excellent call the 7mm-08 will do it. Ive have a few 308 but wish I would have thrown a 7mm-08 in the mix too maybe one of my next guns will be a 7mm-08.

I was at my local shop yesterday and saw what might be the exact package you are describing.It was a Ruger M 77 compact in 7MM-08 top that with a fixed 6X leupold M8 and you have a very quick handling light small package .It looked almost like a youth model rifle.You can hold it by the pistol grip hold it to the floor and isabout 6 or 8 inches from touching .About looks like a carbine length rifle.Might be worth looking in to.

For your uses, I'd select the .358 Winchester as first choice, next the .308, but the .30/'06, .338/'06, or.35 Whelen would do just as well, particularly if you use a 22" barrel.

(During the three years I spent in Alaska, I generally used a Mannlicher-Schoenauer carbine with a 20" barrel in .270 Winchester caliber. Although it developed less velocity that it would have with a longer barrel, it produced 2800 FPS MV with the 150-grain Nosler Partition bullet. With this rifle and load [150-grain bullet, 53.5 greains IMR 4350, F210 primers, WW cases], I killed everything the Far North has to offer, except for the great bears! The majority of these kills, including 2 300+ pound black bears, were 1-shot kills. A .280 Rem. or .30/'06 in this carbine would have been better, but I used what I had back then!)

I have never actually fired the two callibers side by side. Is there really much difference between the 7mm-08 and the .308?

The 7mm-08 has less recoil. Remember energy=mass X velocity. Alot of people are saying 7-08. Remember the fellow said he will be doing some elk hunting, The 7-08 is too light for elk, sorry guys but not enough power(energy). If the buyer wants enough energy for an elk rifle, lightweight rifle to carry(this means short action), ballistics to cleanly kill at 300 yards, but not a shoulder buster like the new WSM's, then the 350 Remington Magnum is a great choice, Tom.

I think a 7-08 will probably kill an elk. Just a hunch.

A 22 l.r. will probably kill an elk also, that does not make it adequate. Big bullets make a big difference on a big animal, and elk are big. An animal going a couple hundred yards in some parts of the country is no big deal, but an elk going a couple hundred yards in the mountains can make a big difference. When hit they will head to the thickest, steepest area they can find. I have packed a couple out of the dark timber, it is not fun, Tom.

Had a .358 Winchester in a Browning BLR with a 20" barrel. Using WW748 powder, this rifle would shoot 250-grain Speer spitzers at 2450 FPS MV, and all would stay in a 1" circle at 100 yards from that short barrel.

Contrary to popular opinion, a 250-grain pointed bullet at 2450 is NOT a short-range load! It has as good a trajectoryas a .303 British with the 174-grain miitary bullet, and MORE ENERGY at all ranges!

I am a fan of .35 bullets my self and have used the .358 quite a bit and now carry a custom shop model 7 in .350 rem mag which I love. The new .338 federal sounds like a winner and in reality if elk is on the menu a .308 win will do anything a .30-06 will do so is excellent also.

Due to .338 caliber Sectional Density,the .338 Federal sounds like what your looking for. Good luck.