Best LRH caliber to start with?

[deadlift]

We are all running 243's, 6.5 creedmoors and 7mm's in the Dakota and wsm. Our steel competitions run ranges out to 1200yds. And hunting we practice out to 1100yds with our big rifles. For extreme range I would run the 338 Lapua.
Chris
Benchmark Barrels

 

[ptsdvet]

I first thought of a long range gun in Viet Nam 68/69 I read everything and there were no fat mag. save, the oddball 33 Jeffery i.e. the 338 Rem. ultra mag. So the question is not just what will shoot flat at 600 yards but what will put an elk down at that range. That brings the question of bullet weight that will maintain velocity, down range. This asks the question of powder used to achieve that goal.
For flat long range good velocity, that does not loose velocity and has a great ballistic Coef. A 6.5 X 284 is a champ! , 51.5 grs + 4831sc 140 BC over 580 = 3000 fps but Elk are big boned.
After months of studying there was one gun that at 600 yards would knock down an elk penetrating the bones. That is a 300 Win Mag. loaded with 76 grs. 4831 200 gr. BC over 600 real close 3000fps depending on barrel length.
My thoughts on this is based on experience as a guide and life in Alaska killing Moose when i wanted a light gun. I studied until the facts were plane a 6.5 caliber is the cats meow.
Not everyone will shoot a 300 or 338 and a old fasion 30/06 will do a great job work on getting cloeser. nam vet

 

[JPaul17]

I live not far from you so come down and shoot a 6.5-284 or a 7mm and you will find what you are looking for!

Unfortunately my school schedule keeps me pretty busy and i hate to pass the opportunity but it is greatly appreciated. If you don't mind me asking, the guns you mention, are they stock, semi, or custom? Who did you have the work done by? Not sure of many smiths who do the long range thing around here but E.R Shaw is practically right down the road from me. Figure if it comes down to it I may see about going there for the barrel and some action work instead of a prefit barrel.

For the time being I've got my mind set on what to do so for now looking for a good deal on some glass (liking the year end sales Zeiss has going). Will probably wait till summer to dive in but always keeping my eye open for a steal on a action. Thinking this one will be off a savage and hopefully a few years down the road I'll be fortunate enough to do a 338 variation on a custom action but for now keepin it simple! Well thats the plan anyhow

 

[HARPERC]

jpaul17
As a parent of 2 college kids I get where your at. If for some reason my guns disappeared it would be tough to impossible to buy a turn key set up. Start where your at, do what you can, with what you got today, and acquire upgrades when possible. Have fun.

 

[ptsdvet]

If you want an action you can not beat a 98 Mauser the action all others are a copy off the best. If your going to use a savage, Remington or other curent manufacture you will be cheeper in the long haul to buy new what you want, and look at a lot of scopes compare 1" to 30mm. Millet is one the best under 400, Vortex viper is top notch in the middle and then their are over $1000.

Mauser action $200 to $450. 26"Barrels start at $250 and you can spend $500 Stockes start $250 your gun smith work $400 t0 $500 Oh I've spent $1300 and I do not have a scope or even a sling and I havent mentioned a triger.

To a person who shoots steel their is no compairison to killing an animal.
Animals have adrenal glans and just hitting it does not kill it. Elk shot with 270 at under 100yards I have trailed 5 hrs in snow in MT. Kodiak bear shoot 5 times with 375 H&H Tree times first charge twice second charge died 3 miles from in counter, cleared enough brush for two hue, land pads with lungs scatered all over the brush. Have seen 9oo to 2000 lbs animials shot within 50 ft. get up two or three times these were head shoot that should have broken the first medicarcal but then there is aderendien in the animal things happen.
Alaskan Eskimos weapon of choice over and under 222 20 ga. I have killed Moose with 22 they die easy Elk, Mountin Goats and Bears do not.
338 Lupra is great long range sniper rifle, the 338 caliber is an exlent choice for big hevey boned game but the Lupura is a lot of powder down tube for the average shooter. Nam Vet

 

[D.ID]

With all due respect to the mauser 98 action (a legend).............by the time you square it up, add a decent trigger or trigger job and get a barrel installed by a gunsmith It will cost more than a savage and a pre fit. Another advantage of the savage is it truly is the closest thing to a do it yourself rifle platform. Very versatile and easy to work with. If you want to maximize the 7mm wsm cartridge by throating it for 180grn bullets and feeding it threw a long action, you will have to build it. If you choose to change calibers or rebarrel down the road you can simply change barrels, or even bolt faces with minimal tools or experience. An accutrigger equipped savage la mag doner rifle new is about $400 and has a extra stock and barrel to resell or a steevens at $300and a rifle basix trigger at $100. I got hooked on savage admittedly , If you want to avoid spending time and money with a gun smith and still have a custom configuration such as a long action 7wsm, It will be your best bet. My .02

 

[ptsdvet]

That is why I said go to the store and buy a new gun and Savage is the cats meow when it come to the triger but not the soild action of a mauser but in the new gun world my first choice Nam vet

 

[Macvic3952]

I have a 30-06 that I hunt with for deer all of the time in Nebraska and I hit everything that I shot at and it drops right there. Is it a good enough rifle or should I be looking for something else

 

[hawg chaser]

Since the op is from PA he should check out grice gunshop in clearfield. The last flyer i got from them had a savage long range rifle advertisement in it. I remember three of the chamberings offered. They are 6.5-284, 300 win mag, and 338 lapua. They all had brakes on them. The lapua had a few things different than the smaller calibers. If i remember right the lapua was under$ 900 and the rest are under$ 800. I think grice had savage do a special run for them as i haven't seen thesemodels in any other shop.