The man with one rifle

[gbflyer]

No controlled round feed, sorry Remington extractor guaranteed to break, and trigger that will fail. You probably better send it to me for safekeeping and take something else

 

[Newboomer]

I get it. If I had to I could easily be a one rifle man. In 1995 I went in to a gun shop looking for a specific rifle and the guy behind the counter showed me a different one. That turned out to be the rifle that came home with me (.308 Win) and we’ve been extremely happy together ever since! I do have others but that’s just more a case of liking a little variety and one that my Dad bought me when I was a kid for sentimental reasons. Your .300 WM is more than enough for any non-dangerous game. But I’m sure you already know that!

The MOST CRITICAL aspect of hunting: KNOW THY WEAPON. That way you know what it will do with a good load and where that round will go.

 

[uplander01]

300 WM is one of the best non-dangerous game calibers in history. I've killed a truckload of NA game with one. You'll do fine. I admire your simplistic 1 rifle concept, If I had to, I could narrow it down to 2, but I hunt DG every chance I get so hence the 2. I know a lot of guys on this forum don't like partitions, and perhaps they have had their own experience, but for PG it will lay shit down. Partitions have been working on large NA game for 70+ years, including moose, which are as big as a Eland.

 

[Jonathan Kashouty]

300 WM is perfect for plains game. Nosler are great bullets, I prefer Barnes 180 grain TTSX.
Have a great hunt!

 

[Bullthrower338]

They say everything in moderation! One gun, 1drink I have a difficult time with both, but cheers on not feeling like you are missing something. The 300 WM (besides its short little neck) is a great cartridge. I used an Bergera Encore barrel chambered in it on my 1st trip and it performed perfect, I shot the exact Federal load you do. I grew up with one center fire rifle, it was a 7RM and I knew I could kill anything I shot at with that rifle, so you are just fine with your 700. I still find a M700 in my hands more than any other rifle when I head out the door to hunt elk. Good luck on your first trip, you only get to experience it once, make it count.

 

[mauser98]

I started off as a one gun hunter in my early years of hunting. Shot lots of game. Since then I've been using several hunting rifles and have filled most of my tags every year since. I routinely practice on the off seasons though.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

My first - and for the longest time only - centerfire rifle was a Ruger 77 in .300 WinMag. I shot a lot of caribou with it, and also moose, brown bear, and a black bear. TERRIFIC caliber.

 

[mdwest]

I've taken over 30 plains game with either a 7mm-08 or a .308 from eland to steenbok. The animal knows not what caliber you're using, if the bullet hits the mark the result remains the same.

yep.. much the same...

wildebeest, zebra (both considered to be "tough" PG), hartebeest, waterbuck, and a number of others have all fallen to short barreled 308's sitting my my safe.. I'd probably take something else with me if I knew eland was my intended quarry.. but for everything else PG in Southern Africa.. I have zero concerns about a 308 with a good bullet (I prefer barnes 168gr TTSX)..

To parrot everyone else in the thread.. the OP's 300 WM will be just fine for anything outside of DG that he might want to chase..

 

[Ragman]

Dad was a one rifle man from 1965 to 2015. It was a Savage 99 in 308. Then one day we went to Cabela’s to buy a sausage stuffer and he fell in love with a NEF Handi-Rifle and bought it instead. He’s shot everything with it now since then except a moose in 2019 with his 99 and his whitetail in 2021 with my Tikka because he lost his own ammo!

 

[Stormy Kromer]

OP here, thanks for all the responses. I appreciate all the experience and advice.

I am practicing daily and will be bringing the best performing ammunition with on my hunt next month. My choices are factory loads. Remington Safari Grade using 200 grain Swift A Frames. Federal Premium 180 grain Accubonds and Federal Premium 180 grain Nosler Partitions. I have taken elk with each of these loads with good results (penetration and damage) I have adequate supplies of all on hand (hard to buy now) The game sought is Kudu, Gemsbok, Zebra and Impala.

In reality, I doubt it really makes a bit of difference which I choose if the shot is on the mark. I have taken many animals with good old Core Lokts. My off the shelf Remington 700 actually likes them.

I am anal about sighting in at actual ranges and building confidence through experience. I like my old rifle and have slept beside it many nights in Grizzly country. Not that I don't want another rifle, I just like the one I have. I may get something chambered smaller when I don't want to put up with the recoil, but for now I don't mind. I have a suppressor ordered and on the way to help with the recoil and noise (if you want to test your patience, order a suppressor......)

Wish you guys could go with on this hunt, I'll keep you posted, I appreciate your experience, knowledge and support.

 

[CBH Australia]

No controlled round feed, sorry Remington extractor guaranteed to break, and trigger that will fail. You probably better send it to me for safekeeping and take something else

Oh' I missed that point. @Stormy Kromer you could debate the merits of using a push feed on the Dark Continent. That one always gets mileage.

I thought @Bullthrower338 would suggest a .338wm, @Bob Nelson 35Whelen would probably suggest a .243win, with lower recoil and good shot placement it's bound to be a winner

 

[Bullthrower338]

Oh' I missed that point. @Stormy Kromer you could debate the merits of using a push feed on the Dark Continent. That one always gets mileage.

I thought @Bullthrower338 would suggest a .338wm, @Bob Nelson 35Whelen would probably suggest a .243win, with lower recoil and good shot placement it's bound to be a winner

I would always recommend the 338 in most of its many forms, WM, RUM, RCM, 338-06 and even the Weatherby chambering but don’t tell anyone I said that. I also would push Swift A-Frames because they are an exceptional bullet for thick skinned game but the OP was talking specifically about the 300 WM and Nosler Partition and wasn’t looking for propaganda for other combinations. I’m sure that is why @Bob Nelson 35Whelen did not recommend the 243 with a 85 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip.

 

[F. Vaccaro]

OP here, thanks for all the responses. I appreciate all the experience and advice.

I am practicing daily and will be bringing the best performing ammunition with on my hunt next month. My choices are factory loads. Remington Safari Grade using 200 grain Swift A Frames. Federal Premium 180 grain Accubonds and Federal Premium 180 grain Nosler Partitions. I have taken elk with each of these loads with good results (penetration and damage) I have adequate supplies of all on hand (hard to buy now) The game sought is Kudu, Gemsbok, Zebra and Impala.

In reality, I doubt it really makes a bit of difference which I choose if the shot is on the mark. I have taken many animals with good old Core Lokts. My off the shelf Remington 700 actually likes them.

I am anal about sighting in at actual ranges and building confidence through experience. I like my old rifle and have slept beside it many nights in Grizzly country. Not that I don't want another rifle, I just like the one I have. I may get something chambered smaller when I don't want to put up with the recoil, but for now I don't mind. I have a suppressor ordered and on the way to help with the recoil and noise (if you want to test your patience, order a suppressor......)

Wish you guys could go with on this hunt, I'll keep you posted, I appreciate your experience, knowledge and support.

Stormy, don’t loose any sleep over your .300WM. If a .308 reliably takes elk (it does), your .300WM won’t let you down!
enjoy!

 

[Rubberhead]

The .30-06 is basically a .300 WM with the first 140 yards cut off. In other words, the .30-06 is the .300 WM for better hunters...

 

[Ryan]

The .30-06 is basically a .300 WM with the first 140 yards cut off. In other words, the .30-06 is the .300 WM for better hunters...

That's right there with my view of the a 308 vs 30/06.

People get in a dither over those two and my view is (assuming the same bullet) the 308 is a 30/06 minus 50 yards.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I would always recommend the 338 in most of its many forms, WM, RUM, RCM, 338-06 and even the Weatherby chambering but don’t tell anyone I said that. I also would push Swift A-Frames because they are an exceptional bullet for thick skinned game but the OP was talking specifically about the 300 WM and Nosler Partition and wasn’t looking for propaganda for other combinations. I’m sure that is why @Bob Nelson 35Whelen did not recommend the 243 with a 85 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip.

@Bullthrower338
Cody I wouldn't recommend the 243 loaded with any thing as a game rifle. It is the biggest con ever introduced by winchester. It may be fine for paper punching but makes a lousy game rifle. To big for small game and to small for medium game.
Take it off the market even the Creedmoor is a better game cartridge.
Bob

 

[BeeMaa]

@Stormy Kromer - I think you are on the right track with the Swift A-Frame bullets. Other good ones would be the Barnes TSX/TTSX and Norma Oryx.

If you are set on going with a Nosler bullet, I'd recommend the AccuBond over the NP. Especially at the expected distances and impact velocities, the NAB will hold together better.

My wife and I each have 300WM barrels for our rifles and shoot the Barnes 165 grain TTSX factory ammo...both rifles are incredibly accurate.

 

[Art Lambart II]

The 300WM is a great option for PG. Your PH will ask you to shoot your game on the shoulder not behind it, at close ranges the NP is not your best choice at magnum velocities. I used the 200 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw in Africa to great effect, if your rifle likes the 200 grain A-Frames I would use those over the NP.

 

[rdog]

View attachment 516034Everyone told me a .308 was not enough rifle for African Plains Game, but I took my Savage Lightweight Hunter in .308 because it has been my go to rifle for the last 10 years. Also traveled with a couple of Weatherby rifles in 7mm Rem Mag and .300 Rem Mag. Our first morning my PH said we would likely see Impala and Springbok so grabbed the .308. The first animal I saw in Africa was this Black Wildebeast bull. My PH said "303 yards, take him sir". I took the shot, the wildebeast crumpled in place and never moved. (you can see where my bullet hit right in the crease) After that I did not shoot any other rifle on the trip. I took nine animals total, two with my bow and the other seven with the 20 inch barrel .308 which was spitting out my 165 gr federal Trophy Bonded Tip bullet at a whopping 2601 fps! (Average of my 10 shot group) My two sons started borrowing my rifle. The little .308 took fifteen trophies on our trip, everything from springbok up to trophy class (SCI GOLD) Kudu and Waterbuck. Not once were the talents of one of our trackers required. So yep I get the one rifle thing. When I pull the trigger on this one I KNOW the bullet is going where I want it to, don't really have to think about it or worry about it. I totally understand that a .308 is NOT the right tool for every situation. But I'll push the limits of conventional wisdom on caliber selection a bit because I know that a relatively light and slow moving .308 bullet that is going hit exactly where I will it too is many times better than something more powerful but less precise in my hands.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjmoO2ksoX9AhUqlGoFHenFD-gQFnoECAoQAQ&url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infinitely&usg=AOvVaw3H4bUhCk07WL6KhJUNwbaj​

The 308 Winchester is a great cartridge, low recoil, inherently accurate, ammo avail every where i wish i had 1$ for every round i fired in the army out of a L1A1 & M60 GPMG i would have a safe full of Rigbys , & new Mauser's.

 

[Newboomer]

The 308 Winchester is a great cartridge, low recoil, inherently accurate, ammo avail every where i wish i had 1$ for every round i fired in the army out of a L1A1 & M60 GPMG i would have a safe full of Rigbys , & new Mauser's.

Love that M60.