Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics My dream rifle help scope me please

Northman have you shot a lot of elk with the 308 yourself?

Or a 300 magnum for that matter?

Have you hunted elk a lot yourself?

I'd be interested in observations of how they both work.

If you learned how to shoot a 300 magnum you won't end up with the scope in your face. What nonsense.





JG is right of course. let the guy shoot what he wants.

You've got the cart sooooooooooooo fhuqking far in front of the horse,that the horse can't even see it. Hint.

Firstly,NOTHING matters more than boolits. Nothing. Simply build around a great boolit and you are there. Hint.

Secondly,I'd be loathe to go to a L/A and especially a belted one and for VERY good reason(s). Nothing you've cited,comes close to quantifying ANY of them reasons. Hint.

Thirdly,spent primers remain THE Supreme Tutorial and your proposed platform will not grant that feasability,for a multitude of reasons. Hint.

Fourthly,the ONLY fhuqking way POA/POI are reliably aligned,is through generous erector travel,robust erector travel,good turrets and a good reticle. The optics you cite,connect none of those dots. Hint.

Fifthly,while some thangs is subjective...Physics assuredly is NOT. Hint.

Don't be in such a hurry to make sooooooooo many bad decisions as your Swan Song. Slow your roll and cypher facts and Physics,then arm yourself with said info and rethunk the whole parcel,so as to be able to connect dots. Hint.

Were I forced to NULA,I'd want neither a Douglas or a Krieger,mainly because I have both. Hint.

I'd be building around a boolit and it'd be a S/A in 7mm,wearing a "284Win" stamped barrel shank and a throat granting .050"+ of land chasin' with a 162 'Max square smooch,in the issued COAL latitude. The barrel would be no greater than 22",the twist no slower than 9.5"(though I've 10's that pinwheel same in SAAMI 7-08) and I could be happy with lotsa spouts that were neither Douglas or Krieger. Mainly because I've got 'em all. Hint.

Your proposal is to concoct a loud Fun Robber,that'll only "perfect" your flinch and curtail trigger time,due it's heavily compromised mannerisms. It's a Miss Machine. Hint.

A 162 'Max at 2875fps zero'd at the 250yd line,will barely eat a 6x MQ's reticle at the 1200yd line(my current atmosphere),with all staring you literally in the face. The 1500yd line barely begins to eek the inherent resolve from the platform,with a paltry 16.2 Mils of "up"/holdoff. Hint.

So besides botching the action length,barrel length,barrel Make,chambering,boolit and glass...you REALLY nailed it down. Hint.

You've been led to water.

Re-hint.

Don't forget to update,when you don't listen and fhuqk things up.

Just sayin'.

I am another proponent of lesser calibers in light rifles.I have a Forbes 24b in 270 and ULA in 7X57 Mouser.They are a joy to carry and choot!!!I also have a 300 Win Mag in a MRC in a McMillan standard fill stock sporting a 3X9 Conquest.It is all up 8.5 pounds and is also a joy to choot and not terrible to carry.Well I am not a 1200 yard kind of guy.500 at the longest and things would have to be super right for me to try that.Its your dream do what makes you happy.Huntz

Boxer thank you for all the suggestions.

Raider great post.

Bobin excellent post I have shot a lot of elk with my 30-06 180 grain Noslers worked well I have over a dozen bullets I recovered as I cut up my own meat all mushroomed perfect I switched to a 338 about 10 years ago I like the extra pop I get out of it.

One year I took a cow with my little 257AI when I loaned out my 30-06 to a guy in our group who had a scope fog up. One shot one kill elk did not take a step.
I know just about any caliber can get the job done with shot placement and my favorite Nosler.
I appreciate all the concern on the recoil and everyone can say I told u so but I think I am set on the 300 win.
Last year during our site in day at a Range before the opener I shot my 338 and two other rifles a 300 win Sako and a 375 H&H on a Mauser platform. That my hunting partners had.
With all that out of the way thanks guys I think I have a good idea what I will get. Thank everyone who chipped in.

When I first got my 3-12 LRHS I took it for an evening glass eval, comparing it to a 3-15 Premier, 3-15 Weaver tactical, and a Steiner military 5-25. I only have one of those scopes left, and I now have two more of them.

The 3-12 LRHS is bad wayyyy beyond it's price tag.

Buy a leupold VX-6. 3x18. CDS

This.

And I would not choose an unbraked ultra light .300 WM as my "One and only dream rifle".

That fun will wear off quick.

I agree if using two piece bases. If you use a one piece picatinny then there shouldn't be an issue.

Two years ago I inherited my hunting partners ULA in .300 WIn
He bought it new from Melvin and it had a Leupold 2.5-8 mounted on it. He killed a lot of elk out to about 400 yards but complained that he wanted a higher power scope.
When I got it I replaced that scope with a Leuopld 3-10 w/BDC. Same scope that's on my Kimber Montana 300 WSM.
Both rifles are set up for the same bullet. 165 Barnes factory load.
I took the ULA to WY last year and killed a 6x6 at 460 yards but the scope cover bit me during recoil and I had blood running down my face.First time in over 60 years behind the trigger that I got bit.
I've got 8 "elk" rifles in the safe and they all have taken multiple elk but the 3 light ones are the ones that get carried a lot and shot just a few times. A 280 Mountain rifle, the Montana and the ULA.The ULA kicks worse that any of my other rifles including my 77 Ruger 338.
Get that NULA and go hunt elk but buy something heavier for your long range shooting.

Fastback 65 Please check your PM's

Hi Fastback65,

Congratulations on owning your dream elk rifle. I hope it brings you many successful seasons.

My advice is to go with the best quality scope that's within your budget.

German optics are quality. But Leupold scopes have not failed me.

We might look through our scopes for a cumulative 5 minutes a day. We'll glass for hours a day. About 20 years ago, I bought a pair of Zeiss binos. It was a great investment. If you haven't done so, I'd recommend investing in quality binos. Hence, depending upon your budget, you might have to compromise somewhere.

Elk are huge animals. They're even bigger when they're dead. It's been written and said a zillion times that elk are the toughest animal in North America, that they'll soak up a lot of lead before they're dead. It does make for great campfire lore; however, the reality is elk are not exempt from biology. Stop topside oxygenated blood flow and they'll die within a minute or less. Put a bullet in the wrong place, and you'll wind up doing a lot of tracking and cussing.

When many hunters see big game at distance, they'll figure out how they're going to make a 600 yard shot. When wise hunters see big game at 600 yards away, they'll figure out how they're gonna close distance. Hence, high end magnification isn't necessary.

While a .300 Win Mag is capable of killing elk at distance, my advice is to get closer if possible. That way you'll be far more confident of destroying oxygenated blood pumping equipment. Thus, a VX III 2.5 x 8 might deserve a look.

Keeping in mind that this is merely my opinion: I believe that the Leupold VX III 2.5 x 8 is the single best scope for hunting all North American big game. This scope is great quality at a reasonable price.

Just thinking about this makes me want to go on another bull elk rut hunt. Drawing a tag for such a hunt is another story.

I wish you the best, Fastback65.

I fell into a custom ultralight and went with the Swarovski Z3 3x9x36. 11 oz, swaro quality and optics, perfect for that rifle. Not as expensive as you might think, worth checking.

Ok all done looking for scopes took Hanco's advice and did the Leop Mark 6 Boone and crocket illum 3-18x 44

This is going to be my elk rifle I am going to play around with my 257AI for longer range practice shooting.

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

Good luck and good hunting! Post us some rifle and target pictures when you get it all together and worked out. I would love to hear your impressions after you have shot it a bit.