Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Need a new rifle!

Hey everyone again, here's a something that's always talked about but never gets old.
So I sold my .270 Winchester, my .30-06, and my 6.5 creedmoor.

Currently my main centerfire rifles are a savage chambered in .243, and an old model 70 in .338 win mag.

I'd like something to split the gap, so probably a 7mm-08 or .308 as I live in Michigan and don't need the hottest flattest shooting round.
I'm looking at either a left handed Tikka t3x lite, or a Kimber montana. Also possibly a Winchester model 70 featherweight, the only wood and blues option.

What are your thoughts? Main objective is hunting whitetail, at any sensible range for the cartridge. Want to hunt elk someday but I have the 338 for that.
And the 243 is plenty for deer here but I want something else.

Thanks!

7x57 or .280 Rem.

6.5 Creedmoor is the obvious practical choice.

Yeah, there you go. Re-buy the same thing he just sold. Jump up half a millimeter from his 243, really move toward the middle. Did you read his post?

OP, looking for long or short action? Both cartridges you mention are short action, I would go .308 of the two, simply due to better availability. 7-08 has its charms as well.

Either cartridge can be a flat shooter for deer to reasonable ranges using light for caliber bullets like a 110 or 130 ttsx in the .308, or similar bullets in the 7-08. Or you can go high BC and heavier bullets to make energy at longer ranges. Either also make a fine elk caliber at reasonable distances(for me, this is less than 500 yards).

308 win. It'll kill any deer in your home state and more than sufficient for elk. Cheap factory ammo, light recoil, ammo available wherever ammo is sold, and chambered in every manufacturer. Easy, peasy.

7X57 is always a good choice, and classy. I like hunting with something that no one else on the mountain has. They say, "7 by what???"

If you are considering a left hand Tika, I assume you are left handed. A fellow campfire member orion2000, has a beautiful custom Mauser in 6.5x55 in left hand for sale. The caliber works for the Swedish moose or elk or whitetail. Meaning, you can sell the two you have and get a true beauty.

Tough to imagine a better whitetail rifle than the 6.5. Don't know why he sold the one he had. It is a sigfnificant step up from a .243. He also sold a .270 and a .30-06, both of which are a step up from a .243 fit between a .243 and .338 nicely and cover the same ground as the .308 or 7mm-08 he seems to be considering. Now why don't you GFY you arrogant big mouth ass hole. You ain't shyt to me and never will be.

Ballistically the same as a Creedmoor, just far less practical. Also not a significant step up from the .243 according to the resident expert OldGaywolf.

I realize you just sold it buy either the .270 or o6 would fill the bill perfectly..

Elk hunter, I'd love a 7x57, just because I think its classy. Also just sold a ruger No.1 in .280 remington.

Gray wolf, it doesnt matter too much either way, like the kimber in a short action because it is so light and handy. But my 270 was a kimber so I'm pretty biased toward them. Was a great rifle.

MLF, I will talk to Orion, that sounds ideal to me, depending on price. But I cant sell the 243, first rifle I got from my dad. And the 338 is a pre 64 which is something I've always wanted, not ready to sell.

And coyotehunter, I may very well get another, I loved the 270 on deer.

You should get one marked .275 rigby and really stump them.

While I would never willingly be without a .270 or a .308, if I found myself without either, a 7-08 would work just fine as a replacement for both I think. The numbers for it with the new Sta-ball 6.5 powder (or whatever it's called) in the latest Hodgdon manual are very impressive too.

Might have to search a bit for a rifle these days, but I think Kimber still makes some; others too no doubt.

If you can find a Hawkeye RSI version with said stamp they are classy and so nice carrying.

You just dumped a .264, .277 and .308, which all fit nicely in between a .243 and .338. Now you’re asking advice to replace with a .284 or .308 because you want a chamber that fills the gap.

OP,
If I were in your shoes, the choice would be a 7mm-08 hands down. Usually very accurate, huge bullet and powder selection for reloading, and it’ll kill anything that needs killing up until you decide you would be more comfortable with that 338! And it’ll do most of what that 338 will do.

And on top of everything else, 7mm-08’s are a pleasure to shoot!

I've got one of the new (Portugal) M70 FWs in 708. It's a gorgeous gun and shoot well. If it didn't have to be wood/blued, CDNN still has the M77 Hawkeyes in .280 on sale for $469. (I grabbed one and it's currently at the smith getting cerakoted into a bad weather gun.) But for range of factory ammo, the 708 is probably the best choice. You can go from 120 lites with virtually no recoil up to 160 a-frames and 164 sierras.

(I didn't mention 6.5cm because you just got rid of it, but if you hadn't given the extra criteria, that's what I would have suggested first. I like the Hornady 129 Interbond (not Interlock)... it's a lightning bolt on deer-sized game. And I think I saw Berger has a 156 hunting bullet out now... so the 143 ELDX isn't the biggest/easiest factory game in town anymore.)

I just sold a Hawkeye African .275.... nice rifles.