Received income tax rebate - must have new gun

[briar rabbit]

Ok-the more I read the the more confused I get. I am looking to buy or build a gun. In the last five years I have shot deer and elk from 40 yards to a little over 500 (most shots average 200 yards or less). I do reload and am partial to the 30 cal but not stuck on it. My family thrives off of the wild meat we harvest each year so don't want a gun that will waste meat with correct bullet placement. My goal is to be able to shot out to 700 yards without sacificing the abuilty to shoot at close range. I am mesmerized with the ballistic of these bullets, what are your thoughts?

• 257 stw
• 7mm stw
• 7mm um
• 300 um

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Ok-the more I read the the more confused I get. I am looking to buy or build a gun. In the last five years I have shot deer and elk from 40 yards to a little over 500 (most shots average 200 yards or less). I do reload and am partial to the 30 cal but not stuck on it. My family thrives off of the wild meat we harvest each year so don't want a gun that will waste meat with correct bullet placement. My goal is to be able to shot out to 700 yards without sacificing the abuilty to shoot at close range. I am mesmerized with the ballistic of these bullets, what are your thoughts?

• 257 stw
• 7mm stw
• 7mm um
• 300 um

I think bullet choice what you need to look at after you decide which caliber you are going to shoot. Some bullets cause much more meat destruction than others. The mono metal bullets are going to be the best. I have shot a few and have chosen to use the GS bullets out of my big game rifles. I like 6.5mm or larger for up to elk size big game.

Steve

 

[Iron Worker]

257 at close range will field dress the game for you. Shot a CA Black Bear with a 300 RUM at 80 yds. Guide and butcher said I had significant meat loss because of excessive bullet velocity.All calibers listed are High velocity magnums

 

[RockyMtnMT]

257 at close range will field dress the game for you. Shot a CA Black Bear with a 300 RUM at 80 yds. Guide and butcher said I had significant meat loss because of excessive bullet velocity.All calibers listed are High velocity magnums

What bullet where you using?

Steve

 

[winmag]

First off Briar Rabbit, I LIKE WHERE YOUR MIND IS AT! On the rare occasion I get $ back at tax time, I feel the need to celebrate in simmilar fassion worthy of a new rifle.
Im not fond of the metric system, but Im kinda leaning towards the 7mm RUM. out of the ones you mentioned. Paired up with a bonded bullet like 162gr IB, 700yds and less would do nicely. IMO
Any special reason for the 4 choices you laid out? Im not knockin your choices, just curious?
Truth be told Im a big 30 cal fan myself, but I just dont know enough about the 300RUM to give any advise. I love my 300wby tho

 

[sniperjwt]

Ok-the more I read the the more confused I get. I am looking to buy or build a gun. In the last five years I have shot deer and elk from 40 yards to a little over 500 (most shots average 200 yards or less). I do reload and am partial to the 30 cal but not stuck on it. My family thrives off of the wild meat we harvest each year so don't want a gun that will waste meat with correct bullet placement. My goal is to be able to shot out to 700 yards without sacificing the abuilty to shoot at close range. I am mesmerized with the ballistic of these bullets, what are your thoughts?

• 257 stw
• 7mm stw
• 7mm um
• 300 um

well briar rabbit you left out one. The 6.5mm STW if you look into that one i think it might impress you more than the other ones. I have 2, 7mmSTWs and love them and would not trade them for anything .......well except for maybe a 6.5mm STW which actually i have planned on taking the action off of one and building the 6.5stw when i get the funds. I have a 257 Wby mag so dont need the 257STW but i have a good friend who has one and he really likes it.
As far as the other ones on the list my bro has a 7mmum and likes it but there is no advantage of it over the STW. actually i think there is a drawback because you can only get Remington brass for the UM and i guess the same would be true for the 300.

A 257STW shooting a 115 Berger bullet at 3500FPS gun)zeroed at 100 would be 111inches low at 800
A 6.5mm STW shooting a 140 Berger bullet at 3400FPS gun)zeroed at 100 would be 104 inches low at 800

Thats why i like the 6.5
If however you dont want to deviate from your list go with the 7mm STW
Good luck with your decision

 

[screech]

there not rockets for sure and I know its not on your list but the 6.5x284 or 6.5wsm would be my choices.

I have a 300win a 300rum a 7stw a 338-378imp and a 338-408cheytac imp. and while all those are fine and dandy and fun to play with i guess ive just started moving down to the smaller stuff because I have just as much luck with stuff not running away and a 8lb jug of powder lasts alot longer.

Ps I havent got to play with the 338-408imp much but its a screamer. I have only gotten to do fire forming etc but i want to say that I was getting 3400 fairly easy with a 300smk.

If you have any questions email me at [email protected]

 

[liltank]

The 7mm STW would definitely be my choice of the ones you have chosen, but for practicality and if you are only going as far as 7 or 800 yards, a short mag of some type would be a nice addition to the gun cabinet. The 7mm WSM, 7mm SAUM with the 162 SST, 160 Accu-bond, 168 Berger, 180 Berger, 175 SMK would be excellent bullet choices and will do all you ask of it when the time comes for those shots. Another option would be the 300 WSM or 300 Win Mag. Using a 190grn+ class bullet will knock pretty much anything down at that distance. I have a 300 WSM and love it.

Tank

 

[briar rabbit]

First off Briar Rabbit, I LIKE WHERE YOUR MIND IS AT! On the rare occasion I get $ back at tax time, I feel the need to celebrate in simmilar fassion worthy of a new rifle.
Im not fond of the metric system, but Im kinda leaning towards the 7mm RUM. out of the ones you mentioned. Paired up with a bonded bullet like 162gr IB, 700yds and less would do nicely. IMO
Any special reason for the 4 choices you laid out? Im not knockin your choices, just curious?
Truth be told Im a big 30 cal fan myself, but I just dont know enough about the 300RUM to give any advise. I love my 300wby tho

Sorry to take so long to respond, My choices are from reading the "The Target Book" as this rounds stood out. I also shoot a 300wby and a 300wsm and the ballistics appeared to be a lot better on the rounds I listed.

 

[winmag]

Sorry to take so long to respond, My choices are from reading the "The Target Book" as this rounds stood out. I also shoot a 300wby and a 300wsm and the ballistics appeared to be a lot better on the rounds I listed.

Ya no one can argue what the 300 RUM is capable of, but with the 30cal market cornered like you have, I doubt youd gain enough over the 300 wby with the 300 RUM to make a serious difference.
As far as the rifles youve listed, and in light of the 30 cal's you have, Id still go with the 7RUM. It seems the most proper ''change up'' in caliber for something new and still keeping with the performance you need.
But as Liltank pointed out the WSM cartriges are slick, and cheaper to re-load. As Im sure you already know with your 300WSM. Good Luck.
Let us know what you pick. Im excited for ya.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

I own all the ones you mentioned plus the 264 stw that was mentioned. All of those you listed are fun to shoot and will easily do the job with proper bullets. I agree with the monometal bullets in any of them if meat is your objective. The Barnes are exceptional bullets but I haven't tried the GS.

With the 300 wby and short mag you have it covered as far as hunting goes. None of those you listed is really going to outperform the 300 wby except the 300 ultramag and only by a little, maybe 125 fps which is negligible. The 300 wby is still about the best there is out there. The 7mm ultramag will wear a barrel out before you get a good load worked up so I wouldn't go there. Of all the ones you listed I would take your 300 wby with a 200 grain bullet over every one except the 300 ultra and that is about a wash.

Looking at what you have I would go up to one of the big 338's since you hunt elk. That is about the only thing that is really going to be a difference maker over what you have. If you go over the counter the 338 ultramag gives great performance at a reasonable price. The 338-378 wby is the top performer and the accumark is a great rifle if you want to jump into that price range. A custom is pricey but you have a better chance of getting top accuracy. My rem 700 will kill an animal just as dead at 1000 yards as any custom and they were on sale at cabelas not long ago for $550 in stainless. Most can be made to be extremely accurate out to your 700 yards.

As far as a gun that is fun to shoot in a light rifle without a muzzle break and is a lazer to 700 yards with minimal tissue destruction my 264 stw is really hard to beat. I shoot the 130 swift scirroco with a .572 bc at over 3500 fps. That would be a little something different than what you have.

 

[briar rabbit]

As far as a gun that is fun to shoot in a light rifle without a muzzle break and is a lazer to 700 yards with minimal tissue destruction my 264 stw is really hard to beat. I shoot the 130 swift scirroco with a .572 bc at over 3500 fps. That would be a little something different than what you have.[/QUOTE]
You got me interested, but could not found info on this round. I tried looking the round up in my Nosler reloading book and The Target Book, both only showed the 264WM.

• Is this round big enough for elk? The 264WM max range shows 455yds (360 max for elk) Just concerened about being ithical
• How much better will the stw be?
• Is brass available?
• Will the Nosler partition work?
• The gun would be custom built only? Could not find one on gunbroker. Where to go to get one made?
• Sorry about all the questions as I am truly ignorant and wanting to learn.

 

[winmag]

Ya no one can argue what the 300 RUM is capable of, but with the 30cal market cornered like you have, I doubt youd gain enough over the 300 wby with the 300 RUM to make a serious difference.
As far as the rifles youve listed, and in light of the 30 cal's you have, Id still go with the 7RUM. It seems the most proper ''change up'' in caliber for something new and still keeping with the performance you need.
But as Liltank pointed out the WSM cartriges are slick, and cheaper to re-load. As Im sure you already know with your 300WSM. Good Luck.
Let us know what you pick. Im excited for ya.

Im definately NOT bucking LTLR's advise. Just want to get that clear up front. I just thought Id throw out 1 caliber not mentioned yet. 325WSM. Pretty nice balistics, and not a bbl burner. Still has plenty of energy too

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Winmag, no problem, I agree there are tons of choices. I was just throwing one out there that I like to shoot that is a little different.

Briar, I use 7mm stw brass, nosler partitions have a low BC taking away the benefits of shooting this high performance 264. It is a custom wildcat cartridge not available in a commercially produced rifle. Like I said none of these are going to beat your 300 wby. The 264 stw is just another fun gun to shoot. I hunted with a guy back in the 70's who used a 6.5-300 wby at long range elk and made some 1/2 mile kills with it. It is basically the same thing as the 264 stw. He and I both built our first 340 wby's about that time and the effects of it on long range elk was devastating compared to the lesser calibers. My go to rifle for elk ever since has been a big 338. I expect his was to untill his death a few years ago.

If you are concerned about killing elk and want the best then get a big 338 of your choice. The flattest shooting is the 338-378 wby but they are all right there next to one another. In a custom build right now I would probably do the 338 Norma or the 338 lapua improved because they perform better in a shorter lighter carry rifle plus a few other things. The norma is just a shortenned blown out improved lapua. My 338-378 wby's will shoot a 225 grain nosler nearly 3500 fps with a .555 BC. Or ballistically about the same as the super flat shooting 264 stw except with a 100 grains more bullet and a much larger caliber. Caliber kills, that is why they have caliber minimums for big dangerous game in Africa. If you want the best rifle to flatten elk at long range then get a big 338. Like I said that is the only thing that is going to give you a noticeable performance difference over the 300 wby you already have.

Like I said you can buy a rem 700 in 338 ultramag, accurize it and you are good to go at 1/2 mile elk. Or spend a few extra dollars and get the top performing 338-378 wby. The problem with the 338's off the huge 378 case and 416 rigby case is they use major league doses of slow burning powder which need a long barrel to get the fps out of. One of my accuracy loads is 132 grains of powder for instance. The improved lapuas do better in a shorter barrel so that is why I favor those including the 338 norma in a custom build for a light carry rifle. They are a more efficient case design utilizing smaller doses of faster burning powders that retain good velocity in shorter barrels. Good luck with your choice and any of your choices are going to kill elk. I have hunted elk for 35 years and seen who knows how many shot through guiding, friends, etc. If you want the best then get a big 338.