I want this for anything/everything.
No such thing, really. There are tools that can do multiple tasks, but not all ideally. Its better to prioritize your needs and plan to get the right tools in the order you need them.
My hunting will be geared towards yotes, ground hogs, prarrie dogs, deer, elk, black bear, and gazelle. I will mostly be after yotes and deer. I don't really care what the little critters look like in the aftermath.
Ok... someone's gotta say it... gazelle? I assume you are planning on taking this rifle on a trip.
But we are looking for an idea rifle for taking everything from ground hogs to black bear? I'd say go with something that will absolutely kill a black bear if that is your need. I woudn't want to be shooting black bear with a 22-250.
Like others have said here, I'd rather have dead black bear and a vaporized ground hog than a well-shot ground hog and a pissed-off black bear.
I made a list of what I want my gun to do, and the .308 does win but only by a VERY small amount because it will take the big stuff. But the one thing I'm concerned with on varmits is accuracy. I know the .22-250 you can put 5 shots in a dime, but I've never handled a .308 before.
Caliber is one factor, but the platform is another. There are .308's that will show exceptional accuracy and some will show not-so-exceptional accuracy.
I've had several .308 military-style semi-autos. Some have been great guns. But I would have never expected them to deliver the accuracy that is seen from a friend of mine's Remington 40X in .308.
A discussion of caliber leaves out a VERY important component-- the platform.
Will a .308 group 1/2" or so at 400yrds?
Tall order for ANY rifle-- ESPECIALLY if we are talking about hunting conditions. You are unlikely to get the same accuracy from a hunting trip that you will from a bench-rest.
Now... since we are talking about up to 500 yard shots, I'll do my best to give some thoughts.
I'll assume you are on a fairly tight budget since we are seeking a firearm to do these multiple roles. I'll try to operate within those parameters.
I think it's a forgone conclusion that .308 would be the better choice in caliber if you foresee yourself shooting at a bear. Set aside the safety reasons-- for HUMANE reasons, you have no business shooting a black bear with a 22-250 in any circumstances beyond self-defense. If a 22-250 is all you have, don't go bear hunting. That's just my take on it.
If you can live without shooting medium-sized or larger game, we can have another discussion. But for now, I'll stick with the .308.
There are STILL other factors you have to consider beyond the caliber as I mentioned earlier.
Let's start with a platform that can deliver good accuracy on a lower budget. I'd most likely go with a Savage .308 with the accutrigger. Savage has been showing exceptional accuracy for a very good price.
Now... can you see your target?
A lot of people skimp on the optics. I've done it. I've regretted it.
Quality optics will probably be the best money towards accuracy that you can spend. In hunting conditions, there are other varibles to this as well.
Around here, most of our mid-sized game hunting is done in low-light conditions. In this circumstance, the BEST quality glass is the best money spent. A larger objective lens does help, but it is no substitute for higher quality glass with better light transmission. I've learned this from experience.
Recently, I have seen that a Nikon Prostaff 3x9x40mm will transmit a LOT more light in low light conditions than a Simmons 3x9x50mm.
According to the folks at OpticsTalk.com, the best light transmission can be found with Kahles optics. You'll pay for those.
Now... what about recticle? At 500 yards on small targets, you'll probably be better off with a fine crosshair-- which will allow for more minute aiming. I frankly HATE fine crosshairs for the type of hunting we do. They get lost too easily in low-light situations. A du-plex or #4 crosshair works better here.
Now... what type of adjustment does the turrents offer? Most of the better optics will have 1/8 MOA adjustment increments. At 500 yards, I wouldn't take less than that.
Magnification will be the next issue. I like having the option of higher magnification, but I also am aware that the higher the magnification, the lower my light transmission. I seem to have read that beyond 6X out of a 50mm objective, your light transmission begins to deteriorate significantly. Even so, 500 yards is a long shot-- especially if we are shooting groundhogs (or vaporizing them with a .308) I'd like to have the option of dialing up the magnification. You can always dial back down if you wanted to. For this, I'd lead towards something like a 4X-16X variable. I also like the 2.5X-10X variable option. These, however, often put you into a tad more money due to which models of optics are offered in that range.
So... back to our .308 budget tack-driver.
If it were me, and I had to do this on a reasonable budget, I may consider...
--A Savage 110 in .308 (I'd try for the heavy barrel option)
--GOOD scope mounts. Don't skimp here.
--I would look to one of the following optics:
Nikon Monarch
Bushnell 4200 (or 3200 if you had to)
Ziess Conquest
Leupould Varx-III (the Varx-II is not in the same league)
IF those are all too expensive, a Nikon Prostaff or Buckmaster could perhaps be subsituted.
Play around with those models and see what you can get in terms of:
- Objective size
- Recticle style
- Magnification
Even so, I hope you have realistic expectations on accuracy. As mentioned earlier, 1/16 MOA at 500 yards is an unrealistic expectation.
Hope that helps.
-- John
But since others have come on board about the 06 and 270 I'll mention this.
I recently installed a 22-250 barrel on my Savage BVSS that was a 308. The 22-250 is already shooting sub half MOA. The 308barrel was a sub MOA shooter but I just had no need for a 308 so I sold it to a friend. It is incredibly easy to switch barrels so this might be a good compromise.