Help pick a caliber

[Crunchy]

Well I am looking to piece together another rifle and cannot decide on caliber.  My go to gun is a 7mm, but looking at either going a step bigger in a .30 cal or maybe smaller in a 6.5ish range.  For deer, bear, elk and paper.  Figured if I start buying pieces now I might have it all together for components to come into stock. I do have a good stash of H1000 if that figures into the pick.

Thoughts....

[str8meat]

My 7 rem mag loves h1000with 168 bergers my 300 win mag eats h1000 with 185 bergers both guns are sub Mia with factory barrels. My 6.5 likes us 869 so that’s all I can say.

[Rat44]

Depends on where you will be hunting, timber or open lands.
I have been using a 30/06 for years.
I know,its not exciting but it does everything I need it to.
If you reload all the better.
I"m kinda stuck on 180 Nosler Partitions but have been playing with the Barnes offerings also.

[b23]

300WSM

[Crunchy]

any benefits on 300 win mag over 300 win short mag?

[Duckslayer89]

any benefits on 300 win mag over 300 win short mag?

If your going to step it up and build a 30 cal I would look at the 300PRC. I for sure wouldn’t go smaller than 7mm for bear and elk, not from what I’ve seen at long range. I don’t know how far you want to shoot though. Have you thought about another 7mm? I love mine so I wouldn’t change anything

[Crunchy]

any benefits on 300 win mag over 300 win short mag?

If your going to step it up and build a 30 cal I would look at the 300PRC. I for sure wouldn’t go smaller than 7mm for bear and elk, not from what I’ve seen at long range. I don’t know how far you want to shoot though. Have you thought about another 7mm? I love mine so I wouldn’t change anything

Ive thought about building another 7mm and just buying another set of dies for it and shooting heavier bullets over the 168s I shoot now.  But knowing me I would likely mix bullets or dies up so I thought build something different would keep me from doing that.

[CP]

I'd bump it up to a .35 - .35 Whelen or .35 Norma mag. 

[Duckslayer89]

any benefits on 300 win mag over 300 win short mag?

If your going to step it up and build a 30 cal I would look at the 300PRC. I for sure wouldn’t go smaller than 7mm for bear and elk, not from what I’ve seen at long range. I don’t know how far you want to shoot though. Have you thought about another 7mm? I love mine so I wouldn’t change anything

Ive thought about building another 7mm and just buying another set of dies for it and shooting heavier bullets over the 168s I shoot now.  But knowing me I would likely mix bullets or dies up so I thought build something different would keep me from doing that.

I shoot the 180 VLD hunting bullet in my 7mag. Just can’t imagine ever changing now. Besides maybe to go up to a 300PRC if I burn the barrel out eventually but I don’t see it happening. I like the 7 to much

[Taco280AI]

What's the build? Heavy? Lightweight? Ranges intended? Hunt spot and stalk or shoot into the next county from your camp? Need more info. Bullet intended, target type or bone buster and keep going?

If I were going 7mag I'd use the 168LRX. If 300mag 175LRX.

[Crunchy]

What's the build? Heavy? Lightweight? Ranges intended? Hunt spot and stalk or shoot into the next county from your camp? Need more info. Bullet intended, target type or bone buster and keep going?

If I were going 7mag I'd use the 168LRX. If 300mag 175LRX.

Not light weight or heavy necessarily.  Probable build on a Defiance, carbon fiber stock, and a fluted #5 contour from Benchmark since they did such a good job on my last barrel.  Range for most of my deer is 200-700 yards. I want to keep the weight down but not into the carbon fiber wrapped barrels.  Bergers have served me well on my 7mm, but I am open to trying other options as far as bullets go.

[b23]

Sounds like you're looking to build kind of a medium-ish weight setup.  You parts list looks pretty solid.  Do you have a barrel length in mind?

For me, it would depend on which bullet weight I was wanting to shoot and what barrel length I wanted to end up with.  If I'm going 30 cal over 7mm I'd be shooting 200+ gr bullets.  If you want to shoot lighter than the 200's I'd stick with a 7mm.  In a medium weight 30cal build using a 22-24in tube shooting up to the 215's I think the 300WSM makes for a really nice setup.  If I planned to shoot the 230-250 grainers I'd step up to a 30-338Lap Imp or maybe 300 Norma Imp but I'd run those with at least a 28in pipe but for 2-700yd work the 300WSM would serve you well.

I'm no particular fan of belted cases and the 300 Win just barely runs faster than the WSM so if I wasn't going to make the jump to the 30 Lapua Imp or Norma Imp but wanted more velocity than the WSM I'd probably do a 30 Nosler or 300PRC.  ADG or Lapua makes brass for all the above so at least you'll have top notch brass to use.

[TooTallMike]

I built a fast twist 300wm to shoot monos or the heavies

Went 1/8 twist and shooting cutting edge bullets but could shoot the long bois if I wanted to.

Right now it’s loving h1000 and I went with a 24” barrel. I know I could have gone longer but I’m still hitting steel at 800.

[Jolten]

26 or 28 nosler

[JJB11B]

7mag, I’m all in on 7mag now