Help me buy a new rifle…

[RVR2SNO]

… as is typical, I over analyze everything. Looking for a new rifle. Why? Because I got a wild hair up my ass.

Currently hunt with a Winchester 70 in 30-06 or my go to Remington 700 in .270.

Generally I’m chasing whitetails and mules. Hunt whitetails from stands/blinds and the shot is 80-200 yards. Mule is backcountry and I’ll shoot at <400 yards.

Been looking at a Christensen Arms Ridgeline and the Bergara B14 Squared Crest or Ridge Carbon Wilderness.

As much as I want a .300 win mag for a Montana/Wyoming elk in nasty conditions at 500+ yards, I’ll probably never get there. I’m leaning towards 6.5 CM, or 6.5 PRC.

What say ye’?

 

[RVR2SNO]

FWIW, I have a Burris Veracity PH 4-20x50 ready for a new home.

 

[Romans9]

Can’t go wrong with Christensen Arms, however the Bergara is a great choice as well……

 

[DLC]

I like Bergara

They have some really nice pew pews

 

[RVR2SNO]

Can’t go wrong with Christensen Arms, however the Bergara is a great choice as well……

View attachment 1297670

HMR! What caliber?

 

[Romans9]

HMR! What caliber?

.308

Fabulous trigger right out of the box.

 

[JFMFG]

… as is typical, I over analyze everything. Looking for a new rifle. Why? Because I got a wild hair up my ass.

Currently hunt with a Winchester 70 in 30-06 or my go to Remington 700 in .270.

Generally I’m chasing whitetails and mules. Hunt whitetails from stands/blinds and the shot is 80-200 yards. Mule is backcountry and I’ll shoot at <400 yards.

Been looking at a Christensen Arms Ridgeline and the Bergara B14 Squared Crest or Ridge Carbon Wilderness.

As much as I want a .300 win mag for a Montana/Wyoming elk in nasty conditions at 500+ yards, I’ll probably never get there. I’m leaning towards 6.5 CM, or 6.5 PRC.

What say ye’?

We have a few 6.5s I’m looking to list soon one is a masterpiece arms 6.5 cm if interested

 

[McKay]

Just bought the bregara crest for my kids this week in 7 PRC. Would have got the 6.5 but wanted just a bit more punch as they hunt elk as well. Never tried a Burris before but doing the veracity PH as well for them for ease of use. Hope it’s a decent scope. Have only been buying Swarovski’s and Schmidt benders the last couple decades.

 

[CLdrinker]

Bregara is definitely nice. I have a Weatherby Vangaurd that has served me well. Wish I had bought a 300win instead of 30/06 though.
They just came out with a new rifle that copied the 700 platform

https://weatherby.com/store/model-307-rmeateater-edition/

As far as caliber I would go ahead and get a 300win. The whitetail will be super dead and will work for elk when you get a wild hair up your ass to go after the big boys.

 

[hman442]

You already have two of the best deer rifles/calibers available. Maybe spend big on optics for your .270 instead ? But, if you just want another rifle, that's understandable, that's what we do. Christensen Arms are very well regarded.

 

[Good Stuff]

I have a Howa 1500 6.5 Creedmoor. I kind of wish I had gotten a 270 after comparing the two calibers on paper. 270 is just a little bit better at almost everything.

I am currently on my last hunting weekend in Southern Ca (d19) and hoping to get a chance at a legal buck. This zone does its best to break my spirit every year and I haven’t had a chance to shoot my rifle at anything but paper. My buddy hunts with his 270 and as far as range shooting we are both very similar. I don’t know that I would be able to justify owning both to myself.

 

[az4lyfe]

I love my Bergara.

 

[Racer56]

I bought a Browning X-bolt in .308 and I super happy with it.

I chose .308 because it easily kills most North American animals and with ammo shortages, pricing and lead free bullets becoming the norm .308 has a lot more choices and is easier to find.

 

[CLdrinker]

I love my Bergara. View attachment 1297944

That’s nice if I buy another bolt gun it just might be a Bergara

 

[McKay]

That’s nice if I buy another bolt gun it just might be a Bergara

They appear to be pretty decent for the price. I should have ours shooting in the next month or so. Trying to decide on a seating die and scope rings. Have everything else.

 

[RVR2SNO]

Thanks for all the input. My hunting buddies shoot X Bolts. They’re really nice, but I just want something different…

Bergara it is!

@CLdrinker thats my fear. I don’t want to buy the 6.5 and wish I’d bought the .300. I have 6 Wyoming elk points and will go in a couple of years, so .300 it is! Thanks for your input.

 

[obnoxious001]

My neighbor bought a Bergara in 300 PRC a couple years back during the ammo shortage. It was sort of funny when he called me saying he bought the gun to hunt elk, but the store he bought it from had no ammo. I found some online for him at the time for about $6 per round, but it's currently available in the low $2 range.

Fast forward to this year, another buddy bought a 300 PRC Bergara and sent me a photo of his first range test. 3 rounds in a 4" circle at 1400 yds! To top it off, he only was using a $500 optic!

 

[Xring01]

Do your research on weights, ballistic coefficient of the projectiles / bullets for the animals you are planning to hunt.

IMHO. You will quickly see the 7mm projectiles, will meet the needs of the animals your hunting, with a very high BC for the ranges you are planning to hunt. But if Elk is truly on the table, then the 30cal may be the way to go.

The old tried and true 284.. is just amazing, but not as popular as it used to be. The 7WSM.. and many others come to mind.

The 308 will get the job done on Elk, but the BC will suffer a bit due to the velocity of the projectile. That would be minimum. The 300WM gets the job done all day, but its truly overkill 400 yds Elk… Now 700 yd Elk… 300WM is the way to go. Hell might as well start thinkin about stepping up to a 338 Lap Mag.. (the good old days for me)…

Then start looking at the accuracy of the weapons manufacturers that interest you.

Bottom line, for 400yds you need a sub moa weapon, with a crisp clean break trigger…

If $$$ is no object. Look up Long Rifles Inc, or GA Precision, and order one… They typically get .25 MOA…

My Long Rifles Inc shoots clover leafs at 100 and 1 - 1.5” at 500yds… If I do my part.

For just out of the box semi custom… HS Precision makes some great rifles and pretty good prices.

Lower Budget… I have seen peeps have outstanding results with Savages at much lower price points.

My Long Rifles Inc is custom built gun on a Rem 700 action, currently has Krieger barrell and its a 6 Comp Match… wildcat that I shoot to 1000yds. Its a prone competition gun. Thats been thru lots of barrells and chambers over the years. But I have won 4 state championships with it, but that was many many years ago.

My 300 WM is HS Precision Action, orginally was build by George Vias.. DAMN that was one very accurate gun/barrell. But I wore that one out then I sent it to GA Precision with Mike Rock barrell… Thats my 1000yd - 1800yd machine.

The guns that got away.. efff me… my 338 Lap Mag.. ohhh damn… what a blast…
408 Chey Tac… how many wildcats, and custom long range shit, with Lathe Turned projectiles of various metals/concoctions.

I used to shoot competitions just about every weekend back in the day. Very expensive hobby…

Bottom line: regardless of what make gun or caliber your shooting, If you cant stack 5 rounds in a 3” group. You should not be taking the shot at 400yds. But thats me and my opinion.

 

[SKIA36]

HS Precision 6.5 284 Tack driver for Big Mulies/Whitetail/Speed Goats. Hand load 156 Berger VLD @3190fps
Christensen 7mm mag for Elk. 180 Berger EH @3100FPS

 

[Sleek-Jet]

7mm Mag for chambering, works on most any of the North American big game.

 

[dave29]

Blaser R8. Direct pull. Interchangeable barrels for different calibers.

 

[McKay]

Blaser R8. Direct pull. Interchangeable barrels for different calibers.

My only issue for them is they are quite heavy for most calibers. R93 is more trim we have one in 280.

The wife and I have killed well north of 200 head of game with our Blaser K95. We have 7 or 8 barrels for it. Packs down great in a small case you can slip in your duffle bag and get on a plane.

 

[dave29]

My only issue for them is they are quite heavy for most calibers. R93 is more trim we have one in 280.

The wife and I have killed well north of 200 head of game with our Blaser K95. We have 7 or 8 barrels for it. Packs down great in a small case you can slip in your duffle bag and get on a plane.

It's a multi purpose rifle that's high on quality. Glad you're enjoying it.

 

[MPHSystems]

7mm Mag for chambering, works on most any of the North American big game.

Seems like a bit much for whitetail. Then again I’ve taken my .300WM after them but I loaded it with 168SMK’s

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Seems like a bit much for whitetail. Then again I’ve taken my .300WM after them but I loaded it with 168SMK’s

It depends on how far away they are. My brother hunts Coues Whitetail with his 7 mag, but they are out there 400-500 yards (at least).

You can also shoot a lighter bullet and a lower velocity for smaller game.

 

[Blackmagic94]

7mm Rem Mag is what you seek.

 

[BBYSTWY]

7mm-08.....have a steyr in this and absolutely love it! Great round with a little more punch than a 308 and it's different than what's mostly purchased. Everyone I know has a 6.5 creed so the appeal was zero for me in that round but that's my personality I like to be different lol.

I just bought a CZ in 6 mm creed however and it is a tack driver and an absolutely beautiful gun in my opinion. I have the wood version CZ in 30-06 and the black alpha I believe it is in 6 mm creed....love them both. CZ makes nice shit!

Have a christensen in 26 nosler and I love the round but the gun is well...just OK in my opinion. Spent about 2 hours lapping the bolt and it finally slides like butter now but out of the box for the price I think there are a lot better options...just my opinion.

Don't have a bergara but they are on my short list for sure....beautiful guns!!!

Happy hunting!!