Well it’s the off season and I can’t seem to make my mind up. I’ve got a great shooting 6.5-06 that I’ll be using for deer and antelope and windy day coyotes, a 223 for my fur rifle. Only thing I’m missing now is a dedicated elk rifle. So since I can’t seem to decide what I want to go with I figured I’d see if you guys can give me any ideas on what to build or buy. I’ll be using it to shoot steel out to 900 yards all summer just like the 6.5-06 and when I’m elk hunting my ranges are from in your lap to as far as the eye can see. What do you guys think

7mm or 30 with heavies?

My Mashburn is that cartridge for me. I know you’ve had a few of them already though. Tough to beat a big 7 for elk.

Agreed, 7 Wby for me.

Dedicated for elk I’d probably choose a lightweight 30-06, 270WSM or some sort of 300mag if you want to shoot far. I’ve always wanted a 300Wby

I’ve thought about another one. Even have the dies on the bench already but it seems like my 6.5 covers a lot of the same territory]

If you don't mind the recoil, a big 338 (RUM, Nosler, Ruger) firing some of the newer VLDs would fit the bill from what you want and be different enough from your 6.5. I've thought about seeing if I can get the 250gr Scenar to shoot in my Win Mag, but would consider heavier (Hornady, Berger) if I was working with a bigger case.

Can’t see any reason to not just use the 6.5-06... otherwise, just to be different, get a 270

Though I have no real world experience on elk since I live in central PA, I have enough time behind an 8mm Rem Mag to think that a 7 STW would make a great up close to long range elk cartridge.

Hah that’s why I have a 6.5-06 instead of a 270 to be different

I'm thinking this is one of those questions that has to be answered kinda backwards

Target: Elk
Range: 0-900 yards (not that you might hunt that far)
Bullet: ___________


Then the rest follows....

It depends on who you’re trying to be “different” from. In a group of rifle looneys, the guy shooting a standard cartridge may be more “different” than the others, as they’ll likely be shooting wildcats and the cartridge of the month. It’s kinda like with tattoos. So many folks get tattoos while claiming to be individuals.....the real rebels are the folks bucking the trend, and not getting tattoos!

Ya definitely wouldn’t be elk at 900 but 500-600 isn’t out of the question

No personal experience with it but a buddy who chases a lot of elk sure likes his 28 Nosler. Lots of overlap with others previously mentioned.

I was going to recommend a 7RM or 300 Mag, but I’d scratch the 7 off since you already have the 6.5-06. Having said that, I’d go with a 300 Mag of some sort.

Obviously.

So you like to be "different"... why not just the Mashburn? What's holding you back from that? Something obviously is...

Fast twist a .280 Ackley and shoot 180's...

How about a 7mm ultra mag?

Well then, keep up the good work. Don’t listen to Brad.

Tho 900 is stretching it.....”no question”, a .338 WM! memtb

if one didn't think the 6.5 /06 isn't enough....

I would tend to think the 30/06 is...

if ya gotta go bigger, then a 300 Weatherby....if ya can handle it...

Myself, I'd stay with the 6.5 /06

Mashburn. or the 7mm Wea..

Just put some 140gr Partitions in your 6.5.

Sounds to me like you want a new rifle rather than need one, because like a couple guys said, the 6.5 would be fine.

I'd go with the big .30 of your choice with something like a 200gr or so pointy bullet.

How about a .300 WSM.

You are right it’s definitely a want as I could easily do it with the 6.5 and I may just do that but I’m always lookin

Any long range proposition having sustained downrange energy needed for elk is going to be a kicker and heavy for hiking. I would say start with .30 magnums and go to .33 magnums. The 300 Ultra Mag does not lack in it's ability to cover the 900 yards with sufficient sting.

I would think a 30-06 would compliment your 6.5-06 nicely. If you want to be different, go with a 30-06 AI.

That would be my choice. Like the 308 Win, stupid-easy to load for and a legitimate 1000 yard cartridge.

Might have to do that. One of the few rounds I’ve never played with

WSM’s seem to have less recoil. My son in law has a 300. It’s very pleasant to shoot.

I’d be in 7WSM and 180 ELD mode.

I'm thinking a big fast 7mm shooting 195 Bergers should get it done. Or a 300 win mag and 215 Berger Hybrids could scratch that itch.

My simpleton mindset would be a 300WM / WSM. Montana, Tikka, M70. Something like that.

Go forth and purchase a 7 WSM. Finding the brass for it will show you what a fine line it is between different and stupid. In my defense the M70 was new in box and $400...

Stay with the 6.5-‘06 or get a fast-twist .280 AI.

Do you own a FL sizing die for it?

The .284" 180 ELD simply has no equal and nothing in .30cal can begin to match it's performance,at anything nearing like COAL or recoil. It STEALS the fhuqking Show. A 7 Whizzum wearing a modest length spout,will make 2900fps with same and that's more than a "bit" of performance. The 300WSM is a steaming piece of fhuqking schit,in comparison. Was gunning 208's in a 300 Whizzum not long ago,laughing at the amount of suck,as compared to the 7 Whizzum's in tow.

Not much to say,in regards to a STUPID Fhuqk,that is stumped with 7 Whizzum brass.(grin) I prefer to use 300 Whizzum Virgins in all of my 7 Whizzums,due a "little" thing called headspace control. Nabbed 600pcs not long ago,to fuel all of them fires...with the trio of Montucky 7 Whizzums,being the crux of the focus,though I suffer others too. They'll Smooch/nestle the 180 ELD's easily,within issued OEM confines.

Now for "off season" and day in/day out FUN,I'd be thinking Anschutz 54 22LR or a Vudoo chambered same. It'd of course wear glass in accordance to my mainstay Killing Rifles,which means 6x MQ,if only to connect dots by literal default. There's not a better way to get good at Wind Reading,than to stretch a Skookum Rimfire beyond the 600yd line,which is of couyrse easily arranged.

Never been difficult to cypher,who shoots...and who don't.

Bless their hearts.

Sound advice. Listen to Brad

That 6.5-06 loaded w/the Woodleigh weldcore 160gr PP bullet w/a BC of .509 would be some serious elk medicine. powdr

I love my 338wm too, but the guys suggesting a fast 7 are making a lot of sense as well... I'm kind of hanging on to my 7wsm for a longer range rifle, myself. The op wants to be "different", why not a 7STW??

Yep, and a good supply of both 7 and 300 wsm brass. The former is used to make up hunting ammo. The later is my choice for range use after setting a false shoulder and CoW fireforming. With periodic annealing these cases last a long time. 300 is also a lot easier to get than the 7 brass.

Moment of truth time-I'd not have bothered with the 7wsm had the rifle not been so inexpensive. It doesn't do anything other than fit into a medium length action that can't be done as well with a 7mm RM. One of these cartridges will still be readily available (re head down and pick it up at Fleet/Farm) 20 years from now, and it isn't Winchester's offering. While this isn't a problem for me, it may be for the rifles next owner AKA my 7 year old cousin. Chances are he'll be a rifle loony, girls aren't in the picture yet, though, so who can say.

Keep it classic with a 300 H&H

if you dont want another mashburn...........a big 300 of some sort


lots of high bc bullets to play with......there is a reason some of the military units have gone 300 win for their sniper rifles

I suspect that you are a horse guy from your picture and if the horse gets to carry the rifle instead of you, then you can go with a bigger, heavier rifle. My Wyoming elk shooting buddy likes his .300 WM and another guy who had a .338 WM liked that a lot, but made the mistake of getting a .338 RUM and it was too much of a good thing. I did just fine with my 7# 7mm RM because I had to carry the rifle and the recoil was tolerable from a lighter weight rifle. There is a perfectly good reason why the 7mm RM is as popular a magnum cartridge as it is, it just flat out works. Boring I know, but it will be around next century when nearly no one can remember a Mashburn or STW 7mm. Lots of us rifle loonies are getting gray around the muzzle and not willing to trek up a mountain after an elk any longer. Thus we have some very respectable custom rifles already built up and sitting in the safe just looking for a better home. In your place, I'd be watching the classified sections.