A good problem to have...

[Rule11]

Hey guys. Haven't posted in a while but I have been lurking and enjoying the witty back and forth and the generally helpful advice you guys give.

My issue: through some recent horse trading, I've got a little money to spend on a new firearm. If I don't spend it on a gun, it will get pi$$ed away on daipers, etc. My quandry is that, although I WANT a new gun, I don't NEED a new gun. I'm not going to let that stop me, though.

My hunting battery as it exists:

1) Weatherby Vanguard Sub-MOA in .25-06 (deer)
2) Marlin 336 in .35 Rem (deer)
3) Marlin 39A in .22 (squirrels, rabbits, etc.)
4) Remington 742 in .30-06 (deer)
5) Marlin 1895 in .45-70 (polar bears, yaks, Nile crocodiles, etc.)
6) Browning Maxus in 12 ga. (waterfowl, turkeys)
7) Ruger Red Label in 12 ga. (upland birds)
7) Remington Sportsman 58 in 16 ga. (small birds)
8) Remington Wingmaster 870 in .410 (little bitty birds)

I've also got a couple of trap shotguns and a few pistols. I'm not a competitive shooter or a bench rest guy. The guns I've got, I use. Not really thinking in terms of "collectibles" or simply buying a gun for "investment" purposes. I'm not an extravagant guy, so I'm not interested in a Blaser or some other super premium firearm. Don't have enough money for that anyway.

Aw shoot... Maybe I should just get some new binocs. This is wide open and any reasonable suggestions will be considered. Thanks in advance.

Have a great weekend.

[lovestohunt]

If getting the binos means that your kid is crapping is his drawers with no protection, go with the diapers.

[dubyam]

If I don't spend it on a gun, it will get pi$$ed away on daipers, etc.

Now, I have to say, that's a great pun! Very good stuff!

Seriously, though, I agree with Jess. The first hunting rifle I bought after I got married ended up being a large wooden playfort for my son (and now my 2 daughters). If you have things covered on the other end (pun intended!) and the wife is fine with the gun purchase, here's my thoughts:

You don't have anything really fast above the 25-06. That's a great cartridge, for certain, but it limits you on bullet weight. With the 30-06, you're limited on velocity as you gain in bullet weight. No flies on either round, but if I were looking at your battery and choosing a new addition (which is what you asked us to do) I'd think very seriously about the 7mmRemMag. You can shoot 120-150gr bullets for deer, at hyper-velocity, and to great effect. Recoil will be about the same as your -06, give or take a tad, but not unmanageable by any means. The nice part about the 7mmRemMag is that you can also go up in weight to 160-175gr for larger game should you ever get the opportunity. You'd be set with two rifles for any purpose (except high volume prairie dog shooting, for which you have none), as the 25-06 and the 7mm would work for deer, antelope, sheep, and the like, while the -06 and 7mm would work for elk, moose, black bear, and anything else you decide to hunt in North America, short of the big brown bears. It's a nice fit, in my opinion.

Another way to go is to get something like a 22-250. A real joy to shoot, almost no recoil, components are readily available and cheap (relatively) for handloading. Factory ammo is also readily available and inexpensive. It would give you the ability to shoot a lot for cheaper, and also to hunt small to medium varmints should the opportunity arise.

There's my thoughts. Anybody notice how I didn't mention Weatherby at all up there? Pretty nice of me, huh? Didn't want to continue to rub everybody's noses in my superiority too much. ;^)

[Rule11]

I told my wife we didn't need any diapers because we could just let the boy run around au natural and poop in the back yard like a dog... She was cool with that.

Your points on the 7mm mag are well taken. Have you got one? If so, what make, model etc.? I am open to suggestion on those points as well.

As to the 22-250, that is a hole in my battery that I had recognized, but I don't have any prairie dogs where I live and I have been using that .25-06 on coyotes. Nonetheless, I agree that it would be nice to have one. Again, do you any make or model you particularly like?

That Weatherby I have is really accurate. More accurate than I am, frankly. I was thinking about a Sako or another Weatherby. Does anyone have an opinion on the Browning x-Bolt? I was also thinking about the Savages because people say such good things about their accuracy and price/value.

Thanks again for the input.

[Hunter]

Assuming you're not planning an out-west hunting trip in the foreseeable future, and notwithstanding your thought of not being a benchrest shooter, I suggest you consider getting a Savage in .223, put a high-power scope on it, and do some match shooting. I've been doing a little of that, and it's fun -- bring home your first ribbon and you'll be hooked. :)

[dubyam]

I own neither the 7mmRemMag (I do own a 270Wby) nor the 22-250 (though I own a 243Win). I've shot both, and done extensive load work for a couple of 7mmRemMags. Rifle choice all depends on what fits you, and what you like the look and feel of. I like Weatherby rifles for several reasons. First, quality is very high, even in the Vanguard line. Second, that quality comes at a very good pricepoint, until you get well up into the Accumarks and Deluxes, which are actually not overly high considering comparable guns out there. Third, I like Weatherby rounds, which is moot as far as this discussion is concerned (though if you are interested in a nice 7mmWby in a Mark V, slightly used, I know where a couple are, as well as a Mark V stainless synthetic in 7mmRemMag). Fourth, the Weatherby stock geometry fits me very well, which makes the rifles very natural to point, and very comfortable to shoot.

To give you full perspective, I own Browning, Winchester, Remington, and Weatherby centerfire rifles, and I've shot Ruger, Savage, Howa, Parker-Hale, and a variety of other makes, anywhere from a few shots to thorough handload workups. I really can find good things to say about all but a very, very few rifle makes. For many years I was a Winchester Model 70 guy, as long as it had the claw extractor. I never could afford one, but I shot several and they were nice. The new ones look spectacular, though I haven't yet seen one in 7mmRemMag or 22-250. I've shot a Remmy in 7mmRemMag and was not terribly impressed. A friend has a Steyr in the same caliber, and it's leaps and bounds better to shoot. I don't care for the 'star wars' look of the grey plastic stock. I almost bought the same rifle in 7x64 when I came across one a few years back, but decided against it based on the cost, not the looks.

Anyway, if it were me, I'd consider the 7mmRemMag (as I don't have PD's to shoot, either), or perhaps a specialty round like the 7mmWSM (handloaders only need apply) or the 7mmWby (again, best to be a handloader for this one, too). Either is going to be great, and available in a wide enough variety of rifles (between the two of them, as the WSM is very limited these days) to make finding the right fit easy enough. The Remington 700, Weatherby Vanguard, Browning A- or X-Bolt, Winchester new Model 70, Savage 110-112-114, CZ550, Ruger Hawkeye, or whatever you find interesting will likely work. The Savage and the Vanguard are probably the best overall values in terms of accuracy and cost, though the CZ is a great gun, usually with excellent wood, in a classic square-bridge mauser design, at a reasonable price, with a reputation of being extremely accurate. Handle a bunch of rifles, which is the fun part of shopping for a new one, and see what strikes you. Maybe you find something on the used rack or on sale that really turns you on, and the decision becomes easy. Ultimately, I bet you're more than satisfied with what you buy if you take your time and shop right.

Or, just forget all that and go buy another Weatherby. I'm trying to make some people sick with all this 'bee stuff. I think it's working. They're just jealous!

[ROVERT]

I'd say a .223. It fills the varmint "gap" (I'm not really sure that you have any gaps for the type of hunting you do) and does so with less powder (and cheaper ammo in general) than the .22-250. I'm not saying the .22-250 isn't an excellent choice, but the .25-06 is more than capable of taking over once you get out to ranges that exceed the .223's capabilities.

Outside the .22 cals, I'd say go with something larger than 30 cal that still has some speed. This could include: .338-06, 338 win mag, 35 whelen, 350 rem mag, 375 H&H, etc, etc. (any of those gucciby chamberings from .340 to .378 would work too if you like to pay extra for brass).

With a 25-06 and a .338 win mag, you would certainly have North American big game covered at just about any distance.

I still think I'd go with a .223, cheap range time is valuable.

[JimT]

Hmmm.... To that I would add a .22 mag, maybe a .17 and a 7mmSTW or similar. Maybe some good binocs and a trail camera or two.

[sailinghudson25]

You got everything you need.

Consider purchasing a basic hunting battery to hand to your kids. I also heard not a single word about ammunition or reloading. Consider stocking up or purchasing reloading equipment and supplies.

Considering you like bird hunting a good bit ,you only have 1 22lr rifle, and you have kids. Take a good look at an old savage 24 rifle. It's a rimfire or small centerfire barrel combined with a .410 or 20 gauge lower barrel. Maybe a bit heavy for a young one, but excellent combination for wood lot small game hunting. Leave it set for shotgun for quick shots and switch to rimfire for still shots. The guns are highly collectable, practical, and still affordable.

I have what I need to do any type of hunting in NY by me, but my dream gun is a .243/12 or 20 gauge savage or similar gun. Would consider a .308 or .30-06 too, but .243 will get the job done.

A high quality pair of binoculars will get more game than a high qaulity rifle. You use the binoculars all day long and the rifle only get used for 10 seconds.

[nitis]

IT sounds like you want a larger rifle than your 25 but not over the top.

I too have a 25.06 I love it I am actually getting a 2nd one so one will be set up for yotes and one for deer.

Anyway Have you considered a 270wsm? Very similar to the 7mag but I dont think it hits the operator as hard. 7 mag would be good.

What type of shots do you generally see?

If things are not too long of shot I would highly reccomend the 7mm08 or heck even a 308 nice heavy bullet with lots of choices in type and weight capable of 300+ yds for anyone. And easy on the shoulder

As for the rifle it sounds like you are happy with your vanguard so stick with it. I have all 700s because I inherited 2 so I kept everything the same.

Only thing I might say is dotn spend the money for the smoa as there is not much diff between the regulars so get yourself some krylon and save 200 bucks

[mainedeersniper]

If i was getting another rifle if i was you it would be a varmint rifle. Like a .204 or .22-250 or .223. Your .25-06 is a bit hard on pelts. If you wanted to really get into varmint hunting the rifle could pay for itself in one hunting season, maybe two if you would do some heavy pelt hunting.

If not another rifle what about a muzzleloader or bow? You could extend your season by quite a bit. A bow would be a fine addition. But if your into firearms and not bows as much, look into a muzzleloader. It will extend your season by atleast a week more than likely.

You could look at some real good optics. Get a real good pair of bino's or a real good riflescope for your favourite rifle (that is, if it doesnt got good glass already). Look into trail cams. They can show you where the deer are right before the season, but all depends on how many you got out.

You could get into reloading. Save you self some money on buying ammunition, plus you can achieve more superior accuracy with handloads than factory ammunition. Get a good reloading kit Like RCBS or Redding.