I am looking for a rifle that will work for Elk/Moose/Caribou, and something that is flat shooting that is capable of extreme accuracy at 200-250 yards.
My first thought was a .300 win short mag, any thoughts on that caliber? Good/Bad?? Is there a different caliber you would reccomend? Also, which manufacturer makes the best (for the money) version?
Thanks guys!
I love my 300 ultra mag 
My next rifle will be a 300 ultra mag or a 325 wsm.
what is the difference between a 300 win mag, 300 WSM, and 300 Ultra mag?
power 
With your parameters, you have TONS of options 
What kind of $$$ are you looking to spend 
That can play in alot….
I am looking to spend about $1500 total for the rifle and scope.
$800 – $1000 on the rifle, and the balance on a nice scope, probably something like 4-14×50
One thing to keep in mind is the price of ammo. I believe the ultra mag ammo is going for about $84.00 a box.
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One thing to keep in mind is the price of ammo. I believe the ultra mag ammo is going for about $84.00 a box.
Good point, if the others aren’t in that same area, then the ultra is out 
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One thing to keep in mind is the price of ammo. I believe the ultra mag ammo is going for about $84.00 a box.
Good point, if the others aren’t in that same area, then the ultra is out
If you think $71.99 for a 20 count box of 7mm Ultra Mags are expensive…..then the .416 Rigby Barnes bullets at $260.99 for a 20 count box is probably out of the question 
Seriously though, 7mm Ultra Mag is a good all around cal for larger game. If you reload or know anyone that does, you can save a little after you figure out your load. The Barnes TSX series of bullets are awesome for larger game as well.
I am a huge fan of HOWA, TIKKA, SAKO, and Savage. I use exclusively BURRIS scopes. Just keep in mind the importance of quality optics if you striving for accuracy. You can’t hit what you can’t see.
My father in law reloads, so I will haev to look into all of the componets and weigh out the cost/benefits associated with it
I hear you on the scope. I currently use a Leupold 3x9x40 VXII on my .30-06, that I purchased about 15 years ago and am very happy with. The Leupold 4.5-14×50 VXIII CDS is the current front runner for my choice of optics for this set up
Here’s another scope worth looking at.
http://www.vortexoptics.com/product/vortex-viper-6-5-20×50-pa-riflescope-dead-hold-bdc-reticle
Jeff
50mm objective is awefully big optics. Nice to have, but 40mm with a 30mm tube and good glass would probably be more than sufficient for what you are looking to do.
7mm RM, 30-06, 300 WM would be great options. Even .270 could work fairly well – depending on the range you plan on shooting a moose at – although it wouldn’t be my first choice.
Are you recoil sensitive? If so, maybe go with a 7mm RM or 30-06. Is the gun going to be heavy or light? Factor this in with recoil considerations.
My 1st pref would be .300 Win mag. Would make a nice all around gun for those animals, plenty of power. Plenty of factory load options if you don’t handload. Less expensive than UM’s for example. Consider .325 WSM or .338 WM if you might use it for dangerous game (i.e. brown bear) and don’t mind recoil. (Be honest when considering recoil – if you lie to yourself and say you can handle the mag recoils when you really can’t, you’ll flinch every time and accuracy in the rifle/cartridge won’t matter much.)
Ultra mags are great on paper, and I wouldn’t mind owning one. But the ammo is quite a bit more expensive, and they really only get you a few hundred FPS muzzle velocity vs “standard” mags. It’s nice, but it’s a minimal end result difference, with bigger recoil and higher priced ammo….
I would heavily consider recoil and rifle weight (are you going to be carrying it all day long up/down mountains?) before deciding on a caliber…
Good luck!
I wouldn’t classify myself as “recoil sensitive” but I don’t want a gun that kicks like a mule when it isn’t necessary.
I curently own a Remington Woodsmaster 742 .30-06 and use it for whitetail and have used it for black bear. My first two choices would be .300 WM & .300 WSM, but want to be sure that they will be sufficient for Moose, Elk, Caribou, Brown Bear, etc.
Also, if I ended up with a .300 WM/.300 WSM, would it be too much for whitetail/mule deer?
As for guns, I am looking at the Remington 700 CDL. What are the thoughts on that rifle. Are there better for less money, better for slightly more money? Is this something that I should stay away from?
I absolutely love the Remington 700 action/accuracy. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy Remington. But like everything else, everyone will have varying opinions about gun manufacturers.
From what I understand, .300 WM type of gun certainly can be used on everything from whitetails to brown bear…. But maybe a touch more than what you need for the smaller game, while possibly leaving a little to be desired (again, depending on who you talk to / what article you read) if you add large, dangerous game like brown bear to the list.
Randy mentioned the 7mm RUM.. Another caliber that I wouldn’t mind having, and would do about everything for you with regards to NA cervids.
…. .300 WM or WSM would probably be a great option for you… .300 WM probably will be my next purchase also If you do end up on a brown bear hunt later in life, it would be a GREAT excuse to buy another rifle. 
As with everything else, choose your bullet wisely depending on the game….
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If you do end up on a brown bear hunt later in life, it would be a GREAT excuse to buy another rifle.
I like it….can’t have too many!!
Good to hear on the quality/accuarcy of the Remington 700 series
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Good to hear on the quality/accuarcy of the Remington 700 series
From a leadsled, my 700 SPS right from the box shoots factory ammo 1/2 MOA (roughly speaking) at distances out to 400yds.
Love that rifle! My experience with other 700’s has also been very good.
BTW, when it comes to shooting and many other subjects, there are a number of guys on this site (not really me so much ) that REALLY know what they are talking about…
Example – Listen to anything that Randy W says… 
Really dumb question…….while I know that “1/2 MOA” relates to accuracy…..can you dumb it down for me? I have no idea what it specifially means/stands for
Minute of Angle.
A portion of an ark. (i.e. 90 degrees = a right angle. If you swing your gun from horizontal to vertical, the arc of your gun went 90 degrees.
The smaller your MOA accuracy, the better. (The closer your groupings will be)
Roughly speaking, 1 MOA is generally equated to being about 1 inch worth of “travel” at 100 yards. It’s not exactly, but its close. MOA, mil-dots, etc can get pretty in depth. Fun stuff to research, though!
http://www.snipercountry.com/articles/mildot_moa.asp
http://www.chuckhawks.com/practical_accuracy.htm
Here are a few articles that explain it better than I can. There are tons of these online.
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Really dumb question…….while I know that “1/2 MOA” relates to accuracy…..can you dumb it down for me? I have no idea what it specifially means/stands for
Really “dumbed down”…
1/2 MOA is roughly 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards. 2 inch groups at 400 yards.
Thanks!
I have and use .300 WSM Winchester Model 70. This gun is fairly versitle. I use it from whitetails to elk. I use 150gr Winchester Surpreme XP rounds for deer and 180gr Winchester Supreme XP for elk. There isn’t a deer or an elk that has walked away or went very far. Like everyone has said personal preference and many factors to weigh.
I love my Remington 300 ultra mag 
makes em all very dead 
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that REALLY know what they are talking about…
Example – Listen to anything that Randy W says…
I’m just a trapper that couldn’t put “proficient at harvesting targeted animals on a resume and make it in the corporate world…and I fish too much
Mike, thanks for the kind words
Ford, chevy, dodge, IT’S All in what you grow up with. there are many good choices out there and all may be good,
I just know that when I or my son “Top heavy” pull the trigger on the 300 ultra mag they go down
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I love my Remington 300 ultra mag
A 300 anything is overkill for whitetails…..unless they’re WAAAAY out there. Close range is going to give some extra shock to throw away. My grandad used a 740 Woodsman .308 on moose quite successfully. He’d often pump in 3 shots but his .300 win mag buddy was still pumping in the same number of shots. Only long range made the difference. If you’re a good stalker, your .30-06 is plenty to take any animal on the North American continent. If you simply want a “big” gun, all the recommendations above will work but truthfully, unless range is truly a factor, you’ve already got all the gun you need so you can either save some money for your trips or just have fun buying something you really like. I wouldn’t sweat the differences too much. Myself, I’d look to stay with an auto loader on the high recoil rifles. A Benelli R1 would be sweet IMHO.
Ive used this Rem 700 mountain in .270 with ultra core lok 140gr. for the last 7 years.http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire/model-700/model-700-mountain-lss.aspx
Mine is the older version with the walnut stock. I love it. One well placed shot is all thats needed. The .270 is fast and flat. I saw you mentioned 4x14x44. Leupold IMHO its perfect. Thats whats on top of mine. I would never part with this Rifle. I have a safe full and This one never gets left home on any trip. I might bring another but this one goes with me every time. Its light, easy to handle in a tree stand and you can carry it all day an not get tired.
Just see what retailer has one and hold the regular 700 and then hold the mountain rifle. I think you would like it. 2 of my friends purchase one after I let them shoot it. I know some guys would say the .270 is too small but I dont think so. the core-lok ultra ammo is not cheap but the weight retention long range is awesome. Have a great season!
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