Big Game

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greatwhitehope
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Big Game

Post by greatwhitehope » Wed Nov 16, 2011 1:00 am

Ok, I need some help. I currently shoot a Weatherby 257 mag for varmit, pig, deer and love it. I will be going on my first elk hunt next year and maybe even moose or bear the following year and would like to buy a new rifle that I could use on big game. I would like to just buy one more rifle so I don't mind spending more for something on all the big boys but not sure what caliber would be best, the obvious choice would be a 300 mag but should I go bigger like a 338, 375. Any info would be appreciated (distance, drop, knockdown, kick, weight ect.)

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killerbee
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Re: Big Game

Post by killerbee » Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:30 am

i think 375 h&h is a little overkill, but some guys like to overkill?

i like the .338 alot cant say one negative about it.

me personally i love my .300 weatherby- it has taken all the animals you mentioned with a breeze.
mine is a mark 5, cuts it's own holes at a 100 yrd group. it shoot great with swift A-frame bullets, but shoots really good with anything i've tried in it- barnes , nosler, sierra- etc...

one more note- a 300 short mag isn't a bad way to go either. it's ALOT cheaper to shoot, which means you will practise more, and it will take care of all the animals you listed as well.

wingmaster36
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Re: Big Game

Post by wingmaster36 » Wed Nov 16, 2011 9:34 am

In keeping with the Weatherby tradition, I would take a long look at the 340 Weatherby.
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waspocrew
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Re: Big Game

Post by waspocrew » Wed Nov 16, 2011 10:27 am

300 Win. mag has been around a long time... and for a good reason. I'd definitely look at that for starters. Do you have any friends that have a .300 or .338? It might be a good idea to see if you can shoot a couple of those calibers to see what you like best.

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Tonoonyi
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Re: Big Game

Post by Tonoonyi » Wed Nov 16, 2011 11:17 am

wingmaster36 wrote:In keeping with the Weatherby tradition, I would take a long look at the 340 Weatherby.
I would have to vote for the 340 as well. The 257 will do all the flat shooting that you can want. The 340 will thump the heck out of something way out to 400 plus yards.

Drawback is it kicks a little.
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bh107
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Re: Big Game

Post by bh107 » Wed Nov 16, 2011 11:42 am

300 Win Mag is great because you can do anything with it, and ammunition is available anywhere.

If you are a die hard Weatherby guy and want to go big I would go with the 338-378. It is very expensive to shoot, but even out performes the 338 Lapua.

It all just depends on what you want your rifle to do.

Also, I would highly recommend a break to keep the kick down, but you have to be prepaired to wear hearing protection even to shoot it in the field.

waspocrew
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Re: Big Game

Post by waspocrew » Wed Nov 16, 2011 4:58 pm

bh107 wrote:
Also, I would highly recommend a break to keep the kick down, but you have to be prepaired to wear hearing protection even to shoot it in the field.
I can't imagine pounding my ears in the field with something with a brake... most rifles are loud enough as they are.

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a_bow_nut
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Re: Big Game

Post by a_bow_nut » Thu Nov 17, 2011 9:26 am

Inthe heat of the moment you really don't notice the bark of the muzzle. Secondly it's not quite as bad if you are the one shooting the gun as it is for the people that are next to you when it goes off.

I used to feel the same way about brakes but now that I know that I can shoot my gun without having to worry about it kicking the snot out of me lets me concentrate on the shot at hand.

If the noise is a real concern there is the option of the noise supression devices that are out on the market.
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gizmo1
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Re: Big Game

Post by gizmo1 » Thu Nov 17, 2011 1:25 pm

I have a 300 win mag that I shoot a lot. I've killed several African animals with it along with deer,pigs,etc... My Gemsbok, Scimitar, and Wildabeest all were taken with it. They are very large heavy boned African animals that are roughly Elk sized and I would dare say significantly tougher. The rifle did a fine job shooting a 180 grain bullet . It has a 6 by 24 scope on it and the scimitar was dropped in its tracks from about 300 yards. I love the rifle and the great thing is there is a huge variety of loads available for it and even more if you hand load.
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dahlmer
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Re: Big Game

Post by dahlmer » Thu Nov 17, 2011 2:45 pm

I like the versatility of the 300 mag and 300 short mag. You can shoot big enough loads for all N. American game and you can tone it down for the lighter stuff like antelope.

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