Posted: 3/20/2013 5:30:10 PM EDT
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What do you guys think of using a rem 700 5r in .308 for hunting big game? This would include spot n stalk game and rugged terrain hunting. Basically I'm looking for a rifle i can use to hunt all over north america and tack drive with at long distances at the range.
Thanks for your advice. |
| Whats the weight on a 5r. That would be my biggest concern. If you were truck hunting or stand hunting I would say go for it. But if your going to be covering lots of ground you would want a light weight rifle. But 308 will kill any game in north America if thats your concern. |
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Quoted:
Thanks. I'm looking at killing animals from 100-600 yards so i want to feel confident that .308 will work for that. I despise recoil so the less the caliber the better without compromising the animal I'm targeting. Take a heavy rifle on 1 long stalk and you will despise weight more than recoil. |
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Quoted:
What do you guys think of using a rem 700 5r in .308 for hunting big game? This would include spot n stalk game and rugged terrain hunting. Basically I'm looking for a rifle i can use to hunt all over north america and tack drive with at long distances at the range. Thanks for your advice. As mentioned above I prefer a light rifle, I've humped some serious mountains in Colorado with friends one whom uses a heavy barrel police 700 .308. He hates it. He is buying a lighter profile barrel rifle this year. .308 will work, but I think its on the light side for elk. I'd recommend a sporter profile barrel 30-06 or 300 win mag. I've heard the tikka's are real nice, though I prefer Remingtons and the newer Ruger with the upgraded triggers. As far as recoil goes one my elk guns is a .375 ruger with a muzzle brake that brings the recoil down to .308 levels with hand loaded 235 gr barnes triple shocks. |
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I have a TC Encore and a few different barrels. When I bought the gun used it came with a .300 WM barrel with a brake on it.
At first I thought that the light rifle with that .300 WM would be painful, and that I would probably try to trade the barrel for a different one. But thanks to the brake it kicks less than the old 700 BDL in .308, and I picked up a lot more kinetic energy. Some people complain about noise from rifles with a brake, at the range I wear ear protection and when there's fur in the cross hairs I don't notice it anyways. With a 180 grain Partition in a .308 the high end of velocity would be around 2500 FPS. It will drop 114 inches at 600 yards (with 100 yard zero) and has 952 FT/lbs of energy at that distance. The same bullet out of a .300 WM will leave the barrel at around 2900 FPS, drop 81 inches, and has 1360 FPS of energy at 600 yards. Neither of those loads are maximum loads, but there is a big difference at distance especially when it comes to the 180+ grain bullets. Why handicap yourself at distance when a muzzle brake will do more to reduce recoil than going to a less powerful cartridge will? |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Thanks. I'm looking at killing animals from 100-600 yards so i want to feel confident that .308 will work for that. I despise recoil so the less the caliber the better without compromising the animal I'm targeting. Take a heavy rifle on 1 long stalk and you will despise weight more than recoil. I took my 11lb .308 out one elk season. I will never do that again. BTW-.308 is plenty. |
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I have hunted elk for two seasons in the Colorado mountains with my R700 AAC SD in .308. Heavy? Yes! Worth it? Yes! I am very familiar with my rifle, I reload with >200 grain bullets at 2600 fps that deliver AWESOME down range performance way out there compared to other .30 caliber bullets. Totally viable round/caliber.
Most important thing, as stated over and over... shot placement and stable shooting positions. Get a tripod/bipod/shooting sticks and practice a LOT! I have my 14 y/o son doing this already and he is getting awesome results, but it took practice. |
| I can honestly say I can not remember the recoil from any shot on game in the field. At the range is a different story. While at the range I can wear a PAST recoil pad (could wear it hunting as well). I carried a Remington Sendero in 300WM elk hunting one year. The following year it stayed home and I was carrying a 6.5lb 280AI that kicked much harder than my 300 Win did at the bench. |
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.308 is okay for Elk, Moose, and smallish bears (not brownies), but you will regret carrying a 14 lb rifle the first time you are in the Rockies. You will leave it at home after you make 5 - four mile trips back to camp carrying out an 800 lb bull. I would buy a .300 Win Mag with a sporter weight barrel, and have fun collecting heads. |
| most of the 5r guns are only like 8-9 pounds. It will do you just fine. I have used everything from 243. and 6.8 to 375 ultramags and 458 win mags on elk. Shot placement is key and i would say bullet performance on elk at 600 would be not ideal with most 308 loads back ranges below 400 and you will fare better. Go to the gym a day a week and the rifle wont matter in the just under 10 pound class (with scope). If you want an excuse to get more guns hunting is a great reason though. I carried a 300 sendero non fluted for nearly 10 years and rarely did it really bug me. This year I am trying out a sporter weight barrel in 300 wsm though. And we backpack hunt almost exclusively so weight does matter but i like to carry rifles i trust sometimes they are heavy. |