Mountain rifle cartridge??

[Alaskan22]

Yup...another one of these threads, except this one is more of a personal preference and why.
I've got my caliber locked in, so this is basically just new info and a good source for others.

Before I settled in on the 300WSM (flat shooting ballistics, good bullet choice for a non-reloader, and we miiiiight see some bears in Kodiak), I was mulling over a 257 Robers, or maybe a 270 WSM.

What is your gun caliber of choice?

Heavy bullets (less wind play)?
Light (4000fps)?
flat shooting?
bigger caliber (bears in the area)?
smaller caliber (sheep are easy to kill)?

 

[tlingitwarrior]

A guy should have a gun for every hunt. Its just more fun that way.

For 20 years I had only one ~ 300 winny mag. Did everything I asked of it an more.

Of course the 30-06 would do the same, and the .338 and the 325, and the............................

 

[FurFishGame]

When I graduate, I plan on going up in the mountains around kodiak or PWS and living there for a year, trapin and hunting, just livin life how I want to before I settle down, just because I can, if I only had one gun, I would take a 12 GA, cause there aint nuthin you can't kill with one.

 

[Kay9Cop]

I like 6.5 and .338 bullets for their high BC's. In 6.5, I have a 6.5x55 and in .338 I have a .330 Dakota. Right now, the 6.5 is seeing more use because it's more fun to shoot and off the shelf ammo is much cheaper. I would probably only bring the .330 if I was in an area that running into big brown furry things is a very high possibility.

 

[270ti]

In mountain rifles, I'm down to:

30-06--155gr Scenar
25-06AI--100gr Scirocco 2
243AI-105gr Amax

I'll swap in 168 Barnes TSX, 100gr TSX, and 85gr TSX when when I'm hunting in areas when I'm not worried about longer distance shots.

 

[Bighorse]

Uno: My experience is the .25 bullets do get pushed around by the wind more than the .30's.

Dos y Tres: Fast bullets are flater longer.

Quatro: More rounds in the gun could be better for bear protection, could be? 300 WSM are fat boys.

Cinco: .25 cal bullets kill just fine. Yes, even bears.

 

[wildone]

A 7mm-08 and 120 or 140 barnes is hard to beat for a mountain rig JMHO. Short action non magnum and premium bullets. It saves you weight in the action and barrel no need to go more that a 36 mm objective on glass max. Could never figure out why guys build an ultralight and then throw a hubble telescope on it , kinda defeats the purpose. Something between 5.5 and 6 lbs all up is easy to carry and still balances well when it come time to go to work. The 7 's have sheep and goat written all over em. good luck what ever you decide.

 

[kloshe]

My vote goes to the 300wsm for a mountain rifle. it won't do anything a 300winmag can't, but it does do it in a shorter barrel, smaller action, and therefore a lighter rifle. I also think any rifle carried should give a hunter a level of comfort against bear troubles, which a 300wsm does with a good bullet. That doesn't mean a 270, 25.06, or 7mm-08 won't kill a brown bear, i just feel more comfortable with a 300wsm.

 

[mainer_in_ak]

Yup...another one of these threads, except this one is more of a personal preference and why.
I've got my caliber locked in, so this is basically just new info and a good source for others.

Before I settled in on the 300WSM (flat shooting ballistics, good bullet choice for a non-reloader, and we miiiiight see some bears in Kodiak), I was mulling over a 257 Robers, or maybe a 270 WSM.




Heavy bullets (less wind play)?
Light (4000fps)?
flat shooting?
bigger caliber (bears in the area)?
smaller caliber (sheep are easy to kill)?

My picks for Alaska:

358 winchester
338 federal
338-06
35 whelen
325 wsm
338 Ruger compact magnum

A nice long range accubond sighted for the scope (good for 400 yd shots),
And then a nice big heavy for caliber bullet sighted into the open sights of that nice 20 inch barreled carbine during the hike/float out with all that bloody goat or sheep meat on your back or in your raft.
What is your gun caliber of choice?

I don't hunt sheep, but I sure have hiked around the mountains, and glaciers with a rifle in hand......oops......it was a 358 winchester.

 

[knikglacier]

You have picked a very good caliber. Now you need to find a new Kimber Montana, buy some Talley Lightweights and get a reasonably powered scope, say a 3.5-10x40 and you are set. If you are a hand loader, I'd pick the 180gr Nosler Partition as my go-to bullet. Good luck.

 

[sdrhunter]

i like the short actions for weight purposes: 270 wsm, 7mm SAUM, 300 wsm
long actions when weight isn't as much of a priority: 280AI, 300 RUM, 7mm RUM, 338 edge, 30 or 338-378.

 

[brav01]

Last I heard sheep were wearing body armour this year; I'ld consider a 378 Weatherby Mag. minimum. Pretty fast with a big bullet for less wind deviation. Might as well put a 8x24x56mm scope on it so you can spot them as well.

 

[FurFishGame]

Of course, a 450 nitro would be more sufficient for bear, a 300 might not kill it very well:shot:

 

[.338WM]

Everything big game I have taken was with either a .30-06',a .338WM. and the latest moose with a .58cal black powder rifle. Now I have a .45-70Govt. I want to get experience on. I have other calibers/rifles but they have not made into the field for big game though my .243Win may get some blood on it before all is done.

 

[Alaskan22]

I'm not looking for a caliber or gun. Got both picked out. Just figured everyone could share their preference and reasoning.

 

[LuJon]

A 7mm-08 and 120 or 140 barnes is hard to beat for a mountain rig JMHO. Short action non magnum and premium bullets. It saves you weight in the action and barrel no need to go more that a 36 mm objective on glass max. Could never figure out why guys build an ultralight and then throw a hubble telescope on it , kinda defeats the purpose. Something between 5.5 and 6 lbs all up is easy to carry and still balances well when it come time to go to work. The 7 's have sheep and goat written all over em. good luck what ever you decide.

I thought hard about a 7-08 for my next mountain rifle. The longer I looked the more I realized that it doesn't seem to offer any advantage over the good old 308, in fact there were more drawbacks than advantages when put side by side. Most of the negligable but still... Same spec rifle the 7mm will weigh slightly more, the ammo costs a little more, the range of bullet weights is smaller and lighter while not being any faster, at least according to the load data I found. My hodgdon book puts the 308 tossing 165's at about the same speed that the 7-08 will toss 145's.

 

[nittanytbone]

I thought hard about a 7-08 for my next mountain rifle. The longer I looked the more I realized that it doesn't seem to offer any advantage over the good old 308, in fact there were more drawbacks than advantages when put side by side. Most of the negligable but still... Same spec rifle the 7mm will weigh slightly more, the ammo costs a little more, the range of bullet weights is smaller and lighter while not being any faster, at least according to the load data I found. My hodgdon book puts the 308 tossing 165's at about the same speed that the 7-08 will toss 145's.

That's what I found when doing research, and I ended up with a 308 as well...

The short magnums are the only other thing I'd consider. The 300 is certainly a solid choice and one I thought about too. I think for a light handy rifle you want to cut ounces as much as possible, so that means short actions. That also implies to me accepting the best acceptable choice with the least recoil. If you think you need to take the longer shots, then by all means, go for the short magnum -- but if not, why not go for something that's going to kick a little less in a lighter rifle with a shorter barrel?

 

[BRWNBR]

love the .270 win and the .30-'06 probably more than any other calibers...for personal hunting. most short mags i see are a little lighter than factory long actions..but most fail to take full advantage of the ability to get them as light as possible..
you can get a .270 win just about as light as a .270 short if you build the gun right...my .416 is 6.5lbs or so...my .270 is about the same, .30-'06 is around 8lbs and i'd give anything (except money... ) to knock about 2lbs off of it...

 

[Alaska_Lanche]

my .416 is 6.5lbs or so...

I knew there was a reason I hoped we didn't see anything for me to shoot with your rifle on the goat hunt.

 

[BRWNBR]

ya i remember you sayin' that several times over while you had it....