Hey Guys Help the Newbie out!!!

[MontanaRifleman]

My opinion is to start w/ the 300rum. I think you can learn the long range game with any caliber. Some just go longer than others. You will have a quality rifle built, build it for the future.

Steve

Plus One

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Here is another online ballistics calc that is a lot simpler and will get you started until you grasp all the other stuff.

External Ballistics Calculator

 

[jwp475]

I would never recommend a 300 RUM as a first long range rifle. Learning to shoot accurately at long range requires practice and rounds down range. A great first rifle caliber is a 308 win. It will gives very long barrel life and there are a myriad of match grade factory ammo available. The HIGH powder capacity of the RUM means that fewer shots can be fired down range is succession without over heating the barrel. IMHO the RUMS are for the more experienced shooters. The 308 will force the shooter to learn to read wind better than will the "powder guzzlers"

 

[britz]

I would never recommend a 300 RUM as a first long range rifle. Learning to shoot accurately at long range requires practice and rounds down range. A great first rifle caliber is a 308 win. It will gives very long barrel life and there are a myriad of match grade factory ammo available. The HIGH powder capacity of the RUM means that fewer shots can be fired down range is succession without over heating the barrel. IMHO the RUMS are for the more experienced shooters. The 308 will force the shooter to learn to read wind better than will the "powder guzzlers"

He has an excellent point here!

 

[liltank]

+1 to britz and jwp. You may develop a flinch or bad shooting posture using the heavier calibers. Granted a muzzle break tames that, but the realization of the caliber may make you a little trigger shy. I started on a .308 win and still learning. I have graduated to a 300wsm to reach a little farther. G-hogs at 1100yrds is a little difficult with a .308. They fly in like artilery at that distance.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

I think it's a great idea to use something like a 308 to practice with, but if your goal is LR hunting then get a LR hunting cartridge. IMO the RUM would be my first rifle and the 308 would be my second rifle. If I had only one, it would be the RUM. If yer gonna do it, then do it. As far as recoil goes, that's a personal issue and there are a lot of ways to deal with it. Once again, IMO, shooting a 308 first is not going ot change the recoil of a RUM. It will still have to be dealt with.

-MR

 

[jwp475]

Dave King has taken a lot of Deer to 700 or so yards with a 308. Ian McMurchy also used the 308 out to 700 yards to take Deer. I don't see the 308 as a non long range hunting option.
I have 300 RUMS, yet I use my 300 Win a lot more. If I really get serious about whacking an animal at LOOng Range I break out my 338 Lapua with 300 grain SMKs. Now that packs a wallop

 

[Rimfire]

I would never recommend a 300 RUM as a first long range rifle. Learning to shoot accurately at long range requires practice and rounds down range. A great first rifle caliber is a 308 win. It will gives very long barrel life and there are a myriad of match grade factory ammo available. The HIGH powder capacity of the RUM means that fewer shots can be fired down range is succession without over heating the barrel. IMHO the RUMS are for the more experienced shooters. The 308 will force the shooter to learn to read wind better than will the "powder guzzlers"[/quote

+1
"I would never recommend a 300 RUM as a first long range rifle"

There is nothing wrong with either the 300 wm or the 300WSM. I shoot and hunt a custom 300WSM with 175's as you mentioned long range target The 300 WSM with 210 Bergers is a solid 1k performer and on the long action can still be a repeater. The 300 WM is good to go also with Fed. 190 GMM ammo you could get started right away. If you dont mind limiting your range a little my vote goes to the 308 win. Try 168 and 175 match ammo in federal and Black Hills and one of them will get you starte right away. You might not even want to hand load with some of the results I've had with Black Hills and a "BH" chamber job.

Or go with the RUM and get kicked around during practice, heat it and beat it and order two barrels to get started.

 

[KQguy]

Are you dead set on a 30cal?If not,take a look at some of the 7mm's.I think you would be happy with a 7mm WSM,great ballistics,easy to shoot,and very efficient(lots of performance,with less powder).I started out with a 300WM,but if I could do it over,I would have just started with a 7mm WSM.Just a thought.

 

[AtownBcat]

Thanks for all the input! I'm still open to whatever so i will try to learn as much as i can. My son has a remington 700 Police in a 308 so i have one of thoes as well. Some of you mentioned 700 yards with the 308...is that the limit of the round?

 

[SavageShtr]

the 308win is a great caliber to start with like mentioned in other posts. you can get lots of practice for a reasobable price. after you get the hang of shooting at extended ranges with that you can allways rechamber to a larger caliber like the 300 WM or the RUM. that is what Tank did he started with the 308 then graduated to the 300wsm, and he seems to like the change. i am using a 308win right now and am currently building a 338 Lapua to really reach out and touch something. think trigger time and cost when first getting started you don't want to break the bank at first or the shoulder. Just my 2 cents.


Keep the barrel warm..

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Thanks for all the input! I'm still open to whatever so i will try to learn as much as i can. My son has a remington 700 Police in a 308 so i have one of thoes as well. Some of you mentioned 700 yards with the 308...is that the limit of the round?

There are a lot of opinions on the range of hunting cartridges. Some use KE. As I mentioned earlier, I use the minimum opening velocity of a particular bullet to get terminal performance and for larger game like elk I like to see a minimum of 40 lbft of momentum also.

IMO, 700 yds for the 308 on deer is the limit and less for elk. It also depends on the load/velocity, bullet, elevation, etc.

 

[liltank]

700 yrds is definately the upper end of yardage for the .308. Some will stretch it out to 800yrds. Heck snipers are knocking people over at 800+ in the desert all the time. I personally will not shoot a deer over 600yrds with mine until I know I can place the shot well at that distance. I guess it is what you are comfortable doing.

I like the potential of the WSM cartridge. There is an article on this site where a guy is knocking down prarie dogs at 2200yrds w/ a 300wsm. It is a highly specialized rifle, but achieving what he is setting out to do with it. Just some thoughts to add to the pile.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Telling a guy that he has to start out shooting a rifle that has limited range because it has less recoil, debatable with a good brake, and longer barrel life, is like telling a guy that need a work truck to start out with a 1/2 ton because it rides smoother and gets more miles out of a set of tires.

Steve

 

[jwp475]

Recommending a 300 RUM as a starter rifle is like recommending a Top Fuel Dragster to someone that is Learning to Drive. Not very sound advice IMHO