Trying to choose a new hunting rifle...

[AFmaryland]

I'm looking a a new hunting rifle preferably magnum.

I hunt all over the country from timber to open plains so versatility is nice but I understand that you'll never have everything.

I was probably going to pick up a 300WM with a 24'' barrel but there's just so many options. I also would be open to piecing one together...but barreled actions are tough to find it seems?

I do not hunt suppressed though I may in the future. For now it'll be a brake (probably TiPro)

I'm trying to choose between a chassis or a traditional stock...I don't need ultralight but I also don't want to lug around a 15lb rifle in the mountains. I love the idea of the folding stock, and was looking at the bergara MG lite but it's just a bit above my budget and it doesn't even come with a scope base on it.

I'd like to keep the build under $2500 without optics.

Any suggestions are much appreciated.

 

[Mojave]

Build?

Just buy a Savage Impulse Mountain in 300 Win or 7mm PRC.

They are $1500-1800 on most stores.

Then when you are ready upgrade the stock.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Sako S20 Precision .300 Win Mag 24" Bbl 1:10" Rifle JRS20P331

Sako S20 Precision .300 Win Mag 24" Bbl 1:10" Rifle JRS20P331 For Sale

www.eurooptic.com

if i were going to snag a 300 win mag for hunting, this is the one to beat.

 

[TxLite]

Have you tried shooting with a chassis in hunting type scenarios previously? I thought I wanted one for a hunting rifle until I got one. I found that it was not as comfortable as a “traditional” stock for walking through the woods etc. For targets it was fine. ymmv

 

[AFmaryland]

Build?

Just buy a Savage Impulse Mountain in 300 Win or 7mm PRC.

They are $1500-1800 on most stores.

Then when you are ready upgrade the stock.

appreciate the idea. My only hesitation with savage is the lack of options down the line as I don't believe they use a rem 700 platform?

Sako S20 Precision .300 Win Mag 24" Bbl 1:10" Rifle JRS20P331

Sako S20 Precision .300 Win Mag 24" Bbl 1:10" Rifle JRS20P331 For Sale

www.eurooptic.com

if i were going to snag a 300 win mag for hunting, this is the one to beat.

definitely worth checking out thanks, I've never handled a sako. Do you feel the folding chassis is worth the cost vs a traditional stock?

 

[AFmaryland]

Have you tried shooting with a chassis in hunting type scenarios previously? I thought I wanted one for a hunting rifle until I got one. I found that it was not as comfortable as a “traditional” stock for walking through the woods etc. For targets it was fine. ymmv

Never hunted with one just target shooting, I really like the adjustability and the option to fold the stock but the idea of the metal heating up worries me....I roasted myself on some metal rifles in the past

 

[sodaksooner]

Seekins PH2....Seems to fit. Might have to go a bit over depending on your optics.

 

[ID_Matt]

Although probably not the best option in 300 WM, buying a tikka then dropping it in an XLR chassis would meet your budget and be a pretty stellar set up.

 

[LoggerDan]

I borrowed a pals chassis rifle for some wolf hunting. I absolutely hated the experience. Not good to carry, ugly, no style, very cold on the face. Balance is terrible

 

[AFmaryland]

Seekins PH2....Seems to fit. Might have to go a bit over depending on your optics.

I'll add it to the list thanks! Budget is at $2,500 for the rifle so it should work

 

[Jaden Bales]

Probably lower cost than you're looking to afford, but it's probably worth sharing this article on the Tikka I put together again. Upgrade the stock and call it macaroni for quite a bit under your budget.

A Rok Solid Western Hunting Rifle

A Rok Solid Western Hunting Rifle could mean many things. Jaden explains how he built his western hunting rifle for big game.

www.rokslide.com

 

[AFmaryland]

I borrowed a pals chassis rifle for some wolf hunting. I absolutely hated the experience. Not good to carry, ugly, no style, very cold on the face. Balance is terrible

thanks for the input, the heat and cold on metal are a concern for sure. Is there a weight you like to stay under for your rifles? I've carried some heavy weapons in the past but that doesn't mean I want to on my own time.

 

[WKB]

There is a old gun writer who wrote once that the ideal hunting rifle shoots a 300 grain bullet at 2000fps in the woods, and a 150 grain at 3500 in the plains and mountains. It weighs 3 pounds on the back, and 12 pounds in the prone. It sports a 1-24x scope, and generates only 10 lbs of felt recoil. When you find it, let us know.
In all seriousness,
You mentioned timber hunting, but do you mean alpine alder forest of the Rockies? timbered fence rows/ drainages and runoffs of the Midwest, oaky and piney swamps of the southeast, or the deep woods of the Northeast? I am assuming you want a do all-caliber for pronghorn-deer-elk-moose-sheep?
Honestly, I think you might be better served with a feather weight or sporter weight 30'06 or 308 with a 22" barrel. You can still make ethical kills to 450ish (with practice) and still have a light and handy enough rifle for thick forested areas where shots are under 100 yards and fleeting (also with practice), without the recoil and muzzle blast of a 300 WM or a PRC.

 

[01Foreman400]

Bergara Premier Mountain 2.0 and a Leupold VX-5HD 3-15x44 would be a nice setup. ​

 

[49ereric]

No need to spend $2500 on a rifle for certain but your choice naturally.
30.06 with hand loads preferably 150 grain for open country and 180’s for timber. No hand loads then try factory ammo of all varieties but premium ammo does hit harder until your barrel chooses what it likes. Just find which 150 and 180 grain bullet your barrel likes and use the rifle savings for quality glass.

 

[SDHNTR]

Count me in the not a fan of the chassis club!

Buy either a Winchester model 70 in the configuration of your choice, or a Tikka and upgrade the stock. Put a Nightforce SHV or Trijicon on it and rock on.

 

[AFmaryland]

Probably lower cost than you're looking to afford, but it's probably worth sharing this article on the Tikka I put together again. Upgrade the stock and call it macaroni for quite a bit under your budget.

A Rok Solid Western Hunting Rifle

A Rok Solid Western Hunting Rifle could mean many things. Jaden explains how he built his western hunting rifle for big game.

www.rokslide.com

This is an awesome option and a really great write up thank you! What does the rifle weigh all in?

 

[AFmaryland]

No need to spend $2500 on a rifle for certain but your choice naturally.
30.06 with hand loads preferably 150 grain for open country and 180’s for timber. No hand loads then try factory ammo of all varieties but premium ammo does hit harder until your barrel chooses what it likes. Just find which 150 and 180 grain bullet your barrel likes and use the rifle savings for quality glass.

Would love to get into reloading soon but it's just not in the cards at the moment (apartment living)...certainly don't need to spend $2500 but I'm trying to buy once cry once and build a real nice long lasting rifle for myself so I'm trying to set a good budget for it.

 

[Mojave]

I am the $3000 scope $1000 rifle guy.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

You might want to give this a read too, particularly since you seem to think the rem 700 pattern is something desirable.

Ice/snow comparison between rifles

I have been asked by multiple people to do an ice and snow reliability eval between rifles/actions/triggers. Tthis is not a “test”, it is just a view at what generally happens. Doing a legitimate test requires more rifles and consistent conditions than I have. So… The rifles: 1). Tikka T3...

rokslide.com