I am an experienced shooter, but I've never hunted big game. Not going into the why's, all I've hunted in my life is small game with an air rifle. I have owned and shot quite a few different rifles however, and I know what to expect from them. I would like to get my first deer, and I want a rifle that will get the job done on dangerous game in Alaska with confidence. I have pretty much decided on .300 win mag based off the price of ammo, and the variety of ammo available from loads pushing nearly 4,000 fpe to managed recoil loads around 2,000 fpe. Not interested in a .338 because the cheapest stuff I've seen is about $40 for a box of 20, plus I already know some of you are gonna shake your head at the newbie that wants to hunt whitetails in Texas with a .300 win mag. The advice I'm looking for is recommendations for a solid rifle that lasts, one I can shoot for the rest of my days and pass down, that costs around $400. I appreciate it fellas

-Bryan

300 win is a good caliber, IMO its too small for dangerous game you really need a 375 for that. Its great on all North american game, I personally shoot one a lot. Thats a pretty tight budget but you could pick up a remington 700 used or a savage for that, without optics.

You want to be so cheap we can't even help you. Big rifles need good ammo and premium bullets.

A trust it with my life, dangerous game, heirloom quality $400 rifle... Let's see...

I'd rather have a .338, but a .300 WM will work just fine, even on Alaska brownies with the right bullet.

The Howa/Weatherby Vanguard would be my choice in a rifle in your price range. I shot my first brown bear with a Howa, but in .338 WM.

In your budget, I'd recommend a .30-06. There is not much you can't do with that rifle in North America. You can fit your budget of $400 on a good used bolt gun.

300 win mag would be my first choice if i was limited to only one rifle, 7mm mag would be 2nd choice.

You can probably find a lot of used 30-06 rifles in that price range. Ammo can be found just about anywhere and is not expensive. It will kill anything in the Americas if the shooter does their part.

X2

That's like saying you want to run the Daytona 500 in a ford fusion

You need to understand terminal ballistics and what makes a cartridge good or bad.

Min. For North America is a .338 win mag

I have hunted elk 21 years in Colorado killed 8 and never had one run off with a 7 mag.I have killed lots of hogs, doe deer on a cull situation with 150 grain core loc bullets. Its consistent and I don't mess with it. Did a trigger job, floated the barrel, Leupold 3x9 scope changed to 175 weight wasn't happy with it so I am back to 150 grain core lock,3 years ago I shot a buffalo cow and put her right down. You got to be happy with your rifle (confident in its ability to hit and kill)Good luck

I dunno about that. My experience with Alaskan guides over 14 hunts there.....they tend to buy the cheapest WalMart ammo too.

I do agree with the.338, a personal favorite of mine, but there are no flies on a Howa in .300 WM.

Thanks for the good advice. For the naysayers/insulting posters, please keep it to yourself. If you think I am unreasonable to expect to be able to pay less than $40 for a box of 20 rounds, or pay no more than $400 for a rifle that will last and can be passed down, you must live a privileged life. Would I pay it for the ammo? If I were hunting game that warranted it in order to kill reliably and humanely. The .300 winmag gives me that versatility. I don't need a fancy walnut stock or any of that nonsense. I need a rifle that works. There are guns for a lot less that will get the job done. If I were really a cheapskate I'd get a nagant and call it a day.

Edit- The $400 budget is for rifle alone. I would prefer something that comes with decent irons, or i will put a cheap scope on it to last until I can afford some quality glass.

That's the spirit! I know an Inupiat Eskimo who hunts grizzlies with a Ruger Mini 14 in .223. Not my cup of tea, but he feels his outfit is the cat's meow!

Yep - 300 mag is certainly up too the task.

But, to stay in budget I'd look at a clean, used, classic .30-06 and use the change to put some glass on it and buy some ammo!

So, just to recap... You can, in theory, afford a dangerous game hunt in Alaska but can't spend more than $400 on the rifle... And those of us suggesting that you might want to increase your budget are... privileged..?? And who said anything about a fancy walnut stock..? Cheap rifles are cheap for a reason..

Tbone i am in the military. I could be stationed in alaska, and I won't be spending my hard earned money on a guide for anything. Yeah, if you think my $400 budget makes me a moron you are definitely privileged. Saving to get that far, got more important things to spend my $ on. As for the 30/06 suggestions- i would consider it for sure. Pretty versatile gun, lots of potential.

Edit- Another thing, if my $400 budget just misses the mark on a good option, throw it out there. If "for just a little more" there is an option as good as any that cost a lot more, let me know. I have been looking mostly at offerings from savage and mossberg brand new.

dawaba i wonder if he uses the .223 to minimize damage to the fur? I wouldn't take that chance either. I have read too many horror stories about grizzlies taking slugs like they were never even shot

He said dangerous game.

A elk or moose is not dangerous game

Kodak brown bears need a heavy stout bullet

Well, he's a trapper most of the year, so his Ruger is primarily for grizzly protection. But, he does sport-hunt for bears too. He prefers head shots, either between the eyes or in the ear hole.

Interestingly, I asked about ammo preference and he only shrugged. In his magazine, fmj and softs were intermingled. All were lacquered steel cases that, to me, suggest Russian or Iron Curtain origin.

Well a moose is dangerous enough to me!

I agree, and both of my brown bears and my grizzly succumbed to Nosler partitions in either the .338 or .375. But the guides, who are technically your back- up insurance, tend to be less anal about the use of premium bullets.

I will add that many years ago, on my first brown bear hunt, I witnessed my Seattle partner kill a B&C brownie graveyard dead with his tang Ruger .30-06 with factory ammo, Federal premium with 180 gr Noslers IIRC.

I would look around for a good used rifle keep an ear out you may just find a jewel out there from someone that has outgrown the need for their 300 win mag if $400 is your goal just don't be in a rush and make sure it has a good smooth action I retired after 20 years in the US Army and there is always someone ready to make a deal on something a good savage will last if taken care of but a nice Ruger will feel better and give some good follow up shots bottom line keep you ear to the ground and wait for a good deal

A 300 Win Mag is a great choice for anything in North America. The words "Hunting" and "Cheap" should not be used together in any way.

Your Rifle

I would get a Savage with a Nikon Scope package. The link above is to Davidson's. You can order it online and have it shipped to a dealer near you.

Good Luck...

Here's another vote for the venerable 30'06 for a One Gun North America shooter. It is the BEST GREAT AVERAGE Do All Caliber World Wide....and No I have not owned one in 40 years 'cause I have always owned more than one gun....but the 30'06 was my 1st Gun until I could afford not to own ONLY ONE GUN.

300WMg is only couple hundred fps faster & mebbe a 100-150 yards farther range with the same drop, and shoots the same weight and caliber bullets as the '06....and WMg ammo is 20-30% more expensive than WT/Elk/Moose thru Black Bear quality 30'06 ammo in base quality levels. However...When you said DG Critter Stoppers capable you stepped into the world of 338WMg's & 375H's.

If you were in Europe, you could find guns and ammo in another GREAT AVERAGE DO ALL SHOOTER in a 9.3x62 (an oversized 36 caliber 30'06) that would fit your stated budget. But while 9.3 ammo can be ordered on line in the US & Canada at $30 a box in WTail to Black Bear quality in Privi brand 285 gr SP's, Quality euro factory ammo for Brown Bear or Grizz aka DG Game is very expensive in North America at roughly 2-3 times that price even for Remmy & Hornady brand ammo. I do shoot one of these and the big slow bullets tear up less meat than anything I have ever shot except for a 30-30.

+1 on what Dawaba sez, IMO the best $400 NIB rifle on the market only comes slick barreled in a Synthetic Stocked Weatherby Vanguard...IF you can find the now disc'd 1st Gen 2 position safety series Vanguards in a 30'06. The 2nd Gen Wby Vanguard S2's are better guns, with a better trigger and a 3 position safety that locks the trigger and allows you to open the bolt with a round chambered to unload like a Winchester M70, but cost mebbe $150+ more on sale. Bottom line "pushfeed" M70's would be on my short list too in that same price range because of the 3 position safety.

Lots of folks here tout Remington 700ADL's, also discontinued but still plentiful, and AccuTrigger Savages in the $400 range. I would take the Savage out of that 2some without hesitation if I couldn't find the 1st Gen Vanguard. Howa is the manufacterer of the Vanguards and you may find those somewhere in the $400 range, but they lack some of the finish & trigger work of the Vanguards that improves accuracy over the base Howa's. Ruger's new American series gets high marks from the gun writer shills at under $400 in all the magazines...no personal experience though.
JMHO & YMMV
Ron