Need some rifle advice!
 

What's up guys? Thought I'd hop on this forum and see what all the fuss is about.
I consider myself an experienced hunter and have been deer hunting for about 6 years with my 700 30-06 with a 3x9x40 Bushnell, which has killed about 30 deer. I'm confident at about 200 yards with 150 grain Fusion ammo. Where I hunt (Southeast NC) there are shots that vary from 150 yards and all the way out to 6 or 700.

Been reading on here and other places about the pros and cons to this caliber and bigger ones such as the 7mm mag and the 300 win mag. I want a rifle/caliber that I can take out anything, elk moose you name it. Considering selling my 700 and currently looking at a Savage 111 Long Range in 300 win mag, it seems like a really solid platform for a great price and the adjustable comb stock is a huge plus. If I were to deck out my 700 with the way this Savage is set up, it would be much more to get it to that point. Will also be putting some really good glass on top of it. I really don't mind some more recoil, duck hunting has helped minimize that lol.

Really just wanting a rifle that will do it all, but I understand it's more me than it is the gun! I plan getting into handloading within the next few months as well, seems it is a much better route when it comes to accuracy.

What are your thoughts?
Thanks y'all

My thoughts????

There isn't one rifle that will do it all...My brother had a 300 win mag, got rid of it after his hunt out west...

Get you a .243, hunt those smaller NC whitetails and when the time comes to go out west get a .300 mag...

Already have one! Sort of... my sister uses it.

You are set then, I've killed over 300 with mine, and a few black bears and plenty of other critters... ;)

Why would I go from an .06 to a .243? It's a great caliber but I like the bigger rounds, knowing that I have more room for error just in case. I want this to be my deer and long range anything gun. I usually take does in the neck, even the head. Just want something with slightly more oomph so if the need arises I can reach way out and hit it.

Because a .243 will kill those NC deer as good or better than an '06...

Sell that '06 and get a .300 Mag, then use the .243 for NC deer hunting...

The .243 isn't mine..

A .30-06 is certainly enough rifle for elk OR moose. I know guys who've hunted moose for years with .25-06s and .270s.

Save your money and use it to go hunting. No sense fixing something that isn't broken.

Get a 257 Weatherby Mag. I have 1 for sale :)

Bottom line is a '06 will kill anything in North America...I personally despise the '06 and refuse to own one...but that aside, it will do anything you will ever need it to. My brother pretty much uses his '06 for everything...moose, caribou, elk, deer...he's hunted it almost exclusively during his last 10 years in Alaska. I have to agree with everyone else here if it were me and I had to have only 2 rifles (god forbid!)...243 for those NC deer and get a 300 WM (or just keep the '06) for everything else...hell, a 270 will kill everything in North American...but I digress. Plus, as RR says, and no one knows this better than he...a rifle to hunt out to 6, 700 yards...isn't a Savage 111...and isn't cheap. Happy hunting...go buy a 270 ;) (I have one for sale...LOL)