Handloads and rifle of choice. Really, 06 is a perfect default. The military hit it early, and realized it was great for single targets but heavy.

If you load, it really opens up many choices. I want to hunt deer with an Enfield, and have well made .303 Brit I can. .300 Win handloads are half the price of your 06 factory. Someone wants to use a Carcano and can load for it, fine.

Nice!!! And no he doesn't shoot squirrels with this. He just sets it off in the woods and then picks them up afterwards for they die either from muzzleblast or heartattack!!!!!!!!!! ROFLMFAO!!!!!!!!!!

that boy sure do look just like you

i still use a 1951 721 06.if sumthin needs more killing that that i dont need to hunt it

I have both, and if I could only have it would be the 30/06. Like several others said the
recoil gets tiring after a while, if you shoot a lot. Also the 30/06 shells are a lot
cheaper.

338-06 ackley will kill anything buddy just built one shoots 300 grain berger has a huskama scope and a dial to 750 yards it has very little recoil more of just a push and is a tack driver

I own and shoot a rifle in each of these. I know squat about clean killing any game larger and tougher than a 300-400 pound feral pig. I hunt white tail deer in SE Alabama, and have hunted them a good deal recently in Arkansas and Texas. I have made several trips to eastern Montana chasing mule deer.

So - here's what I do know. I took the 300 Win. to Montana on a few mule deer hunts. I use a hand load - 180 gr. Game King and another using 200 gr. Nosler.

I am what I'd call an accomplished marksman by any means. I shot at and clean killed mule deer from about 225 yards out to about 400 yards. With the 300 Win. Mag. and the practicing I did, this was a rather easy deal to pull off under the field conditions I was faced with.

As for the 338 Win. Mag., this rifle beats my bu%% at the range. After about 40-60 rounds, I have had enough. I have never used it in the field. After testing several factory rounds, I settled on a particular Federal Premium load. l tried it at 100-200-300-400-500 yards. The load was zeroed at 200. At 500 yards, managing the drop became a real issue for me. But frankly I have not yet spent enough time at the range to make any realistic evaluation of this round at that distance. I do plan to hand load for it in the future. The cost of factory stuff is killing me !!!

Bottom line from a big game "know nothing" .... if I were going to try to kill a critter that could kill me back, I'd tote the biggest diameter, and hardest hitting round of the 3. Obviously the 338 Win. Mag.

I own and use a 338WM for elk. So far, it has performed superbly with 220 and 250 grain bullets. I would feel quite comfortable using it on bears as well. I own and use a 270 for deer and antelope. It works great on both. I have friends and relatives who own and use 30-06 and 300WM on elk and deer. I have personally seen both of those calibers work just fine on both. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the 3 and plan to acquire the other 2 for further "field testing." The bottom line is get what you can comfortably shoot, practice a lot and enjoy the hunt.

My vote would be for the 338 Win Mag. I'm a handloader so with the components available it is a great cartridge that can be loaded with 160-185 gr. pills for deer, use a 210 for elk, a 225 for moose, & a 250 gr. for any bear in North America. I've taken deer & hogs with 180 NBT @ 3100 fps out of a Ruger 77MKII & it puts em down in a hurry. I've worked up a good load with a 250 gr NPT but have only used it on 1 boar and as usual 1 shot and the hog dropped in its place. Was a Texas heart shot and it came out the front end from the back end.

The animal ,a clean and humane kill. I use a 270 Win. mod. 70
for deer, using 130 grain nosler ballistic tip reloads which I have worked up over the years.

Shot placement is paramount no matter what you shoot. I will hold
off until I have good shot placement, any good sportsman will. Only
a hard up slob won't.

As for .243 don't like them , seen to many wounded deer shot with
em , in the hands of a expert they are great but who can boast
they are a expert.

For big game, bear, moose ect. I use a wsm and always wait for
good shot placement.
Remember , these animals bleed and feel pain, so do it right the
first time.