American made rifle

[Deer Creek Hunter]

I have a bunch of preference points in Wyoming and Colorado for Elk and MD. I'm recently retired and want to start using my points. I have a Ruger #1 300 mag but it's not much fun shoot and I don't shoot it well. So I want to get a new American made rifle. Was thinking about 308 caliber. I've never shot one but have heard they are a pleasure to shoot. Any recommendations on brand or caliber?

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Why don't you shoot it well? #1's are great rifles that usually are tack drivers.

 

[Catahoula12]

I have .308 Winchester that I only use for long range target shooting and yes it is a breeze to shoot. However, don’t pass up on a
7mm-08. I have a 7mm-08 for hunting and it’s just a wonderful shooting rifle...

 

[AKaviator]

^^^ What he said! My Savage 7mm-08 shoots great!

 

[Eberle]

Remington Model 700 VTR

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I wouldn't give up on the Ruger. Maybe the recoil is a little bit much and you could use a muzzle brake.

Sending you a PM.

 

[Umpqua Hunter]

If it were me, and two of my key hunts were elk, I would look at a 7mm Rem Mag, 28 Nosler (7mm), 300 WSM, or 300 Win Mag. Even though I am a 30 caliber shooter, I would suggest going with 7mm cartridges as they tend to be in the sweet spot for ballistic performance. I love the looks of the Christensen Arms Ridgeline and I have heard good things about Cooper Rifles, both American made with custom rifle features at significantly lower price of a custom rifle. Some of these already have a muzzle brake and are real shooters from what I have heard. The muzzle brake will tame the recoil 40% to 50%.

 

[ColoradoV]

I would look into a cooper. They make a couple of great .308's for hunting. I have shot a .308 for many years now (they are great to shoot) and a Remmington LTR with a 20" barrel is not expensive - every one of them I have seen shoots extremely well for a $1000 rifle..

With that said my next gun will be a cooper (backcountry or excaliber) in 7 mag w a break.

 

[Umpqua Hunter]

P.S. With a muzzle brake my wife and my daughter hunt with my 300 WSM. In fact my daughter (16 now) recently killed a coyote at 440+ yards with it, so she can not only shoot it but shoot it very well. The brake drastically takes the painful recoil out. I would say the 300 WSM recoils between my .270 and .243. I'm a big guy but I really don't like recoil. I owned a 338 Win Mag in my 20's and it beat me up and hurt my shooting with all rifles for a few years after. So, my recommendation of a brake comes with some experience with heavy recoiling rifles that I really didn't care for.

 

[480/277]

Win pre 64 model 70
Or Rem 721/722
I love my 270 and 257 Bob
In 7mm
The 7mm08 is sweet
Or a 280/280AI

 

[Hilltop]

Here is a $20 solution to your not so fun shooting. They really make a difference.
https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiw3qmRq7rYAhULEYEKHXuZBkAYABACGgJ5dw&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASEuRoq408I7wlMbWc9tF6TEkVaA&sig=AOD64_1Ui06VrxdUlEy21Ln8CujMaFRuIg&ctype=5&q=&ved=0ahUKEwiB-KSRq7rYAhVBWCYKHcfeCSkQ9aACCDI&adurl=

I like the recoil pad for target practice and never notice recoil when hunting. Good hearing protection also can take some of the shock away as well. Perceived recoil is really different when you can't hear it.

If you really want a lower recoiling gun, a 7mm-08 is very nice to shoot in comparison or go with the muzzle brake as suggested above.

 

[WY ME]

I agree with Hilltop on the noise factor. I think ear muffs reduce the perceived kick by quite a bit. I usually shoot my 340 WBY with a brake when sighting in but I always take the brake off when hunting. My wife prefers to use my 340 over my girls 270's and says she's never felt the recoil when hunting. I have her shoot the little 270's at the range for practice. They both have brakes on them as well so she has never learned to be afraid of the kick. Rifle noise is what really bothers my oldest daughter but not the kick.

The cost of the ammo is more painful than the recoil.

 

[JimP]

I agree with Hilltop on the noise factor. I think ear muffs reduce the perceived kick by quite a bit. I usually shoot my 340 WBY with a brake when sighting in but I always take the brake off when hunting. My wife prefers to use my 340 over my girls 270's and says she's never felt the recoil when hunting. I have her shoot the little 270's at the range for practice. They both have brakes on them as well so she has never learned to be afraid of the kick. Rifle noise is what really bothers my oldest daughter but not the kick.

The cost of the ammo is more painful than the recoil.

Sounds like you have a close friend to my .340 Weatherby a stainless MK V that was made here in the USA.

I have found that if you are going to shoot it you can't shoot factory ammo out of it. Mine loves Barnes 225 grain TTSX bullets and that factory ammo is around $110 for a box of 20 the last time that I looked. I can reload the same round for $1.10 a round once I have my cases.

It makes shooting a lot less painful in the pocket book.

 

[WY ME]

Sounds like you have a close friend to my .340 Weatherby a stainless MK V that was made here in the USA.

I have found that if you are going to shoot it you can't shoot factory ammo out of it. Mine loves Barnes 225 grain TTSX bullets and that factory ammo is around $110 for a box of 20 the last time that I looked. I can reload the same round for $1.10 a round once I have my cases.

It makes shooting a lot less painful in the pocket book.

Mine is probably older than yours since I don't think Weatherby made any stainless rifles when I bought it. It looks like a stainless but is actually a nickel plated Alaskan model made in Japan about 1993. It has always shot well with factory loads but I've just started to reload again after 20 years. I'm looking forward to shooting affordable rounds once again.

 

[JimP]

My load if you want to try it is 88 grains of RL-22 with a Barnes 225grain TTSX and a Federal 215 primer out the barrel at 3000 fps

Per the newest Barnes manual it is a hot load but I have seen no signs of pressure and it was a safe load in their old manual.


Mine was of of the first built here in the US with a stainless barrel and a removable muzzle brake. I just love it.

 

[WY ME]

Thanks, I'll keep that load in mind, I have some RL 22.

 

[HuskyMusky]

a 270win is a puppy compared to a 300mag IMO. at least in the examples I've experienced.

so whether 270, 30.06, 7mm08, 308, I think all would be tame compared to a 300 win. mag.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Sounds like you have a close friend to my .340 Weatherby a stainless MK V that was made here in the USA.

I have found that if you are going to shoot it you can't shoot factory ammo out of it. Mine loves Barnes 225 grain TTSX bullets and that factory ammo is around $110 for a box of 20 the last time that I looked. I can reload the same round for $1.10 a round once I have my cases.

It makes shooting a lot less painful in the pocket book.

You are right about factory ammo (especially Wby brand), it really puts a hurt on the wallet.

I have found that it takes a little more tinkering, especially seating depth, loading for Wby rifles. Took me quite a bit longer to find a good shooting load for my .257 & .300. The Wby rifles have a lot of freebore. Once I got the mix right, they are great shooters.

 

[480/277]

Kiss lands, find pressure, kill stuff.

 

[spotnstalk1]

I just picked up an American made Weatherby Mark V. They are made in the great country of California Maybe you would like the 7mm Wby Mag? Have them add the Accubrake from the factory. That'd be a deadly elk/mule deer backcountry rifle and caliber. I just picked up the 6.5-300 Wby Mag but that hot rod is not for everyone. Those 7mm ballistics are pretty tough to beat.