New gun suggestions

grouseslayer

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My family is looking at getting a new gun for my Dad as a surprise in the next month or so and I have been put in charge since I am the only one that hunts. I shoot a 300 rum cdl topped with a vortex hs lr that shoots just under moa and it has a break installed. He loves this gun and it is the purpose he wants a new one.

He has mentioned he wants synthetic and doesn't really care for a break cause of the noise but I don't want too much recoil it's not fun to shoot. He says he wants a 300 but at the same time the only critter he will hunt with it besides deer and antelope is possibly a once in a life time moose. He will only hunt elk with a bow. So far I have limited my search to a Winchester weather extream or a Sako A7 big game. In either 7mm mag or 300 win. Both are at the very top of our price point for the bare rifle. I am just looking for input if there is anyone with experience with these guns and input on caliber. Or if there are any other suggestions. He would like the ability to shoot fairly accurate out to 800 yards at the range just so a 400-500 yard shoot in the field is a lot easier.
 
From what you say a 7 mag or 300 win would be great. maybe more towards the 7 mag. if he ever goes on a moose hunt let him use you gun or worry about it later.

Unless you insist on a new gun I'd look at good used guns as well. nothing wrong with a lightly used rifle, you can get a better gun for the same price as a new something else. maybe look on gunbroker.








Stay thirsty my friends
 
Is the Remington Sendero out of your price range? I would highly recommend it especially if you go the RUM route without a break. They shoot very week with little or no work and come with great components. I have one in 300RUM and 338RUM and love them. They are a bit heavy for a pack around hunting gun but I have gotten used to it.-------SS
 
I would consider a 300 Winchester mag for caliber since he seems to like the 300 mag cal. As for moose, the 300 mag will do the job as moose do not seem any harder to put down then a elk is.
The 300 Win. mag ammo is easy to find with great bullet selection and just about every rifle manufacturer makes a rifle in that caliber where you have far more selection on style and price.

RELH
 
Hard to beat the 7MM IMO.


"You can fly a helicopter to the top of Everest and say you've been there. The problem with that is you were an a$$hole when you started and you're still an a$$hole when you get back.
Its the climb that makes you a different person". - Yvon Chouinard
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-15-15 AT 11:32PM (MST)[p]I have leaned toward the 300 win more just because mine is a 30 caliber and that is what he has suggested plus he shoots a 30-06 right now and I did before I got the 300rum. I have just been trying to think out of the box some on this one. I personally would consider the sendaro or similar but I am sure he would complain about the weight. I would also look at a 257 weatherby or some different caliber but I already have a 30 caliber magnum. The other thing I looked into today was a 20 moa base and for a Sako it is double the price just because only one company made one. Does anyone use a Sako and will this be the case if he wishes to change a trigger out or something else down the road. Also saw a 280 ackley today but can't remember the make but it was in our price range and caught my eye. Is this a caliber worth looking into for what I have described. We do all our reloading how hard would these components be to come by?Thanks for all the suggestions so far.
 
If it were me...I'd skip the 30's and the magnums all together.

Sounds like you want something fun to shoot, magnums IMO, are not all that fun to shoot. You're on the right track with the 280AI...but I would look at a 7/08 or 260 rem., lots to like without all the fuss.
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-16-15 AT 01:30PM (MST)[p]7mm Rem Mag is about the biggest I'd want to shoot without a brake. For that reason your dad might want to avoid the 30 cal magnums.

I'd opt for the 280AI if he wants a high performance, comfortable shooting rifle. I've shot one quite a bit and I'm in the process of building another one... come on Lilja, ship my new barrel!

With that said, there are no files on the 7-08! Lots of performance in a small package! It makes a better "combo" rifle than the 260 Rem IMHO.

Zeke
 
+1 and +2 on what Buzz and Zeke had to say. I have a 280AI, very similar ballistics to the 7 MM Rem Mag, and love it but that 7mm-08 is a dandy efficient game getting cartridge for the person who can put them where they need to be.

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
If you choose the Sako you will not need to change out the trigger. They are a fine shooting rifle with a slick action.
 
Thanks for all the info so far. The 280AI is a Kimber Montana. I am sure you can't go wrong with the Kimber or Sako and the Winchester weather extreme ss seems like a pretty nice gun as well. I'm sure it will be one of those 3. After looking at the ballistics on the 280 I really like it. I just need to get him to see the ballistics and get him on board with out knowing we are looking for him. He has a hard time thinking outside of what he knows or has seen first hand being used. I don't think he will ever start shooting at a critter past 500 yards but if he had to do a follow up shot at 700-800 do you think the 280AI would be efficient at getting the job done? I am also taking into consideration with the caliber the fact that he has a 30-06, .243, and .270 win.
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-17-15 AT 09:54AM (MST)[p]What make are the 30-06, 270, and 243?

Lots of build options out there rather than buying new.

As to the ability of the 280AI, the three most important things when it comes to killing critters are:

Shot placement, shot placement, and shot placement...roughly in that order.

A distant 4th would be bullet selection.
 
I know shot placement is everything no matter what distance just worried about enough energy at longer distances. He likes his 06 and 270 that is why I'm sure he would prefer something bigger then the 7mm 08. The .243 and 30-06 are Parker hales which are sentimental to me and the rest of the family, just because it is what he has always carried with me and the siblings when they have been hunting. The .270 is a Winchester gun that the grandkids use when they decide they want to give hunting a shot and also the gun I shot my first deer. Just because of that I think a build is not a option with those.
 
grouseslayer, I kind of had a feeling that may be the case, I understand and appreciate not wanting to build on a sentimental rifle.

As to your worries about the 7-08 and enough energy at longer range...worrying about a problem that isn't one.

The wife and I both shoot 7-08's a fair bit, becoming tougher and tougher to grab anything else. Ours get shot quite a bit, both near and far, as they are flat FUN to shoot.

I hear they work OK in pinch:

a 140 accubond at 201 yards through the shoulder exited behind the shoulder, ten yard stumble and done:

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More 7-08 victims, shot these two in about 30 seconds at 230 and 250, again with the 140 accubond:

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Exit side on the above cow:

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My Dad shot this one with my rifle at 262 yards:

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Same rifle, same day, my brother shot this one at 487, behind the on shoulder, broke the off shoulder and recovered the bullet just under the skin.

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Recovered 140 accubond from my brothers bull:

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This bull caught a 140 at 70 yards, quartering hard toward me. Broke the on-shoulder exited about 10 inches behind the off shoulder:

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Broke both shoulders on this cow at 240 yards with the 140 AB, only elk of the 60 I've shot that I broke both shoulders:

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Finally, shot this one a couple months ago at 629 yards, broke the on shoulder middle of the body and exited about 5 inches behind the shoulder, not bad for a "no energy 7-08"...

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A good friend of mine shot this with a 280 AI from the same herd right at 400... it did OK too:

DSC00697.JPG


I will tell you that I "thought" for a long, long time that a person that hunted elk much needed a magnum. I've shot a lot of elk with a 338WM and 7RM, they work, but they just aren't fun to shoot. If they aren't fun to shoot, I don't shoot them as much as I should.

I really appreciate a light rifle, that gets shot a lot, that has low recoil, cheap to load for, burns slightly more than half the powder of a magnum, and has great accuracy.

Not much to dislike about a 7-08 or 280AI...and either would work well for your Dad.
 
Thanks buzz for the info. It is good to see some proof of how efficient the 7mm-08 is. That is why I am asking around because everyone I know personally that shoots longrange and hunts uses a 300 of some sort or a 7mm mag and one that shoots a .257 weatherby mag. Guess all I need to do now is get my dad away from the idea he needs a magnum and find a model that offers one of these calibers. By the way congrats to your and your family on all the elk. That is more elk then dad and I have killed combined with a rifle in our lifetimes. Archery would be a different story.
 
The 6.5/284 is used by a few long range shooters.
It is hard to argue against the 7/08 or the 280 ai though.
Let us know what you end up getting.
Later
Foghorn
 
Was able to discreetly look at guns and ballistics with my dad and looks like he is set on a 300 win, 7mm mag or 280 ai. He has shot a 300 win doesn't recall the recoil being a issue. With that said I am down to picking the make. I have found a Sako a7 big game in 7mm mag brand new for $980 everything else is $1100. My only issue is the detachable magazine is plastic. Is this a issue or something I don't need to worry about? I still would like the 280 ai but the only make I know of in our price range is a kimber Montana and have yet to find one to look at in person. The only other make I am considering is a Winchester extreme weather.
 
gslayer, it's been awhile for me but if your budget were that of a Kimber and you wanted a 280AI, i'd consider re-barreling a new Rem 700 in that cartridge.

The last one i re-barreled, the labor and Materials was about $500. out the door with truing, some trigger work, and a new kick pad added in. Then you really got something IMO.

Maybe a guy could just have a 280 Rem rechambered? Just seems that with that kind of budget, the 280AI being the outstanding round that it is, you should have more options and the custom or semi-custom barrel on a new Rem would be a Dandy way to go!

Neat story, however it works out, good on you!

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
Here's a vote for the Sako 7mm. I have the 85 finnlight. The action and triggers are hard to beat! I'm looking at the A7 7mm for my pops too.


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