I am in the market for a good rifle that I can use on Elk, and Moose. I was almost ready to buy a Browning A-Bolt Ti in 300 WSM when I saw the 300 RUM ballistics. Any sugetions? I already own a 30.06 but can never have too many guns.

Northern Canuck wrote:

I am in the market for a good rifle that I can use on Elk, and Moose. I was almost ready to buy a Browning A-Bolt Ti in 300 WSM when I saw the 300 RUM ballistics. Any sugetions? I already own a 30.06 but can never have too many guns.

Both are good choices. For me, I went the Weatherby Vangaurd route in 300 Weatherby Magnum. Cost was a factor in my decision. Haven't been hunting Elk with it yet, but, I'm sure it will do the job.
Keep it coming...

Are you partial to .30? Or would you think on the 7mm Rem Mag? Behind the 30-06 I would think that it is one of the most popular Elk round, if not more popular then the 06. If not and bigger is better then I personally grew my safe like this, Pre-64 M70 in 30-06, Ruger #1 in 7mm Rem Mag, and a Browning A-bolt blued with wood in a 338 Win Mag for elk this year. Between these three I don't think I will HAVE to buy another big game rifle, but I will NEED to If you reload it could help, my 338 can be loaded with as small as 160gr ish from Barnes and all the way up to 275gr ish. If I wanted to I could load light enough for deer in Alaska and still have an adaqute rifle and load for a Brown Bear in the same gun.

One friend has a Weatherby Mark V and he bought each of his two boys a Vangard from Walmart. They are all in 300 Weatherby and his son's guns shoot better than his Mark V. He couldn't belive it, a gun that costs almost twice as much as a Vangard shoots worse with Weatherby ammo than the Walmart special.

Just my feelings.

Joe Oakes

I picked up a 338 RUM for Elk. It is more than the minimum required but since you also mentioned Moose, you might want to consider it. A bigger hole can't hurt as long as you can shoot it accurately.

I have shot a 300 RUM and found the recoil to be little more than a 300 Winmag. The 338 however, does kick pretty hard. It's manageable unless you are particularly averse to recoil.

Another consideration should be the new 325 WSM.

Let us know what you decide.

I wasn't even thinking about the .338's. That would be a good jump from my 30-06, and good elk gun. Man a whole new book of ballistics to look over, 338 Win Mag, 338 WSM, .338 RUM, .338 Fedral and can't rule out the .325WSM. I have some thinking to do.:help:
Northern Canuck

A .338 for moose is a excellent choice, but a .300 Win Mag is a better choice for all-around usage - plenty for elk and everything under, and with good, heavy, weell constructed bullets its enough for moose. If I was going to make a habit of going into Big Bear country after moose, a .338 would be my choice.

Northern Canuck,

You might want to consider the avalibility of the 300RUM, sure it offers 20% better performance (According to Remington) over the 300Win Mag but atleast the 300 Win Mag is stocked in many places.

Plus to be quite honest there is little a 300Win Mag cant do when it comes to hunting North American Game so why go bigger ??

Dimitri

canuck

if you have to have a 30 my choice would be the 300 Wby but if you are in the market for a 338, i'd go with the RUM...i have one and love it. i don't know how recoil sensitive you are but i have a muzzle brake on mine and it still kicks about as hard as a 300 Win Mag with 150 gr bullets.

just my .02

Recoil is not much of a problem. I run 180's through my Model 70 30-06 and it is worse than a friends 300 Win Mag. Several of my buddies won't shoot it as it has bit a few eyes in the past (must be the stock). I know a few that have went to the 338 RUM and they seem to like them. The 338 may be better suited for the area I have moved to as there are Grizzlies roaming around. New territory for me.

.325 WSM has some nice looking ballistics. Anyone have any experience with it?

The quality of today's technologically advanced bullets have changed radically the formula for killing power on larger game. Choosing bullets from Barnes, Woodleigh, Nosler Partition and others means less bullet mass for penetration. Penetration is what kills game when bullets disrupt vital organs, bones and muscles.

Today's 30-06 has the power of yesterday's 30 caliber Magnums. Smaller calibers are now more capable of taking the larger species of N American big game. While I understand the attraction of more power, it comes at the expense of more recoil and, often, heavier rifles. Still, with that in mind some choices seem better than others when it comes to the 30 caliber magnum class.

IMO, the best choice would be the 300 Win Mag due to ammo availability or, if reloading, components. The 300 Weatherby is always an excellent contender. In the hardware stores and general stores of America (and, I presume, Canada) the likelihood of having 300 Win Mag ammo is probably higher than other 30 caliber magnum choices.

IMO, new cartridge offerings in 325 WSM, 338-08 and other new offerings have a high probability of being prematurely obsolete. Until proven in field and proven in availability it may be wise to choose a more common round.

You are correct with your comment on ammo availability for some of the cartidges I have mentioned, all but the 300 win mag which can be picked up almost anywhere. I do reload but it is still nice that if you're out on a hunting trip and your box of ammo is left behid you can buy some. The availability of 8mm bullets is poor right now and if the .325 goes by the wayside getting leads to reload it may be tough.

My buddy has a 300 RUM and if you are going to be making 300, 400, 500 yard shots it is up to the task if the rifleman is. My buddy practices a lot at 300 and 400 yards and is able to benefit from that extra velocity.....if however like many of us you choose to stay within 300 yds then your 30.06 is enough.

So, that said STEP IT UP! Why keep making 30 cal. holes when you could make larger ones? Go for a 35 Whelen or .338 Win, .338 RUM or .340 Weatherby. With a number of good 210 grainers you can still reach out and touch something. Or move to a 250 gr. for even more stem to stern penetration.

There is a 300 Win mag for sale in the fore sale forum - not a bad price either.

PaulS,

Unless its in Canada Northern Canuk is looking at spending money on a importer etc.

Like these guys.
www.questar.ca/imports.htm

No matter how good the price in the US if it needs to be imported normally it will cost more in the end for the most part

Dimitri