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Hunting & Fishing Another opinion on caliber thread.......

T

TLong

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Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 10, 2009
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Alabama
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#1
I hate to add to the plethora of help me decide threads, but help me decide! I want to buy a new rifle for mostly long range hunting, but I also want to be able to thread a needle with it as well. I have a 30-06 now, and it is good for hunting and I honestly have no complaints with it. I hasn't let me down, but I just want a new toy...what can I say. I can't decide between a .308, .300WM, 7mm rem.mag., or something else you guys suggest. I don't have a reloading station established yet, so availability of rounds and cost would be a factor, (so not too many 6.5 or oddball rounds).
Thanks for your patience and input.
 
#2
Re: Another opinion on caliber thread.......

I really wanted a 260 remington for an all around rifle, but after going through a similar process like you are doing. I went with the .308 I still believe the 260 is a ballistically better cartridge, however with the 155grn match bullets now available in 30cal. I feel really good about the 308. Brass, bullets, factory loads and nato ammo is all availble, just makes the deal a little sweeter. 308 is really tough to beat for an all around cartridge. My GAP shoots 3/8moa groups and my $700 savage shoots about 1 moa groups. Just a great cartridge.
-Brandon
 
#3
Re: Another opinion on caliber thread.......

Unless funds are not an issue, ask yourself what doesn't the '06 do that you want done. Need more power? More Range? Want lighter recoil? Flatter Shooting?

Start there and then figure out what direction you need to start looking. For me, a 308 doesn't do much for you different than the 30-06...
 
#4
Re: Another opinion on caliber thread.......

I have asked myself this question and honestly there is no HELL YEAH THAT'S WHY answer. I know that the '06 isn't known as a tack driver, but I can do okay with it. I would like a little bit more distance, but like you said, I could reach whatever I wanted with the 06 with the right optics. And to tell the truth, I may just spend the money on some gooder glass and call it. However, I consider that as my dedicated hunting rifle, and I would like to shoot some competition even if its with my buddy at his house. I want to do better than 1" at 100, (which is what I can do now with the 06) and I want to stretch out to 5 or 600 yards with decent results.
 
#5
Re: Another opinion on caliber thread.......

If you want an excuse to buy another rifle that is one thing.
tell us about your 06 what brand what stock etc. it might be you can acurize it to perform better
 
#6
Re: Another opinion on caliber thread.......

It's a savage 116, stainless barrel. I put a richards stock on it (wood) and it has a Simmons scope. The scope is good, not NF quality but good and clear. I free floated the barel, but did not accurize it, because I didn't think it needed it being a hunting rig and not a tack shooting rig. I have tossed around the idea of selling it, because I also have a Winchester M70 in 06, that is not going to be sold under any circumstances, but has no scope on it, just sitting in my safe. I wouldn't mind re-enlisting it in my arsenal of active rifles. I tell you what, you bastards sure do know how to made a guy reconsider his thought process! Now I'm thinkg screw a new gun and keep what I have. What kind of mickey mouse logic is that?! Not get a new gun?!?!?! Have you been talking to my wife?
 
#8
Re: Another opinion on caliber thread.......

Before you toss that .30-06 on the scrap heap, take a look at the results Montana Marine posts. He's shooting both a .308 and a .30-06 with impressive accuracy at very long ranges...

Savage makes a nice starting place, particularly for a do-it-yourself kind of shooter... You can pretty much build what you want from your current rifle. If you don't handload, see if you can come up with some match grade .30-06 ammo - the rifle just might surprise you. But if you're going to play the long-range accuracy game, you may well want to get into handloading.

Regards, Guy
 
#9
Re: Another opinion on caliber thread.......

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: M700</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Before you toss that .30-06 on the scrap heap, take a look at the results Montana Marine posts. He's shooting both a .308 and a .30-06 with impressive accuracy at very long ranges...</div></div>

Good words of wisdom! The main goal of most shooters is to be good shot and usually that is not very caliber dependent. Some calibers shoot flatter, etc, but knowing your gun will put more hit on target.

Ever notice how often Shane says he bought a new rifle? Instead he says, "was out testing this combination in my mostly out of the box rifle" and shows his groups that make the rest of us with high dollar guns wish we could do that.
 
#10
Re: Another opinion on caliber thread.......

Man, oh, man; where to start...?

Savage 116 .30-'06. Floated the barrel. Why? Did you try to get it to shoot to its potential without floating it first?

Did it help? If not, would you consider restoring it to the prior condition? If not, why not?

Richards stock. Does it have a barrel channel large enough to allow mounting a heavier profile barrel?

Before I went any further, I'd get a head start into handloading.

Until you do, you are at the mercy of the factory ammo makers, and their loads do not have your name on them. Heck, they don't have anybody's name on them. Ergo, if they work for you, it's somewhere between a coincidence and a happy accident.

Plus, you pay whatever the makers, distributors, and retailers think you should. Not precisely my recipe for affordable shooting.

So, if we get this far, what's next?

I'd say get a nice medium-to-heavy profile barrel for the 116, say 24" long at least, with a standard SAAMI chamber in, what else, .30-'06. I mean, why complicate matters by dividing your handloading effort into multiple chamberings? Get the most out of one. A .30-'06 will kill about anything you need dead, at least as far as you can shoot reliably. I don't need to know you to say this, I know the caliber.

No need for an Unobtanium Meisterscheutzen BR Barrel either; a nice simple Pac-Nor is a good choice.

You could spend the rest of the decade doing that with the .30-'06 alone, there's just that much development room built into that chambering. Sharing the secret...; this is where the fun is...

<span style="font-style: italic">Then</span> consider another.

When that's done, we can talk more.

Greg
 
#11
Re: Another opinion on caliber thread.......

Good words G.L. I bought the rifle when I was 19, and I didn't know a lot about nothing, and still don't. I had always heard that you should "free float the barrel if you want it to be accurate!" It came with a synthetic stock which was functional, but not very pretty to me, and I spent $100 on a Richards walnut stock, thumbhole, pretty stock, just to say I did. I like it, and will grab it in a New York minute if someone told me they were taking me hunting. The cheap Simmons scope that is on it, has held zero over the last 8 years, and I have no complaints with it. After writing my post last night, I think I am going to work more on my M70 and see what it needs to have done, and what it will do. Thanks for your opinions and suggestions.
 
#12
Re: Another opinion on caliber thread.......

Scratch that itch man..Get a model 7 Whitetail Classic in 300wsm, restock with a MCST or HTG edge add trigger job, you will be amazed. Short, light and sweet. Wish they had it in a 7wsm.
 
#13
Re: Another opinion on caliber thread.......

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TLong</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I know that the '06 isn't known as a tack driver, but I can do okay with it. </div></div>

MontanaMarine and some others (including myself) would beg to differ I think. Shane's 06 drives them into the target with identical groups to his 308. And adds 200 fps to the mix while doing it. The large majority of the "aura" that comes about the 308 is the internet miracle maker. Just because it's the military 30 caliber doesn't mean it's a magic round. The modern powders and bullets in the 06 bring it up where the 300 short mag gets, within 50 fps or so. I load my 06 within 50-75 fps of the 300 Win Mag with heavy bullets (208's) and find that components are easier to come by.

Not to knock the short mags, they're fantastic for what they accomplish, long action ability in short action rifles. That 06 you have will do damn near the same thing though, if you load for it.

Does anyone know if the Rem model 7 has the same threads as the 700? If it does that might be the solution to getting a 7 WSM into the Whitetail classic. Buy a barrel for the 700 and twist it onto the Whitetail classic.

And to the question of "why?"

I agree generally... why the phuck not?
 
#14
Re: Another opinion on caliber thread.......

I think Gregs got it right. Start learning that art of reloading. It will pay off in dividends later. Otherwise stick with a caliber with plenty of somewhat inexpensive match grade ammo like the .308.

Good Luck,
JamieD
 
#15
Re: Another opinion on caliber thread.......

okay i would sell the rifle and start with new platform. and since you are going to start with new platform my suggestion is pick a new caliber as well. yes there are many that will justify why their caliber can do what another caliber can do as well or better. fact is we do not ride horses anymore and technology and information has improved our world. so yes you can try to make a 70's car run better proform as good as a 2009 but fact is it will never really be as good. now what i would do. buy used to start off. find a gun where someone has paid to upgrade and for some reason needs to sell it. several i have seen on this site. i personally would go with .260. but 308 would be a great choice. because after you shoot the barrel out then you can go to a 6.5 short action caliber of sort ( .260, 6.5 creedmoor, 6.5 x 47 lapua. ) last you must reload period. i can not come up with any reason not to.( save money,better accuracy.as well as it will teach you knowledge. as well as force you to become better shooter.)
 
#18
Re: Another opinion on caliber thread.......

I actually have a reloading "kit"...the Lee anniversary kit. I just would rather someone walk me through the process, rather than jump in and blow myself or my gun up on the first try!! I will try the reloading section here, to see if anyone is close by.
 
#19
Re: Another opinion on caliber thread.......

Tools first, skills next. Check out the Link-Up Forum and find a handloading guru, like I did way back when, before there was a Snipers' Hide (or even before the Algore invented the Internet, by gum, by garr...). Buy nothing more than what you already have until you can get direct one-on-one guidance from an experienced and willing mentor. Buy from gun stores. Not gun shows, not anyplace you can't look directly into the seller's eye. Besides, why pay shipping? The price is the price is the price, period.

Pick up several handloading manuals. I'd suggest the Sierra Rifle manual, Hornady, and Nosler. Read 'em. Read 'em again. Bring questions to the forums.

Greg
 
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