Best caliber for deer etc at 100-500 yards
I am thinking about going and looking into my first scoped gun, and would like some input on what caliber would be best.
I don't really want anything small like .223 Would like to go something over 300 like a .308 etc.
At this point I'm thinking .308 because then later I can use the same ammo for any new .308 assault rifles I buy, but I dunno I have never shot a .308 so I don't know what its characteristics are.
Any input appreciated, I plan on buying a bolt action.
Also don't recommend anything that costs 5 bucks a round for ammo, I do plan to shoot this a bit
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1 other question, what are some good very hight eye relief scopes? I have always had a problem with seeing threw scopes properly so have never used them, I need something with very hight eye relief.
I don't really want anything small like .223 Would like to go something over 300 like a .308 etc.
At this point I'm thinking .308 because then later I can use the same ammo for any new .308 assault rifles I buy, but I dunno I have never shot a .308 so I don't know what its characteristics are.
Any input appreciated, I plan on buying a bolt action.
Also don't recommend anything that costs 5 bucks a round for ammo, I do plan to shoot this a bit
.1 other question, what are some good very hight eye relief scopes? I have always had a problem with seeing threw scopes properly so have never used them, I need something with very hight eye relief.
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I wouldnt recommend shooting white tail over 300 yards. Definitly not out to 750 yards. Not even resonable to consider a shot that far. Guncontrol-The ability to hit what your aiming at.0 -
Well then 100-500 yards, I plan to use this for other hunting as well not just white tail. I want long range kill capability, for mountain hunting etc.
The farthest I would expect to encounter a white tail would be 300 yards and thats pretty iffy more like 75-150, but I want the ability to kill at 500 yards that size game.
I guess I should have been more specific.0 -
308 can knock a raghead down at 600yds. why not look at the old faithful 30-06? it use to shoot nazis down at 600yds too! imagine what it would do to a dear.
former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.0 -
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308, 30-06, 300WinMag will all do the job, IF the gun/ammo combo is good enough AND the shooter is capable and practiced.
Ammo is readaly available (dosn't sound like you reload, so that's a consideration).
If you stay with your original 750yds, than I'd suggest moving up to somthing a little more potent, but accuracy reloading and a couple barrels (as in burned out and replaced) worth of practice at judging range, windage, elevations, shooting targets under adverse weather conditions etc etc, are required before you go after anything that bleeds. You can use the 308/30-06 to gain a lot of experance at judging these things (shooting at paper/rocks) before appling the lessions learned to hunting.
Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.0 -
30-06, 7mm.
You'll find out quickly that your shot opportunites will be alot closer.
Ben
www.RightFieldSucks.com0 -
first question to ask yourself is what do you like? you are the one that is going to own, take care of, love and charish it, so it has to match your taste like a women. Second is what can you afford? Third is choose a caliber for your prey and I think you already know just not forsure its it the right one, and last, well last is taking your new found love home.
mag44pistol
If you like my first shot? wait until you see my next!0 -
I would suggest that for every 100yds over 300yds that you would want to be able to hit a deer size target reliably that the quality and cost of your rifle and scope will go up accordingly. I personally will not shoot at anything other then varmints past 300yds and to there only rarely. But if you want to go farther and have a .308 or larger then you will have to find out how recoil shy you are. Accuracy at long range takes higher velosities and heavy bullets, and that means you are going to get thumped each and every time. I keep several rifles to cover these different zones of range. When I am hunting or target shooting in 200yds or less I don't want to be thumped by my 8mmRemMag. 0 -
Redice,I think you are a little confused you said you wanted bigger cal. than .300 .A bullet out of a .300 is a .308.a 30/06 is a .308,A.308 is also the same size bullet.What I'm trying to say is a .300 is a more powerful round than a .308 it has a larger case holding more powder.Clear as mud,right?
[:)]
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Martha Stewart
ATF,Eagle Guns0 -
quote:1 other question, what are some good very hight eye relief scopes? I have always had a problem with seeing threw scopes properly so have never used them, I need something with very hight eye relief.
Have your scope properly mounted for you by a gunsmith and this will most likely solve that problem.0 -
quote:Originally posted by mag44pistol
first question to ask yourself is what do you like? you are the one that is going to own, take care of, love and charish it, so it has to match your taste like a women. Second is what can you afford? Third is choose a caliber for your prey and I think you already know just not forsure its it the right one, and last, well last is taking your new found love home.
Man, you need some action worse than I do. Too much baby-batter on the brain isn't good for mental health.
www.RightFieldSucks.com0 -
quote:Originally posted by Tailgunner1954
308, 30-06, 300WinMag will all do the job, IF the gun/ammo combo is good enough AND the shooter is capable and practiced.
Ammo is readaly available (dosn't sound like you reload, so that's a consideration).
If you stay with your original 750yds, than I'd suggest moving up to somthing a little more potent, but accuracy reloading and a couple barrels (as in burned out and replaced) worth of practice at judging range, windage, elevations, shooting targets under adverse weather conditions etc etc, are required before you go after anything that bleeds. You can use the 308/30-06 to gain a lot of experance at judging these things (shooting at paper/rocks) before appling the lessions learned to hunting.
That was the best post I have ever read. Thanks for that
I don't plan on hunting with anything I buy until I put at least 250 rounds threw it and not until I can feel confident I can hit the target every single shot under any condition.
Thanks for your feedback I think I will go and see if I can take a look at a 300win mag .308 and 7mm
I am not to keen on .30-06 I have a m1 garand and love it however I don't like the .30-06 round for distance it just doesn't feel right to me. Dunno hard to explain it.0 -
quote:Originally posted by D@D
quote:1 other question, what are some good very hight eye relief scopes? I have always had a problem with seeing threw scopes properly so have never used them, I need something with very hight eye relief.
Have your scope properly mounted for you by a gunsmith and this will most likely solve that problem.
I have mounted myself and have had gunsmith mounted scopes, have never had any luck until my dad bought himself a 200 dollar varmint scope. I have almost no problem using that and it has very good eye relief, I dunno something funny with my eyes or something.
All the 50-150 dollar scopes I have bought/he has bought I have never been able to use, I have also never bought a scope in a store, always have gotten them with guns or out of a catalog I plan to try this one before I buy and I am not going cheep on it either, I plan to make sure I can use it.
If I buy a 400 dollar gun, I will spend 400 dollars on the scope if need be. I want a good combo that will last and I'm not afraid to pay for it. Hell its better than buying a .50 bmg for fun that I may not even like shooting lol.
This is the main reason I am finally getting a gun I plan to put a scope on, I was thinking about getting a .50 bmg but I am going to stop myself and spend my money on something more practical.0 -
quote:Originally posted by ern98
I would suggest that for every 100yds over 300yds that you would want to be able to hit a deer size target reliably that the quality and cost of your rifle and scope will go up accordingly. I personally will not shoot at anything other then varmints past 300yds and to there only rarely. But if you want to go farther and have a .308 or larger then you will have to find out how recoil shy you are. Accuracy at long range takes higher velosities and heavy bullets, and that means you are going to get thumped each and every time. I keep several rifles to cover these different zones of range. When I am hunting or target shooting in 200yds or less I don't want to be thumped by my 8mmRemMag.
I am not to recoil shy. I have shot my dad's .444 quite a bit and it has never bothered me it hurts yes but it wont stop me from shooting it However I did buy a newer .444 and it had a freaking plastic stock, I got rid of that.... talk about bruises Jesus.0 -
I don't understand your comment that .30-'06 doesn't feel right. Or you talking about too much recoil? The .300 Win. Mag. is certainly overkill for white tail deer. I have fired thousands of .30-'06 in competition at ranges up to 1,000 yards. The rifles and ammo are capable of accuracy at ranges in excess of 500 yards but few riflemen can hit at those ranges. Range estimation is critical. Some deer hunters will gut shoot a deer with a .243 then blame the gun for not recovering the deer, they get a .30-'06 and gut shooter, then go for a larger caliber.
The point I am making, as was well made by Tailgunner1954, is to become a marksman before you become a hunter.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Herschel
I don't understand your comment that .30-'06 doesn't feel right. Or you talking about too much recoil? The .300 Win. Mag. is certainly overkill for white tail deer. I have fired thousands of .30-'06 in competition at ranges up to 1,000 yards. The rifles and ammo are capable of accuracy at ranges in excess of 500 yards but few riflemen can hit at those ranges. Range estimation is critical. Some deer hunters will gut shoot a deer with a .243 then blame the gun for not recovering the deer, they get a .30-'06 and gut shooter, then go for a larger caliber.
The point I am making, as was well made by Tailgunner1954, is to become a marksman before you become a hunter.
I dunno I just don't like the .30-06 for long range it just doesn't seem right to me, I don't doubt that its perfectly fine at range its just not for me. It is not the round I want to see being thrust into the breach every time I cycle the action. I do not like the look/feel/thought of it. Its fine in a WWII piece but it just doesn't grab me as something to be put in a hight performance gun.
Its a lot of personal opinion, but it is my opinion and thats not going to change, I will not be considering it at all for this gun.
edit: re read yer post again, NO recoil has nothing to do with it the m1 garand kicks less than a .30-30 I simply don't like the idea of it.0 -
rifle shooting is science. there isnt any karma about it. its not a touchy felly thing. 30-06 and 30-30 have brought down more deer than i could begin to imagine. 308 is a fine round too. anything 30 cal is. 0 -
Take all the caliber preference stuff as FYI.
Bobski has the best point.
Just find a 30 cal you can shoot well. Thats it.
Otherwise just go buy the 50BMG and gut shoot 'till your shoulder falls off.
Sounds like you are planning on some good times.
If you can, think about reloading. I would not be confident with any of my rifles if I did not reload...I just could't afford to shoot as much as I need to.
If we do not hang together,
We will most certainly hang separately.0 -
if you wish to eventually work up to hunting at 750yds,..then i say go for the 300WM from the start. That way,..when you do get to the point you are confident enough for the first round shot at 750yds,...you have enough bullet to get it done. I know the 30-06 will suffice,..but at that range, I want a magnum round,...pure physics.
the 7mm rem mag in a 9 twist barrel,..or the 7mm STW or 7mmRUM,..the 300win, 300wthby, 300RUM, 300WSM, 338RUM, all will contain the energy you need leftover at 750yds.
why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?0 -
I am going to go with the 300 win magnum I went and looked at all the rounds first off and compared them to what I have shot then looked at some ballistic charts etc.
First off the 7mm is ugly as hell, the 308 is ok but starts to really drop at range, and the 300wm is just sexy lol.
Then I looked at some rifles they had, and I didn't like the action on the first 2 I tried he said they were 98 mouser actions if I remember right anyhow.
The 3rd gun which wasn't a 300wm but they make it in a 300wm was nice the action felt great like a smooth version of my m48a mouser's action.
A Tikka T3 lite from Berreta USA, I am definitely not set on that gun however I want an action just like that. Since this thread should be locked soon and since the main topic was covered I am going to start a new thread on what 300 wm I should get.0 -
Continue discussion in my finding my 300wm thread
http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1042640 -
I think you answered your question with your first post. .308 is capable of your requirements. Interchangeability with future military rifle ammo and its cost. 500 yd capabilities, readily available in any choice of bolt action models. Put that under something like a Leupold variable with adjustable objective (AO) and you will be close to what you seek. You can buy those right on GB. All the other advice about ranges etc. is right on.
There are no extraordinary men...just extraordinary circumstances that ordinary men are forced to deal with. Admiral William "Bull" Halsey0 -
25-06...saw a friend (former Military Sniper) use it on a Mulie at over 400 yds. That doe dropped like a pile of rocks.
"the difference between the almost right word and the right word is like the difference between a lightning bug and a lightning bolt" - Mark Twain.
Elefteria y Thanatos - Code of Crete0
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