Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

[oubeta]

I'm headed to AK for a grizzly hunt and want to finally build a custom rifle for the trip. I will be hiking a several miles a day so I really want a light gun.
I'm thinking a .300WM in a Surgeon 591 with a Manners stock (not sure which one) and a fluted 24" barrel. I would like to stick to stocks/barrels that aren't back ordered that far out as I'm leaving Aug 1.

I want the ability to be able to buy factory ammo just in case I forget my reloads. I can't decide between a 300WSM or 300WM? SInce the gun will be built light, I don't want to get killed with recoil or i would go with a .338rem mag.

Any ideas on stocks & calibers?

Thanks Guys!

 

[Shortdraw]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

I would rather get killed with recoil than by a bear. I watched a brown bear take 8 hits with a 300wsm before he flopped. I wouldn't go less than a 338 personally, 375 H&H with 350 grain solids would be more proper. Mine is 7 pounds on the nuts. No muzzle brake and it has very manageable recoil. WAY less painful to shoot than a 300wm, or 338wm.

 

[oubeta]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

Ya I guided up there for many years in AK.
I've seen a 270 take down a brown bear, but if you can't shoot, you need a pretty big gun.
I was hoping to use it for Bou as well. Maybe I should at least step up to a 300WM or a 338. I was under the impression a 300WSM has similar ballistics to a 300WM?

 

[juliomorris]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

I wouldn't go with anything less than a 338 and a 22 revolver to shoot partner in the knee with so I can get away. Also wear the bear bells so they can identify the correct bear poop.

Seriously 338 WM in a 8-9 lb rifle and good luck post pics of the bears alive or dead.

 

[pc3]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

Maybe look into a .416 Ruger with the surgeon 1086 action ?

Good combo 340 gr woodleigh's. 340 gr speer's there is a 300 gr TSX along with 400 gr Partitions, 400 and 410 gr woodleigh's as well.

 

[Mschloss]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

What about a lever action Marlin in 45-70? Light to carry, relatively cheap, and it packs a wallop.

 

[KPK]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

There's a bad ass 338 Norma in the classified built on a defiance action. Looks sweet!??

 

[tacdrver]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

1 shot with a 338wm with a good muzzle brake is less felt than multiple shots with a wsm

 

[oubeta]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

I have guided over 200 grizz hunts and I've seen it all.
The biggest problem in AK is you need to be able to get ammo.
I've seen bush planes break and ammo get lost.
I'm spending weeks up there and just to be safe I need to be able to get commercial ammo from Anchorage on a mail plane to the closest native village.

Most guys bring way too much gun. These are interior grizzyls not brown bears.
A 30-06 will do the job if the shot is decent.
THink I have it narrowed down between a 300WSM or 300WM. Just need a little more info on ballistics on the two. I'm wanting a long range gun so the 45-70 is out. I carried one for a few years guiding and they are OK, but I like a longer range gun.

I can't tell you how many times a guy shot a big grizz on the edge of an alder thicket and wounded it at 300yrds. Then I had ot go tracking a wounded bear in think alders. Not fun! I sure wish I could have done a follow up shot, but the 45-70 was out of the question (for me) at that range.

Mainly looking on stock tips and actions.
Thinking a Manners 90% fill in 300WM on a Surgeon action.

 

[Shortdraw]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: oubeta</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ya I guided up there for many years in AK.
I've seen a 270 take down a brown bear, but if you can't shoot, you need a pretty big gun.
I was hoping to use it for Bou as well. Maybe I should at least step up to a 300WM or a 338. I was under the impression a 300WSM has similar ballistics to a 300WM? </div></div>
300wsm does have similar ballistics as a 300wm. Why poke a tiny hole through when you can break big bones? I use my 375 for whitetail, elk, and caribou as well and it does way less meat damage than the 30 mags. You should know this having guided in AK...

 

[Shortdraw]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

If you want a bear gun, get one. If you want a "everything" gun, do that. Just don't confuse the two. It all comes down to ballistics and bullet construction. Not many choices when it comes to the 30 cal magnums other than Barnes. You're going to get what you want anyway, so why ask for opinions?

 

[juliomorris]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

Between the 2 the 300 WM performs better with the heavies than the short mag. I would look at the 200's or 220's. I would look at the barnes 200gr Triple-shock or the TSX you could push them about 2950fps using H1000 out of a 24" barrel.

 

[justme]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

I use a 300 wsm for hunting and it will keep up with a 300 WM with bullets up to 180 grs. For large bear I would say shoot the largest caliber that you can shoot well. I'm sure my 300 wsm will work on the large bears but would still prefer a larger caliber

 

[oregon]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

oubeta, to get more information on ballistics go to JBM online at:

http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmtraj-5.1.cgi

There are also applications for the iPhone and Android. I like to hit my elk with at least 1200 ft lbs of energy and usually blows out the other side with 168 - 180g bullets - other hunters I know get them with less. Not sure how much energy it takes to kill a bear, while would assume more. Hope the ballistics calculator helps you decide. Good luck on the hunt.

A hunting buddy I know who worked salmon on the banks of the river in Alaska in the summers for a few years said saw locals carry mostly 338WM and a few 375 H&H - nothing else. He has a 300WM and will get a bigger gun before goes back for work (he wants a 375 H&H or 338LM). My advice is like others said above - shoot as big a gun as you can accurately.

 

[beretta_man11]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

Here is my 300wm. This kill was just shy of 300 but was a head shot. The longest of the year was 799yds.

Stiller action-Kreiger 22" barrel, fluted-Timney 1.5lb trigger-Holland/Mcmillan stock. Weighs about 11 pounds.

I have since replaced that break with one from Mac's gunworks and put a greybull stock on it.

 

[Top Cat]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

Bullet choice is a much more critical decision than a few fps...

The difference between a 300 WSM and a 300WM is a lot of hairsplitting for a hunting rifle, and a 30-06 is plenty capable and gives an extra round or two in the mag...sometimes that counts more.

Any of these rounds loaded with a 200 AB, Partition or a 165 X bullet will give very similar results in the field. There is more difference between bullets so take your pick of any of these calibers and go hunting.

Time is short for a custom rifle build, but a stainless 300 WSM Montana out of the box is light and ready to go with a decent stock for around a grand. To build something as light and as good would be over twice that. A Win M70 Extreme Weather is another good choice in whatever caliber you like.

I like the new EWs...these are great hunting rifles for the money.

TC

 

[18Echo]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

.338-06 with a 225gr or 250gr Nosler partition. You can then drop to the 180's and 210's for smaller stuff.

 

[Guest]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

GAP nontypical,300 wsm. don't forget RESALE value. I got hammered when I went to sell my last custom, I lost about half what It cost me to build it. if I had went with a gap rifle, I would have maybe lost a few hundred. especially for the guy who wants a standard chamber that shoots factory stuff GAP is the way to go. if you like tight necked custom chambers maybe not.

 

[oubeta]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

There is a GAP .300WSM ready to ship right now.
I would like to push the heavier bullets is the only reason I'm thinking the 300WM. The 338 isn't out of the question at all.
I'm just wanting a light rifle and don't want to get the shit kicked out of me. I guess there is no way around it. Light RIfle=Kick. I'm not a huge fan of breaks just because of the noise. I don't usually wear plugs when hunting.

 

[barnes12]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

Kind of fond of my old Remington 700 Classic in 35 Whelen.

 

[InkDreams]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

Something I'm surprised nobody asked and you might want to think about...

How long from now is the trip? The lead time on some stocks and actions can be pretty extreme, then you've got gunsmithing time on top of that.

Wouldn't want to be waiting for a part to come in when it's time to go.

 

[threetrees]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

befor you talk too much about calibre ... (which has also been mentioned above) - rather think about the bullet selection. get a bullet that opens up like hell, and your targets will drop. think about it like that: if you have a fmj bullet, it will just pass through the target and barely deposit energy there. a piece of lead with the same energy will 'virtually' explode on the target and deposit all the energy there - and by that causes tons more damage than a fmj that only slides through.

while i personally like wsm for all my hunting, a specific bear rifle ought to hold enough 'reserve bullets' in the magazine. for wsm, you have like 3 bullets in the mag, for other calibres it is usually notably more.

 

[Bluejazz]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 18Echo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.338-06 with a 225gr or 250gr Nosler partition. You can then drop to the 180's and 210's for smaller stuff. </div></div>

Godd choice, or the 338 WM
I would not go less than a 338cal with 225gr or heavier bullets.

 

[jbroadnax]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

Call Up McWhorter Rifles. They have something already built that would suit you are can turn something around quick as they have 30 or 40 stocks, actions, and barrels at all times.

 

[mtn grizzly]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

2 Years ago I took a trophy class Mountain Grizzly. I used a Borden Rifles 300 WSM with 180 Gr Barnes TTSX. The Bear was at a full run and he didn't go 5 feet from where I hit him. Bullet performance and penetration were spot-on perfect. Best hunting experience ever!

 

[Silver_Bullet_00]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

I'm no expert on grizzly, but I know a .270 and 30-06 will kill any North American Game. Heck more big game has been taken with a 30-30 then any other round, but I don't recommend a 30-30 as a first choice. I hunt black bear hear in NC with a 270, but I know a grizzly is a lot biger. I think a 300wsm is a fine choice! I wouldn't even worry about spending a lot in a hunting rifle, just get a stock savage, howa, or Remington 700, they all have adjustable triggers.

 

[Kalman]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

Anything less than a 50BMG and you're not going to even wound the bear. Not any round mind you, make sure you use some DU rounds if you expect to kill the thing. Anything less will just piss it off.

Seriously though, shot placement >> round used. If flinching is going to be a problem then go with a different round. At the same time, I wouldn't worry about your shoulder too much. You're only going to take 1 shot in the field anyways. Wear a pussy pad for the range days and don't worry about it.

 

[mtn grizzly]

Re: Hunting Rifle Build Ideas

+1 After killing a Grizzly, I am not nearly as concerned about cartridge selection (within reason) The WSM's are more than enough and the recoil is very manageable allowing you to make s better shot. I used to hunt with the Weatherby family and shot a 300 Weatherby Magnum - which almost ruined me as a precision marksman. It took years to get rid of the flinch that I developed. BE SMART! Americans in general always tend to shoot way more gun than they need.