BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[mctigue]

i am going out to montana this fall for elk and mule deer. i currently shoot a wincehest 270 and i dont think this will have enough power and i was looking at diferent .300 short mag rifles including the weatherby vanguard and savage fcx.. and remington model 700 which is the best gun and most accurate i am lost in tryin to figure out which is the best gun for the money. also is the short mag the way to go or not?? help would be greatly appreciated. thanks ~ben

[ChesterGolf]

If you are accurate with your 270 win, it should be all the gun you need. If you don't feel confident in the calibre, you could step up to one of the new short magnums are even to the 300 win mag. The 300 win mag is probably the best choice if you intend to shoot it a lot. It has basically the same ballistics as the short magnums but ammo is cheap and everywhere. If you just want one of the newer varieties(much like I did when I bought my 300 Ultra), then the 300 WSM is a nice choice. Don't feel that you 270 is not up for the task though. It is more than sufficient to do the job and do it well. Shot placement is key with any of the calibres mentioned. A hit will still be a hit (and a dead animal)and a miss is still a miss(and an empty tag). If you stick with the 270, or any of the other cartridges for that matter, bullet type is important. Use a top quality bullet such as Nosler Partition, Barnes-X, Swift Scirroco, Trophy bonded bear claw. Penetration is the name of the game with larger animals.
I don't hunt elk but the moose are large up here and a lot of hunters use the 270 with premium bullets. Hope this helps.

[ChesterGolf]

To answer your other question on makes of rifles, I don't think you can go wrong with any that you named. I am a big Remington fan, but the savage is probably the most accurate of the less expensive models of any rifle. They do feel a little more "cheap" than the other two but I don't buy on looks if the rifle is a tack driver. Being bias, I say buy the remington :smile:

[Bushnell Boy]

I'm a savage man myself I think certain ones are every bit as accurate as the 700's. I shoot a savage 114U and love it. I have also had a model 11FNS and the 12FV. All have been very good and dependable rifles. I recomend the 114U it is built to a little higher standards than the lower end savages.

[cdhunt]

shot placement is the key, and to obtain the key , one must practice, practice, same as any other sport. if you feel comfortable with any rifle, you will score great. buying a super magnum does not make you a better shot, it only makes you a sore shoulder and a disgruntled hunter. imho shoot what you feel comfortable with, you wouldn't wear a new pair of unbroken in boots hunting would you? nuff said--good hunting.