Which one?(Updated 4/1/09)

[youngcoyotehunter16]

I am looking to buy a new rifle big enough for bear but small enough that it doesnt desinegrate a deer.

Here are the calibers i am looking at.
270 win
270 wsm
7mm Mag
7mm wsm
300 win mag
300 wsm

I am buying a a savage model 12 or 112 in any one of these calibers. Just wanted yor opinions on which one.

[Long Shot]

The 7mag is probably your best choice. 130-140 grain for whitetail and 175's for the bear. You might want to price some of the other ammo. I think this will give you the best bang for your buck. The 270's ammo will run a little cheaper but it is a little light for bear. Happy hunting.

[SWEDE]

What do the initials win. and wsm. stand for?

[CAPTJJ]

I am partial to the .270 win . When I gun hunt I carry the rifle my grandfather built using a Belgian Mauser action. The 130 grain power points work great, dropped two of the last three in their tracks; other one was a double lung went 50 yds, easy track plenty of blood. Not many long shots though where I hunt.

Nice bear mtlion.

[deerman]

i say 270... ihunt deer with a 270 and the deer i shot this year wasnt messed up. you can shoot a long way with a 270 too. just my .02

[Long Shot]

Yes the 270 will kill a bear. I don't know how big your bear run in your location, but 400-500 lbs. isn't uncommon in our area. I have killed numerous bears with a 25-06 but I wouldn't reccommend it to a 16 yr. old. For a junior hunting large game looking for a compromise without undo recoil and excessive power and ammunition that won't break the bank the 7 fills the ticket. With 175 grain slugs it can bust heavy bone and still get the job done. With the 27 caliber bullets maxing out at 150 grains they are just a little light. Yes a double lung through through the ribs will dispatch them nicely with a 270, should his shot be just a bit forward and he hits the front shoulder bone chances are you are in for a good chase. With no exit wound unless you have hounds for back up good luck.

[Long Shot]

Will this young lad be handloading his own?

[youngcoyotehunter16]

My dad and I reload our own ammo. I am thinking the 270 wsm, because supposedly they shoot flatter than the 270 win. I am partial to the .27 caliber though. As for the bear- They will be black bear at short range. We are going to Maine to tree them with the hounds.

[Long Shot]

Enlighten me mtlion, Who manufactures this 165 grain slug? I've been to Barnes, Nosler, sierra, Hornady, and speers sites. Heaviest 27 caliber slug listed is 150 grain.

An excerpt taken from shooting times   Almost every one of the many guides and outfitters I’ve spoken to through the years recommends the .270 Winchester as the minimum they like to see their bear hunters show up with, and the .30-06 is usually the preferred standard. Their reasoning is simple enough: They’d rather you err on the side of more gun rather than less. I think most of them know

[Salmon_Run]

I would choose the .270.... accurate great impact results and the ammo is inexpensive and readily available around the states and Canada

[Long Shot]

http://www.hawkbullets.com/Pricelist.htm

Note the quote from the guy who killed his kudu w/ a 165 grain .270....Enlightened?

Thanks for the link, looks like they want to fill a specialty niche. With the advent of the 270 wsm with it's much larger powder capacity than that of the 270 win. a larger slug may be in order. Without the top 5 bullet manufacturers producing anything comparable it may be a hit for them. I would imagine they(the top 5) will wait to see if the cartridge is a success or if it goes the way of the 8mm mag.  I apologize for being off topic guys. Anyway, young yote hunter whatever your choice in rifles ends up to be I wish you the best of luck and a clean kill.

[youngcoyotehunter16]

Ok. still considering these rifles. I am however removing 7mm wsm off the list. I've heard multiple bad reviews from gun owners about not patterning. Top choices now are
                                                             270 wsm
                                                             7mm mag
                                                             300 wsm
Bullet cost doesnt bother me as long as i get top performance (unless bullets go from 35 to 75 dollars)

[james]

I dumped my moose at ten yards, with one shot from a 270

james

[Long Shot]

If you are going to be chasing bears in the swamps of maine you might want to rethink your whole scenario. Generally your bigger bears will come to bay in the thickest nastiest places they can find. Your shots will usually be limited to 40 yards or less. These long barreled bolt guns you are considering aren't all that handy in these situations especially if topped with high powered optics. If you were bait hunting and have time to set up your shot fine. What you will find most hound hunters using in the thick area's are open sighted short barreled larger bore carbines. The old 35 remington pump and if you can find one remingtom chambered the 760 pump in 30-06 in a 18" barreled model. Your shots can come very fast and unpredictable and sometimes much closer than you want. Believe me, been there and done that. You are looking at 2 very different types of hunting for 2 different animals. Might want to look at 2 rifles suited to there perspective jobs instead of compromising. Yes for deer the 270 win. is an excellent choice.

[BigRedDodge1500]

I have to say I am a big fan of the 270wsm.  I have seen a regular 270 take a down a bear at 150 yards with a 115 grain bullet 300 pounder too.  The reason i like the wsm is becuase i usally like to buy rarer calibers of rifles.  The 270wsm is really fast and flat and opens the ball game up if you ever do want to take a trip somewhere where you might be taking long range shots like the midwest or outwest.  It also could come in handy for some of those long shots in the pine stands of Maine.  But with it being fairly rare you need to look into the availability of the round in your area.  For example if you go up to the county to hunt is there going to be a local shop that carries the round.  The savage is a great accurate gun and well built i should know i have a close friend that is one of the head engineers at their plant.  So good luck with the purchase in whatever caliber you chose.  Myself i own three 308's so im a lil partial to that one myself.