First Big Game Rifle

[ljalberta]

I have to concur with the input of several others... no real reason for a magnum in a "one and only" rifle.

Any of the old standbys like .270WIN, 7-08REM, .280REM, .308WIN, .30-06SPRG are more than adequate for any N. American hunting you'd ever want to do...without the recoil, blast and cost of magnum ammo. Everyone will make a case for their favorite...but in reality there's not really a wrong choice in the batch.

Don't get me wrong, the .300 is a great cartridge....but not really needed in most circumstances. Make that your "second" one and only rifle.

Lots of good advice here and from others. I use a .308 for moose/deer/elk and have never found myself wanting anything different for 400 yards or less, and I simply don't put in enough range time for any further shots. Of course, I'd love to add .300 win mag to the safe one day, but not as a one and done rifle, and certainly not over a classic such as a 270, 308 or 30-06. Everyone has their preferences though. I'll also add a vote for a Tikka. One of the best value rifles out there.

 

[elkguide]

Really?? Both are more than enough with simple 180 partitions inside 400 yards for anything up to and including brown bears. Granted my experience of watching the "killing power" between the 2 is mostly on moose, grizzlies, and caribou and not elk so that may be the reason for the difference. The 300 wm really only buys one roughly 100-150 yards extra over a 300 wm. For example a 300 wm hits with the same speed at 700 yards as a 30-06 at 550. In both instances it's plenty to kill any moose.

I would think especially a new hunter that primarily hunt mid western whitetail with an occasional western hunt then i would certainly not be getting a magnum. I could see the argument for someone out west that consistently shoots long range (600+ yards) but for normal white tail hunting in the Midwest with an occasional elk hunt out west sure. But even then not much a 308 or 30-06 can't tackle. Of course I hunt Alaska and haven't used a magnum in years so maybe I am jaded .

Absolutely.

For a Midwestern shotgun hunter, (12 gauge slug recoil vs. .300 mag recoil..... very similar) who will only occasionally hunt out west, I would go with the magnum. The difference in trajectory and the difference in knockdown power is worth the little difference in recoil. I have watched way to many elk take lead and keep right on walking. Yes I had hunters that took elk with a .25-06, a .30-30 and with a .44 magnum. I've also had way to many hunters miss elk with their brand new .300 ultra mag that they stopped at Cabela's and bought their new rig as they drove cross country and then couldn't even keep it on paper because they were afraid of it.

But the op asked what would be the recommended rifle and caliber for a "ONE" time purchase of a rifle and from my experience it would be the .300 Win Mag.

 

[luke moffat]

For sure!! Agree to disagree I guess can't deny an animal would know the difference shot with either one so go with which other one gives you warm fuzzies.

 

[elkguide]

For sure!! Agree to disagree I guess can't deny an animal would know the difference shot with either one so go with which other one gives you warm fuzzies.

Actually my favorite cartridges to have a hunter show up with in camp were either a .300 Weatherby or a .338 Win, if they were comfortable shooting them. If they weren't comfortable with them, I would definitely rather have them come to camp with their old trusty .270 but I would then hunt a lot differently knowing that I would be limiting their shot options. I have found that most hunters can handle the recoil of a .300 WM just fine in a hunting situation and therein lies my preference for the venerable .300 Win Mag.

No warm fuzzies, just wanting to put an animal down as quickly as possible.
(I hate long tracking jobs)

 

[luke moffat]

Gotcha....guess I haven't seen as many critters as you killed therefore I will bow out of this discussion simply due to lack of practical knowledge or have any idea of what I am actually talking about. As I mentioned before I have never even seen an elk killed so merely basing this on the 1-2 moose I have seen killed.

I will say I never "hunted differently" or limited my shot options whether I had my 338 wm or .308 win in my hands. Not sure why I would but again it probably comes back to that limited experience of only seen 1-2 moose killed.

 

[16Bore]

These threads can go on forever and eventually ever caliber and model will show up. Look at what you WILL hunt vs MIGHT hunt. Lotsa whitetail hunters carrying elk one day rifles (self included) when simpler is simply better.

Guys are dropping your list of animals with everything from the new babe, 6.5 Creed to grampa's 30-06 to 338 WM's and who knows what else.

The only thing that matters is that your are competent and confident with the rig in your mitts.


And the correct bullet, of course. And lots of them....

 

[tim tarras]

I have hunted the Midwest for over 32 years and have used the 30-06, 7X57, 280, and the 6.5 Creedmoor. I would not feel "under gunned " with any of those hunting elk.

I shot the 300 WM 2 times and gave it back to the owner. It had more recoil than my Dad's 06 with only a butt plate.

 

[JP100]

I think Luke has hit the nail on the head.
I nearly always recommend a Tikka in 7-08. Simple and easy, you wont go wrong with a .308 or 30-06 or a magnum.
But I have seen very few hunters that can actually shoot magnums well with out brakes. and its alot more gun than you need 99% of time.
Tikka with a 3-9x42 Leupold and you can save you extra cash for a nice pack.

(PS I have only shot one elk, with a .303)

 

[5MilesBack]

I don't really feel any recoil when I'm taking hunting shots, but my 7mag will leave bruises at the range. I hadn't taken a shot with that gun without hearing protection in years, until last month when I jumped a coyote. It actually hurt my ears. I didn't even look up to see if I'd hit the coyote because I was cringing. The 7mag without a brake is still louder than my FTW rifle in 6.5 CM with a brake.

These days, with the right bullets it's hard to pick a bad rifle choice.

 

[Phil4]

First off, thanks for all who chimed in. Awesome info! I've looked at the tikkas and have a hard time with the feel and all the plastic involved. I'm sure I would get over it, but that was my first impression. One thing I noticed that throughout all the posts no one mentioned 7mm mag? Any reason for that? My original thinking was that it's recoil is just a tad more than 30.06 with better down range performance. Also less recoil than 300 wm. Wouldn't a kimber 30.06 under 6lbs kick worse than a model 70 in 7mm mag at 7.25 lbs?

All that being said I do like the smoothness of the tikka and the thought of being out the door with a nice scope and rifle for about 1200 is tempting and may be the way I go.

Also, the guy who invited me to his elk camp next fall said 30.06 bare minimum for the exact reasons elkguide listed above. He said until you've seen it you wouldn't believe the punishment and elk can take and still cover tons of ground.

Anywho, you guys have put kimber on my radar and tikka back on it.

Thanks again for all the responses!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[5MilesBack]

Also, the guy who invited me to his elk camp next fall said 30.06 bare minimum for the exact reasons elkguide listed above. He said until you've seen it you wouldn't believe the punishment and elk can take and still cover tons of ground.

I started big game hunting when I was 15 in 1980, right after I bought my first rifle......a Remington 700 BDL in 30-06. I saw a lot of elk soak up a lot of 180gr Partitions with that gun, so being young I figured I better get a 7mag to help with that. And since that time, I've seen a lot of elk soak up a lot of 175gr Partitions even with the 7mag.

However, if you hit them high closer to the spine, the shock will drop them in their tracks. Or you could go the route of many and use Bergers that come apart and pretty much decimate the vitals in every direction. Either way, there are always trade-offs with whatever you choose.

 

[Jimbob]

I think you will see that the majority of guys on this site prefer a lightweight rifle. I sold my Browning a-bolt 7mm mag for the tikka 30-06. The lightweight and handy size of the tikka makes it a joy every time I pick it up and carry in the woods. Also the 30-06 has done great on the last 5 moose it has taken. However I do believe elk are tougher than moose.

So if lightweight is a priority (and it should be ha ha) then you will see tikka and kimber at the top of the list. If weight is not a concern then there are lots of nice options out there.

 

[ST52v]

I think you got a lot of good advice, but I don't think anyone mentioned suppressors. If the rifle comes threaded you could screw one on. I believe most states out west allow you to use them.

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[JohnyRingo]

I would stick with your initial decision of 300 WinMag in a Browning Hells Canyon. Target practice with the muzzle brake on with hearing protection and then hunt without the brake. Or you can hunt with the brake on and use ear plugs on the shot (that's what I do). You have a million options for ammo with the 300. You can shoot 150 grain reduced recoil loads on whitetails and then use 180 grain bullets on elk and moose. The 300 is a great all-around gun and you can shoot it big and shoot it small. Plus, you are going to find that the Browning doesn't kick that much with that stock and recoil pad. I have a 300 H&H Mag in a X-bolt stainless stalker and love it.

 

[GKPrice]

I don't really feel any recoil when I'm taking hunting shots, but my 7mag will leave bruises at the range. I hadn't taken a shot with that gun without hearing protection in years, until last month when I jumped a coyote. It actually hurt my ears. I didn't even look up to see if I'd hit the coyote because I was cringing. The 7mag without a brake is still louder than my FTW rifle in 6.5 CM with a brake.

These days, with the right bullets it's hard to pick a bad rifle choice.

those "bruised shoulders at the range" are what messes with the shooter when he's (or she) is shooting at game

 

[hunting1]

If you are going .308 cal Luke speaks logic! I have killed antelope to elk with 308 win, 30-06, and 300 WM and unless you plan to shoot long distances and 200gr bullets + you are just burning powder and recoil. The 308 has become my favorite with Varget, 168 NBT around 2800.

But it do what makes you feel good!

 

[GKPrice]

First off, thanks for all who chimed in. Awesome info! I've looked at the tikkas and have a hard time with the feel and all the plastic involved. I'm sure I would get over it, but that was my first impression. One thing I noticed that throughout all the posts no one mentioned 7mm mag? Any reason for that? My original thinking was that it's recoil is just a tad more than 30.06 with better down range performance. Also less recoil than 300 wm. Wouldn't a kimber 30.06 under 6lbs kick worse than a model 70 in 7mm mag at 7.25 lbs?

All that being said I do like the smoothness of the tikka and the thought of being out the door with a nice scope and rifle for about 1200 is tempting and may be the way I go.

Also, the guy who invited me to his elk camp next fall said 30.06 bare minimum for the exact reasons elkguide listed above. He said until you've seen it you wouldn't believe the punishment and elk can take and still cover tons of ground.

Anywho, you guys have put kimber on my radar and tikka back on it.

Thanks again for all the responses!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

just wanted to mention what has been said again and again, "plastic" isn't really ..... the Kimber Hunter stock is ... "plastic" and their mags are part "plastic" - on a bet we tried to destroy a Tikka magazine one evening a few years ago (whiskey was involved I'm pretty sure) when finished it was marked up and not reliable but not anywhere near destroyed - "PLASTICS" are used in nearly everything we use these days (unfortunately) but it certainly should not be a defining factor in a gun purchase IMO

 

[GKPrice]

I would stick with your initial decision of 300 WinMag in a Browning Hells Canyon. Target practice with the muzzle brake on with hearing protection and then hunt without the brake. Or you can hunt with the brake on and use ear plugs on the shot (that's what I do). You have a million options for ammo with the 300. You can shoot 150 grain reduced recoil loads on whitetails and then use 180 grain bullets on elk and moose. The 300 is a great all-around gun and you can shoot it big and shoot it small. Plus, you are going to find that the Browning doesn't kick that much with that stock and recoil pad. I have a 300 H&H Mag in a X-bolt stainless stalker and love it.

if you'd shoot "150 reduced recoil loads" then why in the world shoot a 300 Win Mag ? For every box of 300 WM on the shelf there'll be 3x the 30.06 and 5x the .308 ammo there - I am at a loss why the Xbolt's "that stock", plastic and all, will not kick as much ?

 

[GKPrice]

If you are going .308 cal Luke speaks logic! I have killed antelope to elk with 308 win, 30-06, and 300 WM and unless you plan to shoot long distances and 200gr bullets + you are just burning powder and recoil. The 308 has become my favorite with Varget, 168 NBT around 2800.

But it do what makes you feel good!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[slvrslngr]

These threads can go on ad nauseum, so here's my take. Just buy a rifle/scope combo that feels right to you, in a chambering that has a proven track record on elk, then buy a sh$t load of ammo and learn how to shoot said rifle. Bullet placement trumps every other factor so you need to have confidence in your setup.

Nothing wrong with the 7mm mag out west, btw. In fact, the Tulalip Cabelas had a Win 70 Extreme Weather so chambered on the used rack last time I was there, priced reasonable as well.