ORIGINAL: Todd in NY I spend most of my time here on the bowhunting forums, but I find myself in need of a rifle. Here in NY we can only hunt deer during gun season with a shotgun. I have a very nice Savage bolt action 12ga that is very accurate, but this thing will beat the living be-jesus out of you. I also have a .243 that is a joy to shoot. Next to no kick as compared to the 12ga cannon. Anyway, I want to buy a rifle that is good enough for everything up to and including elk. The prime objective here is to find a caliber that will get the job done without kicking the snot out of me. I'm considering the 7mm-08, .270, or .280. What's your opinion on my choices.
I'm going to shoot a buddies 30.06. I understand this caliber packs a punch to the shooter. thanks, todd
NONE of the calibers you listed have anywhere near the recoil of a slug load in a 12-ga. shotgun! The main problem is when shooting a rifle off a bench and using deliberate aim and trigger squeeze, one often notices the recoil much more than when shooting at game in the field!
ANY of the caliber choices you listed are good for the range of game you mentioned. If you plan to hunt elk much, I think a .280 or a .30/'06 is a slightly more suitable choice than the 7/'08 or .270 because you can use heavier bullets, but both of these will also kill the biggest bull elk that ever lived, if aimed right! And, good bullet placement is essential no matter what you shoot!