Here are the parameters....

Whitetail/Black Bear/Elk 150 yards and under.

Bonus points for cartridge suggestions, as long they aren't traditionally "gay" chamberings.

Delivery vehicle will have to be light weight with a barrel no longer than 23".

Extra bonus points for anything other than .243 win, .260 rem, 7-08 rem, and .308 win. It's been a while since I've bought a rifle, convince me.


Also, I've been led to understand that Creedmoors are not especially masculine, so best to skip them.

One BULLET or one CARTRIDGE?

338 federal with 185tsx???

I’ll be the first to say it since this is the answer the OP is looking for.....6.5 Creed

120TTSX

358 Winchester with a 180 Barnes TTSX

What’s the primary game you’re going to use it on?

Do you reload?

What’s “light weight” in your book?

6.5 Swede, 125 grain Partition.

.280
120 B-Tip

358 win 220 Speer

.444 Marlin.

Not a lightweight but darn sure won’t be toting anyone else’s jock strap.

I currently use and have been for 10 years a Sako A7 Stainless in .308 with 150 TTSX or 168 TSX. I’ve never felt I needed more and I hunt SE. I have other bigger calibers that shoot great but I trust that rifle and combination.

.338 WM, then sell all of the other stuff you will no longer need! memtb

Whitetail is the primary, I do reload, light weight for my situation is about 7.5lbs all up.

Savage Model 20.
300 Savage, 165 Partition.

Light and handy.
Not a common caliber.
Not a common gun.
Plenty of snot for the job.
Great bullet. Sub a 150 or 180. Don't really matter.

Cons,
almost unscopeable,
cocks on closing,
not easy to find.



Tikka T3 6.5x55, Partition, 225 or 140.
Light, handy, accurate
Not a common caliber,
Meets parameters and expands range,
Great bullet.

Cons,

7-08 160 grain partition

This has interested me for a while. Convince me.

35 Whelen

With your “lightweight”parameters.......a .338 Federal! As a hand loader a wide selection of components, standard action length, very light recoil, available in several quality, lightweight rifles. memtb

Can’t argue with that. I hunted with a .338 for many years and love the one I have, it’s a very accurate true sub moa rifle and isn’t hard on the shoulder.

What bullets do you like in .338 fed?

16" barrel on a Light AR10 type rifle, in 338 Fed or 358 Winchester.

Or >>>>> 58 or 62 caliber flintlock.
Dr Connard's 002 by .com/photos/156296479@N08/]Steve Zihn, on [bleep]

7 mag
160 accubond

358 Winchester/200 gr

They look cool after you shoot them out of a Kimber 84m.

257 Weatherby ,100 grain Etip.
Ronnie

300 Savage
150gr Hornady, Sierra, Nosler, Norma, whatever cup and core they’ve all been great for me

Source a Remington 700 Classic or so what I did and rebarrel a beater 7 or 700. Mine weighs about 6lb ready to go.

160 ttsx
180 Accubond
180 Woodleigh
185 tsx
200 Woodleigh
200 Fusion
210 partition

270 Win for the win.With a partition.

Shooting 130 grain bullets.

And if that won't work use a 7x57 with 140 - 175 grain bullet you can find.

300 win Mag 180 grain accubond

Very sexy, what would you compare the recoil to?

.30 180gr Sierra Game King if elk is included in the mix.

.243 for whitetail. Probably an Accubond or Partition.

Herter's Wasp-Waist Sonic.

45-70 or 444 or 30-06 or 25-06

7x57 with a 140 Swift A-frame

200gr Speer. .323

8x57

Sauer 100 can be had with a 22 inch barrel at under 7 pounds. Kill anything that walks or crawls.

That's a pretty bullet, but is that a pentagram on the knife handle? The wife tends to frown on the dark arts.

First choice, 300 WSM 165gr or 180gr Nosler BT There are others but this combo will do just fine.

Ruger 77/44, 300 gr paper patched pure lead, 18.0 gr L’il Gun.

Or a Mod 94 .30-30 w/ 170 gr Hornady FP.

I prefer Barnes Bullets, and would go with the 185 or 210 TTSX, leaning toward the 210 TTSX. Though, with the velocities that you would be working with, any decent cup and core should also work well! memtb

I got interrupted earlier, but if you want the coolest get a6.5x55 and shoot 140’s.

.30-30 w/ 170 Sierra.

Is there a niche in your cabinet that you’re trying to fill? Just bored with what you have?

With that weight limit it’s likely a Tikka, Kimber, or Barrett we’re talking here.

30-06 165 gr under 56 gr of 4350 https://postimg.cc/8s3C2hJV

25-06 is one I've been looking at. Any experience with a 115 NBT?

Given the parameters, this would be my pick. However, I’d shoot the 160gr partition because my rifle likes it.

3006 with a 180 grain Swift Scirocco. Grossly overlooked and underrated bullet.

Nope. I would shoot the 100 grain partition or Barnes tsx and be done.

If you're interested in the 338 Federal, then the 358 Winchester with either TSX's or 225 grain Partitions is another good answer.
It will take larger game than you list, and it will take game farther than you list.
Factory ammo is very pricey though. Recoil is about the same as a 30-06 in a carbine.

Bored for sure. I have everything I need, just looking for the next project.

No one needs that much military firepower, surely a Biden voter knows that.

Nosler 125 gr. Partition, .260 Remington.

Back to the 338 federal. Should work on just about everything given your 150 yard parameters.
Mine



does this with an easy workup and just about this well with a factory fusion load.

It also did this with one shot at around 90 yards.

Would work for me

This could be the most boring and effective solution yet, and I suppose I should have at least one long action rifle.

,280 Remington with 140 gr. Accubond

30-06 with a 180 grain Nosler Partition or a 165 grain Hornady SP.

120gr. BT around 2800-2900fps.

Thousands upon thousands of Pennsylvanians can not be wrong, despite the way their vote for President turned out.

I think you already know where this is going.

According to my Dad, Granddad, and three uncles, as well as the aforementioned Pennsylvania Militia, there is only one choice for deer to elk. That is a Rem 760 in 30-06. Load her up with 165 gr Barnes XXX at 2850 fps. Set a decent 3-9x40 on top.

I will never give up my bolt rifles or my Ruger #1. But the 760 is surprisingly accurate.


Oh hell, look here. This is a more classy (and classic) choice. Plenty adequate to 150 yds.
1941 model Rem 141 in 35 Rem.




https://www.gunbroker.com/item/886110775

Extra bonus points???????

Heck, I would be dragging out the CC and hitting the buy it now button on that 35 myself. But Momma had a total hip replacement in Oct, three months of PT, and two cataract surgeries in Dec.

My discretionary funds have all done been discreted.

400 Whelen with 400 grain Woodleigh round nose. Sorry guys. I just took all the cool points. 😎

Well for what you describe I’ll tell you what has intrigued me is a Barrett Fieldcraft in 6.5x55 Swede shooting a 127 LRX (for big bodied stuff like bear & elk) or 130 VLD (for deer).

Mild, fun to shoot, versatile, and I had a gun store guy ask “Oh a Creedmoor??” which caused me to literally LOL... well sir, no, or yeah, the euro version with 110 yrs more history...

We need a like button! Lots of great ideas here.

A lot of good answers on this thread.

I'd have to go with the 160gr NBT out of my 7mm STW.

The OP did say one bullet, so why not also load that in the 7mm-08, and .280 AI?

300 Win Mag 180 or 200 Accubond

Tikka T3, 30-06, 168 TTSX. Mine is 7lb 2oz with a 6x42 Leupold and 7lb 10oz with a SWFA, IIRC.

+1, with NP 140s. Rifle? I prefer CRF actions, so an M70, custom Mauser or a CZ550.

A .280, .280 AI, or a 6.5-06 would also be cool.

Easiest choice? An M70 Featherweight in .270 or .30-06.

Take a step up in Class and have a custom chambered Remington 600 in 9,3 BS.

If that's too extreme find a 9,3X62 98 Mauser. Kill anything, anywhere without big hunks of blood-shot meat.

Shoot Barnes 250gr TTSX or Barnes 286gr TSX. The 250gr would be the better choice for the 9,3 BS.

Beat me to it. “Bear at 150” is an awfully big window to fill. If the window closed at 300 lb black bears, a 6.5 mm interlock at 140 grains.

CZ 550 American
9.3 x 62
286 gr Partition
65 gr BigGame
2450 FPS

165 Partition, 300 Savage. Boom!

Partition or Accubond in whatever caliber you want.

280 Remington 140 TBBC or the newer version Terminal Accent, or Barnes 140 TTXS

Either bullet will work since you have Elk on the menu, especially in a light Rem Mountain Rifle

or 300 WSM shooting 165 TTSX in a Kimber Montana

Both have worked well for me

Yep. Pick the heaviest one you can shot at 3k.

Go kill stuff.

284 winchester

The new and exciting 30-06 with 150-grain Cort-Lokt bullets, pushed with IMR4064, then mostly cut up with Forschner knives has filled boatloads of freezers for me.

That’s a good start. Partition specifically.

What my brother in law uses on EVERYTHING.

I’m more diverse. But used it a week ago.

According to those needs/specs you gave - including "lightweight" - 140 gr. in either 7x57 or 6.5x55

243 100 grain corelok

Heck yah!

200 grain Silvertip

.348 Win.



P

Marlin 336 in .35 Remington with a 200 grain round nose.

165 grain TTSX in a .30-06, Weatherby Vanguard.

.358Win 200gr TTSX

300 Savage, 150 grain tsx over 4064 (40 grains). Shoot it out of a model 99 because they're a great bush rifle. Realistically, anything from 30-30 on up is going to get the job done. Partition is my other choice, honestly I'd be equally happy with either one.

Another vote for the 7x57 with the Partition...........

30-06 with 200gr nos partition @ 2,650 mv
Good medicine for all North American game

Hornady IL .308 165 grain SP fired out of a 30-06.

How about a Rem Model 7, stainless synthetic in 7mm RSAUM and 160 Partitions?

7mm-08 with 140 gr. Accubond.

OK, 375 Whelen, RCBS 250 grain cast, a healthy dose of IMR-4064, Winchester LR primer. Should deal with most anything in the woods.

At those ranges, a 21” SS .308win or .338fed with midweight Partitions, TTSXs, or Accubonds.

If I had to pick ONE, I'd just go with a .308 and the 165gr Accubond at 2,700 or so. Boringly reliable and user-friendly isn't always a bad thing.

7-08 AI 160 Accubond for short action or 280 AI same bullet for long action.

284 Winchester and a 120 grain barnes or nosler

Nope, just fancy mosaic pins on pious spalted maple.
The 200 Accubond is another good shooting 338 Federal bullet but I haven't shot game with it yet.

.284 TSX.

Since Im not sure whether you want one bullet or one cartridge, I'll give you both in one...


7x57 with a 175 gr Nosler Partition....

9.3x57 w/250gr. Accubond

Given the parameters, how about a 308 with a 130 ttsx or 150 accubond

You sound like a pansy Biden voter who wants everyone to proclaim they only need 1 gun .GFY MB

The OP did sort of confuse things with his title to the thread "Pick One Bullet" when he might have meant one cartridge. I will say .308 caliber with a good 180 grain bullet in whatever cartridge can get it accurately out the barrel at over 2750 fps.

We only have to pick one wife not one rifle!

Remington 600 in .350 Rem Mag 225 gr Partition for a projectile.

Nosler Partition

There's your answer. Bear screams 30 caliber or larger, and lightweight begs 30 caliber and smaller, so 30 caliber is your sweet spot. Less than 150 yards and not a .308 Win points to a .30-30 or .300 Savage.

150 grain Nosler Partition would be my bullet choice, which would be ideal in a .300 Savage.

Veddy nice

Touché you trumped us all

308 throwing 168 vlds. But realistically pretty much anything will work at 150 yards or less. If you want lightweight then go with the Kimber hunter.

+1 I agree with GRIZZ, this would also be my choice

Croz2173: 7m/m Remington Magnum with 160 grain Nosler Partitions for Black Bear, Mt. Goat, Elk, Bighorn Sheep, Caribou and the occasional marauding Griz!
Then down load to the 140 grainers for Mule Deer, Antelope and Whitetail Deer.
All around gun/cartridge - situation solved.
Second choice would be the wonderful and very masculine 270 Winchester with appropriate bullet loadings.
Good luck with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

+1