First of all, I'm new to the site...this place seems terrific, I went back 20 some pages of this sub-forum and found a ton of information!
On to why I'm posting...I currently use a Remington Model 700 BDL .270 caliber as my main rifle for white tail deer hunting in WV. I'm looking to buy a new rifle...namely a make/model that I'm not afraid to take out in the rain, definitely a synthetic stock and stainless barrel. I'm also looking for a caliber that will take down larger deer such as elk/caribou and large bear for future hunting trips. I think I've narrowed it down to a couple different makes and models and a few different calibers:
Ruger M77 Hawkeye All-Weather
Winchester Model 70 Extreme Weather SS
These two makes/models seem to be the most comfortable to me. I've handled the Remington Model 700 SPS and it seemed extremely unbalanced and uncomfortable. Anyways, the Model 70 is definitely the more comfortable of the two above. How do they compare as far as build quality and out of the box accuracy with factory loads? Is there a better quality choice for the money (Browning, Savage, etc.)?
As far as calibers go, I like the .300 WM, the .300 RUM, and .300 WSM. Its between those 3 calibers...I like the versatility of the .300 RUM with its different power levels, the availability of the .300 WM, and the efficiency of the .300 WSM. Which of the three do you guys feel would be best for my application?
On to why I'm posting...I currently use a Remington Model 700 BDL .270 caliber as my main rifle for white tail deer hunting in WV. I'm looking to buy a new rifle...namely a make/model that I'm not afraid to take out in the rain, definitely a synthetic stock and stainless barrel. I'm also looking for a caliber that will take down larger deer such as elk/caribou and large bear for future hunting trips. I think I've narrowed it down to a couple different makes and models and a few different calibers:
Ruger M77 Hawkeye All-Weather
Winchester Model 70 Extreme Weather SS
These two makes/models seem to be the most comfortable to me. I've handled the Remington Model 700 SPS and it seemed extremely unbalanced and uncomfortable. Anyways, the Model 70 is definitely the more comfortable of the two above. How do they compare as far as build quality and out of the box accuracy with factory loads? Is there a better quality choice for the money (Browning, Savage, etc.)?
As far as calibers go, I like the .300 WM, the .300 RUM, and .300 WSM. Its between those 3 calibers...I like the versatility of the .300 RUM with its different power levels, the availability of the .300 WM, and the efficiency of the .300 WSM. Which of the three do you guys feel would be best for my application?