Hi fellers,,, Im in the market for a new gun. I want the fastest i can get and im looking to bring down deer/elk/moose with it. I was thinking about the 7RM but so far ive only been able to find 140 grain ammo for that cal and i dont want to spend that much$$$$ on a gun with such a small choice for ammo, So lets here it what is a FAST FLAT SHOOTING rifel that would do what i want it to, maby the 300RUM??? thanx..... P.s its possible ill be shooting 400+ yds.

 

The 300RUM is a baaad machine. I handload for mine and it will throw a 180 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip at 3500 fps when loaded hot. Remmington factory 300RUM ammo pushes a 180 grain bullet at 3250 fps. Just below the 300RUM is the 300Wby, an awesome rifle also. Because the scope on my 300RUM gave up, I killed an elk 2 years ago at 400 yards (laser rangefinder) with the 300Wby that I was letting my dad use during the hunt. At 400 yards, the WHUMP of the bullet hitting the elk in the chest sounded like a bag of cement dropped off a 2 story building. The elk ran about 50 yards and then piled up. 2 days earlier, my dad shot his elk with the same 300Wby. His was a 80 yard shot at a broadside bull. He hit it a little high in the chest and the elk flipped upside down in mid air and was dead when it hit the ground. The 300Wby throws the same 180 grain bullet at 3150 fps. For comparison, a 30-06 slings a 180 grain bullet at 2850 fps. If you've got the money for ammo or can reload, get the 300RUM, it's a monster.

 

a friend of mine shoots a .300 Win Mag for elk. He has had great success with this gun, but I would perosnally get the .300 RUM like you had mentioned.

I'm not sure that the ballistic tips would be the bullet of choice for the elk and moose. For their size, you want to use something that will give you enough penetration to take the animal down as quickly as possible. I would be afraid the balistic tips will partially fragment too soon and not give you a lethal shot.

 

My next rifle will be a 300 Remington Ultra Mag. The ballistics look wicked.
I'll probably end up with a Remington 700 Sendero or something from Savage with the AccuTrigger. I would like a nice finely finished 700 with a glossy walnut stock etc. but something stainless with a synthetic stock is more practical. This is going to be my big game rifle and it is going to be out in rotten weather doing the job of putting meat on the table. I love my pretty wood stocked rifles but hunting in the rain and snow is hard on them. My Winchester has a nice walnut stock and glossy finish that is just too hard to maintain in wet weather. When the wood swells it changes the point of aim too. Plus out in the woods the glossy finish sticks out like a tin pan in a mudhole.

 

I forgot to mention this buddy of mine reloads his own ammo. For the big game, he likes to use the failsafe bullets. I believe he told me that his last elk was standing at 700 yards. I personally would have a hard time believing this, but I have been out shooting with him before, so I believe his story is legit.. It sure makes me feel good there is someone available to ask technical questions about shooting/reloading. Especialy now that I bought myself a TC Contender in .223 for coyotes. Kind of like coming in here and asking about our machines. Some of the people in here are a wealth of knowledge.

 

I like flat shooters too but after a point, it becomes more of an issue of shooter ability than depending on the gun to do it for you.

I shoot a 300 Win Mag in a Rem 700BDL. I put a 4.5x14 Leupold on it, an HS Precision stock, and a QUE muzzle brake. I hand load two loads for it. My deer/antelope (and occasional coyote) load is a 150 Nosler BT. Runs about 3150fps out of my gun and shoots 1/2 inch groups or less at 100 yards. My elk load is a 180 Barnes X running around 2950fps and I shoot 3/4 inch groups at 200 yards. You can't load Barnes as hot due to the pressure of the longer bullet length. I have loaded 180 Sierras at over 3100 fps. Even the factory FailSafe 180s run 3070 out of my gun.

I have taken antelope in Wyoming at 612 yards, Mule Deer in NM at 536 yards, and whitetail in MO at 447 yards, all with the Nosler load.

I have yet to have a shot at an elk with my Barnes load but I have no doubt they will work fine. I was shooting an AP500 steel pepper popper at 300 yards with the load and it was leaving dimples in the armor plate. I don't think elk bones will be a challenge.

My friend, dropped his bull elk at around 450 yards with a handloaded 165 Barnes X fired from his 30.06 mountain rifle at only 2600 fps.

What I am saying is the biggest and fastest isn't necessarily the best. And by getting one of these specialty calibers, you run the risk of needing ammo in a far away place and not being able to find it. I can find 300WM ammo in most ma & pa sporting goods stores if I had an emergency need for some. Just my thoughts.

Now back to the point, if I was to go for one of these hotdog calibers, that 300RUM would definately be on my short list , along with the Weatherby and 7.62 Warbird. Lots of 7mm fans out there and they work fine. I just don't care for the bullet weight limitations. 30 cal is the way to go.

 

Go all out and get a Weatherby 30-378.

 

I agree with SPD522, on alot of points... ( the 30-06 has killed more animals than probably any other, well maybe the 30-30 ) I use mostly my 338 win mag, for my "out west" hunting, mostly because of cost, accuracy, & available ammo if needed, in a pinch... I shoot a Browning Stainless Stalker, with the boss, mounted with a 4 X 16 Burris posi lock scope...I have found, that the 338 win mag fills the gap nicely, between the 7mm STW, & my 375 H&H ( or a 378 Weatherby )...

I to have a few (LOL) Contenders, but I'm a little quirky with the cartridges I like to shoot... I don't have the time to play with the Herret, TCU & improved cartriges like I'd like to, & find myself shooting mostly 22 Hornet, 357 Maximum, 7-30 Waters, & 45-70, ... my main hunting gun for around here is the 45-70 Contender with a hunter barrel on it...

As the 45-70 cartridge is one of my favorites, you may get the feeling ( & rightfully so ) that I like the big bores...

 

Newbeatle- sounds like a great all around setup, especially for the elk and moose. Little on the heavy side for deer but I don't guess many run away on you either. And 338WM ammo isn't real hard to find in most places out west.

 

tommyboy,

If possible, find someone that will let you shoot a rifle that is chambered in a caliber you are interested in. The .300 RUM IS very flat shooting, but at a price of stout recoil. You can't get the most out of a flat trajectory if you're flinching when you shoot. Unless you have a fair amount of experience shooting the magnum calibers I suggest you shoot a few before deciding.