I'm making my first Elk hunt next fall in CO. I have a Remington model 700 .30-06 and am really comfortable with it but I hear that .30-06 is just barely enough for a large bodied animal. I plan on making other hunting trips for big game in the future so, I want to pick up a new rifle.
I'm considering .300 wsm .300 win or 7mm mag. The model 700 is nice but I like the Weatherby Mark V. However, it comes in .300 win and 7mm. Alternatively, the Vanguard sub moa comes in .300wsm and is about $800 less. I like the additional features of the mark v especially free floating barrel but I think the short magnums have more punch and less recoil.
So, if anyone has anything to offer/ field experience with either the vanguard, mark V or these calibers - I'd really appreciate it.
...................You`re hearing that the 30-06 is barely large enough for elk???? Then ask the person or persons who are telling you that, to chip in and buy you a new rifle with "THEIR" money!!!!! Maybe they feel your scope is in-sufficient too??? Throw a new scope in too!!! Did they also say how close you need to be to take an elk with a 30-06? This is a plain case of some un-intentional bad advice.
A 180 gr bullet moving from the muzzle at 2700-2800 fps from a 30-06, is enough to down a big bull elk at 400 yards. It doesn`t matter whether that same bullet is moving at 3000, 3200, 4000, or even 5000 fps from a 300 super mag!! Regardless, you must still do your part, know your bullet`s velocity, BC, trajectory and properly place that first shot. Higher downrange velocity and energy #s on paper are just that,,,#s ON PAPER! Besides that, most kill shot distances for elk average within 400 yards anyway.
The vitals in an elk, which need to be shocked and disrupted, are located in the center of the animal, not in the next county over. Go use your 30-06.
If you really have the itch for a new rifle, better advice would be to diversify a little with another caliber that you don`t have.
