Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 30-06 vs 300 Win Mag

There's no doubt that the 300 WM is a fine caliber. It's very accurate and a top notch elk killer. But is it needed for elk under 3-400 yds? No, it's not. If you want one, go for it and you won't go wrong, but that's not the OP's question. For his use, the 30-06 is excellent, too.

......Spyderman......+1.....Burns is correct.....

I for one love the 30 caliber. Owned a 300 Win Wby Vanguard for many many years before selling it and switching over to a different more compact rifle format chambered in the 300 WSM which I have now.

The best way to compare one cartridge vs others is by playing around with a downrange ballistics calculator. Hornady has one on their site.

Type in all the info for each choice; desired bullet weights, the bullet BCs, est MVs, your scope's desired zero in yards, etc. Write down all the results and then compare the downrange velocities retained, downrange ft lbs in energy retained and the trajectory drops at the various distances.

300 yards or less (300 Win vs 30-06), there is little gain imo with a 300 Win where killing power on elk is concerned.

Like Burns, I also suggest that you include the 7mm Rem Mag as a choice for elk. When you compare the downrange #s of the 30-06 vs the 300 Win vs the 7mm Rem Mag in comparable bullet weights, brands and designs, give or take a few grains, you will be surprised in all depts as to how well the 7 Rem compares. Flatter shooting, better velocity retention, greater energy retention, and the 7mm bullets have less bearing surface thereby reducing wind drift.

Those are the slight dividends and slight advantages Burns was referring to.

There are many less powerful cartridges than either the 30-06, 300 Win, or the 7 Rem that will easily topple elk at 300 yards and less.

Although there will be differences of opinion on this, my personal rule of thumb for elk, is to have at least 1500 to 1800 ft lbs of downrange energy at impact. If your max hunting distance is 300 yards, then the '06 and 300 Win will both give you that and then some.

That leaves trajectory and wind drift, where slight advantages goes to the 7mm.

I have a '015 Ram truck that I bought new. Could have gotten by with the 6 cyl. Chose the Hemi. The 6 could have taken me anywhere the Hemi can. The Hemi with my added HP add ons, is far more fun and exciting to drive.

Back in 2011, I could have gotton a new 6 cyl Mustang with about 300 hp. Purchased a new 550 hp GT 500 instead. A 6 cyl Mustang would have also taken me anywhere the GT 500 could. BUT! Guess which is FAR more fun and exciting to drive.

Same holds true imo with cartridges. All depends on the ballistic performance you want.

I prefer more than is needed for any given game and like added recoil too. But,,that's me.

Good luck.

What I like about my old 300's and heavy bullets is the combos ability to grant more forgiveness in the wind department, how can a man judge the unknown?

For some reason I just can't see what the winds doing 25 yards in front of my muzzle, let alone 300 yards away.

By the .30/06 and go kill elk with it.

+1

Don't go by the 30-06 and not buy the 30-06.

I load for 3 30-06's today and have killed one cow elk with an old tang safety Ruger that was my Dad's gun just so his rifle got to do something he never did. But my 7mm RM and lately 300 Weatherby are just more capable rifles for elk. The flatter trajectory and greater damage done to animals past about 250 yards just make more sense where I hunt most of the time. Like a bunch of folks I'll pay over $1,000 in NR tags this year and have only a little over a week to hunt elk on public land most years.

I've averaged an elk a year for the last 15 tries but am on a bull drought the last 3 and keep telling myself cows taste better. Most of our hunting areas are steep or near the public/private line or both. Anchoring the elk is a big deal and I feel like the Weatherby with a 180 grain TTSX is better at that than an 06.

I've shot them from 11-550 yards and only once would I have passed with th 30-06, not a huge sample size but I really like elk burgers and roasts and steak and I'm not willing to give them up for a year because my rifle won't handle a longer shot or a tough shot angle.

If you hunt on the flats of a big private ranch and live in elk country stick with a deer rifle. If you drove through the night and paid NR prices the little extra practice time and recoil are probably worth it. That 300 yard limit sounds good until your only legal animal of the trip is at 415 yards.

Figured you'd just suggest go by the .30-06 and then buy a .308.

Don't by a .308 when you can git a .30/06.

That is for sure elk!!

Glad to see you coming to your senses.

I could've suggested a .375 RUM!

+1

Hunted elk for 20+ years using loads between max and a 7mm-08. No issues.

Your .270 is a fine choice but like others have said I'd go with a 150g bullet or a 130g TTSX.

A .300WM will provide additional range but with a lot more recoil. Ammo will ne more expensive as well. That said, a .30-06 would be a fine addition if you don't have one. I always take two rifles on my elk hunts.

My own battery of bolt rifles for elk includes a .280 Rem, 7mm RM, .308, four .30-06, .300WM and a .338WM. If I can't do it with a .30-06 I probably shouldn't even try.

I would try to borrow someone's 300 or .338 mag to shoot a few times before going out and buying one. You may not like it!

Last year my buddy went to Montana, he killed a bull elk with the 308 Winchester. He killed a cow elk with a 30/30, at about 100 yards. I wouldn't consider the 30/30 to be an ideal elk cartridge. But it worked for him. He only fired one shot at the cow.

Yes after 15 years I have come down from a .338WM to next years attempt - a sling shot using a steelie!

What's so funny,I cried in my pillow two nights in a row because of that faux pas.

Oh ok. Send me that custom 460 Roy of yours and all will be forgiven.

I don't think so.