Would like some feedback

[Gregory]

Back in 1990 I put together a three gun bolt action battery that  I thought would take care of me till I was ready to give up hunting.
I have a Savage 223 model 110 FP for varmints, a 25/06 Browning LH stainless stalker for deer, and a Ruger LH M77 300 Win Mag. for really big critters.  I figured I was covered for everything from chipmunks to moose.
I put this battery together while living in SW Pennsylvania.  Groundhogs, deer, and black bear were on the menu.  Now I'm living in Illinois and hunting for deer with a handgun (centerfire rifles are illegal for big game).  The 300 Winny gets very little use.
Someday I'll retire and move back to either upstate NY or PA.  The dreams of a Canada, Alaskan, or Western big game hunt are fading as I grow older.  I don't think the 300 Win Mag will ever see much use.   I'm thinking of replacing it with something smaller.  I don't enjoy shooting the 300 at the range anymore so it's collecting  dust in the safe.
Assuming I move back to PA, the largest critter I'd ever hunt would be black bear and elk.
I'm a lefty so rifle choices are limited.  I'm thinking of selling the Ruger and replacing it with either a Browning stainless stalker in 30/06 or a Savage
stainless synthetic in either 7-08, 308, 270WSM, or 7WSM.
Do you think I should:
1.  Keep what I have
2.  Get the 30/06 Browning and sell the Ruger.
3.  Get a Savage in ___________ caliber and sell the Ruger.

Rifle must be a stainless/synthetic stock so keep in mind I'm not interested in blue/ wood stocked guns.

[mountainview]

Kind of a tough call but makes sense from what you describe. I'm kind of in the same boat. I would like a 300 mag but realistically I do not really need one and the likelihood of going someplace where it would make sense to carry it, fading fast if not gone already. Until I hit retirement and head back to the mountains back east, I can only manage a few trips out of state to use centerfire for deer.

Hard to recommend the right caliber for you but since I am on a tight budget  I went with a Savage 110 and most recently got a 30-06 to accompany my 223 12 FV. I am not into handloading yet but the 30-06 and 223 ammo can be had relatively inexpensively (FMJ) and the 30-06 has enough punch for my current needs and if I get lucky and can go after game a bit bigger than deer. Recoil is not at all bad and I love shooting my 30-06 and 223 at the range as both are more than accurate for my needs. I still occasionally use my Remington 700 25-06 but the weight does start to get noticeable after a day in the woods. I can't think of parting with this one since it is the first rifle I ever harvested a deer with.

Good luck and hope you get something that meets your needs. Hope that this was of some help.

[Coyote Hunter]

Gregory -

The .300 Win is an excellent choice for elk.

If you don't already handload, this would be a good time to start.  Just download the .300 to .30-06 or even .308 velocities.  The money you lose in trading the .300 will go a long ways towards paying for your reloading start-up costs, maybe all of them.

Hornady and maybe others now have "reduced recoil" loads available.  I would try them before givining up on the .300 - especially since elk are distinctly possible.  And what about moose - you don't have to go all that far to get them.

Of the calibers you mention, the .308 doen't offer all that much compared to a downloaded .300, just better fuel economy.  If recoil is the problem, the 7mm WSM is probably not the right answer, either.  Same for the .270WSM.  That leaves the 7mm-08, an excellent cartridge and one that is quite capable for elk at ranges up to 300 yards or so.

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Keep what you have---as long as you are happy with what you have. If you really don't like it----dump it----no sence in keeping it then.

This is a good excuse to go buy another rifle---as you can never have too many.

Heck---I have bolt actions in .30-06----.338Win----and .375 H&H----as you can imagine----they don't get shot all that much(mostly due to recoil and ammo costs)---but I have 'em for when I need 'em.

Most of my shooting gets done with my AK--SKS---and AR's----cheap ammo and these are way up on the fun factor scale----and little to no recoil. The more trigger time----the better------its all good no matter what the action is----bolt or semi auto.

[Gregory]

Gregory -

The .300 Win is an excellent choice for elk.

If you don't already handload, this would be a good time to start.  Just download the .300 to .30-06 or even .308 velocities.  The money you lose in trading the .300 will go a long ways towards paying for your reloading start-up costs, maybe all of them.

Coyote Hunter
I do reload and I've loaded 30/06 equivalent loads using H4895 for my 300.  I've quit shooting them however.  After installing a Timney trigger on the Ruger, the trigger break was so crisp, that I could detect a very slight delay from trigger break to ignition on the 30/06 power loads.  I never detected a delay on full powder loads.  I'm concerned this delay could be a warning of detonation, so I've quit loading light loads.

[gunnut69]

Stay with powders with burn rates faster than IMR4350 and you'll have no detonation problems.  Stay clear of mag primers and very heavy bullets.  the hot primers may damage accuracy and the heavy bullets increase the recoil effect.  The only exception may be when using cast bullets as the reduced velocity of the cast bullet may be in some measure made up for by increasing the weight.  If you're interested in something with a bit more punch but less recoil than a 300 mag then perhaps the 7mm Rem mag.  It's recoil impulse is about that of the 30-06 but it hits harder at extended ranges and shoot a bit flatter getting there..  I love the 300 and have 4 now, 2 300 Win, and 2 300 H&H.  But the 7mmMag is a better cartridge for whitetail.. Although I've many with the 300's..and all died just fine.  I would leave the big game battery alone and instead buy a new rifle for a bit more fun.  How about a CZ FS carbine in 22 Hornet.  Equipped with a medium variable and you would have a great setup for stalking groundhogs and crows.  Brass life might be extended by converting to a K Hornet but brass is cheap and the best reason to convert would be easier reloading of the 'K' version.  Have had excellant luck with the light ballistic tip bullets from Hornaday.  Accuracy is great and they kill well.  I'm looking forward to a few ground hogs this summer.

[Gregory]

 I would leave the big game battery alone and instead buy a new rifle for a bit more fun.

gunnut69

I bought a Bushmaster AR15 earlier this year so my centerfire fun gun needs are taken care of.  But thanks for the suggestion.  Those three bolt actions were purchased mainly for hunting, I have handguns, 22's, and the AR for plinking.  Just seems a waste that the 300 Win ends up staying in the safe so much of the time.

mountainview

Sounds like your transplanted from the eastern mountains to the midwest too.  I spent over ten years in the NY Catskills and I miss them.  It sure is flat out here in IL.

[Lawdog]

Greg,

Seeing that one can never tell about the future and that an Elk/Moose hunt could always come up I would go with the Savage in either the .270 WSM or the 7mm WSM and sell the .300 Win..  Either of the WSM rounds will handle Elk/Moose.  Small groups and tight lines to you.  Lawdog