i am having some trouble deciding what i want. i dont have a lot of money to throw at a rifle but here is what i am looking at. i want to build a rifle that i can shoot confidently out to 600 yds with because i love to hunt powerlines. i think i am going to go with a savage. i am left handed so i cant get just any gun they make. i can shoot a r/h gun but i want it to feel like its mine, getting a r/h gun is simply not an option i am going to consider on this gun. i have been looking at the savage 111 trophy hunter xp left handed rifles. i really like the accutrigger and savage is to me the most accurate rifle in its price class. i am really wanting some help on caliber. i dont like 7 mags because to me the bullet is just moving too fast to mushroom on an alabama whitetail. i also dont want a 243. i want something with minimal recoil so there wont be any flinch factor on my end. i am hung up between 308, 7mm08, and 270. which caliber would be the best platform for building my powerline rifle, capable of shooting from 100- 600 yds? on a side note i would like to be able to take this rifle out west to kill an elk as well if i get the chance. i will be putting a leupold 4.5x14x50 vx3 with the leupold custom target turret on top and a bedded aftermarket stock on this gun. it does not come with the accustock.

Can't go wrong with a .308!

Our power line plot is 700 yds. A deer is a small target at that range. I set up a target at 350 and practice during the off season just to see what my rifles will do. We have a house on both ends so we can hunt on any wind.

300 win mag with a muzzle break and a good trigger.
Since its 30 cal it punches a big hole, it shoots flat and has big time knock down. A 165 grain 300wm bullet has the same energy @ 400 yards as a 270, 130 grain bullet @ 300 yards and the two have almost the same point of impact.A 165 gr 300wm has more energy @ 300 yards than a 165 308 @ 150 yards. Of course all these numbers are with off the shelf ammo.
The only drawback to this setup, you have to wear hearing protection when you shoot, unless you want it to feel like someone stuck an ice pick in your ear.

yep...that 300 Winnie Mag is a BIG talker! That's why I got rid of the one I had. I hunt with a 168 BTHP Hornady in a Remington 700 .308...My longest kill with it was a DRT doe at 468 yards lased, with a pass-thru. If you can do your part at 600 yards, the 30 cal family will do theirs.

308.

308 won't give you the drop dead power the 30-06 and 300 win mag will. If you want to be able to shoot 400+ and have knock down power you will want to move up to something a lot better than the 308 the ballistics for the heavier bullet weight aren't what you need. But if you want to tap steel at 600 then 308 is good. But if your gonna do it do it right and go big.

If it were me I'd go with a 300 win mag. The 308 is more than capable but at 400+ I would want a little more knockdown with a flatter trajectory.

No less than a .300 win mag.

How much practice will you do with a 300 Win Mag compared to a 308? 308 168gr loads are supersonic to 850+ yards. Plenty for deer at 600.

I'd pick the one you'll practice with the most. You'll need a LOT of practice to reliably hit a deer at 600 yards from a shooting house or stand.

If you want to go big, then put your big boy pants on all the way and go 338 Lapua.

168gr 308 loaded for 2900fps at the muzzle



225gr 338 Lapua loaded for 3000fps at the muzzle

Most people don't even think about spin drift.

those are some pretty convincing numbers there chem.i dont really want a 300 because frankly i dont like paying 40 bucks a box for ammo and i dont want a whole lot of recoil. no one is a fan of a 270?

A 270 would be my choice.

All those calibers you mention will do what you want. Main thing is knowing where you bullet impacts. All the long range junkies around here I know shoot 300 ultras. The best one I ever had for long range was a 280 a bolt which I let a dude talk me out of like an idiot. My main problem with distance is once you get out to 3 and 400 yards, it is really tough for me to judge a buck's size. That is just me though, you might be a lot better than I am. We got us a steel gong we are going to burn up after the season.

You may want to reexamine your reasons for discounting the 7mm mag. It's not "moving too fast to mushroom". At very short distances it may be moving so fast that light and moderately constructed bullets "blow up" and/or lose a lot of mass. I think a 7mm is pretty much proven as a long range round. You can shoot a bullet with a given combination of speed/ sectional density with a lot less drama than a 30 cal.

Of course if you can afford the ammo, handle the recoil, and be disciplined on using hearing protection, by all means go for the 300 ultra mag. With any
caliber be sure to practice at long range under time pressure to test your true limits.

For comparison sake, here's a 300 Win Mag slinging a 180gr SST at 3150fps

270 win slinging 140gr SST at 3100fps




7mm Rem Mag slinging 139gr SST at 3250fps

Last one for comparison. The 30-378 Weatherby Magnum.

180gr SST cruising at a cool 3450fps



So comparing all these, you're looking at 4' to 7' of drop.

It will be imperative to practice and to use high quality high power optics with a target knob, coupled with a very good laser rangefinder, and a decent amount of luck.

And there is a reason the is millitary gives the 308 a max executive range of 650. And we'll I don't want to be hoping that the round has the power there to knock it down. The ballistics say it all. 308 is a great round from 1-400 but that is where you need the bigger case and energy that is carried out at that distance. But it is a preference thing. I Load my own ammo. And sling a 150sst in 30-06 with 54gr of varget that will group in a pie plate at 900. Farthest I have shot the rounds as of yet. Get what you want and will be happy with. Go with friends and shoot all the aforementioned calibersa and see what you like the most.