Seeking Trad Deer

I'd really appreciate some help. I a guy stranded on the east coast and hope someday to do a few hunts out west before I push up the daisies. I do not plan to hunt grizzly but probably everything else is a possibility. What caliber and scope do you recommend? My gunsmith recommended a Model 70 with a Leupold on top in 300 Winchester Magnum. I will definitely get either an LPS or VXIII. Not sure if the Boone and Crocket Rectile is recommended and what you guys think about the differences between the LPS and VXIII. Also, what caliber would you recommend. I really could use the help.

Mike in Pennsylvania

Hunter06FlKy

I would personally recommend the 30-06 but i'm partial to that cartridge so anyhow. it's a great cartridge and you can hunt anything in n america you want with it.

Virginia7

As noted, the 30-06 is a good choice, or as someone once said, "the 30-06 is never wrong". Another good choice for out west is the 7mm Rem.Mag. Top 'em off with a Leupold VX-III, 2.5-8x scope, and you're set to go.

stubblejumper

Pick a bolt action rifle that fits you well in 7mmremmag or 300winmag or 300wsm and you can't go wrong.For a scope I prefer the ziess conquest over the vxIII as they are brighter for the same size lenses.

Jeff Ovington

Can't go wrong with that set-up your gunsmith suggested...
Ipartial toa 30-06 myself but I like the 300 Mag alot..
I love Leupold VXiii.......The best scope for the money....
Although that may change....RED FIELD and Meade designed
a scope that is apparantely pretty amazing...
I'm holding out on buying a scope at the moment until I get a chance to see their product.......

James B

I HAVE A 30-06 REMINGTON 7600 WITH AN AETEC 4X12 LIGHTED RECTICAL SCOPE. ITS ABOUT AS PERFECT AS IT GETS. IMO.

bigbulls

For all around Western big game hunting you would be very hard pressed to have a better suited cartridge than a 300 magnum of some configuration. I am partial to the WSM rather than the standard 300 Win mag. simply because it will hang neck and neck with its larger cousin when shooting bullets of 180 grains or less and it does it in a short action receiver with less recoil (given equal weight guns) and it is of a beltless design (I hate belted cases as you might have gathered onother threads). And,lets face it, with todays hunting bullets there is no reason what so ever to use a 30 caliber bullet heavier than 180 grains no matter what you are hunting with it. There is a huge selection of factory loaded and loose bullets available to reloaders in 180 grains that will do everything that a 200 or 220 grain of conventional design will do and even do it better. If you need a 30 cal. bullet heavier than 180 grains then you need to step up in caliber rather than just bullet weight.


Good scope choice but I wouldn't fool with that B&C reticle. Just more junk confusing a big game hunter when the moment of thrth comes along. That reticle is much better suited to varmint hunting. Stick with a duplex, heavy duplex, or maybe even a simple ballistic plex. I would also urge you to consider Burris signature select scoopes. I get to look through a lot of scopes and the Burris scopes impress me more dollar for dollar and optic for optic than any other brand out there. They really are second to none.

Vapodog

we're focusing on the .30 mags, .30-06 and the 7MM Mag and these are all super choices.

IMO the .280 Remington is fully the equal to any of these and can be had in a very light rifle.

Brad A

Vapo, I agree though I'd recomend a 270 or 30-06. Funny, no one has asked this gentlemen's capability and/or experience with hard kicking rifles. Excessive recoil costs more people more game than most other factors. Heck, there's nothing I've ever killed here in Montana that couldn't have cleanly been taken with a 308 Win. In the end you're going to kill game better with a rifle you like to shoot (and therefore DO shoot) than a rifle that unsettles you. Shot placement is 99% of the game and the lesson of better shooting with light-kicking rifles is so obvious most people forget the lesson.

Vapodog

Brad, well said.....I couldn't agree more and I laugh at all the folks that need a .338/.378 Weatherby Mag to hunt elk. Most ate scared sh------ of shooting the thing and couldn't hit a bull in the a-- at ten feet.

A hunter that can shoot his .30-06 well is far better off than anyone using a .300 RUM that has spouted paper statistics all over the place. I've seen them and it's laughable...they think game dies because of the amount of noise they make pulling the trigger.