Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters need some opinions ? (nicely)

ok got some xmas money want to use towards new rifle
my battery now
several 22's
22 hornet
223- mini 14 and r-15
25-06 tikka
30-06 savage
encore frameseveral 20,12 ga shotguns

i have had several other
222 ,22-250, 243,,308 over the years

i live in illinois and i know i have all the gun i need for here in my 25-06
prob never get the opportunity to go west

ok so now give me some ideas on a cartridge to get
im leaning to 22-250 or 300wsm
or maybe another 22
im leaning toward another tikka or a remington

just wanting to spend money (prob stupid ought to spend it on supplies)

How about an old school lever in a nice cowboy caliber?

Pondering it myself.

I could opt for what Pugs mentioned or a bolt 223.

If you have the opportunity to whack varmints, give the .204 Ruger a look.....

Fog
Given the guns you have I think you should chose a larger caliber, something like a 35 or 9.3. This would allow you to use a 250-300 gr bullet.

Good suggestion.

Or...how about a big-bore single shot -- 40-65, 45-70, 38-55? The new "Baby Sharps" in .38-55 could be way fun, and never boring.

Dennis

Fog,
You may think that you will never take a trip west......but remember, never is a very long time and half the fun is in the planning and dreaming.

For that reason, I'd think about something like the .300 mag. or .338 Mag. for the day you finally go after something like elk, moose or bear. Although there is nothing wrong with your present .30-06 for those animals a good bigger rifle will be your "elk" rifle and help feed the dream. The .300 is so close to the .30-06......I'd probably go with the .338. That's what I did several years ago, before I had a chance to go after those type animals. Something about the .338 just screams ELK!! to me.....probably to much Elmer Keith growing up.

As someone else mentioned, a good .358 or 9.3 would fit in well too. Heavier caliber for close up thickets and with a little more range than a .44 Mag., .35 Rem. or .45-70.

I know most of Illinois is more open, even in the thick spots, than the Big Thicket area of Texas where I live....but you know where you hunt better than I do. If you often hunt areas where a 100 yard shot is concidered long (where I hunt a 25 yard shot is "long" sometimes) then a traditional lever gun in one of those calibers is great. I really like the .44 magnum as it can be paired with a revolver in the same caliber, but the .35 Rem is just as good.

The .45-70 can be as gentle or as "brutal" as you wish it to be. The Marlin 1895 is a traditional lever gun that can be loaded to levels just under the .458 Mag. At that level it is a "killer" at both ends, but is a true "stopping" rifle in every way.....and a lot of fun too. With factory level loads it is mild on the shoulder but impressive to your friends as well as a "hammer" on close range whitetails. That would be my choice for you if you "know" you won't face shots over about 150-200 yards.

No matter what you choose.......a new gun is always a great idea. Just because it is interesting.....and that's where dreams come from.

Oh, I should warn you that this line of thinking can lead to a lifetime habit. My buying of guns to "dream" about hunts not yet taken started years ago and has resulted in the safe's now containing some 150 rifles and 50 shotguns.......as well as many, many dollars spent on hunts.

see here in illinois the only thing we can hunt deer with is shotgun /muzzleloader/ or handgun
coyote is the largest legal thing we can shoot

I say screw a new Rifle.Take that money and put it toward a Do it your self Western Hunt..I regulary do them for about $1,000 total.Great memories are worth more than another gun!!!!

How about a 17HMR? They are a lot of fun.

got one forgot to mention

I say screw a new Rifle.Take that money and put it toward a Do it your self Western Hunt..I regulary do them for about $1,000 total.Great memories are worth more than another gun!!!! [/quote]

Not a bad idea!!

That's the spirit and IMO the better thing to do. You'll remember that hunt much more in 20 years than you did any gun that you'll buy.

You are seriously under-equipped with shotguns. The first step to remedy this is to get a 28 gauge.

If you don't own them already,buy a GREAT pair of bino's rather than a rifle,and plan a hunt in the west with your 30/06.

If that is definately out of the question,I'd look at a bolt 223 or 22-250 for shooting fun and varmints.

Get a quality SXS shotgun and hunt birdies with Class.

It will be a departure from what you shoot in general and a whole new experience.

i love hunting birds only there aint no birds to hunt except turkeys.... quail are a thing of the past and te only peasants are pen raised and you got to pay for themad the dogs usually get the bird before you even get a hance to shoot

If you like your Tikka, and want to take a shot at varmints like coyotes, get yourself one in .22-250. I have one that will shoot right along side the custom rifles. And if you live in a state that requires cased guns like here in Minnesota, the clip is a real plus. Also, because of the clip factor, I am always grabbing the Tikka when a critter strolls through the yard that needs to be disposed of. Like others have said, a .223 in the same rifle would work just fine.

I vote for putting the money aside for hunting someplace else. It sounds like Illinois hunting is extremely restricted these days, eithe rby regulations or available game.

You already have all the rifles you need for hunting anything in North America except MAYBE a rifle for brown bear in Alaska--and it doesn't sound like you'll be doing that anytime soon.

If you do like to hunt birds, trade off one of your .223's for a real bird gun and head to Iowa for pheasants, or the U.P. of Michigan for ruffed grouse, or anywhere else you can imagine and afford.