Two gun big game combo

[VAspeedgoat]

I know this has been done befor but I like to see stuff like this. With all the new members maybe we'll get something different.

What made me think about this was I just gave my oldest son his first big game rifle since he was big enough to handle an adult sized gun. I got him a winchester 70 featherweight in 7mm-08 and was thinking of going with a browning a bolt stainless stalker in 30-06 (may have to settle for x bolt) as his next rifle. I thought this would cover a variety of weather, game, and gun preference.

What gun and caliber would you guys pick for north american non dangerous game. I am leaving out varmints to narrow the field a bit. Pick just calibers or just guns if you wish, just interested in seeing different ideas.

 

[Formidilosus]

The 30-06 and 7-08 are literally used for the same game. What one can kill the other can as well.....




A fast twist 223 and a 6.5 Creedmoor.

 

[nidahunter]

A 7mm08 will kill anything from antelope to moose with the right bullets, in my opinion it is a greatly overlooked and underrated caliber. If 2 guns were needed, I would go with a 7mm08 and a 300 win mag or wsm. Cant go wrong with that combination! The 300 would have just a little better edge over the 30.06.

 

[Ben Lamb]

A Merkel 220E in 9.3x74R and a left-handed Winchester Model 70 in 300 H&H Mag.
If I can only have 2 rifles, let's make them worthwhile.

That 7mm08 will do just about anything a 30-06 would do except brown bear with heavy bullets. You might want to consider terrain rather than caliber when choosing a 2nd rifle. A Marlin in 35 Remington or 30-30 with either iron sights or a low-power scope would be a great woods gun for big game.

 

[sbhooper]

If I had it to do all over again, I would own two 7-08s and call it good. hard to beat the '06, though.

 

[Big Slick]

My '06 has taken plenty of game as has my 7 mag. Looking at a 7-08 or 6.5 ( just dreaming). I really want to shoot a deer with my Dads .300 Savage in Model 99.

 

[dcopas78]

I am anxious to try out the .300 WSM as soon as I get a scope on it and break it in. That being said, I don't think you can go wrong with a .270 for a good gun to use on everything but the dangerous game. I like the 45-70 for a brush gun, especially since I can use it now in Ohio during gun season.

 

[jeffraines]

30-06/300 mag and 6.5/243. You could also go 7mag and 243. I'm just looking at the least overlap. You'd have a great heavier game cartridge, and then one for lighter game and cheaper/easier to shoot and practice with.

 

[JohnCushman]

I would go with a 30-30. Smaller rifle that would be great in the brush or in a tree stand that would still take down an elk. Plus, there's just something cool about a lever gun.

 

[Mark S]

There are many choices and for the most part none are wrong. My A-bolt 300 Win Mag has never let me down. Yes its a bit much for a deer at 150 but when a 6x6 elk walks into a clearing at 500 you can feel comfortable that your shot is going to count ! And that your freezer is going to be full !

 

[farbedo]

Keep the 7mm-08 and add a 35 Whelen Remington 760 pump. A better woods deer gun, you will not find. A bolt action in 35 Whelen would be fine as well. For a real classic, an 1895 in 35 Whelen.

These cover everything from coyotes to the big bears. I know you excluded bears, but in some places, you see those buggers often when hunting other game. No sense in going in undergunned.

Jeremy

 

[Ben Lamb]

Keep the 7mm-08 and add a 35 Whelen Remington 760 pump. A better woods deer gun, you will not find. A bolt action in 35 Whelen would be fine as well. For a real classic, an 1895 in 35 Whelen.

Jeremy,

You need to post more. 35 Whelen is one of the best cartridges around.

 

[N2TRKYS]

If I could only have one rifle it would be either a Remington M700 or Winchester M70(push feed only) in 30-06.

 

[Bulldog0156]

.243 is an awesome caliber

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Other contenders for me were the .260, .270, 7 rem mag and .308 in some sort of configuration. Hadn't thought much on the 35 whelen thats a pretty good one. A lever or pump gun is a pretty cool idea also. Factoring terrain is a good idea. If I was going with a lever gun I'd go .32 special in a winchester 94 for my own sentimental reasons.

 

[JLS]

I'm with Ben, it really depends on what you're trying to accomplish. Is one a longer range gun and one a high country gun? A tree stand/deep woods gun?

I'd be hard pressed to buy both a 7-08 and a 30-06, they are very redundant with a lot of overlap.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

For what its worth, I was intending for this to be a fun thread for guys to throw out rifle and caliber combinations of their preference. Yes I know the two I've picked are redundant but I went after looks on one and functionality on the other and was less concerned about the variety of game.

 

[JLS]

For what its worth, I was intending for this to be a fun thread for guys to throw out rifle and caliber combinations of their preference. Yes I know the two I've picked are redundant but I went after looks on one and functionality on the other and was less concerned about the variety of game.

Roger. If that's the case, I would take two pre 64 Model 70 featherweights in whatever caliber you gave me from .243 to 30-06, and I would kill anything that walked with them.

 

[Southern Elk]

I've shot the majority of deer that I've killed with either a Browning A-Bolt (Stainless Stalker) 7mm mag, Marlin .444 lever action, or 45-70 Buffalo Classic(here in MS it is legal for primitive weapon season). I wouldn't hesitate to shoot any animal in North America with my 7mag.

 

[Sawtooth]

6.5 x 55 Swede and a 338-06 would be my two choices of caliber. The Swede built on a Sako or Mauser action and the 338-06 on a Pre 64 Model 70 or Remington action.