Not sure if everyone else on the forum agrees or not, but for less than that price range I picked up a savage 30-06 and has been incredibly accurate and have not had any problems
270 is a fine round. It'll do the job on Elk. I enjoy shooting and I'm not rich, so when choosing between 2 calibers that can cover the same ground, I always go with the one that is cheaper in terms of ammo. That leaves the 7mm out in the cold for me :redface: About 8 to 10 bucks a box more!
But certainly don't sweat the recoil issues. Proper long gun shooting technique will mean you'll be aware of the difference, but it's not a huge deal.
In terms of what gun you're going to get in your price range, you're basically looking at bolt actions if you're looking at new guns. remington 770s, some marlins and some savages. Pick your favorite brand. They'll all do the job for you. Just don't expect a 300 yd nail driver at the range out of them. Perfectly fine hunting rifles though!
But certainly don't sweat the recoil issues. Proper long gun shooting technique will mean you'll be aware of the difference, but it's not a huge deal.
In terms of what gun you're going to get in your price range, you're basically looking at bolt actions if you're looking at new guns. remington 770s, some marlins and some savages. Pick your favorite brand. They'll all do the job for you. Just don't expect a 300 yd nail driver at the range out of them. Perfectly fine hunting rifles though!
The fit and finish on the low end Savage rifles is not that good and the bolts don't cycle very smoothly, but damn those rifles can shoot! I've found the Savage rifles to be about 1.25 or better MOA with good factory ammo. You can even get the Savage combo which has a cheap scope that is fine, but be wear because they are not assembled very well. No worries though because all you have to do is lock-tight all the bolts and then bore site them and it's all good.
Yeah. We all fall into that trap. And it's hard to blame us with all the choices out there. But all these guns will shoot "better" than we can. And yeah, there are probably some people here who can truly say that the performance of these guns might hold them back at the range. But I'm not one of them. My recent pistol search I turned away from the Ruger SR9 because it wasn't as accurate as the others I was looking at. By what? 1/2" inch in a bench rest? Yeah... My lame ass shooting would suffer because of that half inch :rofl:
I'd head for a gun shop that has a good selection of used rifles with scopes. For Elk a .270, a .308, or 30-06 should be more than adequate and there should be lots of good used guns to select from. Not just cobbled up mil-surp but good Winchesters, Savages, Remingtons, and even a Weatherby often show up in the shops from trade-ins, Estate Sales, or Consignments.
Make one of these a "first rifle" rather than a brand new factory rifle that you have to buy all the goodies to finish out.
Lots of good shops down in that neck of the woods that have lots of "experienced" rifles that were either traded in or their owner has passed on.
I regularly see lots of rifles that would fit your needs and stated budget at Kesselring's up north of Mt Vernon. If you want to make that trip, just don't go on Saturday.
Make one of these a "first rifle" rather than a brand new factory rifle that you have to buy all the goodies to finish out.
Lots of good shops down in that neck of the woods that have lots of "experienced" rifles that were either traded in or their owner has passed on.
I regularly see lots of rifles that would fit your needs and stated budget at Kesselring's up north of Mt Vernon. If you want to make that trip, just don't go on Saturday.
First Elk Rifle
I picked this one up from a guy stationed at Fairchild airbase in Eastern Washington.
It's a (New) Savage Mod. 111 in .270 caliber with a Cabela's 3x12 scope all for $350.
He only shot about 10 rds. through it to sight in the scope.
Still like new. Be great for elk.I will keep an eye out for you in the forums for a good elk rifle.
I picked this one up from a guy stationed at Fairchild airbase in Eastern Washington.
It's a (New) Savage Mod. 111 in .270 caliber with a Cabela's 3x12 scope all for $350.
He only shot about 10 rds. through it to sight in the scope.
Still like new. Be great for elk.I will keep an eye out for you in the forums for a good elk rifle.
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Looks like the OP lives across the street from Cabelas. When they drop the price on used guns that don't move there can be some killer deals!
If you end up picking something up let us know what you've went with. My family goes out for elk just about every year. They shoot .300 win mags and 7mm weatherby's. I've personally never went so I'm intreasted in which caliber you go with.
Oh side note. Elk is hands down my favorite game meat. Love that stuff wether in steaks or soups!
Moose is really good too.
Oh side note. Elk is hands down my favorite game meat. Love that stuff wether in steaks or soups!
Moose is really good too.
Probably lured one into the yard with "goodies" and now has it hidden in his barn waiting for hunting season. Several months of good hay and grain should make it taste real good.
SHHHHH thats how i do it on the westside, on another note I have shot many elk in washington westside thru the years and I have always used a 7mm rem mag, 110 savage, cause its light, most friends I know shoot the 300 short mag which is alo a great rifle. I like the savage 110 cause i have a muzzle break on her which makes it feel like shooting a .22 I also use a marlin 45-70 guide gun in the thick **** that way you dont have to worry about all the brush and branches knocking your bullet off. With that being said I am doing Archery elk this year in a location only known by GOD......and me......and all the redneck sweatshirt wearing dipping assholes from the south end. If you want to shoot any of my rifles let me know we can arrange that.
I bought a Savage model 200 with synthetic stock, put on a 3X9 scope on it. I wish I were as good a shot as this rifle is capable of. It's got plenty of knockdown power, lots of different loads available. Best of all it fits your $$ budget as it did mine.
Good Shooting!
Good Shooting!
As for ballistics, both internal and external, they are the same round (when comparing like bullet weights). The 7.63X51 was developed as the replacement for the old 30-06 round which was the US standard for rifles. As it was under development a US manufacturer saw the opportunity for the .308 to be marketed in the civilian market. It was introduced to the market about 2 years before NATO accepted the same round as a standard and called it the 7,62X51.
Differences like in the brass case itself. The case walls are thicker near the base to allow for more durability when used in machine guns or full auto rifles. Shooting 7.62 NATO rounds in civilian rifles is not an issue. The problems arise when reloading due to the heavier walls of the case which reduce the volume and can drive pressures above safe limits.
There is a lot of discussion about NATO pressure versus SAAMI pressure for this round. The difference in published pressures is due to the different methods for measuring the pressure, primarily the location of the pressure measuring device in the test firearm. Again, they are the same round, assuming the same bullet weight. The military standard is 147 gr while most civilian rounds are typically 155gr, 168 gr, and 175 gr.
As for performance, the .308 round is considered by most to be one of the best rounds for accuracy. I have shot many 5-round groups that look like a single ragged hole. Inexpensive to reload, my match grade rounds cost me approximately $0.40 each. Barrels last a long time with many seeing 5,000-6,000 rounds and no real deterioration of accuracy. Compare that with some of the .22 based calibers where barrel life is less than 2,000 rounds.
In short, a .308 rifle is very versatile. Inexpensive to shoot, easy to reload for, and accurate.