Alright, I'll try to keep this short. First of all - a hello to all of you who post so often and have so much good information. I have been reading many, many threads here as of late and I just have to ask.... I live and hunt in Pennsylvania and currently own a .270 win. To date my rifle hunting has consisted only of white tailed deer and a small amount of bear. I recently got the "itch" to add another rifle and have spent a great deal of time (ask my fiance...) researching, visiting gun shops, etc. I started off looking at the 7mm-08 and really really like what it has to offer, the problem? What does it do that the .270 doesn't already do..... So from there I took a peek at its parent the .308 and was only mildly impressed with it (primarily the supposed ability to take slighly larger game). From there I began researching the various 7mm mags. Ok I didn't spend much time there but at my last trip to the gun dealer I held 2 beautiful Weatherby Vanguards, one chambered in .300 win mag and the other in .300 WSM (plus a very niced used ruger m77 mk 2 7mm mag with a 4-12 leopold total $547). I have to say - my only concern with either of these cartridges is their recoil factor and the "is it too much for a deer" question. From what I've found in reading - the combination of a Limbsaver recoil pad and a PAST recoil shield should make a heck of a difference in the felt recoil while at the range (but I don't know how much, what percent, etc). What are your thoughts on these various calibers? To date all deer that I have killed have been within 200 yards. That is not to say that I have not been presented with shots farther but I have no laser rangefinder yet and until that time won't take a farther shot (I'd have no real idea where the bullet was going to hit - only a guess based on range estimation). I realize this was a long post and parts may be confusing let me try to summarize a little bit.
-Is there a significant difference in the .300 win mag and .300 wsm? (my understanding is that the .300 wsm recoils less but doesn't handle the bigger bullets as well)
-Is either of these "too much" for deer? (my last deer taken was 180lbs, shot within 75 yards)
-How do the .30's comare to the 7mm's for my type of hunting, keeping in mind that someday I would like to hunt elk, moose, etc?
-How much of a letoff in recoil can I expect from something such as a limbsaver recoil pad? (will the .300wsm be similar to my .270 etc?)
-Am I looking at totally the wrong calibers? If so can anyone reccomend a caliber and gun manufacturer? (I'm trying to stay under 1k currently due to the wedding, and that includes a quality scope in the cost)
Thanks in advance for your help.
BlackWolf
