All Around North American Big Game Rifle

[Whitewolf393]

Jay,

I appreciate the feedback. Funny, but I sent you a reply earlier but it seems to have been lost in the maw. Well, to recap, I love Browning products, but I honestly didn't think that the A-Bolt rifles were that highly thought of within the the rifle community for one reason or another. Browning products such as shotguns and handguns have been in my family heritage for years, and I have an older FN Mauser M24 that fires like a dream, but I've never owned or fired an A-Bolt. Given what you said, I'll give it serious consideration, and in a Stainless model in 30-06 caliber, perhaps. You're right insomuch as here in the east we don't have the wide open spaces that are out west, and the 30 caliber would cover the gamut for whitetail, black bear and even elk, which we have here in VA now. If I move to Washington State in the next year or so, I'll get that 300 mag :]

 

[marketello]

I don't think you can go wrong with a 30-06. Before (or if) you consider a 7mag I would try to shoot one first. I hear a lot of people say they don't kick that much more than the 06, but that isn't the impression I came away with after shooting my friends Rem700 7mag. I thought it kicked pretty good. I decided against it, thought for sure I would end up with a flinch.

 

[Whitewolf393]

Yeah, strong recoil will give you the flinches, for sure, and will ruin your shooting right quick. I've found that my 30-06 kicks quite enough for me, and may be the largest caliber I can comfortably - and consistently - fire without developing any type of flinch while maintaining good trigger control and accuracy. I have fired calibers larger than this, but as with your experience, had no taste for them, and knew that probably like alot of shooters, if I bought one it'd probably end up in the rack and fired only rarely. What's the point in buying a a .338 or 7mm Ultra Mag that you would only fire a couple of times a year for a specific type of game? None, in my opinion.