Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles All around budget rifle elk included for young man

Trying to give good advice to a 24 year old newer hunter who needs to by his first hunting rifle. He wants to be able to use it for elk & seems OK with a little recoil.

He wants to spend as little as possible to get a decent rifle. Told him 7mm or 300 are good choices for elk at 300+ yards.

So under $500 gets
Weatherby Vanguard
TC compass
Ruger American
Tikka T3x
Browning AB3
Howa
Mauser M18
????

He planning to buy rings glass after rifle - thought Burris FF2, Meopta, Zeiss

Am I missing something?

Thanks

Sounds like a great plan. Especially the tikka t3x and burris ffII part. Id also look into the 7mm08, 308, or even the old tried and true 30-06. One thing about the 300wm that is a major turn off is the unnecessarily heavy recoil. Especially in a lightweight hunting rifle.

Yep, Tikka T3x chambered in .300 Win is mighty hard to beat, one of My very favorite all-around hunting rifles, I use mine for coyotes to Whitetail at any angle 👍....Hb

Choice of caliber sounds poor to me, too much recoil and totally unnecessary

Yeah Its kind of like the 395 HP V8 in my Ford F150 that is totally unnecessary but I still like it, if you are recoil sensitive you will most likely be happier with the Creed 👍.....Hb

270 win, 30-06, 7-08, or 308 win would be my recommendations.

"... advice to a 24 year old newer hunter who needs to buy his first hunting rifle. He wants to be able to use it for elk & seems OK with a little recoil..."
This was me back in 1967 (only I was 21). I had a college summer job with the Forest Service in deer and elk rich northwestern Colorado. My Dad wasn't a hunter so I asked this question to a couple of guys that I worked with that had grown up hunting in that area. They told me to get a .270 Win or .30-06. They said that only the city dudes from Denver shot .300 Win magnums.

So I bought a .30-06, put a cheap 3-9x scope on it and proceeded to use it to get a few antelope and my deer and elk every year with it. After I had been hunting for a few years I was impressed with the 7 mm Rem mag, but it's ballistics were so close to my .30-06 that I didn't get my first 7 mm RM until 2001.

Of the rifles the OP listed, I would recommend a Weatherby Vanguard. I currently have 3 of them: a .300 Wby, a .308 Win. and a .223. I re-stocked the .300 in Fancy walnut, and the other two have Weatherby's Griptonite stocks, that I really like. All 3 shoot sub moa with my handloads. All of them wear Leupold scopes with Talley rings.

The choice of chamberings today is many times the choices that we had when I got my first rifle, but if I would buy my first rifle today I would buy a Weatherby Vanguard chambered in .30-06 or 7 mm Rem mag topped with a Leupold VX 3i CDS scope with Talley rings.

A co-worker wanted to join me elk hunting. He hadnt fired a rifle since the USMC 20 yrs ago. He now has a T3 in 270 w a Burris E1 3-9.

I have a Ruger 77 MkII Stainless/synthetic 300 Win Mag in great condition I’d sell him for $500. I have had some shoulder problems and I just don’t enjoy shooting the magnums anymore. It will come with the scope rings as well.

This past year, I've gifted two rifles for some needy friends to be able to hunt with...

one was for a handicapped veteran in his 60s.... I picked up a TC Compass at our local Bi Mart for $200 new in the box...
chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor...

another was for a friend who works in the automotive program over at the college... also in his 60s.
Picked up a 7 Rem mag in a Howa for $300 from Sportsman's Warehouse...

For those that received them, they are very pleased with each...Both proved to be very very accurate for them...

I'd get a T3X or a Vanguard in .30-06 and call it good.

He should JUMP on this offer. Now!!! The young man in question could someday hand this down to his son.

KISS... .270 or .30-06. Take him shopping for a gently used 700 / 70 / 77 that fits him and he likes the feel of...

Tikka for under $500? Buy it.

I would snag one of the 30-06 Ruger Americans at CDNN for $299 and a Red field 3-9x40 in some good rings. A few box's of 180 core-lock and .... Bob's your uncle.

Probably $500 ready to hunt.

https://www.cdnnsports.com/firearms...0-06-copper-mica-stock.html#.XoSBsOUpC9c

Don't sleep on the Winchester XPR. Same barrel and trigger as 70. Free floated. And basically coated barrel. I think they're the best of the budget guns.

Yeah, that is a good deal. Great rifles.

I agree on the XPR. I bought one in .243 for one of my daughters and am pretty impressed by it for the money. It’s a better gun than the Ruger American that I have.

Whatever he gets, I’d start him out with a .270 or maybe a .30-06. Top it with a Burris FF or a Redfield Revolution and he will have a solid all around rifle to use.

30.06, 308 win. 7mm08, or 280.

I ain’t young or a newbie and a T3 30-06 works for me...

Tikka T3 / 270 Win / Burris 3-9x40 w/dots / Talley Lwts / Butler Creek Mtn. Sling (or 308. 7-08, 6.5 CM).

Can't see any wisdom starting a young guy with a 300 or 7mm Mag as an only rifle... those are something you get "in addition" to a standard chambering like the 270 when you've mastered it.

I like the idea of taking him used gun shopping and find something that feels good. It is hard to go wrong with any of the standard deer calibers. I really like the 7mm08. It is hard to go wrong with a 270 or 06. Any of these will kill an6 deer or elk at reasonable range.

Anybody on a budget should probably stick with 270, 30-06, or 308, for the ammo. If they want to shoot it quite a bit. Having had all three, I'd likely choose the 270....or whichever I found a good deal on in a rifle I liked.

Remington 700 ADL, Tikka T3x or Savage Model 10/110 for a lightweight. Ruger 77/Hawkeye, 700 BDL, Howa or Vangaurd if an extra pound is alright. These would be my first choices. Although I don't love the safety on the Mark II, it is a very classic looking riflle with CRF if that's a draw.

Never been a Salvage fan, but recently picked up a used model 10 243 with centerfeed blind mag and polished blueing. It's not too shabby. Three position tang safety. Accutrigger. Action is super slick and the plastic stock is better than the econo models.
It's still ugly, but function and ergonomics are excellent. Well balanced, lightweight, shoulders very naturally for me, and the price was right. I put a VX-1 3-9x40 in low Burris Zee rings and a Mountain sling on it.

Thanks for the responses, it is a great situation compared to the choices available when I bought my first rifle, I got a 7mm because the Dr I knew who had lots of guns & could afford anything used it for everything including elk. I’ve never been sorry on the choice of caliber or the Ruger 77.

He got his first turkey at my place last weekend & is excited for deer season. I’m not at all recoil shy so maybe that influences my preferred choices but this isn’t a teenager we are talking about and he wants to hunt elk next year so limiting calibers to 270 recoil level seems overly cautious to me. I’d like one rifle to be all he needs even if elk at 400 yards is a likely shot.

No magnums for newbs.
So many good rifles and keep your eye open as there might some major fire sales going on with this pandemic.
T3 06 with a quality 2-10 or 3-12 will serve him well

How many elk have you shot with the 270?

Well, you've just described a 270 AND a 308, 7/08, 280 and 30-06 (and anything that fits in between those). I think starting a new hunter, irrespective of size or age, with a magnum is just setting them up for failure/problems. Choosing to shoot a lighter recoiling rifle does not make one less of a man/woman. Arguably, it displays one may even be smart. Good luck in your quest and kudos to you for helping another prospective hunter.

For an adult, new hunter: Tikka T3 in either 270Win or 7mm-08. The Tikka will provide good accuracy out of the box. Those cartridges will provide recoil appropriate for a physically mature, but new, shooter, and will be good for deer, antelope, and elk to reasonable ranges.

If the guy gets more serious about hunting, and wants to be shooting animals at longer ranges, or wants a dedicated elk rifle, then he can upgrade to a more potent caliber such as the 7mm Rem Mag or 300 Win Mag.

Tell him to look for a lightly used Colt Light Rifle in 7mm RM.

Not perfect, but light, accurate, and usually can be found if you're patient for around $500.

My primary elk hunting rifles are both 270s, a CLR for most things and a Remington 760 for black timber.

I think a lot of us agree totally with your post. I, personally, would never start a new hunter/shooter off with a 300WM. i dont care how old, big, strong, small or "manly" said shooter is. It's just asking for trouble, as the new shooter is likely to develop a bad flinch and bad habits and probably not even enjoy shooting. Like Brad asked the op, how many elk has he killed with a 270? The 270 is an excellent all around cartridge choice, assuming you use the proper bullets for the job.

0 I always considered it inferior to my 7mm and to the 300 Weatheby I use today. I still feel that way although I’ve killed elk with a 30-06 and bought one for my grandson at 12. He started with downloaded 110 grain bullets over minimum loads to start off.

I prefer a heavier monolithic bullet moving fast when they smack those big animals.

This^

If buying today for my adult sons, I would definitely start them off with something in the .270 class (7-08/6.5 CM) and let them buy something bigger if/when they decide they want it..... they will shoot better while not being abused by recoil.....

Starting out I would go with either the 06 or the .270.. I have only killed one elk with the .270 .. I would opt for a good bullet like Accubond , Partition, or something similar..

I love my 7’s and .300, but I fired thousands of rounds though my other rifles, especially my old 06... Before I bought the bigger rifles...

I would say the 270win with partitions just like many others have said. It will do it all for him, no need for anything else.

I remember a "new guy", back in the early 80s who stopped by my friends house this was a guy he worked with, I didn't know him. My friend was single then ( we were all around 30yrs old though) and he and I had a good 200yd range set up in his back yard, with a solid, well built bench. I had scrounged up some sand bags to use too. The guy had a brand new Smith & Wesson Mod 1500. ( Howa/Vanguard, same action) It had a good Leupold 3x9 on it, rifle was 30-06. We looked it over, it had a nice wood stock, no recoil pad, hard plastic buttplate. The GS (Carter's Country then off I10, Houston) had set it up, boresighted it. I told him I felt the scope was a bit too far back, but he said "its just right" in a tone that really meant " I didn't ask you!", so OK then. He wanted my friend to help him get it "zeroed in" at 100yds. I watched that guy get a cookie cutter first shot! That thing was kicking him something fierce. He kept shooting though, I'll give the hard head that, ha. five shots later, when he was in "the paper pie plate" homemade target, he said "thats good enough", ha. So, it looked like the guy had never shot any big rifle off the bench, and his form was crap, so that hard butt kicked his "hard headed butt", ha. So, I try to emphasize shooting form too if anyone asks me what I recommend. The young man probably has a cartridge "in mind", and I would tell him to do some research. Shoot something you have just to see. Golf, Archery, Wing Shooting, Fly Fishing.....its all about "form & function", ha. Let us know what he decides on though...?

Personally, I think a common caliber like .30-06 or .270 is the best answer for a new hunter. I'm assuming this guy isn't a reloader, so a common caliber will be less expensive to feed for training purposes.

Agree that's too much gun for a guy who has to ask someone else what to buy. The biggest baddest elk alive can easily be killed with much less. 6.5cm/7-08

I would suggest a .308 or a .270 as they are usually much easier to find ammo for than 7mm08, which is a good round too, but can cost more than .308 also. To me, it always seemed like the 243/6mm Remington was outclassed by the 240Wby. The 7mm08 I had was outclssed by a .280, for sure 7mm Mag. But the 308 was "so close" to the 30-06 with 150-165s that it was just as good as a 30-06. This is with Factory loads, mind you.

Let the rifle pick him. Whatever feels best in his hands, and shoulders quickly & true. All of 'em are probably available in .270, '06, or .308, and it won't matter which cartridge he chooses.

Burris FFII w/ Ballistic Plex seems to be the best choice for a cheap but dependable scope these days. He will need good binos, though. I'm sure we can fight about that choice in the optics forum.

His success will depend far less on what setup he chooses, than on how much quality practice shooting he does with it prior to the hunt. Field positions are the key.

Good on you for bringing a new hunter into the fold.

FC

I’d try to find a 77mk2 or Hawkeye used in 7-08 or .308

When I hear all around...I think 7-08 or 308

Nothing you can’t do with either...easy to find ammo for or load for and little recoil which promotes marksmanship and practice.

Modern day versions of 7x57 and 30-06

Not that there’s anything wrong with the 7x57 or 06

Budget rifle: a used but clean Vanguard, Howa or Tikka in 7-08 or, if he doesn't reload, 6.5 Creed.

For the scope: Burris FF2 or, for just a bit more jingle, SWFA fixed 6. Clean used copies of those can be picked up with a shopping too.

I agree with the 6.5 Over 7/08 if he don’t re load and as a newb the recoil and more trigger time will pay off big.

Easy, 270 Win in a Weatherby VG2 or Tikka T3 unless there's still a Ruger 77 to be had?

That's a good deal offered on the M77, but I can't imagine starting someone out on a 300 Win Mag. I agree with the 270, 30-06, 7mm-08 recommendations.

I’ve seen elk kilt with a 7mm-08, out past 400 yards. A couple of bigguns, too.

Find a used stainless T3, put a Limbsaver on it.

I know whereof I speak.




P

I agree, a 300 mag isn't a good starter IMO.

30-06 at most.

But make sure you let him pick, that way he owns the choice.

He’ll feel better about it if’n he owns it.



P

This. Ammo will cost far more than the rifle over the long haul. I'd go 30-06 and not look back. For glass, get a used fixed 4x or a Burris FFII 3-9 with a ballistic plex.

But there is one MASSIVE problem with this setup: he'll never be able to justify another rifle without becoming a complete loony. Which, with you steering the boat, is a real possibility.


Okie John

Lots of good advice. For a new hunter, I'd definitely stay away from any magnum round.

I’d agree with that. Why teach him the art of flinch when he’s just starting? 30-06, 270, 308, will all do just fine. Today’s bullets do very well in these cartridges. No need for a 300 magnum.

So the overwhelming sentiment is lighter recoil is better. But he just killed a Turkey Saturday using a lightweight 12 ga shooting 3” magnum turkey loads. The recoil on that exceeds a 375H&H and hovers somewhere around 416 Remington that would be a good choice for elephant.

I realize 8-14 year olds need to be eased into higher recoiling firearms to avoid losing that love of shooting or developing a flinch.

Many if not all of the replies are from folks who own several rifles and assume that works best for everyone. That a really effective elk caliber is best purchased as a 2nd or 3rd rifle. I killed my first deer with a 30-30 like many kids when I weighed in at 125 lbs so I’m a product of that same advice.

When he asked me for one rifle for everything I actually believe that is what he wants since hunting isn’t his only hobby. In my opinion that do everything rifle is a 7mm or 300 of some flavor. But I’ll let him shoot 243, 6,5, 30-06, 7mm RM & a 300 Weatherby & let him choose where his comfort zone is.

What will 7mm Mag do that .270 Win or .30-06 won't in the hunting fields?

If he's that tight on cash, it's also worth considering that 7mm Mag and .300 Win Mag factory loads are almost always quite a bit pricier than the same make/type of ammo in .270, .30-06, or .308. Mo practice = Mo Better

Ruger American in 30-06 has my vote.

Good, let him pick.

I’ve killed a few elk, using cartridges from 7mm-08 through the magnums, up to .300 Weatherby Mag. That one will kick your dick in the dirt, I can tell you.

None of the elk would have died any different if they’d been shot with the -08, but if he wants more I say let him choose.



P

IMO, it's not just recoil.... 7mm Rem Mag, 300 Win Mag, 7-08, 280, whatever...

Look at ammo choices, availability and prices. Smart is 270, 30-06, maybe 308.

Your first paragraph about the 12ga shotgun proves you just dong get it. To become PROFICIENT with a rifle, you need to shoot it quite a bit. Theres a reason they call that shotgun a "scatter" gun. Ill bet he isnt sitting at the bench shooting groups with that 12 gauge. Ill bet he isnt practicing prone, or off the pack or even sitting with that shotgun, like most of us do with a rifle. I guarantee hes not going to become PROFICIENT with a 300wm either, because that takes a lot of trigger time and focus on form and proper fundamentals. So, when you compare a 12 gauge to a rifle, that is like comparing apples to oranges. With a shotgun, you can flinch and still hit your target, with a rifle, not so much... Also your sentence in reference to the "really effective elk calibers", is laughable. There are plenty of guys here that have shot elk with 270's and 7mm08's to know that there are many "calibers" that are "really effective" on elk. Effective elk cartridges dont start and end with "magnum" in the name.

There isn’t an elk alive that can’t be killed by a 30-30 through the lungs. Back when my eyesight matched irons well I could use my old 30-30 to hit an elk vital size target at 400 yards 3 times in a row any not too windy day. That doesn’t make the 30-30 a 400 yard elk gun.

Use whatever you like on elk, the 30-06 with150 grain good bullet is to me the starting point of effective on elk if you think a 3-400 yard death run might take that animal out of your recovery area. I’ve seen a decent bull shot through both lungs with 180 grain Barnes a broken off side shoulder walk over 100 yards toward the private boundary before I finally stopped him. That was a from a 300 win Mag used by a good shooting active duty marine at 330 yards. They are often tough to kill and too tasty to let get away.

Well, I really dont see what all the fuss is about and I see no problem at all in starting out a full grown man that his balls have dropped and everything with a .300 Win if that is what he wants...... As for recoil the .300 Win is mild compared to the kick of an H&R single shot 12 ga shooting a 2 1/8 oz 3.5" shell, or even the recoil of a Mossberg 835 3.5" 12ga which i have shot many times in one session patterning different loads, I dont feel its any big deal, Let the man decide for himself....Good hunting...Hb

I’m with ya, VaHb, in that the .300 WM can be a [vulva]cat to shoot, but my caveat is that it will absolutely depend on how the rifle fits the shooter.

I’ve personally encountered only one stock design that manages the .300’s recoil to my limits, and, unfortunately for me, it isn’t on a budget rifle. I’d generally rather carry a different model of rifle for most of my hunting, but I wouldn’t be able to tolerate the .300 WM in that other model.

I’m not sure the new shooter in question, can count on hitting the lottery with whichever rifle he.chooses being the best at managing recoil for his body geometry.

The best solution is obviously to get him a goodly amount of trigger time with different rifles in different chamberings prior to him making his choice. That’s a luxury for most.

Just my $.02.

FC

I wouldn't over think this.

Tikka in whatever style he likes in 30-06.
SS 6x in Sportmatch rings.

There's more 30-06 ammo to choose from for a new Hunter than he can imagine. Plus there are reduced loads to get him started. There are light loads and heavy, cheap and expensive, premium bullets and not.

The 6x is a great scope and as a young shooter it is everything he needs at any range he should be shooting stuff. Plus it could be fun to learn the reticle or how to dial.

Sportmatch rings are simple and easy. You don't need a rail then rings or to find a set of machined Talley's.

Micky

I would skip the Howa/Vanguard. They might nice rifles but they're unusually heavy for what they are.

It's early and I am on my first cup, but it appears that you asked for advice, got about three pages of replies, then decided to argue when the advice you got did not agree with your line of thinking.

As it often happens when confirmation, rather than advice, is sought.

You are so eloquent in your replies. LMAO

I appreciate the many good pieces of advice & constructive suggestions. I may certainly be wrong & get surprised that the 30-06 he has managed successfully in a very small sample could be the top of his recoil tolerance. Rangefinders & optics technology has certainly made trajectories more predictable. But this isn’t a shoot all day at the bench gun we are talking about where every distance is known and time to fire at a target is unlimited. Hunters occasionally need to shoot quickly at unknown ranges & flatter trajectory provides greater room for error in those situations.

I realize that we have become a softer less hardy country with almost every generation and that a shot at an an awkward angle might actually leave a bruise for heavens sake.

But reading the caliber suggestions I couldn’t help but think a handful of years ago these are exactly what would have been suggested for a teenage girl.

In fact I trained a 120 lb woman archer for one of those TV hunting shows, Ultimate Huntress, a few years ago & the rifle they received for making the cut to be on TV was a 270. She managed my lightweight 375H&H practicing the charging Cape buffalo target easily. A natural marksman but novice with firearms & essentially no trigger time she killed an Oryx & Audad cleanly & competed well in the shooting competitions.

So my actual experience runs a little differently than the suggestions, but heck I’ve been wrong before & may be this time.

Probably should scratch budget out of the title, forget all the cheapskate wimpy cartridges and rifles, and get a 30-378 Mark V Ultra Lightweight. If you can get an elk into turkey shotgun range there should be no problem with missing whether you know how to shoot or not.

And who cares that it cost five bucks a pop to shoot! You only need one

What a dumb azz...

Indeed.

Jeez these things sure seem to go in ackward and weird directions. It's not about whether or not the guy is the size of Dick Butkus or whether or not anybody who is not ready, willing and able to shoot a 300WM, etc. is a girly-man. Every single one of us "tough guys" and macho men on this forum who have shot a lot of big bore rifles in our lives can practice a lot more with a 22 than we can with a 375. With very few exceptions, most of us are much better shots with low recoiling firearms than we are with large recoiling. I know we have exceptions of guys on this forum who are so much tougher than everybody else that they open a beer can, pour out the liquid and then eat the aluminum. You are not only cool and tough but you ARE THE EXCEPTION.

It's almost like our moronic caliber debates. If you can handle a 223, you can handle a 243. If you can handle a 243, you can handle a 30-06. If you can handle a 30-06, you can handle a 338. On and on and on. I know little bitty guys who shoot nothing but magnums. I know big guys who have moved away from magnums for no other reason than enjoyment of the lesser kickers. According to the OP we have a 24 year old, newer hunter who needs to buy his first hunting rifle. I know the OP said he's O.K. with a little recoil. I don't care if he's a heavyweight boxer. He'll be much more likely set up for success, with the plethora of non-magnums mentioned in this thread than he ever would with a 7mm Magnum or 300 Winchester magnum. And no, his starting with the 7MM or 300WM is no guarantee of failure either. In my opinion, and it's only opinion, new rifle shooters are better off being started with lower recoiling rifles. Let him know that starting in such a manner is not a reflection on his manhood.

The fact that some on this forum started hunting with a 338 when they were 8 and still use the same now that they are 58 does not mean that they have defied or changed physics. I have never thought, even in my younger and higher testosterone fueled days, that everybody else SHOULD have the same recoil tolerance I have. Here endeth the rant.

Well said buddy!

Besides a great Bullet in the 7-08, 308, 6.5 Anything, 30-06, 270 is going to kill elk just fine. I love the bigger cartridges and believe i shoot them well but I shoot a whole gang load of smaller cartridges all the time just to practice. The rifle set up correctly means more than the danged cartridge really.

I'm not small, 6' 2" and about 220, and I have moved to smaller cartridges for the enjoyment of shooting a bunch. I can do quite well with my 338 mag flinging 250's, but it's work. OTOH, 100 rounds is a relaxing fun afternoon with my 243, 6.5 Creedmoor or even a 308 shooting loads that dupe old LC match ammo.

Tikka T3 or Ruger American in either .270 or 30-06 decent 3x9 scope

I have friends who use one rifle for everything too, some buy one box of ammo every few years and kill elk almost every year too. ( I'm thinking of 2 right now, one uses a 308, one uses a 270) I know "more guys/friends) who use milder rounds for coyotes/deer and a "bigger" round for the "Out West rifle or for elk",etc. As far as "budget goes", nothing like the learning curve of a POC to fail you at the critical time. Hopefully this young man will be happy with his choice and it serves him well the rest of his life. Hopefully.

When I started the thread looking for one all around bargain rifle & optics suggestions I did ask “am I missing something?”

So I guess what I was missing is “6.5 or 270 is all a hunter ever needs”. “Cost of factory ammo & recoil from the bench is the proper focus here” I suppose I could have put on my red& black flannel hat & said “son all a man needs is a 30-06 Remington 700” and I could have been done.

It just seems there are so many new rifles out there that I’ve never even handled (Winchester XPR, Mauser 18) that the guys on this forum have tried & tested know all about & can share their expertise. Optics from Athlon, Tract, Hawke I have never looked through and don’t have any stores nearby to look at.

It would have saved the ridicule from rifle loonies who firmly believe that hunters should shoot hundreds if not thousands of rounds of centerfire rifle ammo to adequately prepare to shoot an animal once or twice a year.

I’m not sure this young man will actually only buy one rifle. He is a serious off road enthusiast & that is an expensive hobby so my goal was to give him an answer to his question. Silly of me to think that would be the goal here.

We'll, from what I've observed folks tend to be over gunned, over scoped and under practiced.

No argument there. I might say rimfire practice is the best way to go for cost & development of good fundamentals.

Quality, adult sized air rifles too.

Seems an ethical response to think that some guy who never shot a rifle would practice a little before taking a 400 yard poke at an elk.

With "budget" so proudly stated at the top of the page, and a only a couple of boxes of 300 win mag costing a hunerd bucks, not to mention whatever shirt might need to be worn while shooting one, it might be somewhat logical to think that an aught-six(or heaven forbid the flatter shooting but girly 270), red flanel, and a half dozen boxes of ammo might be more comfortable for the unfortunate but burly soul.

Maybe grab one of the Mauser M18 deals in 30-06, stick a 3-9x40 on top and get to shooting.

Funny how guys are concerned about budget but then want a magnum. They plan on shooting a box a year? yet want the power to shoot 800 yards. Never ending around here

He is a novice not an idiot. His main hunting partner a recently retired marine sniper has done all of the basic marksmanship training with rimfires & a heavy target 6.5 Creedmoor. Hard to give every relevant detail in a post. Some just assume I must be a macho idiot (partly true)

Neither has done any elk hunting & not much deer hunting. That was the purpose of asking an old fart like me for a recommendation- and the reason I’m asking you all.

I suppose if a fella needs to work on his recoil tolerance he can just grab a surplus Mosin Nagant, leave the metal butt plate, buy a tin of 7.62X54R and shoot until it huts. Which won't take long, coincidentally.

Remington 710 in 375 H&H. It’s the best for lions and stuff and is also great for deer and elks.

Make sure he gets a hi power scope with a big front end so he can track his game at night.

Not hard to see that some folks may have been isolated just a little bit longer than they are comfortable with.... probably getting a little cranky myself.

I'd recommend a Howa 1500 or a Weatherby Vanguard in the caliber range starting at 6.5mm Creedmoor and ending with the 300 Winchester magnum. My personal preference would be the 30-06 Springfield, but anything in that range will work. For optics I would recommend a Burris 3-9x40 Full Field II. That setup will serve him well as long as he wants to hunt.

Over the years,I have known quite a few younger guys starting off buying one of the Savage Combos for about $300. Thinking in a few years to upgrade. The scopes are nothing to brag about but those " out of the box" Savages can sure shoot. Most guys I know still have them with only maybe upgraded scopes. 30-6 or .270 ammo is about the cheapest you will find,now maybe including 7-08

It’s cheap and kicks like hell. Sounds like a great way to get someone into the sport

Glad I had better advice when I got started.

Any 270 Win or 308 Win will take care 90%+ game on earth. Find the right loads from light to heavy use. Put a fixed 6x40 scope on it and you’re ready to go.

T3x 30-06

Good guy to buy from

How did you start?

[quote=Quak]It’s cheap and kicks like hell. Sounds like a great way to get someone into the sport

So you bought your first rifle at what age? You started hunting as an adult? You were a silver spoon kid Daddy bought you a new custom rifle? The 222 Remington was the newbie kids & women caliber in my Dad’s family it killed mule deer inside 100 yards fine but it wasn’t the grown up caliber.

This isn’t someone who hasn’t shot both rifles & shotguns for a while- he just wants to buy his own. Are you always this judgements?

I was about 12 and shot a 30-06 I bought with my own money from farm work. That said - a flinch isn't relegated to a specific age or experience metric.

That also said some smart people have pointed out this:

Most hunters are over scoped, over cartridged and under bulleted. Hint

If you need more than a 30-06, the 300 WM isn't the answer, step to 375H&H - anything in between really isn't "more than a 30-06".

Point being - 300WM doesn't give you ANYTHING the 30-06 doesn't at the ranges you're talking other than a much sharper kick in the shoulder and more expense when it comes time to buy ammo.

Owned both. BTDT.

My first real rifle was a Ruger M77 chambered in 7mm Rem Mag. It was a gift from my Mom and I was eager to kill with it. Problem was, it kicked like a pissed off mule and I couldn't hit a damn thing with it. I was a new shooter, with not a lot of experience, but I still have no use for recoil today. After missing a few relatively easy shots with it, my Uncle handed me his 25/06. I killed the next buck I shot at and was hooked. A few months later, that same Uncle bought me a really nice Sako 25/06 and I've never gone back to the 7 despite nearly 30 years of owning it.

I have to agree with the others that 270, 308, 280 are all some really excellent options. You will shoot more and practice more if you enjoy shooting the rifle. That practice and experience will make you a better shooter and a better hunter. Just my $.02

Tell him to buy a Vangaurd in 7mm Rem mag and practice,practice,practice.....

I was asking Quak but heck Teal is a more specific duck. Good for you buying your own rifle with your own money at 12. Mine was Pizza Shop money at 17 a little slower but did have grandfathers 30-30 to use by 12. Sounds like you aren’t part of the millennial generation. Did you pick yours because it was what a mentor shot? Would you make the same choice in retrospect? Do you still have it?

I picked it because it was on sale and I could afford it. Ruger M77 tanger. 364 bucks or so. 30-06 was known to everyone to being everything you need, regardless. Even in the '89. My dad was primarily a bowhunter and his rifle was a Savage M1899 in 30/30 he got from his grandfather. No one influenced me really other than what I learned on my own from magazines and a reloading manual I found at the library.

I no longer have it - sold it when I became a father too young. Needed to provide. Perfect world I would have been older when I had my son but he's 20 now, and I'm in my early 40's so I can still do great things with my adult children. Not like some of my friends whose parents were in their 60's when they graduated high school. Hell, my dad's mid 60's - 3 generations that can still hunt together where it requires some physical exertion.

This has always been my way of thinking and the reason I have no use for a 300 WM. 30-06 will easily handle any animal that won't hunt you back. If I ever get the chance to hunt something that might hunt me back, I want something a lot larger than a 300 WM in my hands. A 35 Whelen or 375 H&H seems like a much more reasonable step up from a 30-06 in that situation.

I grew up poor, probably like many guys on here, and a .22 for small game and a 12ga for everything else was the mantra then. Our house had a nice Stevens bolt action .22 repeater that my Dad had owned since he was 8. He also had a "borrowed" Mossberg bolt action 20ga with a "Poly choke" that belonged to one of his younger brothers. My grandfather had a POC Remington 22 auto jammomatic and an Iver Johnson single shot .410. My first gun ( was 10, Xmas) was a Stevens single shot 20 ga. So...if I wanted to shoot them more than a few times a year, I had to earn the money and buy the ammo myself. I started young, ha. Later in life, as a young married man with kids, I owned a good .22, a 12ga Mod 870 Wingmaster and "one" centerfire rifle. If I wanted a different rifle/caliber, etc, I had to sell or trade the current one to get it. I just couldn't justify the expense. I was that way until the mid 90's, ( 40yrs old) so the "one man, one rifle" thing is very Legit, I fully get it.

When I started handloading for a Ruger 77 280, ( I was 24 yrs old) I also began to load for other guys rifles and thats how I gained experience with 30-30s, 243s, 308s, 30-06s, 7x57, 7mm Rem Mag ( I sold the .280 when my wife gave me the 7mm Mag for Xmas, 1980)) So, I had alot of fun!
If I came across as a "know it all", please forgive me, it was not my intention. Have fun with the guy, hunting partners, as you know, as hard to find!

When we lived out in the sticks as a kid I had a dog & a falling block 22 for entertainment,,no other kids within more than a mile. Hard to get 22 ammo but dad would buy bb’s because they were cheap. I wore out a lever cocking BB gun shooting up the bbs 2&3 times each if they stayed round enough. Shooting those old BB guns from the late 60’s taught you how to estimate drop better than any chart.