Advice on new elk rifle

[TexAg09]

I have a Ruger American in .308, and I'm very pleased with it. It handles and shoots very well. I carried it over the .270 I had because of weight as well. I grew up reading Jack O'Conner all the time, and was in love with my .270. However, my Ruger American has made me a believer in .308 as well.

 

[Badger_55]

What about Browning xbolt western hunter. If you want to steer away from stainless or cerakote you should easily reach that price range for a really good gun. 300win mag.

 

[Dr. Vette]

I currently own a Howa 1500 in 270 , love the gun but with a heavy barrel the thing turns into a real bear to lug around.

How much does it weigh?

I had the same thought. I did not know that Howa made a heavy-barrelled 270.

 

[ridge63]

Amen. Preach it.

 

[ridge63]

I'm with GABearClaw...

 

[Ben Nicholson]

Another Ruger American 308 owner here. Heck of a gun, and will leave you with plenty of money to put a nice Leupold on it.

 

[okie_hotrod]

What about Browning xbolt western hunter. If you want to steer away from stainless or cerakote you should easily reach that price range for a really good gun. 300win mag.

And comes with a muzzle break from the factory.

 

[Jon Boy]

You can listen to a ton of opinions about what guys shoot around here, but the truth is a 308, or a 7-08, out of a Ruger RA is going to DRT an elk just as fast as anything else. A little internet shopping and you can easily top it off with a nice Leupold.

I did a RA Wolf rebore project, to a 338 Fed, complete with a trigger rebuild (UPS disaster), shipping and a Leupold 2X7 for under $800. Luv it !

Curious what loads you're running out of this?

 

[Gunner46]

If you're asking about when it was still a 308, I was only using it as a back-up rifle for a Wy antelope hunt, with a very, very short time frame to come up with something 'huntable'. 125AB's with a 3 shot, 3 charge tests of RL-15 got me a mid-charge load @2950fps & 1 1/4" groups with just 9 fired ! DONE.

The 338 is still a work in progress. 200gr Fusions got me 2 1/2" groups with nothing more than elbows on the table & a tight sling, on a cold, Cold blustery day that was supposed to much different . 1st time I took it out. I've got a couple of dozen handloads ready for range time......just need to get a d@mn break from the overtime at work to try them out. 180, 200 (AB) & 210 PT's all just sitting around for me to start heating up the barrel! I'm looking for the 200, or 210's to get me around 2650-2700 with LVR, maybe a tad less with 8208. I can tinker with the OAL & powder charge to dial it from there, as long as I get somewhere near the expected QuickLoad velocities.


I will say this....it's a joy to shoot. Much less recoil than I expected.

 

[Don Fischer]

I currently own a Howa 1500 in 270 , love the gun but with a heavy barrel the thing turns into a real bear to lug around.

Was looking at a Ruger American in 308

Savage 16 in 308

Any experience with either of these?

If you like them, go look at them. A cartridge about doesn't matter. Only thing that might matter is long action or short action, 308 length. Your gonna see rifles you don't like and rifles out of your price range, that's just the way it goes. These days, rifle's are much more accurate than 30 yrs ago. #0 yrs ago you had to make them shoot, today it seem's like they all shoot! So if they have a rifle you like in a cartridge you like, shoot, go for it.

 

[flintknapper]

I use a Browning BAR Mark II Safari chambered in 300 win mag. It was a hand me down from my father-in-law. I prefer semi-auto (if not using single-shot break-action). So it works for me. However, cartridges are expensive.

308 or 30-06 is much more affordable to fire. It is perhaps better if it is a mostly deer and only sometimes elk gun. Also most people like bolt-action. Howa and Ruger make some great guns that are reasonably priced. I would not go below 30 caliber, even if it is legal.

If you want the ultimate challenge go with a 12 gauge shotgun. Slugs kill elk just fine. You just have to have the skill to get in close. It isn't for me, but I love shotguns. I would do it, if I had the skill.

 

[Pagosa]

For the manageable recoil, flat shooting, and effective killing I would take a 7mm Mag over anything else. It’s can flat kill stuff at either short range or 500 yards. There are a ton of great rifles and calibers out there. It’s just a matter of preference and shooting ability.

 

[Brian in Montana]

There is a huge pile of choices. Your parameters don't exactly narrow it down. Anyway, I'm really a proponent of the .308. Also, since the cost of ammo is a concern, you can get an enormous variety of .308 of various price and quality for just practice shooting or hunting big game. Pretty much whatever you want to do.

 

[bjochem]

I own one of those Hells Canyons rifles in 300 win. thanks to a very successful Whitetails Unlimited banquet, actually bought the VX3i that is on it from this site. The guns are nice! Originally planned on a Rem 700 but when I started handling them the Browning stood out. Not sure if it is true but I was told the actions and bolts are matched which is apparently not common with other manufacturers. Anyways, gun shoots nice, haven't killed anything with it and it is loud as H with the muzzle break. Not sure the weight but with the muzzle break recoil on that lighter rifle in 300 win is irrelevant. That said, I am a bowhunter and would never in good conscience spend this kind of money on a gun.

 

[kiwi hunter]

just brought a browning in 300wsm goes absolutely superb,,im a little guy about to turn 70 and its a pussy to shoot but we are allowed to utilize a suppressor over here in nz

 

[Dtorbett13]

I got my wife a Ruger American in .308 and actually liked it enough that I went and bought one myself. Both are tack drivers on the range and an awesome field rifle. Last season was my first out with it and I took six WT and two elk, while my wife got 3 WT and an elk herself, all good shots in the 200-300 yard range. The only time I am going back to shooting the 300wm is if I am in super open/flat terrain and need the extra yards.