Originally Posted by
Mr. Deer Hunter
The goal should be to have a round that does not knock you into next week when you pull the trigger and that is accurate enough that you can hit everything that you aim at and that is economical to shoot as possible and a round that you can walk into most any Walmart at 3 AM in the morning, the night before hunting season and buy a box of shells.
This pretty much excludes rounds such as the .270 WSM and the 300 WSM and the Weatherby rounds that are out there.
I would disagree on the 300WSM.
Yes, with heavier bullet weights, it kicks like a ticked off mule, but sticking with a 150-168 grain bullet, it's fine.
Add a muzzle brake if you feel the need to temper that recoil some.
Mine will reach out and touch whatever I need it to, out to 450 yards while keeping sufficient energy to make the kill.
I'm very confident that there isn't anything in North America I can't take with it, including moose and grizzly.
If you reload, there's no end to the bullet/powder combination you can check out in your rifle to get your desired results.
Ultimately, it sounds like a 30 caliber is what you're looking for.
Whether you choose a 308WIN or 30-06 or 300WSM, or anything in between, I suspect you'll be happy with the results.
SD