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Looking to purchase a rifle which will handle anything North American has to hunt. Prefer a short action...so I am currently considering the 300 WSM (looking at Kimber 8400 model). Any thoughts/comments?

Thanks

Greg

If my hunting included some long range shots and game up to the size of elk and moose, then I think that light rifle with the 300 WSM would be perfect.

sounds like a good rig to me , i have heard many good things about the rifle , the cartridge is a goood choice too .
what about a scope ?

I think highly of the chambering,but would want it in S/S-synthetic.

The S/S Model Sevens in Shamu,ain't no slouch IMHO....................

Thanks for the feedback. As to scope...I always use Leupold. Just don't know whether to go with their new VX-III or VX-II. Was looking at either a 3x10 or 4.5x14.

Greg

I'd go with a Remington 7600 in .35 Whelen.

That cartridge, with the right bullets is big enough for anything on this continent, and if you like shooting medium game at extreme ranges, you could load 200 or even 180 grain bullets at high velocity.

greg0320 --

No matter what you decide, it will be a compromise. For moose, Big Bear and buffalo I would prefer something bigger - a .338 or .375 or even my .45-70, while for whitetail the .300WSM is considerably more than "enough gun".

I've been using a 7mm Rem Mag for over 20 years (prairie dogs through elk) and if it were to do it again I'd probably get a .300 of some sort.

Sounds like a good choice being you like the SA.

Optics are really personal I picked the Zeiss Conquest over the VX III recently. If you only want a loopy I'd save some money and buy the new VX II, it has the same coating as the Vari X III which is no slouch. 3-10 power is all I have ever needed or use on my biggame setups.

Good luck

Greg.....

I'd think about having a custom rifle built... or try to get the Kimber in a custom wildcat cartridge.,, namely a .338/.300 WSM and use 225 or 250 grain Nosler Partition bullets on the big bears, elk and moose.

Such a round would give you the equivalent of a .338 Win. Mag. in a short action... a powerful round for handling a 1500 lb Kodiak Bear with apomb as well as a great cartridge for big bull elk which are often tougher to bring down than a moose that is half again larger than a regal elk.

Of course, there's a penalty to pay... namely recoil that is 50% greater than a 180 grain bullet out of a .30/06 in the same weight rifle.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

I think a 300 WSM would be a great, powerful, flat shootin, hard hittin, hard kickin mutha. I might like to have one someday. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Sometimes when I hear the term rifle for all of N. America it is an implication of having only one gun. The only way I would settle for having only one gun, would be until I could blow the next paycheck on another gun. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Even if it were the same caliber. I would have said 300 WSM zeroed for 165 grainers and another one zeroed for 200 grainers.

But personally, I prefer something in the power range of a 6.5-06 or .270 for everything in the lower 48.
If I were to hunt Alaskan Browns, I would want a .338 minimum.
My 2 cents is expiring.

For a short action North American "everything" gun, I'd probably take a look at the Remington 673 in .350 Rem. Mag.

Im going to catch hell for this one, but I would go with the Rem. Sendero, in the 338 rum. It will handle it all. And you can buy factory ammo.
Toby Joe <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

The 300 WSM sounds like a good choice. Full house loads with premium bullets for the big stuff and reduced loads with standard bullets for deer, antelope etc. Funny how some people never think of reducing power when it is not needed or possibly a disadvantage.
i often wonder about the number of over sized guns sold because of the faint chance that one may hunt big bears. Take them out of the equation and a 30-06 or such will fill the needs for most hunters. If an Alaska or Yukon hunt comes up then you will propably have the money for a bear gun.

You're probably right. The largest game that I would most likely ever hunt is elk and/or moose. I have a .308 which for the most part, would probably handle any big game in the lower 48. But when I get the itch, the .300WSM will probably be the next gun I go with. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />