Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Rounding Out My Battery

Love the .223 and .270.....the best of the best!

For something heavier, why not go a lot heavier? I'd look at the .338-06. It's flat-shooting and deadly with the 185gr TTSX, and you can pretty much knock the crap out of anything with 225 - 250gr premiums. Or, just run the 210gr TSX and slay all manner of chit at all ranges.

I'd also think about a .35 Whelen, too.

If I was going to start over I would buy a .223, 30-06 and a 30-06. Then I would go forth and kill chit. In the lower 48 there is no need for any type of magnum.

Take that for what its worth because most of my rifles have magnum in caliber and they don't kill any better than my 30-06.

Dink

If you like the 300 buy it. I'm a Remington fan but also own and like Winchester and Savage. If I was right handed I'd look into one of the new SS Winchesters made by FN. I've also heard that Ruger is making a more accurate rifle these day and their quality appears good. 300 WM should be enough to kill anything on this continent.

270

223, 7-08 (substitute 308 if ammos is scarce), 35 Whelen.

Worked for me until I became a Loony

g

Sounds like you got a good pair of rifles. I'd add a Montana WSM. If/when you want a change twist the 223 faster and AI, get your 280AI outa the 270 and rebarrel the WSM to the 7 you mentioned.

I could still like somethin bigger than 223 and smaller than 270. 243,250,257, is a few that come to mind?

.223, .308, 300Win would cover all my needs in the Rocky Mountain West.

I like that, it makes sense to me

Since you specified NA battery...

I'd go 223, 7-08, and 300 WSM - all in Kimber Montanas, of course.

Even the big bears would leak on both sides and die quick with 180 TTSX's out of the 300 WSM, and the 223 and 7-08 will leave your retinas in place despite 1000's of rounds and be so close to simulating shooting your 300 so that it will be second nature for the rare occasions when your quarry merits enduring the recoil.

Of course, you'd have most of the rest of the continents covered just fine, too.

DJ

300 WM is a good choice to go with a 270 and does what a Big 7 does;in terms of dead animals on the ground there is not the universe of difference between them many think;most would know this if they used both extensively.

A certain amount of overlap is "good",and to me,makes more sense than a series of widely disparate cartridges.....

In fact anything from Big 7 to a 30/06,300 mag,or 338 mag makes a good companion piece to a 270...with the smaller cartridge being good enough for backup to the bigger cartridge for about anything in North America.And a mag 7, mag 30,338, or 30/06,all with good bullets of course, will put anything we will rationally hunt, on the ground....to me it doesn't matter a lick which one is used.So pick your poison

If you are a "stay at home" type, concentrating on Texas deer(say) none of this much matters.....the world is your huckleberry cause they are little animals....but if you travel,at all widely,some overlap is "good" if you take two rifles(not a bad idea)....in this context, at least for me....the 25's stay home.Not enough of what I want in a general purpose BG cartridge.

I've heard the 308 Montucky's don't shoot

Don't feed either..................(grin)

Thanks guy for all the help. As of right now it's going to be a 300 of some flavor. Looking hard at a Montucky in 300WSM but I may just get a 700 SPS, bed it in a Mickey classic and run with it.

if you are thinking about a big .30cal in an sps take a look at the .300 rum i really love mine .

You want that 3" Montucky box.

Thank me later..................(grin)

I have a pal who has a rifle for every situation just as a golfer has a club for every shot. The problem is that each is so specialized that they are not great for many other uses. The 338 is great for dark timber elk hunting but is a liability for long shots on elk or mule deer and is too heavy for sheep hunting.

For big game hunting I want a pair that have a great deal of overlap with each being a little better on either end of the range. I use a 270 and a 7 RM. The 270 is under 6.5 lbs and the 7 is about 7.5. The 270 uses 130 but the big 7 is set up with 175's. In a pinch either with do all that a "light" rifle needs to do but the 270 is better for hauling around and the big 7 would be my choice if I expected the need for more penetration.

The big 30's do a great job for the few that can shoot them as well as they can handle a 270 or 7 RM which means hitting a grapefruit. Few can do it and hardly any can with the big high velocity 33 bores. The 338 Win has a trajectory like a 308 Win and kicks too much in a portable rifle. Worst of all choices.

Rin - you and I think alot alike. I have a 300 WSM and a 7RM which is about to be McEdged. I like 140's in the 7 for smaller stuff, 180/200 in the WSM for bigger critters. I like the overlap - I can always drag out 160/175 in the 7 maggie or drop down to 150's in the WSM.

If I shot more little critters, I'd add a 223 and call it good.

I have a Ruger UL in the mix for goofin' around in the woods and anything else I feel like taking shortie. At 40" its almost like carrying a pistol

Been trying to dream a need for another Extreme but haven't convinced myself I need a 270 WSM and can't see the usefulness of the 325. A 270/30-06, 7-08 also falls into the overlap.

Thinking there's a 375 Ruger on the horizon except it likely won't be in Hawkeye version. Likely a new barreled M70 SS Classic.

I've more than one rifle myself.

The 270's can't even rate serious consideration and the 7mm's smoke the lot. If I'm going 338,it's gonna be Ultra...and I do...............

I like the .270 Winchester. It's enough for deer and cheap to shoot.

mmmmm, 338 rum.... now there's a power house. i'm running 250 sierras at just over 3000 fps.
or go 300 rum, you can always load em down to '06 levels, or 300 wm levels, or run em full rum velo's...

very versitile.