I have an acquaintance that has come to me for advice, there is his first mistake! But he is the average “joe” hunter. He has killed lots of deer back East and one successful trip out West for elk. He wants to get into long range hunting/shooting. He does not reload and will be limited to factory ammo and he wants the ability to kill elk out to 600yds. My first thoughts are .308; 7 Mag or 270 WSM not in that order just the 3 that come to mine. He does not want to get into custom rifles so he wants a factory production rifle as well. Again not mentioning this as my answer just what comes to mine is for him to get a Tikka in one of the 3 cartridges above and go shoot. Curious as to what you all think?
.........Lots of possibilities here depending on one's budget and other considerations as well.
For 600 yard (or maybe longer should the situation arise?) elk hunting, some rounds will be better than others in terms of downrange retained energys, flatter trajectories and reduced wind drifts. In choosing a round for long range work, downrange ballistic performance imo is first consideration.
Although a 308 you mention is capable of such long range work, I personally would prefer additional assurance where flatter trajectories, less wind drifts and retained downrange energys/velocities are concerned.
Of the three you mention and if given the choice, I would eliminate the 308 as well as the venerable 30/06. The 270 WSM and the 7 mag would make better choices.
If there are not too many budgetary concerns, and if your friend would like to have better levels or upper levels of assurance where downrange ballistics are concerned, then consider either a potent 6.5, a potent 270 or a potent 7mm. There are a few.
If you were to sit down and play around with a downrange ballistics calculator and do some long range/downrange trajectory and retained energy comparisons, the above six choices imo would be excellent...Without going with the more expensive 6.5/300 Wby Accumark, the 26 and 28 Nosler are both absolutely outstanding ballistically.
Of those six, the beltless 26 and 28 Nosler are my two favorites. And you don't need to buy the more expensive Nosler rifle to get either chambering. Browning chambers both and is the only other manufacturer to my knowledge that does so.
But as with anything where benefits are increased in certain areas, there are tradeoffs. If your friend is going to shoot a few hundred rounds per year at the range, the time line of barrel life from either a 6.5/300 Wby or the 26 Nosler will be reduced. Maybe a 1,000-1500 round life from either if properly cared for.
But on the flip side, if he fires 100 or so rounds a year the tube will last much longer.
But he is the average “joe” hunter. He has killed lots of deer back East and one successful trip out West for elk. He wants to get into long range hunting/shooting. He does not reload and will be limited to factory ammo and he wants the ability to kill elk out to 600yds. My first thoughts are .308; 7 Mag or 270 WSM not in that order just the 3 that come to mine. He does not want to get into custom rifles so he wants a factory production rifle as well. Again not mentioning this as my answer just what comes to mine is for him to get a Tikka in one of the 3 cartridges above and go shoot. Curious as to what you all think? 