What would be your ideal mountain gun for bighorns, elk, and mule deer? Also is it made in 300 win mag.

[Wisconsin hunter]

What would be your ideal mountain gun for bighorns, elk, and mule deer? Also is it made in 300 win mag.

[Treestand]

Are We on a Budget or the Sky is the limit?

On a Budget Winchester XPR, Weatherby Vanguard.

On the Other Side: Tikka T~3, Win M~70,Sako 85,Kimber 84.......and On.

My ideal mountain Rifle(not in 300Mag) My Sedgley Springfield Mannlicher Sporter 30~06.

[Breckenridge]

EASY! Nosler M48 Patriot chambered in .270 win with a Vortex Razor HD.

[jhjimbo]

I would go with a Remington Mountain Rifle in .280 Rem.

http://www.realguns.com/articles/429.htm

[FirstBubba]

"Mountain gun"?
Guess I'd agree with "Cactus" Jack O'Connor.
A medium weight, 7 to 8 pounds scoped and loaded, bolt rifle in .270 Win.
I'm one of those weirdos that doesn't like recoil and puts emphasis on bullet placement over range, bullet diameter and muzzle velocity.
If I couldn't get within 300 to 400 yards of the animal I wanted, I'd just have to pass.
The game you mentioned, elk and big horn in particular, I value to a point that I personally wouldn't take any shot without a high degree of certainty.
I really feel that way too many hunters lean on the word "Magnum" in their preferred caliber.
JMNSHO

[Buckshott00]

I would go with a Remington Mountain Rifle in .280 Rem.

http://www.realguns.com/articles/429.htm

It's such a freaking great round!!

[Grazing Bit]

A top of the line Montana Rifle mounted by a Zeiss 2-10x42 chambered in .280 Rem. The .280 probably won't get the job done any different than a .30-06 or .270, but I'd prefer it anyway.

[dewman]

NULA in 300 win. SHORT mag. Leupold vx3 with 12x or 14x at upper end. Have an '89 model 700 mtn in 7mm-08. If it wasn't for elk

[Happy Myles]

I have extensively used these calibers on mountain game, 270, 280, 7mm Rem Mag, 06, and 300 Win Mag. They all worked fine. The 300 being my favorite. I would beg Mark Bansner to craft the rifle with a Shilen barrel and a Jewel trigger.

[Wisconsin hunter]

EASY! Nosler M48 Patriot chambered in .270 win with a Vortex Razor HD.

What's with the obsession of many of you with the 280 rem?

[Guest]

My Old Ugly '06. Been successful many times on hogs, whitetails and elk. No reason it could not kill a mule deer. Wouldn't shoot a sheep, don't eat them.

[Wisconsin hunter]

What's with the 280 rem obsession

[ishawooa]

I have used the same array of cartridges that Happy listed plus .338 Win Mag and 7 mm RUM. The last one with 168 Berger VLDs at 3200 fps has been my favorite for the last ten years. I would try the 180 gr or even the new 195 VLD but I would have to have a custom magazine built for the rifle plus interior stock work on the McMillan. Why should I bother as the 168 gr bullets have all been one shot kills at various ranges antelope to elk. The empty rifle and scope weights 9.5 pounds. My horse does not notice the weight.

[rock rat]

Don't like the taste of sheep. Bigger is better if you can shoot it. More important than any of it is familiarity with the rifle, quality bullet, and placement.

[Buckshott00]

What's with the 280 rem obsession

It's an extremely well balanced round. It's a bit faster than the .270 and can be loaded up to performance levels up to the 7mm mag. Not to mention is has better sectional density than the .30-06 So you can get terminal ballistics equal to or better than the -06 in a number of loadings