Gun advice

Sjardine · #1 03-26-2015, 05:20 PM

Hey y'all, so I'm just wondering what kind of rifle I should get. Let me tell Ya a little bit about me

ok so I will be using my rifle for mainly deer and elk but I want one that could also take down a moose. I talked to a buddy of mine and he thinks I should go with a 7mm, he's never hunted anything in Canada though, so I'm looking for advice for someone native to these lands lol. I'm looking at .308? Are they decent? Can't say that I have ever shot one. I Should probably mention that I am a girl, recoil isn't that big of a deal for me. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Sjardine · #2 03-26-2015, 05:22 PM

Thanks in advance!

obsessed1 · #3 03-26-2015, 05:37 PM

7-08 or 308 would be a great place to start for sure. As for which rifle...that depends on many factors as it's always said get the one that fits you best. If you happen to be a petit lady than you may need to have the rifle stock cut down a bit. Fit is every thing even a 308 can kick like a mule if the stock has too much drop or just doesn't fit you very well. If at all possible try to shoot a few different rifles in a few different calibers to see what will work best for you. My wife doesn't like wood stocked rifles as they are a bit heavy for her to pack around all day but lighter rifles kick to hard for her and are unpleasant to shoot so I shorten up the stock's a bit and install a lifesaver pad and she often wears a shooting pad under her jacket this way she can shoot even her synthetic 300wm without any discomfort.
Hope this helps

Sjardine · #4 03-26-2015, 05:42 PM

Thanks so much! I'll look into trying some out! Lifesaver pad? I have never heard of this! I shall look that up too! Great advice thanks again!!

gitrdun · #5 03-26-2015, 05:46 PM

I too am a big fan of the 7-08. However since elk are on your list, I would recommend to step it up to a 30-06 which should still remain within your recoil tolerance. Elk don't wear Kevlar hides, but they have endurance to live. I think that the 30-06's higher impact energy would be more suitable.

gitrdun · #6 03-26-2015, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sjardine

Thanks so much! I'll look into trying some out! Lifesaver pad? I have never heard of this! I shall look that up too! Great advice thanks again!!

It's called a Limbsaver. And yes they are one of the most effective in taming recoil.

Hunter1602 · #7 03-26-2015, 05:52 PM

It's actually called a Limb-saver pad.
Look at a 30-06 or a 270.

Hunter1602 · #8 03-26-2015, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gitrdun

It's called a Limbsaver. And yes they are one of the most effective in taming recoil.

Haha beat me to it!!

obsessed1 · #9 03-26-2015, 05:59 PM

Lol dang auto correct is beating me up today on this silly phone

guys are correct limbsaver is the type of recoil pad.

norwestalta · #10 03-26-2015, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hunter1602

It's actually called a Limb-saver pad.
Look. At a 30-06 or a 270.

30-06's are the bomb. Remington managed recoil shells and your golden

nelsonob1 · #11 03-26-2015, 06:35 PM

stick with the 7mm08 = more than enough for elk and a hell of a lot less recoil than a 3006.

Sjardine · #12 03-26-2015, 06:36 PM

Y'all are awesome! Thanks for all the replies!

260 Rem · #13 03-26-2015, 06:45 PM

The recoil difference between the 308 and 30-06 is "noticeable" so if considering the latter, would be a good idea to shoot one before purchase. They shoot the same "bullets" but the 30-06 uses about 10 gr of powder more ..and generally gets no more than 150 FPS increased velocity. Many of the 30-06's are a bit heavier than 308's.

Kevlak · #14 03-26-2015, 06:59 PM

Wasn't the 308 150gr bullet designed to give close ballistics as the 3006 150gr bullet? I thought that's why it was created. Just with less recoil. A 308 can take moose and elk fine.

Kevin

obsessed1 · #15 03-27-2015, 06:03 AM

In my experience the 308 can even beat to 30-06 with bullets up to 165gr. Once you get into 180 and up the extra case capacity really helps the 06 pull away from the 308. however to the OP one consideration is the 7-08 and 308 are both short actions and both perform well with barrels in the 16-22"lengths. This can get you real close to 30-06 performance in a smaller lighter pkg. If I have my wife a choice between a stock 30-06 or 308 she will always choose the 308 mainly cause it's smaller. Bwt with the bonded and monolithic bullet choices we have today a 130-165gr bullet driven at a decent velocity is more than enough to take any big game in north America.

Kevlak · #16 03-27-2015, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obsessed1

In my experience the 308 can even beat to 30-06 with bullets up to 165gr. Once you get into 180 and up the extra case capacity really helps the 06 pull away from the 308. however to the OP one consideration is the 7-08 and 308 are both short actions and both perform well with barrels in the 16-22"lengths. This can get you real close to 30-06 performance in a smaller lighter pkg. If I have my wife a choice between a stock 30-06 or 308 she will always choose the 308 mainly cause it's smaller. Bwt with the bonded and monolithic bullet choices we have today a 130-165gr bullet driven at a decent velocity is more than enough to take any big game in north America.

I loaded up my 308 rounds with 150gr barnes ttsx with h4895 and was able to bring my moose to the ground last fall, people asked why this bullet, well looking at a ballistics calculator the ballistics were so close to the 168gr, except the 150gr traveled a lot faster.

Kevin

Okotokian · #17 03-27-2015, 09:54 AM

I'm amazed that anyone who has been a forum member since 2013 would need to ask this question. I mean, it's discussed weekly! LOL

Anyway, to answer you, I think anything from a .270 Winchester, through the various 7mm's up to the .30 calibers (.308, 30-06, .300WM, etc) is going to be the sweet spot for your needs. You could kill an elk with something smaller than a .270 or kill a deer with a caliber larger than a .30, but the consensus regarding the wisdom of that isn't as strong. So in short, yeah, a 7mm or a .308 would be fine.

FallAirFever · #18 03-27-2015, 10:19 AM

My suggestion would be a 308 win or a 7mm08 as far as chambering goes. Less powder in the casing = less recoil generally. Personally 30-06 was at the edge of my comfort level as far as recoil goes when I started shooting. I am a heavier 6' tall guy, not a fan of recoil though.

More importantly find a rifle that fits you and get a nice recoil pad (Decellerator / limbSaver). Keep in mind that most rifle built to fit ladies / youths are smaller and have skinnier barrels which will increase the felt recoil and muzzle jump.

Good luck in your search.

58thecat · #19 03-27-2015, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nelsonob1

stick with the 7mm08 = more than enough for elk and a hell of a lot less recoil than a 3006.

Now find a rifle that fits. scope it out. sight it in and you are good to go!

Xbolt7mm · #20 03-27-2015, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sjardine

Hey y'all, so I'm just wondering what kind of rifle I should get. Let me tell Ya a little bit about me

ok so I will be using my rifle for mainly deer and elk but I want one that could also take down a moose. I talked to a buddy of mine and he thinks I should go with a 7mm, he's never hunted anything in Canada though, so I'm looking for advice for someone native to these lands lol. I'm looking at .308? Are they decent? Can't say that I have ever shot one. I Should probably mention that I am a girl, recoil isn't that big of a deal for me. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

You question was two fold, 1st was what kind of rifle, which is different from cartridge or caliber. As for type, I find the browning x bolt come with one of the best recoil pads made, very similar to a limb saver, but it needs to fit you. Tika t3's are too light and kick lots. Winchesters are ok if you wanna shoot the same gun you great grandfather shot. Remington 700 is ok too, sako's are too expensive and a savage is, well it's a savage. Any gun will need to shoulder comfortably and not having to reach for the trigger or have your eye too far from the scope as you can only adjust them so far. I'm not a .308 fan and when people tell you they load there's to match a 30-06, that's apples to oranges, match that effort with a 30-06 and they are different again. If you get a 308 up to 30-06 it's still pushing a 30 cal at the same speed its gunna kick about the same, pressure is pressure. To get less kick you gotta go for a heavier gun, which can be bad when carrying it or small caliber, the trick is to find the perfect blend, if you can, shoot other people's caliber/ cartridges/ rifles. Learn the difference between a cartridge and a caliber, it's important to communicate with these people. My guess for you would be a Browning X bolt hunter with a wood stock in a .270 which is a necked down 30-06. It's a 7mm-08 on roids basically. I'll get a few shots/ digs on that last statement but it's fairly accurate. Hope this helped

elkhunter11 · #21 03-27-2015, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nelsonob1

stick with the 7mm08 = more than enough for elk and a hell of a lot less recoil than a 3006.

A nice light bolt action rifle in 7mm-08 will be easy to carry, and recoil will be quite manageable.

The Tikka rifles have good triggers, and are generally quite accurate, and the cost is reasonable.

The Weatherby Vanguard is a little heavier, has a decent trigger, and they also tend to be quite accurate for a reasonable cost.

colroggal · #22 03-27-2015, 04:48 PM

Tons of good advice and I'm not going to add anything except practice, practice, practice. Shot placement is more important than energy on target. Bullets are designed to expand differently based on impact velocity rather than muzzle velocity. A 30-06 will push the same bullet faster than a .308 winchester and a .300 winchester magnum will push it even faster. If you hunt within the range that the BULLET is designed for you can pick the cartridge to get it there.

A .308 will effectively and humanely dispatch a moose within the envelope of it's payload's impact velocity. Within about 200 yards. A 30-06 will do the job to 300 yards but at very close range the bullet may be traveling too fast and break up, causing excessive meat damage and may fail to penetrate properly, depending on the bullet. A .300 winchester magnum will push the envelope even farther out but again close range performance is affected.

This concept applies to many calibers. 7mm-08, .280 remington, 7mm remington magnum. The list goes on. The advantage you will have with a short action cartridge like the 7mm-08 or 308 is less recoil and more practice because of it. As a result you will be able to place that bullet precisely where you want to.

Colin

Sjardine · #23 03-27-2015, 05:01 PM

Hahaha im not great at searching the forum, I figured out how to search tags after I had posted this thread, and I wanted to keep y'all on your toes

, y'all seriously rock for all your advice! I hope to shoot a few different rifles and see what I like best. I'm going to consider all the calibers y'all have mentioned!