.270, .30-06, .243, .308 Win in a Bolt Action??? Help!

[Sixer]

I think I've decided that I really don't need another AK or "battle rifle" or FAL or "insert high-cap, semi-auto here" to go along with my AR and M1 Carbine. At least not right now.

I'm focusing more on a nice / decent bolt action rifle that I can use for hunting game such as deer, elk, sasquatch, etc... I also would like to dip my toe into some long range plinking.

Problem is that I dont have the FIRST CLUE about what I should be looking for as far as rifle make/ model and caliber are concerned. I would like something in a caliber that is fairly common, "reasonable" price, etc.


Please educate me!

 

[azredhawk44]

I favor a 60* bolt throw instead of a 90* one. I have a left handed Browning A-bolt on my to-get list as a result of that preference.

I also favor the A-bolt since it has a removeable box magazine. Still a hinged floor plate to get to it, but that's not too bad.

I'll admit to being in the same boat as you though... all leverguns and semiautos since I'm a southpaw and no one ever has what I actually want in stock when it comes to bolt actions.

 

[davlandrum]

For hunting "deer, elk, and Sasquatch", I would say (of those listed), the only one that would be underpowered for elk (my opinion) is the .243.

You will have to define "long-range" plinking. My idea of long-range is maybe 500 yds, some of the guys here "plink" at 1,000. When you start shooting those really long ranges, you are talking about a rifle you would not want to carry up and down the mountains all day looking for elk.

Did you mean reasonable priced ammo or rifle? You might also want a scope.

I am a Remington fan, but will freely admit that most (all?) of the major manufacturers make quality products.

Have you thought about a .308 upper for your AR? That would answer pretty much all your plans.

 

[JagFarlane]

Hmmmmm seems you're looking for a do it all rifle. Problem is, most hunting rifles sacrifice the heavy barrel for a lighter one in favor of being able to tote it all day long, so that does sacrifice accuracy at long ranges.

However, it seems you're looking more for a hunting rifle that could allow you to take some long range shots at the range. As such, I'm personally thinking the 308Win would work well for you. But thats just me thinking in terms of less recoil so you can take more shots at the range.

As far as rifles go, the Remington 700 series is an old standby with quite a few ways to upgrade, and any gunsmith worth their salt is familiar with these. I have a Browning X-bolt and love it, and the Savages with the Accu trigger and Accu stock are interesting enough that I'm contemplating them for my next rifle.

 

[James R. Burke]

For myself it would be the 30-06 or .270win. Like the prior post I think they would all be pretty good for what you are hunting except for the .243. My wife has the .243 for deer but that is about the max for that caliber. I know many folks have shot about everything with it, but that is just my opion.

 

[Sixer]

I'd say 500yds would be plenty as far as "plinking" goes. I was just kidding as far as hunting Yeti... but you never know

Did you mean reasonable priced ammo or rifle? You might also want a scope.

Yes and yes. The ammo price is not much of a concern since I will be reloading most of it. I guess what I was getting at is that there seems to be such a wide variety of calibers... some newer, some older, some hard to come by, all a bit confusing to me... that I wanted to find something in a fairly "common" caliber. I'm not limiting myself to what I listed above, but those were the first that came to mind.

The scope will be a completely different endeavor. One that I am equally un-educated in.

I like the thought of an upper chambered in .308 but I'm pretty sure without a .308 lower it wont do me much good.

 

[Scorch]

I hate to sound like I am repeating myself, but here goes anyway:
Remington 700
308 Win or 30-06
Leupold, Burris, Nikon, or Bushnell 4200 Elite scope
Leupold mounts

It's a pretty reliable and versatile combination. Millions of deer and elk can attest to its effectiveness.

 

[Sixer]

I hate to sound like I am repeating myself, but here goes anyway:
Remington 700
308 Win or 30-06
Leupold, Burris, Nikon, or Bushnell 4200 Elite scope
Leupold mounts

It's a pretty reliable and versatile combination. Millions of deer and elk can attest to its effectiveness.

I like it

 

[jman841]

+1 to scorch's suggestion, however, if you are reloading the .30-06 is a little more versatile, you can push some of the heavier bullets out a little faster than with the .308. However, .308 win is a short action which might not seem like a big difference but i love my .308 and short action platforms. Either bullet will serve you will for your hunting applications and plenty of people "plink" at long range with both of them.

 

[Regolith]

Another +1 to scorch's suggestion. It's basically the same route I took when I bought my first bolt action:

Remington 700 SPS .30-06 with a Nikon Buckmaster 4.5-14x40SF scope with the BDC reticle and Leupold mounts.

If you have the money to spare, I'd not suggest the SPS line, simply because their blueing is bead blasted and as a result is rough and hard to keep clean (I personally didn't have the money). Opt for a 700 model that has a smooth blueing or stainless steel.

If you are operating on a budget, the SPS line isn't all that bad. Like I said, the only thing I really don't like about it is the finish, and maybe the stock. Everything else works just fine.

 

[taylorce1]

Another vote for most of what Scorch suggested. Don't forget to cruise the used racks at the local gunshops or pawn broker. The chances of you finding a "shot out" hunting rifle are almost nil. I like the M700 and wouldn't hesitate to buy another but they are not the only rifle out there that is proving to be accurate.

 

[Kreyzhorse]

As far as rifles go, it's hard to beat Savage on price and accuracy. They have various models but you can't go wrong with either the 110 or 111.

As far as cartridge, it's tough to really beat either a .270, 30.06 or .308. The three are pretty close ballastically and from a hunting standpoint, a deer likely won't noticed the difference.

A .243 seems a bit light for my preference but it will certainly take a deer.

 

[davlandrum]

+1 to Scorch (as usual) and Regolith.

I have the same rifle as Regolith - 700 SPS in -06, but with a Leupold scope. And mine is stainless. I can't think of anything bad about it, other than I don't get to shoot as much as it deserves...

 

[pilothunter]

I've never seen much difference in the accuracy potential between the several Ruger 77s and Rem 700s I've owned. I actually prefer the Ruger with their integral mounting system (saves you over $50. for mounts and rings) and it's CRF. The .308 is, of course a S/A and that would save you a bit of weight and length, but in real world use the .308, 30/06 and .270 give you nearly the same performance, with the '06 and .308 giving you more bullet weight choices than the .270.

There are a lot of good quality scopes out there now for $200-$400. The best values, I think are the Bushnell Elite 4200 for $265. and the Zeiss Conquest 2.5-8x32 for $356. I own both these scopes and think they are superior value/$$. There are also quality scopes in the price range from Leupold, Nikon, Burris and others.

scroll down to the Elite 4200s:
http://www.bearbasin.com/catalog.htm#b_l_scopes

Zeiss Conquest at a great price:
http://www.sportoptics.com/zeiss-conquest-rifle-scopes.aspx

 

[Sixer]

What kind of price range is reasonable for a used (not abused) Rem 700 or similar rifle?

Appreciate all of the EXCELLENT input and links! Thanks

 

[Keith10284]

I have a friend who owns a 22-250 bolt action CZ & he absolutely swears by it. He uses Nosler ballistic tip hand loaded ammunition & he uses it for Deer, Foxes etc & I'm sure at about 200m it could take an Elk or Moose cleanly enough. It is also a little known fact that the British & Australian SAS used the Tikka M55 in 22-250 out to 250m using hand loaded hollowpoints when it was decided that a .308 (7.62mm NATO) was too much rifle for the job in hand. It all depends on what distance you are working at. My personal choice would be a .308 with 175gr A-Max rounds as you have the range, velocity and strike energy for most mortal creatures. Just an opinion anyway.

 

[Fremmer]

Get a Remington 700 in .308, .30-06, or .270 Win. Any of those calibers will do equally well. Spend the money on a good scope for it.

 

[davlandrum]

22-250 bolt action CZ

at about 300m it could take an Elk or Moose

ummmm - no.

 

[.300 Weatherby Mag]

I'm a very unhappy remington 700 owner.. So I'm going to recommend a Savage in 30-06... My savages have all shot well out of the box with nothing more than adjusting the accutriggers to the pull weight I desire... I would give the rugers a look too..

 

[Water-Man]

TIKKA T3 Hunter in .30-06.