Wyoming Dave

Out of all my rifles if I had to choose only one to hunt with it ould be my 338 Win Mag however, your way over gunned for your white tail.
An 06,7mm mag, or300 win mag are fine rifles. The 30 cal rifles offer the greatest flexabilty on your loads.

NVMIKE

I like the 30 cals. I would get a 300win. mag or WSM. The 06 or 7mag are good calibers also. I noticed alot of guys who suggest the 7mag , then complain about the 300win mags recoil???? All the 7mags I've ever shot kicked every bit as much as the 300's I've shot.Granted the several guys Who's 7mm's I've shot use their same load for deer and also elk so they use the bigger bullets, which are still smaller than the 180's I use for elk. THE worst kicker I've ever shot (from338 and down) was an ultralight 7mm rem mag, that SOB [:@]killed at both ends, the animals end was quick and humane, but your end was nothing short of cruel and unusual.[&:]Same thing w/ 270's All that I've shot kicked about the same as a 30-06, so why go w/ the 270 when you can have an 06 for the same recoil????

VINNYB

Go with the 30-06 all the way I'm only 13 and I find that 150 grain federal ammunation hardly kicks at all out of my Winchester M-70 30-06 that I just got.

Rick Teal

Remington 7600 in .35 Whelen.

You can work it from the left side, it's very accurate, and has enough punch for anything you might come across.

wyomingtrapper

As indicated, alot of loads will do the trick. The caliber doesn't always indicate the kick, sometimes the structure of the firearm itself will do that . I've shot a 30-30 that kicks every bit as much as my .06, and a .300 mag that didn't.Lighter gun, will likely kick a bit harder. A recoil pad makes a difference, though the quality of the pad can be a determining factor. I suppose a muzzle brake could be a consideration, though they are reputed (never shot a rifle with a brake myself) to be loud and loud is probably a greater cause of flinching than kick. I like my .06. Its killed alot of animals, its accuracy exceeds my own, and I have absolute confidence in it. Is it better than a 7mm mag, 300 mag, 338, etc.... probably not, but then I'm won't concede that they are better then an .06 either.

Alaskan Fun

I can't pass up the opportunity to brag about the 30-06. I know there are some great guns out there and I've used quite a few especially in the 7mm club but for versatility, cost of factory ammo, and all around accuracy, I find the 06 hard to beat.

GooseHunter Jr.

I like my .338 Win mag but a 30.06 or300 wing mag would also do a fine job!

Superpig

I will agree with most others. Pick the 30-06. There are a plethora of fctory loads available, recoil is manageable, & you shouldn't have a hard time finding one for a lefty. Keep your shots to 300 yards or under on the elk and you should be fine. Most any bullet will work well for deer and stick with controlled expansion types for the elk. If you think you can handle the recoil look the the 300 Win. Mag. and you can find left handed rifles in this caliber. If you don't think you can handle the recoil then just stick with the 06.

TomFromTheShade

The 30-06 is the most versatile cartridge available. You can shoot anywhere from a 55g to a 220g slug with factory ammo, and you can certainly find adequate factory bullets for both whitetail and elk. Just read my signature to see my opinion about it.

Eagle338

I'm a big fan of the 30-06, especialy for someones first hunting rifle for most lower 48 game. I'm not so surethey're "good medicene for anything with fur" however.