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Looking to buy 3 guns in the near future...give me your opinions please.

H

heavy4x4

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Hey all...here are the guns I have right now:
-Savage 110 in .308 Win., scoped
-Marlin Model 60 autoloading .22, scoped
-Browning Citori 12 gauge over & under

I'm looking to add to my collection...here's what I have in mind:
-Ruger GP100 revolver, 4" barrel, .357
-Remington 1187 Super Magnum, 12 gauge
-Remington 700 in .338 Win Mag

Give me your opinions on the above three guns if you own/have shot them.
 
All good guns. Keep in mind that the 1187 super mag probably won't cycle 2 3/4" shells that are light loads. I personally like the Winchester Super X2 better then the 1187. If I was going to spend the money on a nice auto loading 12 gauge I would be a Super X2, Benelli, or Beretta.

What are you going to hunt with the .338? .338 is pretty potent and really has no place unless you are hunting Bull Elk, moose, bear. I shot a 500lb cow elk with a .338 win awhile back and the built sailed right threw it and didn't do its job very well. I personally am to the point in my life were I am past the desire to shoot alot of belted mags due to the recoil, and also the expense of reloading them. My 3006 would have done a better job on that cow elk then the .338 did. To bad I didn't know that at the time.

The Ruger GP100 is a nice rugged piece. It is a typical Ruger hand gun. It works all the time but it doesn't have the fit and finish of a Smith & Wesson. I REALLY like my single action Ruger Blackhawks and Super Blackhawks. I also really like my S&W 686+. That gun is really nice. A new S&W though will have the floating firing pin (which I don't like cause they break) and will need a trigger job to make them really smooth like they can be. The Ruger is a workhorse though and not a bad gun by any means.

If you are not opposed to single actions I would look at the Ruger Blackhawks. They are pretty budget based, strong as hell, and damn good guns. Between me an my dad we have 5 of them. 3 .44mags, 1 .357, and 1 .45Long Colt.

Harley
 
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Keep in mind that the 1187 super mag probably won't cycle 2 3/4" shells that are light loads. I personally like the Winchester Super X2 better then the 1187. If I was going to spend the money on a nice auto loading 12 gauge I would be a Super X2, Benelli, or Beretta.

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I'm pretty set on the 1187. I really like remington guns. For shotguns, my dad owns two 870's and an 1100. They're quality shotguns. Remington claims that the super mag will cycle 2 3/4" without any problems. I will use it mainly for turkey hunting, goose hunting, and duck hunting. 2 3/4" loads for the ducks. I also do a fair amount of grouse hunting, but have the over/under for that.

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What are you going to hunt with the .338? .338 is pretty potent and really has no place unless you are hunting Bull Elk, moose, bear. I shot a 500lb cow elk with a .338 win awhile back and the built sailed right threw it and didn't do its job very well. I personally am to the point in my life were I am past the desire to shoot alot of belted mags due to the recoil, and also the expense of reloading them. My 3006 would have done a better job on that cow elk then the .338 did. To bad I didn't know that at the time.


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My main big-game species is white-tail deer. I probably won't buy the .338 for a while since my .308 works great, but I'd like another gun. Kind of a "back-up," if you will. I also hope to pull a black bear tag in the next couple of years, and subsequently every 7 years or so after that (that's about how many years it takes to build up enough preference points to get a tag). I also hope that at some point in my life I'll get out west for an elk hunt.
Do you (or others) have a suggestion for a different cartridge? If I currently owned a .270 or something, it would be a no-brainer that I should step up to a 30-06 or something bigger. But I'm not sure with my .308. It's hard to go back down to a "smaller" cartridge. I have read some stuff about the .338 mag that says it's a "beast" of a gun that will take darn near any animal on this planet. That kinda worries me because my .308 does a lot of damage to a white-tail...I'd hate to think that if I went through the front shoulder on accident with a .338 that the meat would be unsalvageably blown apart.
About your shot on that elk...it sounds more like a ammo issue than gun/cartridge. It seems that your bullet didn't expand on impact like it should have. Not sure if that's gun related...or the particular bullet used.

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The Ruger GP100 is a nice rugged piece. It is a typical Ruger hand gun. It works all the time but it doesn't have the fit and finish of a Smith & Wesson. I REALLY like my single action Ruger Blackhawks and Super Blackhawks. I also really like my S&W 686+. That gun is really nice. A new S&W though will have the floating firing pin (which I don't like cause they break) and will need a trigger job to make them really smooth like they can be. The Ruger is a workhorse though and not a bad gun by any means.


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This will be my first pistol. My dad owns quite a few pistols and suggested I started with a revolver over a semi-auto. My uncle recently bought the very same gun I mentioned and it's a great gun. Very well built, and I like how it feels/shoots. I'm by no means a big hand-gun shooter...I would use the pistol for plinking on some weekends in the fall and carry it while walking through bear country...also, possibly for home defense when I get a home.
I've heard a lot of great stuff about the GP100. Most everyone likes it, and the main complaint I came across was that the trigger felt "stiff" or "cheap." Like I said though, I don't shoot many handguns, and certainly not very often...so I likely wouldn't notice how a "cheap" or "stiff" trigger feels.
 
cant comment on the Revolver, I've shot one, they seem well made. Could never seem to be real comfortable with the grips, some people love em. I forget off hand if its the 357 magnum, that could also fire some smaller less potent rounds as well. Again, not too familiar.

1187 is a wonderful shotgun. Im assuming you will get a long (~26-28") barrel with choke kit, since you will be doing mostly various bird shot. I've never used a super magnum, but a long barrel with even 2 3/4" turkey loads are a wallop of a kick. I know they make them in a 3" as well, and probably has it in the supermag size nowadays. Again, you cant go wrong with the 1187. If you plan to do turkey, might as well get it in the camo finish. There other contenders in this area, the mossberg 935, charles daley (sp?) berettas, and Benelli's.

the R700, is another one. A great platform. I cant tell you much about the caliber,as I've never used it. The 700 in itself is well constructed, well designed. .338 is a lil large for white tail, but you might be able to get away with a lighter load.
 
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I forget off hand if its the 357 magnum, that could also fire some smaller less potent rounds as well.

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Yup, the .357 magnum will also shoot .38 specials...a little cheaper round with less punch if you want to plink.

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Im assuming you will get a long (~26-28") barrel with choke kit, since you will be doing mostly various bird shot. I've never used a super magnum, but a long barrel with even 2 3/4" turkey loads are a wallop of a kick. I know they make them in a 3" as well, and probably has it in the supermag size nowadays. Again, you cant go wrong with the 1187. If you plan to do turkey, might as well get it in the camo finish. There other contenders in this area, the mossberg 935, charles daley (sp?) berettas, and Benelli's.


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Yeah, I'd get it with a 28" barrel probably. Turkey loads combined with a turkey choke will give one heck of a kick...but it will sure do the job!
I plan on getting it in synthetic stock.

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The 700 in itself is well constructed, well designed. .338 is a lil large for white tail, but you might be able to get away with a lighter load.

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My Dad's deer rifle is a 700 BDL Mountain chambered in .280 Rem. The gun is great...very top quality for everything. Fitted with his Leopold Vari-XIII, that's one nice combo...I'll probably duplicate it.
 
Dont overlook Nikon lenses- They really are very good, even if they dont have the Leupold "history" for sniper rifles (which were even variable).
 
Part of my .338 problem was the fact that the shot was alot closer then I was expecting (50yrds) and also bullet choice could have been a little better. All in all though I think that even with a different bullet the result on the cow elk would not have been much different.

Honestly if I were you I would buy your next rifle in whatever caliber suits your needs best. .338 win mag is WAY overkill for whitetail deer. Your .308 has plenty of punch to kill and elk. It is not about how big of a gun you shoot an elk with, it is where you place the bullet that matters.

A 12 yr old girl that used to come to my shop (when i worked the hunting industry) took her first cow elk with a .308 rifle. It did the job quite well. Use good ammo and a good shot and it doesn't matter how big the caliber is.

I only take 2 rifles with me when I elk hunt. One is my M1 Garand 30.06 for more open longer shots, and the other is my Marlin .45-70 guide gun for the in tight close shots.

Your .308 is not much less powerful then a 3006 to make a difference.

Harley
 
this may seem a little off topic but instead of the 338 may i suggest a 375 H & H magnum . i have had both calibers and the 375 was alot more friendly to the shoulder than the 338. guys have been playing with this bullet for nearly 100 years and there are alot of tried and true loads for this caliber. if you load your own you can load them almost any way you want and tailor them to almost any game on the planet. the last two deer i got were with a CZ 550 in 375 and were taken with 220 grain bullets from hornady. the last time i went to the range i ran 300 grainers in it and was smacking the the gong at 300 yards. those loads do burn alot of powder though. .02
 
Re: the 338
Unless you just want a monster of a gun that kicks like a mule I would pass on the 338 mag. IMHO Its too much gun for the hunting that you want to do and expensive to shoot.
Your .308 is fine for your type of hunting. I live in the west. My Rem. 308 is the gun I use the most. I have killed Big Mule deer as far out as 400 yards with my 308. I have also taken an Elk with it. It does the job just fine. I would not hesitate to use it for Bear. I love that gun.
If you have a jones for a magnum look into a 7mm mag. They are a great all around gun for North American big game. Plus their accuracy is superb at long range. If you really want to reach out and touch something.
 
I agree with Stick here, 375 H&H is a great all around "big" game cartridge. You can hunt anything with it. A 375 with the right load will knock down anything in North america....its about shot placement and round selection. It also tends to damage less meat than 7mm/300 mags. The big down side is it is pricey to shoot. I looked at the CZ rifles and ended up going with a M1917 enfield and barreling it for 375H&H. I should be at the same price as a new CZ and have a semi custom rifle with a better action.

For shotguns i have a 11-87 with a 18" barrel and it will fire the cheap target loads in the walmart bulk pack with out a hiccup, You might have some problems with the super. If your thinking about the super for geese and turkey, a shot gun with the right choke allong with the properly patterned ammo will do just fine in 3" mags. Most people fail to pattern there shotguns and have no clue how they shoot.

Ruger pistols are bomb proof, maybe not as refined as a colt or smith.But durable and they function great at a price thats hard to beat. 357 will fire the 38spcl no problem.

Don't over look used firearms, its hard to shoot one out and you can get some great deals.

When you get ready let me know, i have some god hookups in my neck of the woods.

Cheers,
rugger
 
I used to have a .308. Unfortunately it was in my parents house when it burned so it is no more but I agree with much of what has been said. It is a great cartridge. If you compare it to a 30.06 they are almost identical with a slight edge going to the latter. If you insist on going with a new magnum I would suggest going with a 300 Winchester. That's what I replaced my .308 with. I have to say it's overkill for whitetail which is what I hunt here in MS, but it is a very stout gun and the recoil is not bad at all. A .338 is just not necessary unless you plan on hunting Grizzly or your in a "mine is bigger than yours" competition. As far as the hand gun goes I started deer hunting a few years ago with a Taurus .44 mag. with a Leupold scope. It has the ported barrel which supposedly reduces the recoil by 40%. I did alot of looking before I bought and I am very please with it. It is a great hunting weapon and I have taken a number of deer with it including my biggest which was a 230lb. 9 point. One shot. Hunting with a handgun is really a neat challenge. Got kind of old picking deer off with a rifle. Anyway, that's my two cents. My hunting environment is very different from other guys on here and probably yours as well. The main thing is to get what suits your need the best. Good luck with your purchase. One last thing...... definitely get a Leupold scope.
 
Good comments.

Develop your marksmanship skills.

Caliber? .308 is fine with accurate shot placement.

BTW/ Elephant have been taken with 45-70. I like mine. Only good for 175 yds. though. Drops like a lead balloon.:D
 
Nother vote for the 7mm Mag


I'd look at Taurus revolvers. VERY well built, similar pricing to the Rugers. I used to have the M44, which was a 7 shot cylindered .44 Mag. Very happy with it. Shouldn't have gotten rid of it.
 
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