Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles which 30 cal would best round out this battery?

I'd like to add a more powerful .30 caliber rifle to my current centerfire line up which consists of the following:
Ruger M77 Mark II in 6mm Rem
Ruger M77 Mark II in 7x57mm
Remington M700 CDL in .280 Remington
Marlin 336CS in 30-30 WCF

I appreciate your thoughts on which .30 and which platform. Thanks, Dogger

My own choice would be a stainless synthetic in 300win mag for use on large game such as elk and moose.Perhaps a 700xcr.

Depending on how much wide open spaces you got in VA, either an '06 or a 300 Winnie. No flies on the 30-06 and it's a scream to load and shoot. But the 30-06 won't give you a lot more snott than the 280, so bump it to a 300 winnie.

If you are gonna hunt on the east coast then I would suggest a light 308 (Montana would be my choice that or my cheap mans Ti), if you're gonna venture towards the west from time to time I would suggest a 300 perhaps a Montana in WSM.

Mark D

700 youth 308 (20" tube is the reason for the youth), add a good Ti take off stock and or a Ti B&C and you've got one heck of a good rifle that = the Cheap mans Ti. I like a bit of weight in the tube so that is why I would go with the standard and not the mtn rifle iron.

Not much difference between a 7x57 and a .308 or a .280 and a .30-06. I'd go with a .300 Win Mag.

Being the Ruger bigot that I am, a Hawkeye, Standard or All Weather.

The 30-06 or a 300 of some sort.Myself I'd take the 300 Win mag.

300 winnie, or 300wsm

You have a 280Rem so I see no need in a 30-06. If it was me I would go with a 300 Win or a 300WSM.
RL..

a 300 win magnum

+1

I'm a big fan of the .30-06 but I think Kurtz's logic makes a lot of sense. (I have a .280 Rem and a .30-06 but not a .300 mag. I chose the .338 Win Mag as the next step up from my .30-06. Nothing wrong with a .300 mag, though.)

-Bob F.

Life would be pretty empty without chickenfried steak and at least one 30-06.

.300WM

The 7x57 and .280 do about all the .30-06 can do. The .300WM gives you more than either of those.

+1 on the .30-06 not giving much more than the .280 Rem.

If I had to stay with a .30 cal, I'd go 300 WSM. Make/Model is totally your preference.

You can't shoot 200gr bullets in a .280. Try finding some .280 ammunition in an eastern New Mexico Walmart.

30-06, 300 wsm or 300 win mag, not much real world difference in any of them, unless you are really interested is shooting way out there.

I bet you could find 300 Win mag.

As has been said 30.06 can do just a few things that the 280 doesn't. Throws bigger bullets ,Ammo is comman and its the choice of our country through three wars and is a classic. but its not all that different than a 280 for most critters.

That said if it were me, it would depend on what I would buy after this next rifle.

If this was my last rifle.. I would go for a 300wm or a 338wm. that way I would be well set for elk and bears if the opportunity came up. Probably the 338wm.

If I was going to buy a bigger rifle after this one, then I would do either 30.06, 300wsm, or 300wm. Probably the 300wm unless i saw a 300wsm in a rifle that tickled me. Its near perfect elk medicine and good for bears and follow it, when the time comes, with a 375 to round out the collection. I suspect that there are lots of 375s sold in the US to folks who just round out the collection and the rifle would never see an alaskan bear let alone a cape buffalo, but that doesn't mean you can't have lots of fun with it.

If you like short-actions, go with a .300 WSM. Else, the .300 WM would be the next choice.

Another vote for the 300 mag option, you could get a wm, wsm, ultra, h&h, dakota, jarrett, etc.

The bigger ones would allow you to shoot heavier bullets (200 gr) at the same velocities as 180 gr bullets.

Definitely the 300 Win. Mag. I'm a +1 concerning the 30-06 considering you have the 280. I also agree with Mr. Faucett's decision to go with the 338 Win. Mag. It would round-off your list very well.