Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Preferred caliber?

Here's the scenario: Will be retiring in 5-9 years and moving to Montana. Lightweight left-hand rifles are scarce. I'm going to be getting a NULA to be my primary for after I move. I have been considering getting it in 308, but some of y'alls pics would suggest long shots are a good possibility. So now I'm wondering if I need something that will reach out more or shoot a little flatter, maybe a 270 or something along those lines.

So...what are y'all using, and do you think I need to go with a different caliber, or will the 308 suffice?

Rock on with the 308. With today's bullets and turrets you are only a twist away from a good time.

7mm-08 is another good option.

308, 270... my two favorites.

Either work well here in Montana, antelope to elk (yes, have used both on both).

Or you could really nerd out and get 6.5x55 swede. Super mild recoil, yet due to great ballistic coefficient catches up to the 308 around 250yds.

I only suggest because i've been considering it and doing some research.

Having said that, 308 or 270 would be great for anything from elk on down...

*edit* http://www.chuckhawks.com/sporterizing_swedish_m96.htm

I have an ultra light 300wm..built by MG Arms..its my go to gun for backpack hunts...shoots like a laser. Kinda funny when someone picks up my soft case to move it when I go hunting...they dont even think there is a gun in there..lol

I was like you was considering the 308 but just said what the heck and bumped up to a 300wm and do not regret it. I know all the saying you can kill with a 308..but with the 300 there is no doubt.

If you ever want to compare the ultra lights, come to Dallas and visit the Dallas Safai convention that is here every year..they have alot of gun makers there and you can talk to them all under one roof and actually put your hands on some different models before dropping the $$

Great! Thanks guys!

.308 or if you handload and feeling frisky i always thought .284 would be neat.

.280 Remington, just for the better bullet selection. Although you really only need a 140gr TSX or TTSX

+1
Either would be much more enjoyable to shoot than stepping up in case capacity with an ultralight gun.

I am guessing my .308 pushing the 200 grain woodleighs at 2500+ fps will buck a bit as it weighs in at just under 5.5 pounds rifle, scope, and rings. But so does my 325 WSM that is 5.6 all up ready to chase bears.

Twer it me I'd be all over a NULA .270, load it with Nozlers and go forth and fill up some arks.

Dober

DELGUE:

I guess it all depends on your plans for hunting in the future.

I see that you are from Florida and if you were planning on staying in Florida (actually you are planning on being there for 5 - 9 years), and for most of your hunting to be in the southeast U.S., going after whitetails and hogs, maybe some exotics in Texas, then a .270 would work just fine. Flat shooting, relatively mild recoil, and it's been performing at or near the top of everyone's list for decades. It's a proven caliber. Nothing wrong with .308, it's also a proven caliber and inherintly accurate. But I think the .270 shoots a little flatter and performs a little better at longer range.

However, your post indicated that you plan on moving to Montana. There you will have the opportunity to hunt elk, black bear, and maybe moose. I suggest that you need something with more umph, like .300 Win mag, for that size game. That's another proven caliber and it hits with more authority than the .270 and .308.

I bet that once you get to Montana you will discover that one caliber isn't going to get it. Maybe you ought to get a .270 now and enjoy it while hunting in the southern states, then add a .300 Win mag when you make the move to Montana.

I'm from Colorado and the hunting opportunities are endless and opportunities are the same in Montana. I use a 30-06 hand loaded to perform same as a .300 Win mag for elk, black bear, moose, caribou, etc. I also have a 25-06 that I use for deer and antelope. I use a .223 for prairie dogs and coyotes and I use a 12 gauge for upland birds.

KC

If you reload, I would take a good close look at the 284win. My choice in a long action would be 280 or 280AI

I am no great elk slayer but I am sure 308, 270 280, 280AI or 284win will kill pretty much any elk/moose/ or CONUS bear with ease.

I've taken 6 moose, 4 of which were with a .308 and all of them were one and done. Not need to go much bigger for moose IMO.

If I were in your shoes, doing it just as you described, the .308 would be on the short list for sure. As others have stated, with todays ammo and optics, that caliber should suit your needs well.

Lot more experience than I have on the campfire has already spoken. Just throwing in my $.02 worth. Ultra light with a good pad and fit will do fine. I've noticed with my .338WM and .54 cal muzzleloader that bullet weight seems to impact recoil more than the amount of powder in a practical way. I shoot everything in the muzzleloader with two 60gr pellets and the difference in recoil from bullet weights is significant. And, I can shoot 210gr partitions out of my .338WM all day without much bother. Not so with the 250's.
All that to preface that I think the NULA for general purposes in MT would be well served by a .308 and even better served with a 300. Now if you know that you will never take a shot beyond 300 yards stick with the .308.
Aren't there large brown bears in MT? My standard is that you carry for the largest predator in the area, not the game you are seeking.
Sounds like a great project. Hope you get a great rifle put together!

..I don't know...he says 5-9 years before he gets out there. My suggestion would be a .223 or .22-250... Since all that will be left are wolves, coyote and prairie dogs anything else is a little "large"....

But in case there is anything left a .308 would be my choice for an UltraLite....

Bob

Yup...
Definitely need at least a 300 magnum for Montana, I'll bet thats the minimum the locals use.
And if I was hunting where those big bears live, I'd be carrying a 375 Ultra mag

270 short. Its as flat as a 257 bee with 140s, shoots 150 grain bullet well, topples elk due the amount of energy it carries from its speed and kicks less than a 300 mag.

Totally nerded out 6.5x55 fan here but might like a 6.5x284