For some time now i have been toying with the idea of getting what most people call a big game rifle. The purchase isnt going to happen any time soon but heres the cals. i am thinking of for now 308 , 270 ,and a 30-06.
I have always liked the 308 for some reason dont know why . What i want to know from you folks are what would you choose and why.
I will be stacking my coins till the time comes for an elk hunt and more to add to the list just one thing at a time.
large cal. rifles
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ryutzy
- Senior Member
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- .204 Ruger Guns: Superior Arms Custom AR-15 Leopold VXIII 4.5-14X50
- Location: Plain City, OH
Re: large cal. rifles
There are many great calibers for big game. I use the 7MM Rem Mag and have great luck with it. I would give very strong consideration to a 7MM. The ballistics in comparison to other common calibers are great. .300 Mag is also great but you may want to consider the cost of ammo and increased recoil. A 308 is nice, but is not near as flat shooting as other cartridges. A 270 is another great round but has less power on long range shots in comparison to a 7MM. Look at ballistic charts etc. Do your homework and you should be able to find the "perfect" caliber for your situation.
It's hard to detect good luck, It looks so much like something you've worked hard for and earned.
Stay humble, Stay teacheable
Stay humble, Stay teacheable
Re: large cal. rifles
"What i want to know from you folks are what would you choose and why.
I will be stacking my coins till the time comes for an elk hunt and more to add to the list just one thing at a time."
There are literally dozens of cartridges that will work just fine for an elk hunt. We're living in a time when the variety of cartridges available is truly incredible - and I'm not sure it's for the best. Perhaps too many to choose from? Look beyond the mere ballistics, many different cartridges produce adequate "power" to kill an elk cleanly.
Look at some different factors:
How much experience do you have and will you have with that particular rifle?
Will you potentially use that rifle as a deer and maybe a bear rifle?
What's your recoil tolerance?
Will you handload or rely on factory produced ammo?
What's your preference in action type? Bolt, single shot, lever, semi-auto?
Are you going to spring for a good scope?
In my humble opinion the absolute most important factor in bringing down a game animal is shot placement. Where they're hit is vastly more important than what they're hit with.
That said, the next most important factor is using a bullet adequate to the job - one that will penetrate to the vitals, and do its job.
Most elk hunting by guys who live in elk country seems to be done by guys with their same deer rifles - although they may tend to use a pretty potent deer rifle. I took my big bull elk with a 7mm Rem mag and a 175 gr Nosler Partition. The rifle was accurate, the 3-9x Leupold was adequate, the bullet performed very well. It wasn't a big, heavy rifle either, just a standard weight sporter rifle, a low-budget Rem 700 ADL with the synthetic stock. Nailed it from about 180 yards, from sitting, unsupported except for the sling wrapped around my arm. The bullet hit right where intended and penetrated completely through, exiting with about a quarter-sized hole. The bull took a few faltering steps, then collapsed. This was very good performance.
The thing is, I could have killed that elk just fine with a .308 Win, a .30-06, a .300 mag, a .280 Rem, even a .270 Win - or any of a number of other decent cartridges. The important thing was putting a good bullet where it belongs - just like in any hunting. Mostly I hunt mule deer, and the sheer size of the bull elk was pretty imposing to me. Big bulls go 700 - 800 pounds easily, as opposed to a mule deer that may be about 200 - 250 pounds, though some are larger. Still, despite their size and strength, a bull elk isn't bulletproof! Sometimes, like other game animals, they have a reputation of being able to soak up tremendous damage and keep going, but still, I'll stand by shot placement being paramount.
The most important factors then in my preparation for the elk hunt were likely:
1. Physical condition - the hunt was from 9,000' - 11,000' ASL in Wyoming. Very tough terrain at very high altitude for this guy. Lots of hiking and riding. Horses helped a LOT on that hunt. Being in shape, so I could get out and scout and hunt hard was very important.
2. Marksmanship - I shoot rifles a lot - many rounds downrange over the course of a year and very few of them from a bench. No benches out there in elk & mulie country. Just rocks, cliffs, logs etc. Being able to handle the rifle well has been a key to what success I've had in the field. On the week long elk hunt, I fired one shot.
3. Hunting where there is game. This sounds silly, but there are vasts chunks of land "out west" where there is little game. Do your homework! BTW, a do-it-yourself hunt for elk is quite possible! The western states seem to have very good Fish & Wildlife web sites, chock full of good info for the hunter.
Back to cartridges - you mentioned the .308 Win. It's a favorite of mine alright - I've shot out a few .308 Win barrels and that takes a lot of rounds. Very good cartridge, many will say it's too light for elk. It will do just fine if you don't confuse it with a magnum. Take a look at trajectory charts, wind drift, power remaining at various yardages and limit yourself accordingly in the field. One thing I really like about the .308 is that it's a mild-mannered beast, which encourages doing a lot of practice since it's not beating you up.
I'll concur with "ryutzy" that the 7mm mag is also pretty easy to shoot. I notice that I shoot a 7 mag easier than I do the typical .300 mag.
Back to the scope - a good scope is very important - you may get one chance early in the morning or late in the evening when light is low. In the years since that elk hunt I've turned to a fixed 6x Leupold with a 42mm objective lens. It's great in low light, and the fixed power scope has worked very well for me on mule deer from 30 - 400 yards.
There, a little wordy. My apologies. But you asked about ELK - and my mind is on ELK right now! As an aside, if I go this year, I'll likely be carrying a .375 H&H, which is completely unnecessary, but I've fallen hard for the big Ruger Number One and want to hunt more with it this year, so I'm going big this year!
Regards, Guy
I will be stacking my coins till the time comes for an elk hunt and more to add to the list just one thing at a time."
There are literally dozens of cartridges that will work just fine for an elk hunt. We're living in a time when the variety of cartridges available is truly incredible - and I'm not sure it's for the best. Perhaps too many to choose from? Look beyond the mere ballistics, many different cartridges produce adequate "power" to kill an elk cleanly.
Look at some different factors:
How much experience do you have and will you have with that particular rifle?
Will you potentially use that rifle as a deer and maybe a bear rifle?
What's your recoil tolerance?
Will you handload or rely on factory produced ammo?
What's your preference in action type? Bolt, single shot, lever, semi-auto?
Are you going to spring for a good scope?
In my humble opinion the absolute most important factor in bringing down a game animal is shot placement. Where they're hit is vastly more important than what they're hit with.
That said, the next most important factor is using a bullet adequate to the job - one that will penetrate to the vitals, and do its job.
Most elk hunting by guys who live in elk country seems to be done by guys with their same deer rifles - although they may tend to use a pretty potent deer rifle. I took my big bull elk with a 7mm Rem mag and a 175 gr Nosler Partition. The rifle was accurate, the 3-9x Leupold was adequate, the bullet performed very well. It wasn't a big, heavy rifle either, just a standard weight sporter rifle, a low-budget Rem 700 ADL with the synthetic stock. Nailed it from about 180 yards, from sitting, unsupported except for the sling wrapped around my arm. The bullet hit right where intended and penetrated completely through, exiting with about a quarter-sized hole. The bull took a few faltering steps, then collapsed. This was very good performance.
The thing is, I could have killed that elk just fine with a .308 Win, a .30-06, a .300 mag, a .280 Rem, even a .270 Win - or any of a number of other decent cartridges. The important thing was putting a good bullet where it belongs - just like in any hunting. Mostly I hunt mule deer, and the sheer size of the bull elk was pretty imposing to me. Big bulls go 700 - 800 pounds easily, as opposed to a mule deer that may be about 200 - 250 pounds, though some are larger. Still, despite their size and strength, a bull elk isn't bulletproof! Sometimes, like other game animals, they have a reputation of being able to soak up tremendous damage and keep going, but still, I'll stand by shot placement being paramount.
The most important factors then in my preparation for the elk hunt were likely:
1. Physical condition - the hunt was from 9,000' - 11,000' ASL in Wyoming. Very tough terrain at very high altitude for this guy. Lots of hiking and riding. Horses helped a LOT on that hunt. Being in shape, so I could get out and scout and hunt hard was very important.
2. Marksmanship - I shoot rifles a lot - many rounds downrange over the course of a year and very few of them from a bench. No benches out there in elk & mulie country. Just rocks, cliffs, logs etc. Being able to handle the rifle well has been a key to what success I've had in the field. On the week long elk hunt, I fired one shot.
3. Hunting where there is game. This sounds silly, but there are vasts chunks of land "out west" where there is little game. Do your homework! BTW, a do-it-yourself hunt for elk is quite possible! The western states seem to have very good Fish & Wildlife web sites, chock full of good info for the hunter.
Back to cartridges - you mentioned the .308 Win. It's a favorite of mine alright - I've shot out a few .308 Win barrels and that takes a lot of rounds. Very good cartridge, many will say it's too light for elk. It will do just fine if you don't confuse it with a magnum. Take a look at trajectory charts, wind drift, power remaining at various yardages and limit yourself accordingly in the field. One thing I really like about the .308 is that it's a mild-mannered beast, which encourages doing a lot of practice since it's not beating you up.
I'll concur with "ryutzy" that the 7mm mag is also pretty easy to shoot. I notice that I shoot a 7 mag easier than I do the typical .300 mag.
Back to the scope - a good scope is very important - you may get one chance early in the morning or late in the evening when light is low. In the years since that elk hunt I've turned to a fixed 6x Leupold with a 42mm objective lens. It's great in low light, and the fixed power scope has worked very well for me on mule deer from 30 - 400 yards.
There, a little wordy. My apologies. But you asked about ELK - and my mind is on ELK right now! As an aside, if I go this year, I'll likely be carrying a .375 H&H, which is completely unnecessary, but I've fallen hard for the big Ruger Number One and want to hunt more with it this year, so I'm going big this year!
Regards, Guy
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Ray P
- Senior Member
- Posts: 645
- Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2005 10:32 am
- .204 Ruger Guns: 2-Rem 700 and Ruger#1 S/S
- Location: NE Pa
- Contact:
Re: large cal. rifles
Guy very well explained.
Yep I have a heart for the Ruger#1 .....I got 3.
Later
Ray P
Yep I have a heart for the Ruger#1 .....I got 3.
Later
Ray P
Life is an adventure and often to short. Make the most with family and friends. Shoot often and shoot a small hole. Love the 204 Ruger!! NRA Life Member
"We are never to old to learn"
"We are never to old to learn"
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Clint E
- Senior Member
- Posts: 370
- Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 3:10 pm
- .204 Ruger Guns: none
- Location: Wyoming
Re: large cal. rifles
Thanks for the info guys i am hopeing to stumble across some thing used hopefully in the rem700 action just wanted some input to now what to look for when i go looking.
Guy M thanks for all the detailed input on what to expect.
Hopefully i can get this done before i get to caught up in the rat race of life
Guy M thanks for all the detailed input on what to expect.
Hopefully i can get this done before i get to caught up in the rat race of life
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noneck180
- New Member
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2010 3:36 pm
- .204 Ruger Guns: Tikka Super Varmint..
Re: large cal. rifles
I am 7mm Rem mag guy aswell..really liked my 257 Wby aswell..
Re: large cal. rifles
Hunting and killing bull elk is my main reason for living, so I have to chime in. I have killed several elk with a .270 or 7mm Remington magnum, and would have likely killed more with the rifles except I have killed more of them than I can remember with arrows before firearm season. I never had to hit them more than once to put them down for good with the rifles, and an arrow through the lungs or heart will kill them just as quick, if not quicker. The key really is hitting them in the right place. If elk are hit right (heart, lungs, spine, or brain) they seldom go far if anywhere, hit wrong with just about anything they can and usually will go a long ways and you will be lucky to find them before the ravens do.
It doesn't hurt to have plenty of power "just in case", but a poor hit with even a .300 or .338 is still a poor hit. You have some more margin for error with a larger magnum like the .300's and up, but I feel too many people rely on that and just blaze away, hoping for the best. The larger magnums probably have an edge if shooting at odd angles through the shoulders, etc., and a larger and heavier bullet might have some advantage if it hits light brush or limbs.
Even though a .243 or 30-30 can easily kill an elk with proper bullets and shot placements, I would recommend a .308 or similar as a minimum. The .270, 30-06, and 7mm mag. class are good all around rifles for pronghorn to elk. The .300 mag. and up are fine, as long as the recoil doesn't cause flinching, which it does in many people. If you have to carry the rifle in rugged country, consider the weight. Depending on the area and other factors elk hunts can vary from spending most of the time in vehicles or on horses trying to spot elk for a stalk, or climbing up and down mountains in timber (often brushy timber, I might add). So consider probable shot distance, how the ballistics will work with that, and how much and where you will carry the rifle, and most of all what you can shoot well.
One thing I find interesting is this, most local hunters who are experienced and have killed their fair share of elk shoot the .270 - 7mm mag. class of cartridges, while many of the guys from out east, who have never seen a live elk much less killed one, show up with the ultra mags and such. Just saying.
It doesn't hurt to have plenty of power "just in case", but a poor hit with even a .300 or .338 is still a poor hit. You have some more margin for error with a larger magnum like the .300's and up, but I feel too many people rely on that and just blaze away, hoping for the best. The larger magnums probably have an edge if shooting at odd angles through the shoulders, etc., and a larger and heavier bullet might have some advantage if it hits light brush or limbs.
Even though a .243 or 30-30 can easily kill an elk with proper bullets and shot placements, I would recommend a .308 or similar as a minimum. The .270, 30-06, and 7mm mag. class are good all around rifles for pronghorn to elk. The .300 mag. and up are fine, as long as the recoil doesn't cause flinching, which it does in many people. If you have to carry the rifle in rugged country, consider the weight. Depending on the area and other factors elk hunts can vary from spending most of the time in vehicles or on horses trying to spot elk for a stalk, or climbing up and down mountains in timber (often brushy timber, I might add). So consider probable shot distance, how the ballistics will work with that, and how much and where you will carry the rifle, and most of all what you can shoot well.
One thing I find interesting is this, most local hunters who are experienced and have killed their fair share of elk shoot the .270 - 7mm mag. class of cartridges, while many of the guys from out east, who have never seen a live elk much less killed one, show up with the ultra mags and such. Just saying.
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Critter
- Senior Member
- Posts: 195
- Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2005 10:05 pm
- .204 Ruger Guns: Ruger #1B .204, Ruger 77/44,
- Location: Washington State
Re: large cal. rifles
Selecting a firearm starts with proper selection of a bullet. Goal is to reach the target with sufficient energy and placement accuracy to put the animal down immediately. So you have short range (<200), medium range (200 to 400), long range (400 to 600). There is also very long range (>600) which requires special equipment and skills in my view.
Bullet can be various types such as lock type, partition, full metal jacket, soft point, etc. They can have high performance ballistics coefficients or be heavy standard round nose bullets. You may want to load a try a few of the most interesting ones in concert with simulated targets. Watermelons seem to be an excellent simulator of soft skin game for some reason.
Let's say hypothetically you decide that a 180 grain 30 Caliber round nose Nosler partition meets your requirement. (Well done! Excellent choice.) or you might come to the same conclusion as the Major and decide that the medium (270 grain) .375 bullet is the only possible answer. (Who knows, there is no right or wrong in this business.) This means that you have a choice at this point of a standard or short magnum or one of the larger standard calibers. .300 WSM, .30-.378WM, .300WM, .300 H&H .300 WeaM, .300 Dakota, .30-06, .308, .300 Savage, etc. My tendency would be to go no smaller than the .30-06, possibly larger depending on your required velocity at range according to the ballistics tables.
Next step is to pick a primer, powder combination. I tend to like Federal Match primers. Match primers are made with that little extra appreciation for quality in manufacturing. Excellent and very consistent primers are made by Winchester, Remington, and CCI just to name a few.
Powders are recommended by the Reloading manual in conjunction with primers and bullet combination. My tendency has always been to pick the powder that gives me the highest velocity loading and then back off a little to save the gun and barrel, whilst still providing high velocity.
I would load a range of cartridges; say five round each with increments of +/- 1 or ½ grain depending on the total loading. These five round groups often lead to some startling results such as the first three groups are 1.5 inches at 100 yards and suddenly the next two are ¼ inch.
Similarly with factory ammo if you don’t reload, try several different premium ammunitions for group size. Remember that prize animal is only taken with one or two shots, so opportunity cost for not having the correct ammunition and load can be quite high.
Bullet can be various types such as lock type, partition, full metal jacket, soft point, etc. They can have high performance ballistics coefficients or be heavy standard round nose bullets. You may want to load a try a few of the most interesting ones in concert with simulated targets. Watermelons seem to be an excellent simulator of soft skin game for some reason.
Let's say hypothetically you decide that a 180 grain 30 Caliber round nose Nosler partition meets your requirement. (Well done! Excellent choice.) or you might come to the same conclusion as the Major and decide that the medium (270 grain) .375 bullet is the only possible answer. (Who knows, there is no right or wrong in this business.) This means that you have a choice at this point of a standard or short magnum or one of the larger standard calibers. .300 WSM, .30-.378WM, .300WM, .300 H&H .300 WeaM, .300 Dakota, .30-06, .308, .300 Savage, etc. My tendency would be to go no smaller than the .30-06, possibly larger depending on your required velocity at range according to the ballistics tables.
Next step is to pick a primer, powder combination. I tend to like Federal Match primers. Match primers are made with that little extra appreciation for quality in manufacturing. Excellent and very consistent primers are made by Winchester, Remington, and CCI just to name a few.
Powders are recommended by the Reloading manual in conjunction with primers and bullet combination. My tendency has always been to pick the powder that gives me the highest velocity loading and then back off a little to save the gun and barrel, whilst still providing high velocity.
I would load a range of cartridges; say five round each with increments of +/- 1 or ½ grain depending on the total loading. These five round groups often lead to some startling results such as the first three groups are 1.5 inches at 100 yards and suddenly the next two are ¼ inch.
Similarly with factory ammo if you don’t reload, try several different premium ammunitions for group size. Remember that prize animal is only taken with one or two shots, so opportunity cost for not having the correct ammunition and load can be quite high.
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Clint E
- Senior Member
- Posts: 370
- Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 3:10 pm
- .204 Ruger Guns: none
- Location: Wyoming
Re: large cal. rifles
Thanks for the input guys . I am not from the east at least i dont consider myself that 
more like mid west but east of the mississippi.
Now that i know what callibers to look for i can start searching for a used one. Alot of folks around our area will buy a .308,7mm.30-06.ecxt. just to coyote hunt and end up tradeing them due to recoil so i can pick one up at a fair price but in new condition. Example i passed on a savage fv12 in .308 last spring that couldnt of had 4 boxes of ammo threw it from the looks of it for $400. I didnt buy for one the wife was with me and she knows i cant walk into the gun shop without buying something so she gave me the look you know what i mean. Two when i was able to sneak back over to the shop it was sold.
Now thanks to the help of you folks when funds become avalible i can have my dealer keep an eye out for one to come in.Of course he knows i like the top shelf guns but wont pay top shelf prices
more like mid west but east of the mississippi. Now that i know what callibers to look for i can start searching for a used one. Alot of folks around our area will buy a .308,7mm.30-06.ecxt. just to coyote hunt and end up tradeing them due to recoil so i can pick one up at a fair price but in new condition. Example i passed on a savage fv12 in .308 last spring that couldnt of had 4 boxes of ammo threw it from the looks of it for $400. I didnt buy for one the wife was with me and she knows i cant walk into the gun shop without buying something so she gave me the look you know what i mean. Two when i was able to sneak back over to the shop it was sold.
Now thanks to the help of you folks when funds become avalible i can have my dealer keep an eye out for one to come in.Of course he knows i like the top shelf guns but wont pay top shelf prices
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Bill K
- Senior Member
- Posts: 2324
- Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:00 am
- .204 Ruger Guns: also now, a Savage switch bull barrel in 204R. 23 inch SS
- Location: Lake Forest, Ca.
Re: large cal. rifles
Just to throw another fine cartridge into the pot, for you.. For varmints and general shooting a good 100-115 bullet is fine. Move up to a Nosler 120 Gr partition and the cartridge will serve you well on Elk and moose. Have used one for about 25 years now and have never been sorry. This fine cartridge is the standard 25.06 Rem. I also shoot 7rem mag, 30-06 and 375 at times, but seems like time and time again I will grab the old 25.06. Bill K 
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GTOHunter
- Senior Member
- Posts: 178
- Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 2:07 pm
- .204 Ruger Guns: none
- Location: Southeast Missouri
Re: large cal. rifles
Another thing to consider when buying a Rifle is getting a Bolt-Action Rifle,then You can shot the Remington "Managed Recoil" shells.If You happen to get a Rifle that has a little too much felt recoil the Managed Recoil shells help a lot and cut down on recoil to help You from flinching.I bought a used Remington Bolt-Action Rifle and tried the MR shells and I was very impressed with the accuracy and light recoil,You can also go back and shoot the regular shells and it will only be an inch or so higher at the Range.
I have shot a Remington Semi-Autiomatic Rifle for many years then I decided to buy a new Rifle and ended up getting a Browning .243 A-bolt Hunter shooting Hornady Custom shells in 100 grains and have taken down several nice big Doe's and so far 2 nice 8-Point Bucks,the recoil is light and the gun is very accurate.Last year I bought a Savage 111 GCNS 7mm-08 Bolt-action with the Accu-trigger and it is a very nice Rifle with a little more recoil than the .243 Browing and I can also get the Managed Recoil shells for it also.
I also have a Browning .270 WSM (Winchester Short Mag),the recoil is in the same catagory as a regular 30-06 Rifle but it will shoot faster/flatter and further out since it is a WSM...the biggest downfall is that ammo cost around $35.00-$40.00 for a box of 20 shells.Another thing to consider is any Magnum,Win Mag,WSM Rifle etc.....the shells will cost You a lot more and be harder to find available.
I would check a chart for Recoil and consider that factor when deciding on what Large Caliber Rifle You want to buy and shot
I have shot a Remington Semi-Autiomatic Rifle for many years then I decided to buy a new Rifle and ended up getting a Browning .243 A-bolt Hunter shooting Hornady Custom shells in 100 grains and have taken down several nice big Doe's and so far 2 nice 8-Point Bucks,the recoil is light and the gun is very accurate.Last year I bought a Savage 111 GCNS 7mm-08 Bolt-action with the Accu-trigger and it is a very nice Rifle with a little more recoil than the .243 Browing and I can also get the Managed Recoil shells for it also.
I also have a Browning .270 WSM (Winchester Short Mag),the recoil is in the same catagory as a regular 30-06 Rifle but it will shoot faster/flatter and further out since it is a WSM...the biggest downfall is that ammo cost around $35.00-$40.00 for a box of 20 shells.Another thing to consider is any Magnum,Win Mag,WSM Rifle etc.....the shells will cost You a lot more and be harder to find available.
I would check a chart for Recoil and consider that factor when deciding on what Large Caliber Rifle You want to buy and shot
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TONK
- Senior Member
- Posts: 126
- Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2009 5:22 pm
- .204 Ruger Guns: I own a .204 Ruger & 25-06 Ruger!
- Location: Ozark Mountains, MO. ARK. Col.
Re: large cal. rifles
Clint E I'll give you my take on your post and toss my 2cents worth into the pot ok! Now of the 3 calibers you mentioned in your post, I would hands down go with the Old Soldier "30-06" caliber because it runs out close to 200 fps faster than the .308 Winchester and can handle those 180 grain bullets needed for bull elk better also. I have used both the .270 and the .30-06 hunting and killing elk but in all honesty or my humble opionion the 30-06 with 180 grain bullet is as small as I would go hunting bull elk that tip the scales at 700 to 900 pounds. Also those calibers in the .270, 30-06 and .338 caliber are known as "Medium Bores" 
The Large Bores generaly start at the .458 caliber upward but many like myself seem to put the .416 mag in with them also because of the energy it generates at the muzzle.
The Large Bores generaly start at the .458 caliber upward but many like myself seem to put the .416 mag in with them also because of the energy it generates at the muzzle.
Thank a VET for your Freedom!
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Arizona Hunter
- Senior Member
- Posts: 137
- Joined: Fri May 11, 2007 9:03 am
- Location: Phoenix, AZ
Re: large cal. rifles
Guy M summed it up well.
If you get a 300 mag but cannot shoot it well you would be better of with a 308 class (270,7 mag, 280, 30.06) rifle with a premium 150 gr. bullet. And get the rifle that "feels/fits" best to you also. Just because a friend says his Remchesterby is awesome it may not be for you, maybe you will find a Marlin, Mossberg, Ruger or Savage feels/fits you best. Let us know when you finally get enough coins together!
If you get a 300 mag but cannot shoot it well you would be better of with a 308 class (270,7 mag, 280, 30.06) rifle with a premium 150 gr. bullet. And get the rifle that "feels/fits" best to you also. Just because a friend says his Remchesterby is awesome it may not be for you, maybe you will find a Marlin, Mossberg, Ruger or Savage feels/fits you best. Let us know when you finally get enough coins together!