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I really like a 30/06 but have killed more animals with my 338 than any other caliber, followed by my 30/06. I have 270’s, 7mags, 300win and 300wby magnums plus a bunch of calibers below and above. My choice would depend on where I hunt or plan to hunt. Its still a hard choice for me so I have multiple choices, limited to one, 30/06!

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Originally Posted by cwill
I have been looking and lusting over new rifles and new cartridges. Every time I look at ballistics and manageable distances (400 yds which is what I would limit myself to.) the common calibers seem to be just as effective. The question I pose is should I stick with a tried and true classic 30/06, 270, 7mm mag? Or a new chambering in one of the high B.C. Offerings?



Your 400 yd limit doesn't require anything special or high BC. Get whatever floats your boat and have a great time.


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50+ years hunting elk and almost that many tagged, I found out long ago it doesn't matter too much what the head stamp is on the cartridge is.Those new "High BC" cartridges won't do it any better. If I were looking at a new rifle,I'd search for the rifle itself and it's attributes rather than what it is chambered in. It would still probably wind up as an .06.


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my wife and i have killed many elk and deer with our 6.5 cm and 143 eld x BUT
if i had to choose 1 caliber for everything hands down it would be my 280AI with 155 grain terminal accent
killed many many a big game animal with that rifle for 35+ its the only caliber i used

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Man, you guys are really disappointing me on this thread. It is apparent the OP wants to buy a new rifle so lets think up ways he can justify it instead of shooting down his ideas?

I've shot elk with 338 WM, 300 WM, 30-06, 300 Weatherby, and buddies have shot them with all of those as well as .270, 280, and several others .... so, armed with all that evidence and feeling comfortable with my choices of rifles, loads, bullets, and scopes, among other things- I went right out a couple years ago and built a 26 Nosler just because it sounded neat and had some of those fancy high BC bullets to its credit. It shoots great, handles like I expected it to since I dropped it in a stock I've had for quite some time, the 4.5 - 14 scope I put on it works perfectly for my type of hunting, and I can find components for it most of the time... so I went out the first year I hunted with it (last year) and promptly shot a spike elk at about 125 yards with it and dropped it like a sack of potatoes.... something anything from a 25-06 up to a 375 H&H could have done, I suppose- but it felt a lot different doing it with my NEW rifle....

So let's get on board here and help this guy buy a new rifle- isn't that what this forum is all about- to help each other with justifiable excuses for new toys?

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Originally Posted by Sheister
Man, you guys are really disappointing me on this thread. It is apparent the OP wants to buy a new rifle so lets think up ways he can justify it instead of shooting down his ideas?

I've shot elk with 338 WM, 300 WM, 30-06, 300 Weatherby, and buddies have shot them with all of those as well as .270, 280, and several others .... so, armed with all that evidence and feeling comfortable with my choices of rifles, loads, bullets, and scopes, among other things- I went right out a couple years ago and built a 26 Nosler just because it sounded neat and had some of those fancy high BC bullets to its credit. It shoots great, handles like I expected it to since I dropped it in a stock I've had for quite some time, the 4.5 - 14 scope I put on it works perfectly for my type of hunting, and I can find components for it most of the time... so I went out the first year I hunted with it (last year) and promptly shot a spike elk at about 125 yards with it and dropped it like a sack of potatoes.... something anything from a 25-06 up to a 375 H&H could have done, I suppose- but it felt a lot different doing it with my NEW rifle....

So let's get on board here and help this guy buy a new rifle- isn't that what this forum is all about- to help each other with justifiable excuses for new toys?

Bob

Good thread. Its always fun to see what others have used and suggest. Glad to see other guys love the 200gr partition as much as I do as well. That is a phenomenal bullet when launched from a 30-06 or 300 magnum. It punches right through elk and kills fast. However, A couple years ago I really wanted to try the 175 LRX in my new to me 300WBY. I felt that bullet and many others (165 and 168TSX/TTSX) like it would work very well on an elk. As for cartridges I've used: I've shot them with cartridges ranging from 7mm08 to 9.3x62mm and have used different bullets, some Sierra gamekings, Partitions, Interlocks and most recently TTSX in the little 7mm08. Hit them right with a good bullet and they all work well. I wonder if the OP has bought a new rifle yet?
I was in the local gunshop the other day and a newbie hunter was in there, asking the shop owner what rifle he should buy for deer and elk hunting. The shop owner was an advocate for the 300wm. I asked the guy if he had ever fired a 300 winny, he said no. I said the recoil is pretty stiff. He said his dad has a 30-06 and it kicks hard. I said he may not like the 300wm then. The shop owner was one that wanted to push magnum rifles on this guy. He really hated it when I told him I shot my last elk with a 7mm08 and it was DRT. Then the shop owner starts talking about shooting them at 1,000 yards. I said the guy is new to rifles and the newbie says, "yeah, I am not even going to try to shoot past 400 yards". I said that is smart. I told him to buy something that he will feel comfortable shooting a bunch and learning the rifle and cartridge, "not something that is going to beat you up". Something like a 308 even works well.


Originally Posted by raybass
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style.
Originally Posted by Pharmseller
You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole.

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Yup. New rifle. Totally needed for us and definitely you. The elk will taste better!


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I've had a lot of 1 shot kills with a 300 WSM. However, inside of 400 yds, it's no better than my 30-06. It's just a little flatter shooting on long shots. If you don't reload the WSM, though, it can get EXPENSIVE. Most of what I see online runs more than $3/round.


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Originally Posted by Rock Chuck
I've had a lot of 1 shot kills with a 300 WSM. However, inside of 400 yds, it's no better than my 30-06. It's just a little flatter shooting on long shots If you don't reload the WSM, though, it can get EXPENSIVE. Midway has ammo for almost $70/box of 20.

OUCH!! I'm glad I reload. I've also shot elk with the 300WSM. One spike caught 2 180gr Nosler partitions. One reason I switched it up to 200gr. The 30-06 loaded with that pill flies right through them.


Originally Posted by raybass
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style.
Originally Posted by Pharmseller
You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole.

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Originally Posted by beretzs
Yup. New rifle. Totally needed for us and definitely you. The elk will taste better!

Ha ha.. Yep I agree!!!!


Originally Posted by raybass
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style.
Originally Posted by Pharmseller
You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole.

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I tend not to trust new fangled cartridges that are really just repacked versions of older tried and true ones. I tend not to trust any less than 50 years old and the best ones are over 100. Think 7 mm mauser, 303 british, 9.3x62, 30-06. There are many newer but none really better.


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As has been stated countless times; it’s not about need. Btw, only one of our ~ 20 hunters in our group over the past 16 years has used a .300 WSM. And that was last year and it accounted for a bull, cow elk , and mule deer buck with 180 gr Oryx.


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I get the queasies every year I take out anything less than a 300Win, even though I can read all the ballistics charts and Jack O'Connor etc etc. My bottom line, no doubt, go to elk rifle is a tang Ruger in 338Win with either 225 or 250 gr Partitions or Trophy Bonded bear claws. Problem is it weighs 9 1/4 lbs with a Leupy 2.5-8 and it gets heavy at the end of the day. It does drop the elk, however. In contrast, I have killed elk with 7Mag and 30-06 and even a 300Win with first year Accubond 200's and was not happy with the result. They all died, just not as convincingly as the 338. So, what will I carry this year? A 30-06 with 22 in bbl that weighs 7 1/2 lbs and load it with either Hornady interlock 180's or 165s. Will it do the job? I'm reasonably sure it will. Will it give me th absolute confidence the 338 does? No. But like Lefty, now I'm growing old.

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Originally Posted by Limapapa
I get the queasies every year I take out anything less than a 300Win, even though I can read all the ballistics charts and Jack O'Connor etc etc. My bottom line, no doubt, go to elk rifle is a tang Ruger in 338Win with either 225 or 250 gr Partitions or Trophy Bonded bear claws. Problem is it weighs 9 1/4 lbs with a Leupy 2.5-8 and it gets heavy at the end of the day. It does drop the elk, however. In contrast, I have killed elk with 7Mag and 30-06 and even a 300Win with first year Accubond 200's and was not happy with the result. They all died, just not as convincingly as the 338. So, what will I carry this year? A 30-06 with 22 in bbl that weighs 7 1/2 lbs and load it with either Hornady interlock 180's or 165s. Will it do the job? I'm reasonably sure it will. Will it give me th absolute confidence the 338 does? No. But like Lefty, now I'm growing old.


Load that 30-06 with 200gr partitions and you will have no worries at all. Or hell, do like I did last year and use a 7mm08 with Barnes TTSX bullets.


Originally Posted by raybass
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style.
Originally Posted by Pharmseller
You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole.

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Originally Posted by Jim1611
If I were a young guy starting out to buy a big game rifle for everything we have to hunt in this country I think it would be a 30-06. For all practical purposes considering the newer powders we have and better bullets to load with it's even better than it was 40 years ago.


>> this is a very good answer << at my age of 69 and a ammo reloader who has shot many many cartridges and reloaded them . the honest answer is simple 30-06


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The most important thing I have learned from being on hunting forums in the last 20+ years is ...

"Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps." crazy

Last edited by Mike_Dettorre; 06/18/22.

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If u got 2 3006 and wanna hunt elk with something new.


Get u a bow.

It will open up a new world

Make u hunt better

And that 06 will seem like a freaking cannon

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Originally Posted by pete53
Originally Posted by Jim1611
If I were a young guy starting out to buy a big game rifle for everything we have to hunt in this country I think it would be a 30-06. For all practical purposes considering the newer powders we have and better bullets to load with it's even better than it was 40 years ago.


>> this is a very good answer << at my age of 69 and a ammo reloader who has shot many many cartridges and reloaded them . the honest answer is simple 30-06


And at age 61 I'd say the 308 is even "better"... ie, kicks less, kills the same.

But of course the same could be said of even lighter recoiling cartridges like the 6.5 CM and 7-08.


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Anyone of those three will work. It just really depends on your preference. My 7mm would only hold three rounds in the mag and one in the chamber. If you want to hold more than four rounds in your rifle, go with either the 30-06 or 270…

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Among the ones capable of taking elk at those distances, pick the one that's financially viable for you - and forget about BC.


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