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.
I wouldn't hesitate to hunt elk with any of the rifles or chamberings you list,including the 30/06 and the 7 mag(which is what I used on my last elk hunt).So the world is you oyster!I've had Weatherby ULW's in 7RM and 300WM;they were fine shooting rifles.
IME factory WSM ammo is loaded pretty hot at the factories,so may show a bit more velocity than the older magnums;this is neither here nor there and you won't be able to tell the difference.Your skill with the rifle wwill mean a lot more than another 100 fps.
That said,if you want a new rifle for elk hunting(forgetting for a moment that you already have one
I like the sound of the 300 WSM with it's good selection of factory loads,and moderate recoil.
I think more fuss is made out of what it takes to kill an elk than any other game in North America....except Alberta and Texas whitetails
