Only one rifle.

[307]

Thank you to everyone for the replies. It's certainly given me a great starting point on this search. Seems to be a strong trend in the direction of the 30-06.

I'll need a decoder ring or Google translate to understand what AXEL is saying.

 

[realunlucky]

My family has always shot 06 but if I was only going to have one gun these days it would definitely be a 300. Guarantee the quicky mart in your part of the world has at lest two shell choices for sell right now. You can load it up or down for recoil. Now options on more lead faster thus allows for range stretching with fewer variables

 

[Trr15]

Of the 3 you list, IMO the 7mm mag is the most versatile. With that said, I'm partial to the .338 WM for a variety of reason, most of which do not involve statistics or measurable data. I like it because it is an absolute game flattener (which gives peace of mind in griz country) based on my experience. The .338 is considered "overkill" by many for deer, antelope etc, but for Elk and larger, it will never leave you wanting more rifle and it can certainly take the smaller game animals if/when you need it to. Recoil is stout though, even in a heavy-ish rifle.

 

[PA 5-0]

If I had to chose one(which I often do), it's the 300WinMag. It will kill anything that walks this continent or any other. Ammo is very accessible at any gunshop or Walmart. I've shot everything from ground grizzlies to an elk with it and nothing survives. Being a magnum, its not a joy for a day at the range but when hunting, I rarely have to fire it twice. The round is super powerful. I highly recommend it. Good luck!!

 

[AXEL]

Thank you to everyone for the replies. It's certainly given me a great starting point on this search. Seems to be a strong trend in the direction of the 30-06.

I'll need a decoder ring or Google translate to understand what AXEL is saying.

Sorry, I only speak Canadian, eh........

 

[30338]

Non handloader I am assuming. In order to get proficient, you need to shoot a bit and that means typically lower priced ammo. I'd go 30-06 on this one. I won't go into scope choices other than to say, a fixed 6x would be very useful. Good luck.

 

[Bearhunter]

First hunting rifle I ever owned was a Remington 7mm Model 700 and for good reason as it is capable of taking any North American big game animal from the Brown bear to the small Sitka Blacktail and everything in between. Ammo can be found just about anywhere, its a relatively light recoil gun for a magnum but packs a big punch down range. The Ballistic Coefficient and flat trajectory stacks up with just about any round out there. Ammunition cost wise is about middle of the road and there is a wide variety of bullets for the reloading type guys. It has more than proven its while in the field in my hands and thousands of others!!!! Goodluck with your choice!

 

[luke moffat]

IMO, the 30-06 is rarely the wrong answer to any which rifle should I buy question. Just freaking works and inexpensive to shoot and can find ammo anywhere. That said I have never owned one. But I like the versatility of the 30 cal being able to load down to 110 grainers up to 220 grainers gives a lot of latitude for what you want to shoot based on what you are hunting.

 

[GKPrice]

Luke makes a lot of good sense there .... IF limited to the three originally listed I'd go with the 338 Win Mag because bears are mentioned AND it's a great round, it's a more versatile round than most think AND you cannot kill an animal too dead - That said, a 30-06 OR .308 is a tough one to beat for versatility, expense of ammo, availability of ammo and ease to shoot well - 150's or 165's will handily take antelope and deer and you could do a lot worse than 200 Nosler Partitions or Swift A-Frames for elk and they will suffice for bear protection too

SHEESE !! Now I'm confused - your head must be spinnin' ...

 

[WRO]

I'd go 30-06 is killed more critters than the boubonic plague.

 

[rileybassman]

Any of the calibers listed will kill any of the animals listed... I'll be it some from farther away then others. All comes down to shot placement and bullet selection with any of the rounds... A .270 kills way better then a .416 that misses.
So I would look at other variables such as cost to shoot/reload, ammo availability, recoil etc. My neighbor and I reload, he loads 300 rum with around 94 grains, I load 06 with 57... I can get 1/3+ more shooting in for the same price and shoot longer because recoil isn't an issue.
I almost bought a 300 wm, but then I saw that the ammo was 10 bucks more a box to gain 150-200 fps and maybe 75 more useful yards (most of which can be gained back by hand loading)

All that to say, not really a bad response here. Just pick one that meets other requirements for me it was 30-06.

Still never not killed anything with it

 

[rileybassman]

I will add that I am a little bias cuz it's what I know and grew up with. As I'm sure many other can relate.

 

[Eagle]

I recently went through this exact thing (bow hunter mainly wanting one rifle to do it all) and landed on the 280 AI. Bought a used cooper excalibur and love the gun, just wish it was about a pound lighter. I think the 280 AI run down a barrel with a 1-9 twist should stabilized most anything you can shoot from it and be good for everything in NA.

 

[JG358]

Of the ones listed, I'd go with 300win. Off the list if I could only have one, I'd go 6.5x55 AI.

 

[brushape]

Love my 30-06 and have no REAL reason to be building my 6.5 saum. 30-06 has killed everything ive ever pointed it at and if your not shooting a ton you shouldn't be shooting far anyways. It's just too easy of a cartridge to say no to

 

[topher89]

30-06. Cheap ammo, available everywhere and versatile. 125gr up to 220gr bullets. Coyotes to moose.

I have not been hunting long but all my initial research led to the 30-06. Two years ago I took my first big game animal, a deer, at 50yds. Bang, flop. This last season, it was a buck antelope with 15in horns at 300yds.

I would happily hunt deer, elk, moose, pronghorn and black bears with my '06.

 

[realunlucky]

7mm
300 wm
338 wm

Which would you prefer and why that choice over the others?

Thanks in advance.

These are the choices

 

[luke moffat]

300 WM if picking off that list, 30-06 if could pick a one and done for everything.

 

[Carlin59]

When I moved to Colorado after college, I wanted to buy one rifle for all my Western hunting needs. After considering all the trade-offs between ballistics, recoil, purchase cost, ammunition cost, magazine capacity, and ammo availability, I went with the .300WM and couldn't be happier. Recoil-wise, I would rather shoot my Model 700 .300 with the Rem. SuperCell recoil pad than my older Model 700 .270 with a hard plastic buttstock. In my mind, the 7mm and .300WM are even in recoil, availability, and cost, with the .300WM holding the ballistic edge. The .338WM really has me intrigued and will likely be my "next" Western rifle, but for a 1-gun battery and a new shooter, I would steer away from the .338, if for no other reason than minimal availability in entry-level rifles.

 

[Brandon Pattison]

After, 56 years of shooting, 50+ huntng, decades working in remote western Canadian wilderness in densely populated Grizzly habitat and ownership of about 150 rifles, currently have 35 all told, I have some very definite opinions on this and similar queries.

I am a .338WM fan, 47 years with this superb round and a dozen rifles, have seven now. BUT, with the most useful bullet weight, in a rifle that one can pack all day in the mountains, the "kick" IS pretty tough to handle. I prefer a lighter rifle, my latest one, my second Dakota 76 in an MPI with Magnaports all factory, is about perfect, BUT, it is NOT a "noobie's" tool.

I own a couple, have owned others, but, am not much of a 7mm mag or 300mag fan, too much recoil and blast over a .270Win. and not quite the "thump" of my .338s. 9.3s or .375H&H rifles....SO, we come to the old, ubiquitous .30-06 and like several others here, I would strongly recommend buying a light, preferably CRF rifle so chambered and have at it.

I prefer a 200 NP over RE-22 in my .06s in Grizzly country, but, where I hunt in BC, the terrain is very steep and densely forested. I would not go lighter than 180 gr and only use premium CE bullets.

Also, do NOT buy some honking great scope, use a Leupold 4x and Talley QD-SL mounts, even an identical spare scope. HTH.

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