.338 Win Mag.

If you're just getting back into it, I'd suggest you not get a powerful magnum cartridge of .300 or above.

In fact, I'd start with a .270 Win, .280 Rem, 7mm-08 Rem, .308 Win or .30-'06. All of these numbers will do everything you need and will not hurt so much at the range that you either develop a flinch or, worse, give up shooting again.

Once you've eased back into into it, you can get a big magnum if you think you need one....

I dont know why a 7mm mag is not a good cal. for westerners. Hell I am about as far west as you can get, and there are quite a few peaple here that like a flat shooting cal. with the same ballis. as the 30-06.

You could say that I am one of them. I personally would not use a 270 out West for Elk. The average shoot herein NM and West Texasis around 300 yards.It is my fav. deer cal. when I hunt in Arkansas or Oklahoma, but not for anything heavier, BUT THAT IS MY OPINION.

Go with a 30-06 or bigger.

Good luck
hunter338

i would go with the 30 06 i have one and i might add that it is very reliable

I'd say get the .338 Win Mag, you can hunt anything in NAwith it, and punish the game when the bullet gets there.

A Savage chambered in 30-06 Springfield.
Accurate,dependable,and affordable.
I personally feel that no other round covers North America as well as the .30-1906,especially forthe people who shoot factory loaded ammunition.

30-06

Another vote here for the30.06

When buying my first rifle, I spent months researching to make sure I got the right one, thinking I would only own one rifle. It came down to the .270 and .30-06. Most magazine columnists and ammunition manufactures recommended the .30 caliber bullet over the 7mm / .270 for elk.

15 years later, I was still happy with my choice, but I envied the flat trajectory of the 7mm mag. This past spring I bought the best of both worlds - a Rem Model 700 in .300 WSM. It shoots the same .30 cal bullet as the 30-06 but delivers more energy and better trajectory then the 7mm mag. Topped with a Ziess 4.5-14, It is a GREAT long range rig.

If you don't handle recoil well, I'd go with the .30-06. Otherwise I'd recommend the .300 WSM or .300 Win Mag.

I will take it one step further, and recommend the .300 Win Mag, over the .300 WSM, due to the .300 Win Mag having a better ability to handle bullet weights over 180 Grs, and availbility of ammo is better for the .300 Win Mag, I don't really care about bolt length, or rifle weight, so I chose the .300 Win Mag. But, if you really want to have a heavy hitter, get the .338 Win Mag, beware, though, as recoil on the .338 is very heavy.