jeepkid

100 fps difference between a .308 Win and a 30-06 with a 160gr bullet...an elk won't know the difference at modest ranges. Either are a fine choice tho.

salukipv1

270win, 270wsm, 280 rem, 30-06, 7mm rem mag, 300 wsm, 300 win mag, 300 weatherby, 338 win mag, 340wby


non-mag, 280 rem, 30-06, 270win, probably in that order

magnum, 7mm Rem.Mag, 300 WSM, 300 Win.Mag.


Savage with accutrigger, possibly accustock, hard to beat for accuracy/price.
or a Tikka/Sako A7.

Scopes, Leupold VX3 4.5-14x (I like the B&C reticle)
Zeiss HD5 3-15x

Berserker

I have two savages, not a fan. Not rifle I would use on big game, that I cared about. Bolt passed over rounds a bit. Maybe I didn't lock the mag in well enough. But I don't want a rifle I have to pay that much attention to.

While accu trigger is nice, every on low lb triggers these day. Spend some time on the savage forum, and they will debate the trigger being pulled before safety, and ftf. They will say you should pay attention. Yes, but, again I don't want a rifle I have to worry about.

One I got with blind magazine, has had dented primers on factory and handloaded. I took the bolt apart and cleaned. So far so good. But it only did it every 100 or so rounds, so takes alot to build confidence in it. Bough used, 2009, not alot of use maybe, gummed up. But many people go their life without dissaembling bolts.

But Savages are popular. Just not with me.

I would go to the store, shoulder a bunch see what feels good. Then go read up on it.


As for caliber pick something you can afford ammo and find it. 30-06 is very common. 30 win mag is common, 7mm mag. 308 is too. Myself I would go 30-06 and up. Who knows when you will get the chance again, don't want to wait for perfect shot on last day.

Of light calibrs, people will say anything will do it with proper shot. True. But if you are limited by using an existing rifle, why go small? Providing you have shot bigger rifles before, and handle them.

Berserker

Next what weight? Under 7lbs carries nice. May not be good choice to learn on. But if you can shoot a rifle slug, you can probably handle any rifle.

7+ rifle will shoot better, and not kick as hard.

Stainless can heat up, if you are doing lots of shooting, when sighting in, keep this in mind. If only one hunt, you may not want to investe in SS. Its not needed. Blue and coated good too.

Synthethic stock may be cheaper, and don't have to worry about warping over the years. Cosmetics are for chicks.

smitty0538

this will not be a one time hunt as I plan on doing this until i physically can not. As far as for stainless i also like that look. After reading post here and some internet reading I kind of given up on the idea of a 308. Now leaning towards a 300 win mag or 7mm rem mag. I have never owned either one do you guys feel ammo is readily available at most stores out west or does one have the edge over the other? What about ammo cost between the two? I have not done a lot of rifle shooting compared to slug guns but own an old Remington 30/06 semi auto , Savage 270 win, bolt action and it has failed on me before on a hog hunt. A Thompson center pro hunter in 308 that I got for the muzzle loader part. I am about 6'1 240lbs so I can handle the recoil from the bigger rifles. I have some points building up for mule deer so whatever I get I would like to use for that as well in the next few years when the opportunity comes up to do a mule deer hunt. What about the Remington model 700 ? no one has said anything about them. Are they not as popular out west as the commercials say ?

Short Track Hunter

I personally seen a .308 take down an Elk. Guided hunt, 10 hunters, one guy with a .308 took a neck shot. Bang flop.

Alsatian

I recommend a .30-06. This is such a classic cartridge and covers such a wide variety of game. Many people use this successfully for hunting elk, including me and my hunting partners. If you do your job, it will do its job on elk. We use 180 grain bullets. This rifle is good for hunting pronghorn antelope as well as moose. If I were going to hunt grizzly bear or brown bear I would prefer something bigger, but then I wouldn't want to use that bigger rifle on elk and pronghorn just from consideration of the beating the rifle would give me unnecessarily. Further, many people successfully hunt grizzly and brown bear with .30-06.


I too prefer wooden stocked blued steel hunting rifles. This is an aesthetic rather than a function preference. In my view such rifles are more handsome than black synthetic stocked stainless steel rifles. A Winchester model 70 Super Grade version in .30-06 would be a beautiful rifle. Alternatively, you could get a Winchester model 70 in the Featherweight version in .30-06 and save some money. I have a beautiful Winchester model 70 featherweight chambered in .243, but I don't use that for elk hunting.


I prefer Leupold VariX-III 3.5-10x 40 mm objective lens telescopic sights and have one on each of my big game rifles. Others may have other preferences for scopes. Remember that your sighting system on your rifle is a vital part of the system. A $300 rifle can shoot very accurately but may not be very accurate with a poor telescopic sight on it. I have such a $300 rifle -- chambered in .30-06 -- that I bought to have as a back-up when going on hunts. I can use it as a backup on any hunt. I started to think about putting an inexpensive telescopic sight on it and then realized if I'm using it as a backup I can't put an underperforming scope on it. I put a $500 scope on it. That seems a bit *****, perhaps, but if thought through carefully not really. The $300 rifle shoots more accurately than I can shoot it. But would a $150 scope allow me to make the shot that this $300 rifle is capable of doing when the chips are down?


There are lots of good scopes out there. The good ones aren't cheap, though. Something like $400 and up is probably needed. One thing about Leupold is they are US made and guaranteed for life. If you have a problem, they fix it. I do NOT work for Leupold.

Berserker

308 and smaller have been used. Anything shot in the kneck will die. So not really a testimony.


I don't see the point in trying to see how small you can get away with, unless you already own the rifle. Buying one, might as well go somewhat big.

Oldtimr

The .308 uses the same projectile as the 30-06, it is not a small bullet, and can e used for anything the 30-06 is used for, it is not a small round.

hunters_life

The difference between .30/06 and .308W with top loads in 180gr weight class is closer to 250fps not 100. I get 2950 out of my 06 with 180gr Interlocks. My .308 max load gets me approximately 2700 with the same bullets. Both are compressed loads. Downrange that initial 250fps pays off but no it isn't that much of a difference in ranges 400 yards and in. Just like the difference between the .300win mag and the .30-06 is pretty much moot until after 500 yards. I can kill anything just as dead and just as quickly with a .30-06 inside of 500 yards as the next guy with a .300WM and at half the cost of ammo, if you don't reload, and with much less recoil which allows for more practice without a bruised up shoulder. Range time is the most important part of hunting to me. To be able to accurately place that bullet in the part of the animal that will cleanly and efficiently dispatch it is paramount. Doing this requires a well fitted rifle and a lot of range time to know your own capabilities as well as the rifles. And stay within those capabilities while in the field.