Good rifle for hunting in Wyoming?

Question

I want to get a new rifle for huniting in Wyoming this fall. Mule Deer and Antelope are the target.. I use a Rem. 30-06 semi-auto, but I would like to buy a decent bolt action rifle to use for this trip?

What should I get? If you are wondering, Money is an object... So, what is a decent rifle/size to take? I have looked at a .743, but I am just not knowlegeable to make this call.

What do you think? I prefer to get a rifle/scope package...

Any suggestions? Price ranges

Answer 1

Bound's hubby here:

You did not state what the hunting conditions will be, either plains hunting or mountain hunting ... this could make a difference. If money is an issue, as you said, I would make the most for this hunt.

First off, the .30-06 is a great cartridge and will do what you need it to do for this hunt. It is quite capable of taking deer sized game out to about 450 to 500 yards, depending upon your proficiency! If you are proficient with your Remington Semi-Auto (and it is hunting legal in Wyoming), I would use that for this hunt.

If you can shoot a 3" group at a 100 yards with your Remington, you are off to a great start. I would use a paper plate as your barometer ... the maximum distance you can keep a 5 shot group on a 12" paper plate should be your personal maximum hunting distance. I should suspect you should be able to set 300 to 400 yards as your maximum hunting distance.

With money being an object, I would invest in a very good scope for your Remington semi-auto (for this hunt). Personally, I prefer fixed power scopes. I would look at mounting a 6 power Leupold on your rifle, and zero it. A good scope with practice will help shrink your groups.

When you can afford a bolt rifle, you can always switch this scope to the new rifle. I personally like Remington 700s and Winchester Model 70s ... but Winchester 70s are now a thing of the past ... aim at the Remington. My personal choice is the Remington 700 Varmint in .308 Winchester. This is what I use for 1000 yard matches ... and am very confident with it for hunting.

You can get the Remington 700 for about $600-$700. The Leupold scope should go about $400. This combination can last a lifetime and serve you quite well.

If your typical shot will be 300 or more yards away, stick with a .308 or a .30-06 ... the smaller calibers will not do the job. The .270 will, but you can't get it in a heavy barrel model, which increases accuracy.

Good luck and enjoy your hunt!

Answer 2

Excellent advise so far. The Remington 700 is hard to beat. I'd pick at least a .25-06 Remington, or .270 Winchester caliber. Why not just get a bolt action in .30-06 and save on ammo?

The .308 Winchester would be another good choice.

My most accurate, out-of-the-box deer rifle so far has been a Remington 700 ADL in .25-06 caliber purchased new in 1974 for $120. It is perfect for South Texas Whitetail deer and should do just fine on mulies and antelope. For anything bigger I'd go with at least a .270 Winchester caliber. That said I'll add that you really can't go wrong with a .30-06 in case you come across something bigger than Mule deer. Nothing says you can't own two .30-06s, a semi-auto and a bolt action.

H

Answer 3

As you have a 30-06 already, I would stick with that caliber for mule deer and antelope. (unless of course you just have to have another caliber).

If I was going for another caliber for those two animals I would opt for the .270 or the .270 WSM. My back-up to those three would be a 25-06 or 25 WSM.

I like the savage brand. Ugly, but very accurate. Stevens are also made my savage and I have one in .223 that is VERY accurate. Forget the rifle/scope package as the scopes are not that great. Good optics are generally more $ than the gun. Getting a good Leupold, Nikon, Burris, is crucial. Another high quality scope is Mueller. You can order them on-line and I love their prices, quality and customer service. I have two of their scopes and they are great. Get a 3-9 x40mm and you will be good to go. Have fun and a great trip out to Wyoming.

Answer 4

Seeing as how Wyoming is a fairly wide open area you may be looking at some long shots. A 25-06 is a good flat shooting caliber and will get the job done but the longer the shot the less hit power you have with a light bullet. I hunt with a 300 winchester magnum with a 180 grain Nosler solid base bullet. It shoots nice and flat and carries enough energy at long range to knock down the most stuborn elk.
Best of luck

Answer 5

I would go with a 25/06 or a 280,,,,,but your 06 will do.. if you zero it in at 200 yrds you will be an inch and a half high at 100 and have a 8 inch drop at 300 with a 150 grain bullet.

Answer 6

Remington 700 bolt action,winchester 70 bolt action .I got a remington 742 Woodsman with a Redfield scope that drives nails at 300 yds. What ya got is GOOD ENOUGH!!!!! Practice ,practice ,practice, these guns go out to 600yds with windage adj No Prolbemo

Answer 7

you need a 300 magnum or 7mm for very long shots and good knockdown power . bolt action is best because its more acurate at longer range . remington has good package but savage will be much cheaper and they shoot pretty much the same but looks are different the remington is just more pleaseing to look at .you need to invest the most in a very good scope because those long shots need to be made with good eyes and in longrange country a scope makes the difference and the gun type only works if you can see the animal best to make that long shot . go to gun shop and handle several different brands then when you find that brand ya want go to walmart and order that brand itll be cheaper but if your wanting to go the best price . think of buying a used gun and then put the most money in a new scope for the used gun but be sure the gun isnt worn out . shoot it a couple of times before you lay your money down . a lot of times used guns are proven already and broken in and if in good condition i perferr used to new anyway.if you put effort in it youll find that theres a lot of people selling their 300s and 7mm with nice scope already on thare and alreadyy sighted in for much less than youll pay new but a good deal dosent last long . a person who knows a good deal will grab it fast before others do so be ready to ponch on good gun .

Answer 8

model 700 Remington 270 with 3by9 scope. it will get the job done.good luck hunting.

Answer 9

Personally i use a .308 winchester. thats an all around good gun to go with.

Answer 10

i suggest you call our vice president for advice. from what i've read about his hunting adventures he truly enjoys killing, especially small animals that could never "kill him back". i understand that behavior is typical for chickenshi*s,and other cowardly narcissist sociopath/psychopath scum. how do you measure up vis a vis this comment?