Rifle Caliber for Hunting the West

[RevolverRob]

I’m just catching up with this thread now, and still have a lot to review/digest.

I have owned a .300 WSM, .300 WM, and various .308s. I’ve reloaded a LOT of .308 ammunition though primarily for punching holes and hitting steel. Honestly I’m not sure how relevant those rifles are in way of comparison however as they were all boat anchors compared to the rifles I’m looking at for this purpose. However I have shot 50 rounds of .300 WSM in a range session without developing bad habits so I don’t think I’m too recoil sensitive. On hand I also have a decent amount of .308 match ammo, brass, cartridge cases, etc. which is part of the reason I am drawn to it over the 30-06, even knowing the 30-06 is way more capable when handloading.

To address another poster in this thread I was an early adopter of the XLR Carbon Chassis and come to think of it I never warmed up to it like my McMillian A3-5. So I guess that tells me that although the Sig Cross is cool it’s probably not for me even if I decided to go .308.

You've got brass, bullets, and loads you know. Each rifle is different, but you've got enough experience with .308 to work through your dope quickly. There isn't anything on this continent you can't take with a well placed .308.

Buy a Tikka T3x and top it with good glass that isn't too heavy for humping in the field all day. Work up a 125-grain soft shooter for deer on your side of the continent and some heavy 180s for elk on the other side.

Call it a day.

[secondstoryguy]

My buddy hit a good sized hog with a Federal Fusion 308 180 gr this spring. No joke, the thing looked like it was hit with a lightning bolt. First bang, drop I’ve seen in person. I was super impressed and bought up a bunch after that. I was hoping to get up to Wisconsin this year to try it on a white tail but that didn’t happen. Might try it on a boar this spring if we make the trip again.

It seems to be very accurate as well. I shot an honest to god 2" 5-shot 300 yard group with it outta my Kimber. It also runs well out of my AR10 with MOA or better accuracy.

[OlongJohnson]

The one bullet that always surprised me with regards to accuracy and terminal performance for the cost was the Federal Fusion. My buddy runs a thermal hog hunting guide business and uses the Fusion in .308 for pretty much all of his hunts and has excellent results.

Fusion is basically a Gold Dot for rifles. I believe the ammo marketed for defensive/LE use in rifles as Gold Dot is as close as matters the same stuff as Fusion.

[OlongJohnson]

Buy a Tikka T3x and top it with good glass that isn't too heavy for humping in the field all day. Work up a 125-grain soft shooter for deer on your side of the continent and some heavy 180s for elk on the other side.

Call it a day.

@Lost River's sig over on the fire:

The Tikka T3 in .308 Winchester is the Glock 19 of the rifle world.

[Mitch]

It seems to be very accurate as well. I shot an honest to god 2" 5-shot 300 yard group with it outta my Kimber. It also runs well out of my AR10 with MOA or better accuracy.

My experience with a Ruger American matches that too. It’s great stuff for the money. I’m sure the Barnes solid copper stuff is better, but for my purposes I don’t think it’s worth the price difference.

For 308 anyway. For my 50 cal muzzleloader, Barnes all day every day.

[WDR]

Fusion is basically a Gold Dot for rifles. I believe the ammo marketed for defensive/LE use in rifles as Gold Dot is as close as matters the same stuff as Fusion.

That's basically it... Fusion/Gold Dot seems to make a fine deer bullet, IME and IMHO. Its a bit "soft" for something like elk, IMHO. Probably a small step up from a traditional cup and core bullet though.

[NPV]

NPV, it's Christmas. Did you pull the trigger on a purchase? I don't know why, but I seem to get interested in watching threads like this to see the discussion, which has been very good here, and to see what someone ends up with.

(To the readers not named NPV, my guess is that 300 WM is the leading candidate for a new rifle. Too bad we can't do some sort of squares on this like in a football pool.)

Nope a family member of mine (who hunts out west) happened to have won a Howa 1500 in 7mm RM. He’s got a Huskemaw scope he wants to get it setup with. I’ve got time off this week and will buy some rings and get it setup and zeroed for him and potentially work up a load for it if I can get components (primers, powder).

So I’ll get some time behind a magnum.

[okie john]

Nope a family member of mine (who hunts out west) happened to have won a Howa 1500 in 7mm RM. He’s got a Huskemaw scope he wants to get it setup with. I’ve got time off this week and will buy some rings and get it setup and zeroed for him and potentially work up a load for it if I can get components (primers, powder).

So I’ll get some time behind a magnum.

The 7 RM kicks a bit more than a 30-06 but only a bit. Great cartridge, though.


Okie John

[Borderland]

Be careful going to MT...I visited and 3 months later I moved there for about 6 years.

When I lived there I used .308 for pretty much everything. It worked well and the Kimber Montana rifle that I had chambered in it was a dream to carry and hunt with.

Too many people over think this. 308 is basically a 30-06 in a short action that has planted a lot of elk. Bullets matter so pay attention to that. Cartridges over 30 cal. not so much. Jack O'Conner used a 7 mm on almost everything. Ammo companies know your needs and offer you the ammo to do job. It isn't the 60's any more.