a 35 Whelen and be a very happy man.

 

[Super tag]

Just buy a 7mm Rem Mag and save some money, one rifle

 

[Stinky Coyote]

this a one rifle ask, sporter weight 6.5 CM running factory hornady 143, talley rings, Trijicon 3-9x40 accupoint with a Kenton speed dial turret and use the budget from the 2nd rifle to buy cases of ammo for range time to become at one with this rig and deadlier than anyone else, this will be a strong performer for 100 years, about as future proof as you can get, I can't even imagine how much of that ammo hornady will sell in the next 100 years, all factory, sub-moa, hard to wear out, no time wasted in reloading all the time for practice and hunting, shoot the tar out of it and slay everything in your path for the rest of your days, then hand it down and next in line can do the same thing

 

[buckchaser]

I ended up with two Kimber Montanas - one in 257 Roberts and a second in 280 Remington with a 24 inch barrel.

Zero complaints thus far. The 257 is paired with a 2-7x Leupold and is a joy to carry still hunting/tracking. The 280 has plenty of punch for anything in North America I am likely to ever hunt and has a Leupold 3-9x on top.

I may eventually rebarrel the 280 to 35 Whelen and buy another Montana in 270 - I’m a sucker for the classics

 

[35WhelenAI]

Just read through this from its start three years ago. Good choice on the 280 as the first rifle you got. I'd have gone 280 Remington and then 35 Whelen since you specifically wanted an elk/moose rifle to go with the smaller species big game rifle. However since you like the classics, 257 Roberts is great in that aspect! I wouldn't re-barrel a perfectly good 280, find what you want in a 35 Whelen when you get the itch.

 

[rootacres]

Rifle 1 - 6.5 creed or 7-08
Rifle 2 - 300 WSM or 300 WM

For what you are looking to do you'll have plenty of options and pretty much all of them are good ones. For medium sized big game you could go a lot of different ways and pretty much achieve the same thing. For the second rifle Id go with a 30 cal magnum. I could make a strong case for the 300 WSM. With some of the critters you plan to hunt, more is more. I have gone the 1 rifle route (so far) and landed in between the two. I went 7mm SAUM.