Originally Posted by
Shoobee
Back in the days when game was plentiful, a .30-30 or a .270 was probably plenty for elk.
Now however if you need to make a long shot, you need to be equipped with a flat shooting rifle that will reach out there a longer ways.
The .338 and the .300 are very similar, and they reach out a long ways for over 500 yards with a walloping punch, ideal for elk and bears.
The guide was probably troubled because with a .30-30 you might be in for a long tracking job which is a waste of his time.
The .338 and the .300 drop anything in American in its tracks. You do not need a more powerful rifle unless you go to Africa to hunt.
The .270 and the .30-06 will drop anything close in, but you need to remember that the .30-06 was designed with WW1 combat (sniping) in mind, and the .30-30 for Indians and cougars in the wild west. They wont drop a big animal at a long distance in its tracks.
It's not that easy to sneak close to big game anymore, not like it used to be.
Moose are pretty stupid and blind, and a .45-70 is probably fine for them, sure. Different subject though. You started out talking about elk.
Where do you come up with this stuff? Movies? Comic Books? Or, do you just make it up yourself? Indians and cougars? WW1 sniping? When game was plentiful? I see that Fritz has called you to account, but I'm suprised that no one else has challenged you for such a ridiculous statement as this.
For one, I think you'd better go study some history, in particular the periods of the Indian Campaigns and World War 1. It probably wouldn't hurt for you to understand firearms development and use in the intervening period.
(edit) I'll give you a hint. The .30-30 (.30 WCF) was introduced with the M1894 Winchester rifle in 1895. Native Americans were largely confined to reservations and marginalized as a threat by the time of the massacre at Wounded Knee - in 1890.
And second, if you can't get close to game, it's not the fault of the game or the rifle, it's YOUR fault. I hunt deer and elk in some of the most heavily hunted (general license) areas in Wyoming. No, you can't expect to hit the National Forest boundary and take your choice of monster trophy braggin' buck or bull, you've actually got to get out and HUNT them. Yup, TV makes it look so easy, doesn't it?