Where I hunt has more to do with my rifle and cartridge choice than the game itself. A lot of the elk and deer hunting that I’ve done here in western WA is in fairly dense timber with lots of contour lines really close together on the map. You might see something out in the open in a clearcut on an opposing ridge line, but I have more success in the timber where most other hunters won’t go. Playing the clearcut game can result in disputes on who shot what. I recall a 4x4 bull elk being hit by as many as three different hunters immediately after emerging into a clearcut from the trees. It was like the scene in Platoon where Sgt. Elias is running from the NVA and taking hit after hit. Not my cup of tea.
Instead, I like to move slowly and quietly through the timber where there is sign of game. The suitability of my rifle is more about how I long I can carry it and how quickly I can shoot. A short, light rifle in the hands is quicker to bear than a heavier and longer rifle slung on the shoulder due to its heft.
Rifles like the Remington Model Seven, chambered in something like 308, with a fixed 4x or a low powered variable like the 1.75-6x, are perfect for this kind of hunting. 165gr Accubonds at 2600 fps sounds pretty pedestrian, but its plenty effective!
