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Ruger M77 6.5mmSwede/ 156gr Norma "Alaska"

270 or 7mm. Either will serve you right.

30-06 is probably one of the best all-around rifle cartridges you'll ever find.I've seengame as small as white-tail deer taken with an 06 as well as game as large as a moose. Cartridges aren't too expensive, especially if you reload your own. Buy up a bunch of good surplus, use them for punching holes in paper, then reload them for hunting using the best choice/weight bulletfor the game you are going for... Just my .02 cents worth. Good luck!

If you buy factory ammo then the 7mm rem, 3006 or 308winwould be my vote. If a reloader then the ones listed prior will work fine as bullets can be found to load up or down for the application.

If your daughter will be shooting it only off the bench and bags you may want to consider a heavier rifle vs a lite/ultra lightset upto help with felt recoil. Of course being it is your hunting rifle you still must consider your needs too. What ever you choose install a sims limbsaver, pachmayr decellerator, etcrecoil pad(if not already equipped on the rifle), this will help both you and your family with handling the recoil the rifle puts out. The SPS is a good suggestion and comes equipped with a sims pad (R3). Though like you said have to do some looking to find the right one for you.

Good Luck

I own .308, 30/30 and .270. That said i have a super varmet wetherby .308 and it weights 12lbs on the scale with the scope. I can shoot this all day long buy my G/F can only shoot the sucker 1 or 2 times and she pusses out, same to be said with the .270.

You might want to check into a 25-06. With the hot rounds from hornady it has almost the same knock down power as a .270 but wont kick the crap out of you. Just my 2 cents.

Quote:

ORIGINAL: dmacl

I've been given the go ahead from my wife to get a new rifle. I've only hunted deer to this point and my 30-30 has served me well. I am looking for one more rifle that will best serve me for deer, elk, and long range antelope hunts. Some things are factors for me.

Price, not that I want the cheapest thing I can find, but value for my dollar is definately an issue. Along with this is cost of rounds. My buddy has a .300 wm and at more than a buck a round I couldn't afford to shoot nearly as much as I want to. Whatever I get will get a lot of rounds thrown through it at paper. Recoil is also an issue, not so much for me, but I frequently take my wife and kids out to shoot and whatever I get will see a lot of use by my 14 year old daughter as well as myself. She does fine with her .50 inline muzzleloader, but not well with my friends .300 wm.

So with these things in mind, anyone have opinions on which way to go? Whatever opinions are shared here I do understand that there is also the feel factor involved. I will definately spend some time at my local gun shop shouldering rifles and getting a feel for them. My knowledge is limited though, so I appreciate your opinions.

OK, for what you want, I'll list the calibers in order of preference:

7mm Remington Magnum
.30/'06
.280 Remington
.270 Winchester

The 7 mag. and the '06 have about the same recoil with similar bullet weights, but the 7 Mag. has a VERY SLIGHT edge for long-range shooting of antelope using appropriate bullet weights for this - nothing over 140 grains.

They ALL will be fine for any deer, and all will take elk as well. For elk hunting with the .270 Win., I prefer the Nosler 150-grain Partition bullet and 53.5 grains of IMR 4350. The .270 may be the best choice, as it will have the least recoil of any of the listed rounds, so your daughter can use it. (I knew a doctor's wife many years ago in Fairbanks AK who used to kill POLAR BEARS with a Model 70 Winchester in .270 Win. caliber.)

As far as the launching platform is concerned, I personally prefer the Ruger No.1's, but I suppose you want a bolt-action. Both the Howa/Weatherby Vanguard are very accurate reasonably priced rifles, and so are the Savage bolt actions. The Savage Accutrigger is unbelievable!

(7mm is a bore size - caliber - .284" - NOT a cartridge! There are a number of cartridges that use 7mm bullets, ie., 7X57mm Mauser, 7mm-08, .280 Remington, 7X64mm Brenneke, 7mm Remington Magnum, 7mm STW, 7mm Rem. Ultra Magnum, etc. And they all use different powder charges, but can all fire the same BULLETS.)

Rebel hog has got it right the 6.5X55 can not be beat and the recoil will not kick the dog out of you. Take a look at the ballistic charts on this round it is hard to beat with any round.

My vote is for the .308. Of all the cartridges mentioned I think the .308 fitsthe best. Very mild in recoil, low cost ammo, and capable of all the kills you mentioned.

Good Luck

Tom