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I "built" mine. Howa ss 300 wm that I picked up used for $300. Had warne bases on it. Ditched the Boyd's laminate stock and dropped it into a McMillan sako classic stock and picked up a 3-9x40 conquest in warne rings. I load it depending on what I am after. My deer load is a 150 gr Speer at 2600 fps, and my elk/moose load is 180 gr partition at just over 3k. Both loads shoot under an inch for five at 100. Factory 180 gr corelokt does about 1.25", so if I forget my ammo I can pick that up most anywhere. It is everything I need as I don't have a desire to shoot a bear, but it would work there too I suppose.

Of course I also have a 7mm-08 for when I get serious about killing stuff...

My Ruger 338 Win mag if it came down to the choice of one, but a 22 and 223 round out the battery

How about Featherweights in...

.270






.30/06..Pre '64 M 70



7x57. Thinking about getting a Zeiss Terra 2x-7x for this one.

Tough choice. I would agree with 4ager. In a Mickey Edge:

I also wouldn't disagree with elkhuntrmn. I happen to have one of those (270).

Mailmanmark: I would opt for a Remington 700 stainless Rifle in caliber 7mm Remington Magnum.
I would handload different bullets for it to use on different game (from Antelope to Bear to Deer to Elk to Caribou to Mt. Goat to Bighorn Sheep to Moose!).
The 7mm Remington Magnum has not failed me so far.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

30-06 is boring compared to everything else, until you get bored with everything else...

The real question is whether one has plans to hunt brown and polar bears. If the answer is no, or if the answer is “Maybe someday, after I get a job and buy a house and a car and have a family” (in other words not likely), then a person can get by with less gun than a 30-06. The 30-06 is certainly not a bad choice by any means, but if my answer did not include big bears I would opt for something with a lot less kick and muzzle blast.

Plus, even if a person planned to hunt the big bears, it would be easy enough to borrow a big gun from a looney or the outfitter for the hunt. Or simply post up a WTB ad for a 338. There are certainly plenty of “seldom used” boomers sitting in people’s gun safes for a bear hunt which never happened. One of these could be purchased cheap and sold at minimal lost post hunt, as big bear hunts are few and far between for most of us, even many of those who engage in the practice.

Or,simply load a .30/06 with a 200/220 bullet,like Swift A-Frame,Barnes X,Nosler Partition.

But,like you said,a brown/polar bear hunt is gonna be few and far between.

Oh absolutely - and I suspect that is the reason many here would choose the 30-06.

An observation: I wonder how many folks touting the 30-06 for everything have actually used the 200-220s in the field, or whether many are going by JB and Phil’s recommendations on the efficacy of such rounds on bigger game? I’m not saying anything bad against the combo, as I’ve shot the ’06/200 Partition a bit myself (though haven’t used it on game). I’m simply commenting on the phenomenon.

J.C. Higgins F.N. actioned .30-06 with the High Standard chrome lined barrel. CeraKote all the metal, add a Timney trigger and put it in a McMillan SAKO compact stock and have a little left over to go towards the scope

Shoots MOA with Remington green box 165gn Core Locts.

Too many ifs and mights.

200 yards with .30-06 M700 ADL With 200 grain NPT stoked by 52 grains of H4350.

Never used a 200/220 in a .30/06 on game but,did use a 200 gr NP on a cow elk in a .300 Win mag.

If Phil and JB say the heavy bullet from a .30/06 will work on brown/polar bear,that's good enough for me.

Just give me a 300H&H w/a 200gr Partition for everything...and I'll be happy and won't be needing. powdr

Remington 700 300 ultra mag with 200gr partitions or accubonds.

My sako forester 308 win, it's take. A long time to realize I wouldn't need anything else

This one is easy for Me, I would take a Remington Model 700 XCR II chambered in .300 Win............Good luck....Hb