Well said my man! I love my Ruger M77 in 25-06 for everything deer sized and smaller. If I didn't have a muzzle brake on my .300 Wby, I'd be shooting my 30-06 on everything else. I do like the Wby because it is flatter shooting with a 180/200 gr bullet than the 30-06. I could get by with 2 rifles and be very happy. I'm over 70 now and the lighter rifles I have are sure a lot easier to carry and have recoil that I can live with.
No, it's not. I could post links all day long of elk that were killed at long range with a 6mm but it still doesn't make it a good choice.
I have to agree with this and I'm a .270 lover from way back. My thoughts in recommending what I did were that by the time the OP was competent enough to shoot at something 700 yards away that he would realize a light weight rifle was not the correct tool for the job. On an elk sized animal at long range (lets say over 400 yards for the sake of argument) I would want a minimum of .30 caliber and a heavy for caliber bullet, the rifle wouldn't be a light weight either.
Knowing you have a capable rifle in your hands plays a much smaller part in a successful 700 yard shot than knowing the rifle is in capable hands.
I was thinking end it now before it even gets to that point. There is enough information all ready given to help the original poster with question. My two cents, .270WSM and forget about it!
+1. Good point Elkoholic. Absolutely there are much better rigs for 700 yd shots at big heavy game. Goals are what drive us to continue improving as marksmen and hunters. As long as the person setting these goals has gone to a 1,000 yd range and taken a good hard look at what 700 yards is. Cut a piece of cardboard the size of elk vitals. Then start learning what kind of drop and drift it takes to hit that 16 or 18" square. Having a mountain weight rig chambered in the caliber for that task isn;t going to be a sure thing in anyone's hands. The "just in case" rifle isn't going to ideal for a high percentage shot,in field conditions,at 700 yds. A dedicated long range rig is going to be heavy. You are going to know your drift and drop figures. If you don't know about wind flags,you should pick up a set. There are folks out there that don't believe the 338 Edge is effected by wind. Lots of things working against even seasoned marksmen beyond 400 yards,with toting weight rifles. Along the lines of the best all around gun this it in a nut shell. In the rifle that you want to carry. Up hill and down. Loaded pack and all. You have to be able to put your shots in that 18" square under field conditions. If you can do it with an 8.5 lb 340 Weatherby, 300 Ultra,338 Ultra or 338 Edge then that is the rig to run with. If you don't like the recoil in this configuration you have 2 choices. More weight or a milder round. At what yardage you loose the vital accuracy/kenetic energy becomes your practical hunting range for taking game. I'm not trying to be a smart a-hole,but these are the things folks tend to forget when taking a desperation poke at a critter once every 5 years. I don't care to carry around the scope and rifle necessary to close the deal should one walk out at 700. No offense intended in any way. Just my 2 cents.
