.308 OR .270 OR something else for first custom 'sniper' do everything gun?!

[BigCheese1]

Previously my gun was a Remington 700 .270. Only killed one deer with it. Took it apart, now have the action. Going to have it trued and blueprinted and custom make a new rifle. The barrel was junk and I didn't like much about the gun.

I want a do everything rifle. Accuracy is numero Uno! I want to be able to kill anything from a rabbit to a coyote to a deer to and elk to a bear! I am aware that the .308 provides a vast selection of ammo choices and loads which appeals to me. I also like that our military and snipers have used this load a ton and there must be a reason its used over a .270?

I want to shoot out to 1,000 yards, mainly to say that I can. I do not think I would ever try to take an animal at this distance humanly. Just for punching paper. I know there is a huge debate between .308 and .270 so I want someones opinion from here... Or do I want something bigger? Help me guys.. First build like this and need some advice

 

[psinclair]

.280 Remington.

 

[jroberts]

since you already have a long action i would go 30-06 same bullet selection just a little more horse power

 

[garandman]

From everything I've read / heard, yer gonna need to reload to get 308 to 1K with any accuracy / thump. And even then yer pushing its limits. Pretty much no one that intends to shoot 1K picks a 308.

And I'd really want more than a 270 when shooting bear.

Basic rule is a "Do Everything" rifle does very little really well. But I'd say either 308 or 270 will do equally well, as a Do Everything rifle.

Basically, I'm saying have realistic expectations, and either caliber will make you happy.

 

[ccombs]

I'm a 308 fan myself. My grandpa's little Remington 600 308 gets passed around the family depending on who gets drawn in a given year and has killed countless deer and elk with a couple sheep in the mix. But I agree with Jroberts. Go with the 30-06 with the long action.

 

[Downzero]

From everything I've read / heard, yer gonna need to reload to get 308 to 1K with any accuracy / thump. And even then yer pushing its limits. Pretty much no one that intends to shoot 1K picks a 308.

You need to reload to get decent accuracy out of any rifle. Factory ammo--even the best factory ammo--isn't the best choice for long distance shooting. It will always be a compromise over a good handload.

A long action gives a lot of options. I like the suggestion of .280 and I would suggest looking at a number of other long action 7mm cartridges.

.308 in a long action would be silly and pointless.

 

[blackriflecollector]

Since we're talking silly and pointless, how about .260 Remington if you're serious about getting out to 1K. Great barrel life and you get the superb BC of the 6.5mm projectiles.

 

[BoilerUP]

260 or 6.5 Creedmoor

 

[JB02]

.280 Remington.

Normally I would agree with you, but I read that Hornady was discontinuing its 162s, which leaves a pretty slim selection for the heavy 7mm lineup.

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I would go with 30-06. Great selection of heavy bullets and more than enough horsepower to get you well past 1,000.

BTW, I think you mean "precision" rifle vs. sniper rifle correct, or are you some type of high speed operator on a SWAT team?

 

[turbo54]

I think 3006, 280 or 280AI is the easy answer here. I'd mention 284 also, but with brass as difficult to obtain as it is, I can't recommend it. The '06 and 280 on the other hand are always readily available, or can be formed from 270.

Both '06 and 280 are very capable 1000 yard performers, and more than willing to kill most anything on the planet.

Were it me, I'd go with the 7mm for the superb exterior ballistics and moderate recoil; the '06 loaded with heavy high BC bullets kicks like a mule.

 

[Morale_Gear]

280AI is a good choice, and it has the power to send the bullets bigger than 162 at decent speeds.

 

[Hairball]

No matter what you choose, you will compromise in one way or another depending upon the application. I love my .308's but I only take them out to about 800 yards. Beyond that, the .338 LAP is used until I need something larger. While everything that is listed can punch paper and remain relatively inexpensive to shoot, the notion of taking elk and bear may require a larger caliber. Not that some of these cannot be effective; it's just some calibers for large game may be preferred. It also depends on where you hunt and who is with you. A bear in Pennsylvania is not the same as a bear in Montana or Alaska. Some guides may question a .270 for elk or bear. You could always go with a 300 win but the trade off is increased recoil and cost to feed it. I learned long ago that each caliber and rifle type has a purpose and you may find out that you will need two different rifles by the time you are done. One made for long range target shooting and one made for short to mid-range hunting. If you try to fill all of your requirements with one rifle you may not only be disappointed, you may have a rifle that does some things good but not any one thing great. JMHO

 

[surfr716]

I'd go 280ai or straight 284 winchester before either the 270 or the 308. 308 runs out of oomph around 800 yards after that it drops like a stone and the 270 while being a fantastic round for hunting just doesn't get a lot of love as far as good bullets are concerned. Honestly I'd love to mess arou d more with the rifle for long range but aside from nerger the bullet selection is severely lacking. No real shortage of good 7mm bullets with high weight amd excellent bc. Personally if I were using this for hunting the 280 ai would be my choice espexially since it needs no mods to the bolt from your 270 configuration, same goes for the 284 but it doesn't have quitw as much ass behind it as the 280 ai

 

[Gray]

260 rem all the way