Help me decide: Minimum caliber for larger NA game

[middleofnowhere]

Explain just how that works.

There are a ton of guys measuring muzzle brake effectiveness on YouTube
Basically the guy was measuring recoil by inches of travel on a sled. Braked 300 measured less recoil travel than un-braked .308.
Here is a 300 WM

Here is a 308

 

[NeedForSpeed]

Id get a 300 Win Mag as others have suggested. I have one, and with a muzzle brake the recoil is very manageable. I would consider other 30 caliber magnums but the availability for ammo in these times would push me to 300 Win Mag. You can shoot 200 plus grain pills at elk and still shoot lighter cartridges with it. If you get a nice 300 WM rifle, you may want to take advantage of its versatility and shoot 168 gr rounds at your deer sized game too. Its really a great caliber to own and will compliment your 6.5 CM nicely.

 

[rustyshackleford]

That seems to be a stretch to me. Alliant lists 48 grains with a 180 gr bullet to give 2641 fps. And you are doing it with a bullet weighing 28 gr. heavier?? Do you have data to go with your claim??

Not quite there but Sierra does list the 195 TMK at 2640 in a 24" barrel over CFE 223. I've heard a lot of people getting crazy velocity with CFE 223, Power Pro 2000, and RL-17 with heavier bullets. It's also no secret that you can load 308 to the same higher pressures other modern cartridges will tolerate. Personally I was loading 195 TMK's out to 2.875 in a 20" barrel with RL-15 and I was getting 2540. 100 ft/sec faster with a longer barrel seems very much in the realm of possibility and 10 more grains wouldn't be all that much. I could definitely see 2600 with a 200-215 from a 26" barrel

 

[D2wing]

I should clarify, I'm looking for something with longer range potential. I'm thinking antelope/deer/elk-size out to 5-600 or more, but also capable of larger game, by maintaining energy high enough to work on something like a moose at closer range. I know none of these calibers will be sufficient for large game at 1000yd. what's a good bridge between long range (on medium game), shootability, and enough energy to probably make do on larger game (inside 3-400yd)?

7 MM RM or 7-08.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

That seems to be a stretch to me. Alliant lists 48 grains with a 180 gr bullet to give 2641 fps. And you are doing it with a bullet weighing 28 gr. heavier?? Do you have data to go with your claim??

Not a stretch at all.

I have a 308 Win load with a 215 Berger and Reloader 16 at 2493 FPS from a 20" tube...

 

[Pacecount]

For 400 yards or less a 308 Win or 300 WM…. Except I would prefer something bigger for a brown bear and moose.

If you are going after brown bear and Moose just get a 375 H&H and a 300 gr TSX…. It will be good out to 300 yards and kills quick.

 

[Mark37082]

So there you have it….. A very diverse list of possibilities. My suggestion is get what you want and makes you feel good. If you ever want to hunt big brown bears the cost of a new rifle will be the least of your worries. Hard to go wrong with a 30 or .284 cal pill if pushed at reasonable velocities. Now your next question may be glass. You will receive even more diverse suggestions on scopes. Set a budget, weight, and important features for your needs and welcome to the land full of rabbit holes.
Have fun and shoot often.

 

[newmexican hunter]

I have mixed feelings on this topic. If i was you, and planed on not shooting past 300 yards, then id just keep shooting the 6.5 creedmoor. People say its too small for big game but my experience makes me wonder if this is true. In the last few years a friend and I have shot 5 oryx (probably toughest big game animal there is without question), desert big horn, bears, and a almost a dozen mule deer and they literally all died on the spot. A couple of them went 30-40 yards. Many were shot at 300-400 yards and 2 deer were at 625 and 725.
A question i have is this? Is the lung and hart tissue on an elk or bear any stronger then the lung and heart tissue on a deer? Of course not. Yes the cavity wall is a little thicker. I think larger calibers are more forgiving when shot placement maybe isn't ideal.
This all being said, i just bought a 300 prc! Ha ha

 

[Oldtime Shooter13]

I should clarify, I'm looking for something with longer range potential. I'm thinking antelope/deer/elk-size out to 5-600 or more, but also capable of larger game, by maintaining energy high enough to work on something like a moose at closer range. I know none of these calibers will be sufficient for large game at 1000yd. what's a good bridge between long range (on medium game), shootability, and enough energy to probably make do on larger game (inside 3-400yd)?

300 Win Mag with muzzle brake. Not a fan of brakes, but they work. I have 7mm Rem Mag that is like shooting a 243 Winchester.

Also, I would stick with what you can buy ammunition anywhere. I know oxymoron in todays world, but hopefully this two shall pass? I would stick with 7mm RM, 300 WM, 280AI, 7mm or 300 RUM. I would stay away from calibers that you cannot buy ammunition across a counter. Stuff Happens!

 

[Allen Lone wolf]

New guy here. Hear me out and throw your opinion in the ring. I own a Bergara B14 HMR in 6.5 Creed. Has been an excellent gun, exactly what I was looking for, zero issue. Casual weekend bench shooting, can also drop a deer.

Now I'm in the market for something bigger or a step up in being adequate for larger game. I don't plan on any thick-skinned African hunts in the near future, so assume just North America, probably nothing more than bear/moose.

Thoughts:

• I already have a 6.5 Creed, so I don't really need something specifically to overlap with that. I'm good up to deer, possibly elk, and looking for something in the elk and up range. Maybe I'm just a wimp, but heavy recoil does take some of the enjoyment out of it for me. I prefer something that I can comfortably practice with, sight in, multiple shots, and never be already preparing myself for the slam when about to squeeze off a shot at game. For this I love the 6.5.
• I am not turned off by the chassis/AR-style look of some modern rifles. I do appreciate the modularity/adjustability, and adjusting cheek weld or length of pull is a must. Function over traditional appearance for me.
• To meet some of my recoil requirements and to not get into the heavy hitting rounds, I'm content to accept that energy will only be high enough for my larger game targets out to 3-400 yards. At some point down the road, it will probably get a suppressor, so overall optimum barrel length is a factor.

Question: Lightest recoiling caliber, available in a gun model that is somewhat adjustable, at least minimally capable of ethical moose/bear shot at 300 yds? For sake of argument, ignore cost (of ammo), ammo availability, and assume factory loads. Not looking to build anything at this time, so a factory option in gun model and ammo.

I realize all of these are giving up something in some area or another, but options I have researched:

• 6.5 PRC – really that much better than 6.5 Creed? A lot of overlap with what I already have, borderline good enough for moose. I do really like the recoil, ballistics, and lots of gun options. I hear people shooting elk at 1000yd with them, and while not something I plan to do, does make me think a good shot at 300 would probably drop a moose.
• .280 AI – Hard to find options chambered in this, can get an Xbolt
• 6.8 Western – Really like what I'm hearing about this one, meets a lot of my requirements, hard to find a gun I like chambered in it, also available in xbolt. Doesn't bother me that it's a new fad, and ammo is available.
• 28 Nosler or .300 PRC – Incredibly capable rounds, I doubt I would enjoy shooting it very often, considering recoil. Would give me some ability to tackle even larger game. Maybe I could get manageable with a brake?
• Sig cross/.277 fury – I like the portability/adjustability of the rifle, and think the cartridge is intriguing, but probably not much more adequate than my 6.5 for bigger game? Big pro here is the ballistics out of a 16" barrel. Even with a suppressor, a very small/compact package, plus folding.

Props if you actually read this far. All opinions welcome.

My brother recently purchased the Savage 110 ultralight in .28 Nosler. He then installed an adjustable muzzle brake that is tuneable with small allen screws.He is shooting 175gr Nosler accubond factory ammo at the moment with outstanding performance with the recoil compareatable to a .243. I think it would fill your needs based on your message.

 

[SteveBurton]

With your criteria I would get the following.
1st - 300 Win Mag
2nd - 300 PRC
You can find a number of factory rifles chambered in each. Factory ammo for the WM can be found worldwide even now. The PRC is here to stay. Either one can and has taken lots of NA big game.

 

[257WTBY]

338 Win Mag. Relatively easy to find ammo not a hard kicker and will pole ax what ever you want inside 600 yards. I shoot its big brother a 340WTBY and love it. I call it the Hammer of Thor haha...

 

[esshup]

I'd say you want a 308 at the minimum. Any smaller starts overlapping into creed usage. Braked 300wm probably all you'll be comfortable with. Honestly I would look at 300wsm, maybe 338wsm if you want the extra thump at longer ranges. If you want smaller caliber, 7mag might do what you want. 28nosler if you want fancy new stuff. But recoil is getting up in the 300wsm level or more with those, which points back to the mini-mag 300wsm in my opinion.

Brake it, regardless of what you pick. Love my braked guns.

I only read up to about here, but my thoughts mimic what biff said mainly because you said "Factory Ammo". Take a look at what is available on the shelves today and you probably will scratch a lot of the calibers mentioned. I'd be very comfortable shooting a 300 Win Mag with a good partition style brake all day long making sure that the barrel doesn't get hot

For a recoil perspective, my 7mm Allen Magnum, shooting the 180g Berger VLD's at 3350 fps with Kirby's medium Painkiller Brake has the same amount of recoil as my 6# .243 shooting 85g Barnes bullets at 3350 fps. The 7mm Allen Mag weighs under 12# in hunting trim with bipod and rounds in the mag. I have a Nightforce NSX 5.5-22x50 scope on it.

 

[JohnnieB]

New guy here. Hear me out and throw your opinion in the ring. I own a Bergara B14 HMR in 6.5 Creed. Has been an excellent gun, exactly what I was looking for, zero issue. Casual weekend bench shooting, can also drop a deer.

Now I'm in the market for something bigger or a step up in being adequate for larger game. I don't plan on any thick-skinned African hunts in the near future, so assume just North America, probably nothing more than bear/moose.

Thoughts:

• I already have a 6.5 Creed, so I don't really need something specifically to overlap with that. I'm good up to deer, possibly elk, and looking for something in the elk and up range. Maybe I'm just a wimp, but heavy recoil does take some of the enjoyment out of it for me. I prefer something that I can comfortably practice with, sight in, multiple shots, and never be already preparing myself for the slam when about to squeeze off a shot at game. For this I love the 6.5.
• I am not turned off by the chassis/AR-style look of some modern rifles. I do appreciate the modularity/adjustability, and adjusting cheek weld or length of pull is a must. Function over traditional appearance for me.
• To meet some of my recoil requirements and to not get into the heavy hitting rounds, I'm content to accept that energy will only be high enough for my larger game targets out to 3-400 yards. At some point down the road, it will probably get a suppressor, so overall optimum barrel length is a factor.

Question: Lightest recoiling caliber, available in a gun model that is somewhat adjustable, at least minimally capable of ethical moose/bear shot at 300 yds? For sake of argument, ignore cost (of ammo), ammo availability, and assume factory loads. Not looking to build anything at this time, so a factory option in gun model and ammo.

I realize all of these are giving up something in some area or another, but options I have researched:

• 6.5 PRC – really that much better than 6.5 Creed? A lot of overlap with what I already have, borderline good enough for moose. I do really like the recoil, ballistics, and lots of gun options. I hear people shooting elk at 1000yd with them, and while not something I plan to do, does make me think a good shot at 300 would probably drop a moose.
• .280 AI – Hard to find options chambered in this, can get an Xbolt
• 6.8 Western – Really like what I'm hearing about this one, meets a lot of my requirements, hard to find a gun I like chambered in it, also available in xbolt. Doesn't bother me that it's a new fad, and ammo is available.
• 28 Nosler or .300 PRC – Incredibly capable rounds, I doubt I would enjoy shooting it very often, considering recoil. Would give me some ability to tackle even larger game. Maybe I could get manageable with a brake?
• Sig cross/.277 fury – I like the portability/adjustability of the rifle, and think the cartridge is intriguing, but probably not much more adequate than my 6.5 for bigger game? Big pro here is the ballistics out of a 16" barrel. Even with a suppressor, a very small/compact package, plus folding.

Props if you actually read this far. All opinions welcome.

Dgascho,

I'll give you the guidance that was given to me by my hunting mentor, many, many years ago. This still holds true for any hunting situation in my opinion, and this is how I have coached those I've brought into hunting. This is what I was told...

"Your choice of hunting caliber is simple, you have the basic need to perform a clean kill which is what you must always strive for. However, we are human, and we are shooting a live creature, and at some point for ALL of us, your first shot will not be perfect. You MUST use a caliber capable of reaching the vitals of your target game from whatever angle is available for that necessary second, or even third shot."

Personally, I prefer overkill on my choice of hunting cartridges.

Best of luck to you.