My second rifle choice

I know...only one rifle. You can call me the Bruce Lee of riflemen. :ROFLMAO:

"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." Bruce Lee
 

Attachments

  • Screen Shot 2022-08-29 at 10.18.03 AM.png
    Screen Shot 2022-08-29 at 10.18.03 AM.png
    1.5 MB · Views: 48
  • Screen Shot 2022-08-29 at 10.18.04 AM.png
    Screen Shot 2022-08-29 at 10.18.04 AM.png
    2.1 MB · Views: 46
  • Screen Shot 2022-08-29 at 10.18.06 AM.png
    Screen Shot 2022-08-29 at 10.18.06 AM.png
    1.3 MB · Views: 41
  • Screen Shot 2022-08-29 at 10.18.09 AM.png
    Screen Shot 2022-08-29 at 10.18.09 AM.png
    845.8 KB · Views: 46
I would argue on the point of 375 HH ammo being easy to find.

In my neck of the woods here in Colorado if you do find it it will cost 3x more than any other ammo on the shelf. That along with 300 Win mag, 7mm Rem mag, 30-06, and 270 Win being on the shelves anywhere, even the corner gas station.
 
How do you all rate Dakota rifles? I see many of them up for sale at GI.

I will be candid my budget is ~ 10K for all three, 300WM, 375 H&H and a 257 WBM. I don't mind a good used gun...

30.06 is also in the running as a viable alternative to the 300 WM, too many options to choose from...:)
 
Last edited:
I have used both a 30-06 (from turkeys to elk) and 300WM (from coyotes to zebra). Maybe a 50 yard range difference (the distances I shoot). Ammo for both can be found in decent gun stores world wide. Both can be found in almost every brand and model of rifle. Practice ammo is reasonably cost effective (30-06 has an advantage).
If I were planning another grizzly (inland) hunt either with quality bullets would do.
If I were planning another coastal brown bear hunt, the 300 WM or your 470 (with a good coat of wax on either!) would be preferred. Alaska coastal hunts can destroy an unprotected rifle! Ask me how I know!
 
I think the three calibers you seem to be settling on are all excellent choices. I have never touched a Dakota rifle so I can’t speak about it. The with the rifles I have experience with and with a $10,000.00 USD budget I would try and piece together a Blaser R8 Pro with three standard barrels in the calibers you’ve mentioned. Blasers are very well made, accurate and hard to beat for a traveling hunter. If not the Blaser then I would look at Winchester M70 for the .375H&H in either the Safari or Alaska model, for the .300WM either Winchester M70 or Weatherby Backcountry and for the .257Wby the Weatherby Backcountry.
 
To be sensible the 300 win mag....but the 9.3x62 with different bullet weights is a great option....and 7x57.....with the 470 I would go for a 9.3x62 and a 7x57....sorted for big game with 470....medium game or smaller stuff in thicker Bush with the 9.3x62....and 7x57 for smaller and longer shots....but it will also work on medium stuff as well....so pretty much covered for all things
 
Your .470 NE is good for all dangerous game. A .300 WM or a .300 RUM (my favorite) with a 200 grain bullet should be good for everything else. No need for a .375 anything as you have the .470 NE for DG and no need for a general purpose caliber. A flat shooting .300 will take care of your PG and NA needs.
 
@soumya sarkar

.300win - you won’t regret it

I chose .300win for my “Do anything travel rifle” after weighing options for my first international hunt for Canadian Moose.

From whitetail to moose you have all the power you need and endless bullet choices from 150-220gr with factory ammo available in different countries.

I started with a Ruger M77MKII Stainless .300win and did the following…..

Sent rifle to Kampfeld customs and had the barrel recrowned, spiral fluted barrel, black cerakote all metal, Timney trigger; then I put it in. Hogue stock and topped it with a Leupold 4-14x40 and a Pelican rifle case.

I couldn’t be happier with the results - a bomb proof .300win that I have full confidence in.
 
The with the rifles I have experience with and with a $10,000.00 USD budget I would try and piece together a Blaser R8 Pro with three standard barrels in the calibers you’ve mentioned. Blasers are very well made, accurate and hard to beat for a traveling hunter.
^^^^+1

The 257WBY, 300WM & 375H&H all fall into the magnum category for the Blaser R8. What this means is only the barrel and magazine need to be swapped to switch calibers. A change like this takes less than a minute.

If you went with the 30-06 instead of the 300WM, you would need the additional standard bolt head as well.
 
If you want versatility, especially for North America, the 30 caliber cartridges are good choices. Maybe the best. You already have a very capable dangerous game rifle, so I suggest your next rifle should be something you will shoot a lot with readily available, inexpensive ammunition. Many cartridges qualify for that category, - “mice to moose” I have some experience with moose, and most of the moose I have shot have been with the common and very capable .308 Winchester. Good statistics published by Sweden prove that there is no real “ killing power “ advantage to any particular moose cartridge in the following group: .308, 30-06, 300 win, 8x57js, 6.5x55, 7x64, etc. So I suggest you choose a rifle you like in .308 or .30-06. It will do everything your big double rifle is not well suited for, it will recoil less and make less muzzle blast than a magnum .300, will efficiently kill all non dangerous game at reasonable ranges, and will be inexpensive to buy common ammunition for. You are likely to practise more with a mild but capable cartridge. A well aimed hit with a .308 is infinitely better than a poor hit from a .375. I currently hunt with more than a dozen rifle cartridges that cover a wide range of calibers and that’s my observation and advice.
A good bolt action that fits you well, with a top quality scope of medium variable magnification, ( say 2-10x) chambered for .308 or .30-06 would be capable of hunting anything your double rifle isn’t appropriate for.
 
If you want versatility, especially for North America, the 30 caliber cartridges are good choices. Maybe the best. You already have a very capable dangerous game rifle, so I suggest your next rifle should be something you will shoot a lot with readily available, inexpensive ammunition. Many cartridges qualify for that category, - “mice to moose” I have some experience with moose, and most of the moose I have shot have been with the common and very capable .308 Winchester. Good statistics published by Sweden prove that there is no real “ killing power “ advantage to any particular moose cartridge in the following group: .308, 30-06, 300 win, 8x57js, 6.5x55, 7x64, etc. So I suggest you choose a rifle you like in .308 or .30-06. It will do everything your big double rifle is not well suited for, it will recoil less and make less muzzle blast than a magnum .300, will efficiently kill all non dangerous game at reasonable ranges, and will be inexpensive to buy common ammunition for. You are likely to practise more with a mild but capable cartridge. A well aimed hit with a .308 is infinitely better than a poor hit from a .375. I currently hunt with more than a dozen rifle cartridges that cover a wide range of calibers and that’s my observation and advice.
A good bolt action that fits you well, with a top quality scope of medium variable magnification, ( say 2-10x) chambered for .308 or .30-06 would be capable of hunting anything your double rifle isn’t appropriate for.
Awesome feedback Sir. 30.06 is something I will take a very good look at along with the rest.
 
Thank you! Please clarify a good 30.06, are you referring to particular brand?
A Winchester Model 70 Featherweight CRF is a perfect firearm to carry and shoot. Top it with quality glass and it’ll last a lifetime.
 
Hi soumya,

There are others as good: Schmidt & Bender, Kahles (one of my favorites), Meopta, Kaps, Nickel.
And the top grades of Bushnell, like Bushnell Elites 4000 and up and Nightforce (made by the same Japanese factory, Light Optical Works. TOP optics!!!! And, of course, Leupold.
About your second rifle choice, the 30-06 or the 9,3x62 would be my primary candidates. Neither is a bad selection as a medium big game rifle.

Good Luck!
 
I think the three calibers you seem to be settling on are all excellent choices. I have never touched a Dakota rifle so I can’t speak about it. The with the rifles I have experience with and with a $10,000.00 USD budget I would try and piece together a Blaser R8 Pro with three standard barrels in the calibers you’ve mentioned. ...

Multiple caliber barrels would work in game ranches where you are driving around to specific portions of the property for a particular game.

However, in free range hunting countries even if one's priority is a particular game there are times one sees something else they'd like to shoot on the way to or from the area of the concession where their main quarry is.

In my recent hunt I shot a zebra, a hyena and a grysbok that were targets of opportunity. No time to change barrels etc.. I just pulled out the .300 RUM and went to work.
 
Multiple caliber barrels would work in game ranches where you are driving around to specific portions of the property for a particular game.

However, in free range hunting countries even if one's priority is a particular game there are times one sees something else they'd like to shoot on the way to or from the area of the concession where their main quarry is.

In my recent hunt I shot a zebra, a hyena and a grysbok that were targets of opportunity. No time to change barrels etc.. I just pulled out the .300 RUM and went to work.
Yes, however same can be said for 30.06, 308, 300 WM and of course the higher calibers
 

Forum statistics

Threads
53,624
Messages
1,131,357
Members
92,679
Latest member
HongPilgri
 

 

 

Latest profile posts

Impact shots from the last hunt

Early morning Impala hunt, previous link was wrong video

Headshot on jackal this morning

Mature Eland Bull taken in Tanzania, at 100 yards, with 375 H&H, 300gr, Federal Premium Expanding bullet.

20231012_145809~2.jpg
 
Top