Now, this subject has been beat to death on this forum, several times. But, you werent here for those so I will tell you from experience that you might just get a 30-06. You can kill just about anything with it. An early American presindent once killed a bunch of animals in africa with it, lions as well if I recall. Dont purposely go after lions with it but, it is capable and ammo is readily available and cheap. But, do whatever trips yer trigger. Good luck, EJ
A .270 Win., a .280 Rem., a 7mm Rem. Mag., or a .30/'06 will all answer your needs very well. Find a rifle you like in one of these chamberings, and you will be all set.
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"Bitte, trinks du das Wasser nicht. Dahin haben die Kuhen gesheissen."
Until you said Elk I would have suggested a .243, but I like the ones listed above. The .270 shoots pretty flat I might lean towards that. However you really can't beat the 30-06 for availability.
Paul
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I didn't climb to the top of the food chain to eat carrots! (Ron White)
well if your going after elk , as well as hogs and deer , why don't you get a remington m 700 cdl in .35 whelen , or one of the limited run of remington pump actionm 7600's in the .35 whelen. ( i know , you prefer a bolt )they're fast for woods hunting and accurate as well , and the whelen is great for elk sized game all the way down to deer. ammo's also more affordable ,
you could also try a remington m 673 in .350 rem. mag. , the ammo's also cheap for it as well .
both calibers come with bullet weights acceptable for deer to elk , and leave a good wound channel , without much recoil ( in my own opinion , i've got both calibers myself ).
I would say you can't go wrong with the .30-06... I would also consider a .270 and/or a .25-06...
If you delete Elk from the list go with a .243...
No need for a one rifle man like yourself to go with the WSM's... Yeah their nifty, but you will pay more and be able to find the ammo at fewer places... Plus everyone should have at least one .30-06... Don't let everyone convince you the remingtons are the only options out there...
As for the mentioned pump... I have had a couple including a .35 Whelen... I think it is really only necessary for Elk and I could never get better than two inches at 100 yards with mine... To me you are better off with a bolt or look at the handi-rifles single shots... Since you are a bow hunter you will appreciate the one shot/one kill mentality.
If you decide to go with bolts and don't want to spend a fortune look at a Savage, Ruger M77, Remington 700, CZ, or a used Browning A-bolt... Good luck...
Location: S.W. Pa.-- Heart in North Central Pa. mountains-
Posts: 2,508
RE: One Rifle for All around Use
The old, venerable 30/06 will fill the bill just fine for the do-it-all gun. A little big for varmints, but with all the various bullet weights available, it can be loaded for almost anything. If you don't handload, you can find factory ammo almost anywhere.
After 100 yrs. of service, it is still one of the best choices available.
I'd say get a 30/06. If you handload you can really maximize your versatility. If you don't handload you can still buy amo for 90% of your hunting at Wal-mart or Meijer's. You can buy, over the counter, some very quality high end stuff at more specialized sportings goods stores or gun shops.
If you don't already have a rifle or two it would be hard to find a better selection that gives you ammo avalability like the 30/06.
One Rifle for All around Use
