rifle recomendations
 

Hey guys I am an Illinois guy where they don't allow the use of rifle for big game hunting only slug guns, so I do not have a lot of knowledge on rifles. I'm going on a rifle elk hunt in November in Colorado. looking for recommendations from some of you guys who hunt out west a lot. I am thinking 308 caliber, bolt action, stainless barrel . I do not need something super expensive but I do not want generic garbage either. please tell me what you guys like, what brand , model, caliber, barrel length and type and reasons why. Also whats a good scope and ammo you like . thanks in advance .

Savages has nice rifles, well made at good prices in several calibers.

Smitty do you mean the 308 cartridge or 308 caliber? There are many in the 308 caliber with the 30-06 the most popular.
Although the 308 itself is capable of taking an elk with the proper bullets it would not be on the top of my list. Depending on your stature and ability to withstand recoil I go with a 30-06 or 300 Win Mag for elk. The old 06 with a quality 180 bullet is hard to beat as a meat getter.
As for rifles Savage makes a good one. I've also heard good things about the Mossberg Patriot and Ruger American too. But don't overlook the used gun racks. You can sometimes fine a great deal on a fine rifle there.

Howa 1500 in a sufficient caliber of your choosing.

Doesn't need to be stainless either,

The reason I was thinking stainless is less rusting problem compared to blued barrels .

One elk hunt in Colorado won't make it rust.

Wipe it down with some oil after you get home and it'll be fine.

I was just saying it doesn't have to be stainless because there's some killer deals on CM barreled rifles.

What is a cm barreled rifle ??

Chrome Moly...the barrel option that isn't stainless.

While a proper bullet with proper bullet placement will certainly kill an elk, I would recommend something with a little more power, like a .30-06, 7mm Rem or .300 Win mag, topped with a good 3-9 variable scope. I prefer bold action rifles with 24" barrels. My favorite elk rifle now is a .300 Weatherby vanguard topped with a 4.5-14x Leopold scope.

Remington, Savage, Weatherby vanguard/Howa all make good inexpensive rifles. Leopold, Nikon, and Burris make good scopes.

I hunted elk for about 30 years with rifles with blued barrels and wood stocks, but I now have a backup foul weather rifle with a stainless barrel and plastic stock.

I only shoot reloaded ammo, but for the occasional shooter, there is good factory ammunition available. Although I have killed many elk with standard cup and core bullets, I would recommend a premium bullet like a Barnes, Nosler Partition or Accubond for elk. In 30 caliber, 180 grain bullets are pretty standard for elk.

I own several 40 to 50 year old rifles and shotguns which are blued, not of them exhibit any rust. All you have to do is regularly clean and lightly and I mean lightly lubricate the metal parts of the firearm. As for me, I do not care for stainless steel barrels and actions on rifles for hunting or synthetic stocks, to each his own. A properly cared for blued barrel and action will last and be useful for several lifetimes. I do however own several stainless steel handguns. If you do buy stainless, they need the same maintenance as blued firearms. Here is an 8mm Mauser I sporterized and cold blued 46 years ago as a gift for my brother. It still looks this good today as them photos were taken last year.

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.

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

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.

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.

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 ?

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

hey guys after reading what was posted here and talking to a few guys i have met in recent years that have hunted out west for elk for years now, reading article after article on what elk rifle to buy . So many pros and cons each one has and doesn't have and reviews on guns I made a purchase. I bought a weatherby Vanguard II in 7MM Rem mag 24 inch stainless Barrel and black synthetic stock. Should arrive sometime next week.Now the search for a Scope and ammo to shoot. I have always had great luck with Hornady ammo there SST bullets shot from my 50 cal pro hunter and Remington 1187 12ga special purpose slug gun . My tracking for whitetails is minimal and always one shot kills. Been using those bullets for over 10 years now with no complaints so I think Im gonna try there superformance sst bullet in 162 grain, has good reviews from other elk hunters as well. I have quite a few Nikon scopes and no issues with them as well but not sure yet ,I had a few recommendations to buy the swarofsky Z3 4-12x50 but thats a lot of dough for that bad boy.

My dad was an SST fan for a while but he started having blow up problems on close range impact shots from his 7mm.08. I would suggest you take a look at the Hornady loaded ammo with the interlock bullet. Much stouter bullet to hold up on that close in shot if you get lucky enough to get on a Bull under 70 yards. 7mag speeds are around 2950+ with store bought ammo. I have mine at just at 3050 and can get a good deal more but my rifle loves that load. Those speeds require a fairly stout bullet for close range impacts and the SST's are far from a stout bullet.

I did read that about sst at close range I was told my average shot would be 150 yds to 250 yds . Those 162 grain sst are suppose to be flying 3050 fps. How do those interlock bullets perform for your dad at longer distances ?

He dropped a ton of hogs with them. Quite a few elk and a few moose with the interlock line. I myself have dropped a few elk with the 162gr interlock with my 7mag, quite a few hogs with the 130 and 140gr interlock and 130gr interbond with my 6.8SPC, quite a few elk, whitetail, hogs, and black bear with 180gr interlock and interbond with my .30-06 and a couple of very nice bull moose with 220gr RN interlocks from my .300wm. We have been a Hornady family for a lot of years. My opinion is the interbond bullet is about the best all around bullet Hornady made but it is temporarily suspended at this time. It is basically a toughened up SST. Fantastic BC and opens dependably from most all ranges that the rifle is capable of. The interlock comes in at a close second. I've not had a rifle yet that didn't like them although I do have a couple that I had to play around with a bit to find a good load. But I'm about a carbon copy of how my old man was when it comes to rifles. If it won't group at an inch or under at 100 yards, you need to fix it.

7mm mag is popular choice, and I suspect will do well.

As I said, people have used a lot less. But if you are buying a rifle, and not constrained to what you already own, why go with the minimum? At some point cost for ammo deters, but for most of us, I think it is greater than 270, 380, 30-06, ect.

If you handload, it costs less, obviously.


If you were asking which of the rifles I own would be good, it would be different discussion.

I looked at midway usa and they are out of stock on the interlock bullets and plenty of the sst so that could mean something . I like the fact that there cheaper also in $$$ . They also have very good reviews so thanks for the review

I do not feel I purchased anywhere near the minimum , From everything I have researched that rifle will do everything I want it to on Elk easily and so much more on other big game if I do get the opportunity to hunt and choose to.

You are most certainly not undergunned. The 7mag has more than enough to take anything walking on the continental US including Brown Bears. Just match your load and bullet to the species and you will come out fine. And keep yourself limited to your capabilities. The old man drilled this into my head at a very young age, "just because the weapon is capable of a range certainly doesn't mean you are." That meant any weapon I used for hunting, be it bow, muzzleloader, or center fire. Stay within ranges you are well practiced at so you can be assured a clean quick kill. I have a pretty good amount of rifles but my heart is in muzzleloading rifles. My go to is a Thompson Center Renegade that I've had for a lot of years. So I know well what limitations are. It's really hard to let a big old buck walk because it is just out of your ethical range and you can't get closer but you have to impose those limitations on yourself out of respect to the quarry.

Good choice in your Vanguard 7mm Rem mag. Like I posted earlier, my foul weather back-up elk rifle is a 7mm Rem mag with 160 grain Nosler Accubond bullets. That is also the rifle and bullets that I am taking to Quebec next week for a caribou hunt.


In the mid 80s I took a friend of mine moose hunting. One bullet from his 7mm Rem mag put both of our names in the B&C record book with (at that time) the 4th largest Shiras moose ever shot in Montana.

Excellent choice. You will love the gun, I sure love mine.

Should get it sometime next week I will let you know Rob .

Your 7mm Rem. Mag. should work great for you.


Good luck, NYH1.

I prefer the older Remington 700. I have a pre 85 ADL in 30-06 along with a 94 stainless 300 win mag. both have put a lot of meat in the freezer! shoot what you like, just be accurate with what ever you shoot!

Can't go wrong with a Remington 700..... Solid actions, feed great. Love my 280, but any long-action cartridge like 270 win, 30-06 make great Elk cartridges- If you're going with a light rifle to backpack, i don't like the kick of any magnum in a 7 lb rifle package...food for thought

My Remington 700 in 280 shoots 5/8 inch groups @ 100 yards with handloads I cooked up and I love it. I own 270’s and an 06 but this gun is the one I carry. It shoots flat and hits hard...perfect!

I'm a member of a hunting club with about 30 members, every year for the last 45 plus years several members get together for a trip to Colorado or Wyoming to go elk and mule deer hunting, I've made the trip as a member about 24 times , and theres several regulars and almost always a new guy each trip.
after watching the results, I don,t think the caliber or type of rifle selected is nearly as important to success as the members skills and his physical condition and tenacity, to keep hunting during all the available time available.
I've seen a 257 roberts and a 45/70 kill elk, and certainly a 30/06 or 7mm mag gets the job done.
personally I prefer a 340 wby, but one of the most successful members used a 358 BLR for decades.
killing elk is not nearly as difficult as finding a legal elk and getting a decent shot from a field position.

30-06 hands down