What Are the Best Hunting Rifles Currently Made?

[Mooseman]

I never shot one... was thinking the recoil would be less than a bolt action 30-06??

Should be.... mine is sweet shooting !

 

[G8rHunter]

G8rHunter,

That's an excellent price on a great old rifle and does the caliber/scope combo sound kinda familiar? (like you might've read about that a few posts ago? )
As for recoil, I ain't gonna lie, you'll feel a .30-06.
Found a table of recoil force measured in ft./lbs.
.30-06 - (150 gr.) 17.6, (165 gr.) 20.1 and (180 gr.) 20.3
Comparatively, .308 - (150 gr.) 15.8, (165 gr.) 18.1, (180 gr.) 17.5 (those last two might be reversed)
" .30-30 - (150 gr. @ 2364 f/s) 9.4, (170 gr. @ 2200f/s) 11.0
...and finally, 7mm-08 - (120 gr.) 12.1, (140 gr.) 12.6, (150 gr.) 13.9 (note: Not sure if I've ever heard of a 150 gr. 7mm bullet. Might be for 154 gr.).

All rifles in the 7-8 lb, range.

Hope that helps put things in perspective.
If it sounds good to you, get the Stevens. Unless someone's F*k'd it up, it should be a good solid reliable shooter.
Weaver is yet another, well known and popular scope maker that's been around for years.


Dean

Out doing errands a good part of the day. Yes, I'd say the scope makes the rifle a good deal, eh?

 

[Mooseman]

Should be.... mine is sweet shooting !

That Stevens also has a nice recoil pad on it. Nice thing about em is if you beat em up hunting in the woods, it's not like a 1K-3 K dollar rifle !

 

[DeanMk]

Out doing errands a good part of the day. Yes, I'd say the scope makes the rifle a good deal, eh?

...makes it a better deal.

 

[Mooseman]

G8rhunter , I pm'ed you his Phone number ! He is a good guy to deal with...as long as he has had a snickers bar ! lol

 

[pharmseller]

FYI, if we're back to cartridges and attendant recoil now, be advised that my father transitioned from the .30-06 T3 Lite stainless to the 7mm-08 T3 Lite stainless late in his hunting career to avoid recoil while retaining sufficient killing power for elk.



Shortly after my dad's 77th birthday he shot this bull with that 7mm-08. One shot behind the shoulder at 225 yards, 140 grain Accubond handload. The bull went about 90 feet and tipped over.

Anyone who claims the 7mm-08 is marginal for elk hasn't shot one with it.



P

 

[G8rHunter]

And my apologies for going off topic, but since I am hardly the first to do so, and doubt I will be the last, my apology is purely perfunctory.

The following is an interesting read:


Terminal Ballistics





P

BTW, I read some of this, and the gist of it seems to be saying it's not so much about the caliber as the shooter, eh?

 

[pharmseller]

BTW, I read some of this, and the gist of it seems to be saying it's not so much about the caliber as the shooter, eh?

Placement
Bullet
Cartridge

In that order.

And I rarely speak of caliber.




P

 

[Mooseman]

It is actually a combination of Both , but a Poor shot or wounding an animal is usually on the shooter. You don't hunt prairie dogs with a 50BMG and you don't hunt Buffalo with anything less than a .300 Magnum so it means you use enough gun to do the job for the species hunted , but you have to be able to shoot it accurately.

 

[G8rHunter]

FYI, if we're back to cartridges and attendant recoil now, be advised that my father transitioned from the .30-06 T3 Lite stainless to the 7mm-08 T3 Lite stainless late in his hunting career to avoid recoil while retaining sufficient killing power for elk.

View attachment 558228

Shortly after my dad's 77th birthday he shot this bull with that 7mm-08. One shot behind the shoulder at 225 yards, 140 grain Accubond handload. The bull went about 90 feet and tipped over.

Anyone who claims the 7mm-08 is marginal for elk hasn't shot one with it.



P

From everything that I have read, the 6.5 Creedmoor and 7mm -08 will perform with the big boys without the recoil. Sounds like the .308 isn't too bad either. I don't mind the recoil of shooting birdshot with my shotgun, which is 17-23 range of recoil energy; but I haven't gotten use to firing slugs yet! Light recoil slugs aren't bad, but 3" slugs are a beach at 54! Only the big boys put out that much! According to a chart by Chuck Hawks, the 30-06 is mostly in the 17-20 range, and the Ackley Improved is 23. Does that sound about right?

 

[bbbass]

BTW, I read some of this, and the gist of it seems to be saying it's not so much about the caliber as the shooter, eh?

Truth.... a heart shot will kill most any legal big game in 'Merica. They will usually run, but not far.

A lung shot will kill eventually, but may require some tracking or some patience to let the animal bleed out (this is why some hunters prefer bullets that will exit and leave more trail or more bleeding).

A wounding shot that is off target, with any rifle/cartridge, is worse than a miss and can lead to a long tracking event.

Many experienced shooters/hunter prefer shots that break the spine either at the neck or back and anchor the animal immediately (I'm not a good enough shot). There are also elk hunters that prefer a shoulder shot with a heavy cartridge/caliber for the same reason... break the shoulder and the animal is not going far... I prefer killing shots vs shoulder shots unless the bullet can go all the way thru and hit the nerve plexus near the sternum.

 

[Mooseman]

Nobody has mentioned gun design, but the same caliber gun like 30/06 , one will kick like a mule , one will not , as stock design / angle to shoulder also play a part in felt recoil. With todays new decelerator Pads , you can alter a kicker into a manageable recoil gun , and when shooting an animal , you never feel recoil due to the adrenalin pumping.

 

[G8rHunter]

It is actually a combination of Both , but a Poor shot or wounding an animal is usually on the shooter. You don't hunt prairie dogs with a 50BMG and you don't hunt Buffalo with anything less than a .300 Magnum so it means you use enough gun to do the job for the species hunted , but you have to be able to shoot it accurately.

I'm learning that many on this forum have several different caliber guns, as you do. The 30-06 seems fairly versatile, but the 6.5 CM and 7mm -08 are better for deer but not so good for elk. Obviously, if you are a good marksman (which I am not at this point), the 6.5 or 7mm -08 will work for elk. It sounds like 45-70 or magnums are preferred for elk or moose. BTW, just learned that moose have been reintroduced to NW Oregon. I have not heard of anyone mentioning a moose kill in Oregon yet.

 

[osprey]

Nobody has mentioned gun design, but the same caliber gun like 30/06 , one will kick like a mule , one will not , as stock design / angle to shoulder also play a part in felt recoil. With todays new decelerator Pads , you can alter a kicker into a manageable recoil gun , and when shooting an animal , you never feel recoil due to the adrenalin pumping.

The worst recoiling stock design in my experience has to be the pre 64 win model 70 stocks. On the flipside The Kimber Montana stock design has one of the best designs to mitigate recoil.

 

[bbbass]

he 30-06 seems fairly versatile, but the 6.5 CM and 7mm -08 are better for deer but not so good for elk.

Agree that the 30-06 is versatile. But many hunters would say the others are great for elk. Remember smaller bullet going faster has the same energy and velocity is pushing the bullet deep enough... shoulder shots being the exception. IMO you will find a huge variation of opinions on what cartridge is ok for what game.

It sounds like 45-70 or magnums are preferred for elk or moose.

Old school thinking as far as elk goes. Not sure about moose but they are humongous so I wouldn't be surprised!

 

[Mooseman]

I've hunted Florida to Alaska , small game and Big , Dangerous Game, and I still maintain that a larger diameter Bullet creates a larger impact and wound channel and so even a marginal kill zone shot becomes effective in stopping an animal like Deer, Elk, Moose, Bear , etc.

 

[G8rHunter]

Truth.... a heart shot will kill most any legal big game in 'Merica. They will usually run, but not far.

A lung shot will kill eventually, but may require some tracking or some patience to let the animal bleed out (this is why some hunters prefer bullets that will exit and leave more trail or more bleeding).

A wounding shot that is off target, with any rifle/cartridge, is worse than a miss and can lead to a long tracking event.

Many experienced shooters/hunter prefer shots that break the spine either at the neck or back and anchor the animal immediately (I'm not a good enough shot). There are also elk hunters that prefer a shoulder shot with a heavy cartridge/caliber for the same reason... break the shoulder and the animal is not going far... I prefer killing shots vs shoulder shots unless the bullet can go all the way thru and hit the nerve plexus near the sternum.

Hmmm, not sure I'm anywhere close to placing a shot yet. I'm hitting the target, with a few in the center, using my iron sights. I guess in time I'll move up to a scope, and my success will center around a superior scope! Sorry fellas, but deer hunting sounds like a lot of luck (as far as I am concerned). I have been shooting for less than a month. I have to figure distance, trajectory, wind, etc, which only comes with experience. So, I need a lot more ammo to practice up!

 

[osprey]

A guy could buy a .270 or a 30-06 with a decent 3x9 scope and be covered for anything in the lower 48 and most of AK hunting as well. I am partial to the 7mm cartridges though so make mine a 280 or better yet a 280ai and I would be covered for all my hunting exploits. Practice up with your rifle and learn the habits of your quarry and luck becomes a lesser part of a successful hunt.

 

[G8rHunter]

I've hunted Florida to Alaska , small game and Big , Dangerous Game, and I still maintain that a larger diameter Bullet creates a larger impact and wound channel and so even a marginal kill zone shot becomes effective in stopping an animal like Deer, Elk, Moose, Bear , etc.

So, the bigger the animal, the bigger the caliber! I'm remembering the Cree woman who shot a grizzly with a lethal shot from a .22 at close range, but that wasn't a choice of ammo but completely situational.

 

[Mooseman]

The worst recoiling stock design in my experience has to be the pre 64 win model 70 stocks. On the flipside The Kimber Montana stock design has one of the best designs to mitigate recoil.

Interesting ... I Hunt with pre-64 Winchesters and 1 post 64 300 Win mag and they are recoil tame compared to some Ruger and weatherby rifles, and sporterized military guns I have shot . I Traded off a Kimber 84M in .338 Federal because it kicked like a mule. Traded off a .338 Ruger M77 that hurt like hell to shoot.