The caliber conundrum

[Oldtrader3]

The 7mm Rem Mag with a Nosler 160 grain bullet at 3000+ will give you all that you need for most North American hunting but so will a 180 grain .30-06 for that matter. I have both and use the 7mm for long range and the .30-06 as a back up elk rifle, with 180 gr Partitions. I use the 7mm Mag for long range deer hunting mostly. You can not go wrong with either caliber.

For elk, I prefer a .338 mag of some description, my favorite is the .340 Weatherby. I am not recoil sensitive at all. However that may be the deal breaker for you?

 

[Vince]

If recoil is not your friend, and it isn't mine, I'd look hard at something like the Graco Recoil Reducer and a Limbsaver pad.

My Winchester .300 Win Mag recoils about like a .270 with the recoil reducer in the stock and the Limbsaver pad. Of all your options I myself lean to the .300 Win Mag as my general purpose "all around" rifle. You can put the smaller recoil reducer in the stock, in addition to the one in the butt, and that really tames things down. I'm looking at putting two, one in the stock and one in the fore end, in my .338 Win Mag.

 

[ajvigs]

Thanks for all the help and advice. I have plenty of time to think this one out and make a final decision.

I am narrowing down my options (From 1st to last):
35 Whelen: 225 AB, lights out on anything.
30-06: Nothing really has to be said, it will do everything with a 180 AB or PT
300WSM/WM: I would consider it if the rifle was heavy enough to absorb some of the recoil
7mm Rem Mag: I have a strange attraction to the 7mm's...even though I have a 7mm already :?


Whatever I decide on, it will be my "heavy" hunting rifle. If the 7mm08 wont do it, this will be it.
Ammo availability, cost, and ease of reload will ultimately help sway my final decision.

 

[wildgene]

...in your position, I'd lean hard towards the .300 WSM, in the same rifle "felt recoil" wouldn't be much more than a .30-06 & considerably less than a .300 WM, actual ballistics wouldn't be much less than a .300 WM & considerably better than a .30-06. Check & compare available ammo & prices of all 3, even not reloading you wouldn't be @ a disadvantage...

...if it weren't for the lack of available factory ammunition, I'd recommend the .325 WSM, it packs a lot of "whumph" in a very manageable package...

 

[DrMike]

Thanks for all the help and advice. I have plenty of time to think this one out and make a final decision.

I am narrowing down my options (From 1st to last):
35 Whelen: 225 AB, lights out on anything.
30-06: Nothing really has to be said, it will do everything with a 180 AB or PT
300WSM/WM: I would consider it if the rifle was heavy enough to absorb some of the recoil
7mm Rem Mag: I have a strange attraction to the 7mm's...even though I have a 7mm already :?


Whatever I decide on, it will be my "heavy" hunting rifle. If the 7mm08 wont do it, this will be it.
Ammo availability, cost, and ease of reload will ultimately help sway my final decision.

All good cartridges; each will mostly accomplish your goals.

 

[Nosler4]

A lot of great posts and comments on here! I shoot a TGR 35 Whelen so thought I would pass along my thoughts.

If I had to own only one rifle to hunt the world with, it would be a 35 Whelen. In fact, since I started hunting with it a few years ago, I have yet to reach for anything else. Trajectory difference between it and a 338 Win Mag with 225gr. AccuBond's is almost negligible to a few hundred yards, and the energy and knockdown power is unlike anything I have seen before--the Colonel speaks with authority!

Now I have not shot a Whelen in anything other than our rifles (which come with nice squishy recoil pads), but in terms of recoil, if you handed me a Whelen to shoot and told me it was a 30-06 with 200 grainers--I probably wouldn't doubt you.

Certainly there a lot of great choices mentioned, but you won't go wrong if you head down the Whelen path. It smites the big animals and doesn't tear-up the smaller ones too badly. Besides, I heard that every time someone takes a new Whelen home, an angel gets it's wings. :grin:

SF

 

[ajvigs]

Sean,

What scope are you running on your TGR?

 

[SJB358]

Besides, I heard that every time someone takes a new Whelen home, an angel gets it's wings. :grin:

SF

I heard the same thing. Must be something to it!

 

[DrMike]

I heard that every time someone takes a new Whelen home, an angel gets it's wings. :grin:

Who'd thunk it? :shock: Great cartridge, even if angels didn't sing its praise.

 

[Nosler4]

Sean,

What scope are you running on your TGR?

I currently have a Leupold VXIII 2.5-8x36 standard duplex, but am coveting a either a VX2 2-7x33 CDS, or VX3 3.5-10x40 with the CDS turret. The 225gr. AccuBond's do drop a bit at distance but pack a lot of punch, so having the ability to dial the yardage on the scope rather than estimating hold-over is intriguing to me.

I have played with the CDS turrets on our Varmageddon Rifles quite a bit and I am blown away at how consistent they are. 300 yard shot? Click to 3, "BANG", next target...525 yards, click to 5.2, "BANG", next target... :twisted:

SF

 

[Woodycreek]

I heard that every time someone takes a new Whelen home, an angel gets it's wings. :grin:

Oh no!!! I know what I'm gonna hear for the next couple of months from Scotty! "Brian, buy a 35 Whelen so an angel gets its wings". "Come on man, don't you want an angel to get its wings?". "The good Col Whelen got it right years ago!" Thanks Shawn!

 

[Nosler4]

I heard that every time someone takes a new Whelen home, an angel gets it's wings. :grin:

Oh no!!! I know what I'm gonna hear for the next couple of months from Scotty! "Brian, buy a 35 Whelen so an angel gets its wings". "Come on man, don't you want an angel to get its wings?". "The good Col Whelen got it right years ago!" Thanks Shawn!

HA! Or maybe it was "..a Colonel get's it's wings." Either way, the world is a better place when people shoot a Whelen. :grin:

SF

 

[DrMike]

"Brian, buy a 35 Whelen so an angel gets its wings". "Come on man, don't you want an angel to get its wings?". "The good Col Whelen got it right years ago!"

Brian,

You don't want to be a troglodyte; neither do you want to be the last person posting here without a Whelen. :grin: Just trying to help, buddy. :mrgreen:

 

[Woodycreek]

HA! Or maybe it was "..a Colonel get's it's wings." Either way, the world is a better place when people shoot a Whelen.

Ha! Let those darn officers earn the wings on their own! :mrgreen: Now if Nosler just made a TGR in 7 WSM and I had the cash....... :lol: Its funny to read the whole thread and know that a 7 WSM is next on my list.

 

[meatmachineman]

Vince mentioned some recoil reducing measures. That is a great option. My higher horsepower rifles and high use shotguns wear Limbsavers and they flat out work. I have no experience with the recoil reducers like the Graco he mentioned or Dead Mule but have heard good things... and speaking of hearing, if you're up for a loss of hearing, muzzle breaks do a bang up job (the 338WM I had prior to the M77 I have now was a 700BDL with a brake and Limbsaver... it felt like a 308).

At any rate, use something along those lines and I'd be inclined to push you towards a 300 WM or WSM.

 

[Woodycreek]

"Brian, buy a 35 Whelen so an angel gets its wings". "Come on man, don't you want an angel to get its wings?". "The good Col Whelen got it right years ago!"

Brian,

You don't want to be a troglodyte; neither do you want to be the last person posting here without a Whelen. :grin: Just trying to help, buddy. :mrgreen:

Dang! The Doc is calling me names that I had to look up :lol: Think you guys belong to a Whelen cult :twisted:

 

[meatmachineman]

"Brian, buy a 35 Whelen so an angel gets its wings". "Come on man, don't you want an angel to get its wings?". "The good Col Whelen got it right years ago!"

Brian,

You don't want to be a troglodyte; neither do you want to be the last person posting here without a Whelen. :grin: Just trying to help, buddy. :mrgreen:

Dang! The Doc is calling me names that I had to look up :lol: Think you guys belong to a Whelen cult :twisted:

Don't worry about it Brian... I have yet to take a swig of the Colonel's Kool Aid... you might be the 2nd to last one here w/o a 35! :lol:

 

[DrMike]

I have yet to take a swig of the Colonel's Kool Aid... you might be the 2nd to last one here w/o a 35! :lol:

What? Two on the same forum? I know you aren't eremites or anchorites, or you wouldn't be posting here! Each of you have some fine rifles that print good groups, so I'm reasonably certain you are not inept. Thus, you are a conundrum. I'm going to have to get Scotty on your case. :mrgreen:

 

[ajvigs]

I will look into those recoil reducing devices as was suggested.

But...I am not so sure I need a magnum as of right now. I am leaning hard towards the Whelen.

 

[meatmachineman]

I have yet to take a swig of the Colonel's Kool Aid... you might be the 2nd to last one here w/o a 35! :lol:

What? Two on the same forum? I know you aren't eremites or anchorites, or you wouldn't be posting here! Each of you have some fine rifles that print good groups, so I'm reasonably certain you are not inept. Thus, you are a conundrum. I'm going to have to get Scotty on your case. :mrgreen:

This will be a great test for Scotty. We'll see how well he can multi-task. He's already working me over on a 444!