Pretty much what I already said with a little less flair

Blessed, as I already stated, I can make a .30-06 shoot JUST as flat as a .270 and have more punch on the end. The .270 being a flatter shooting cartridge is from WAY in the past bubba. With new bullet technology making much higher BC's in the .308 caliber bullets as well as faster/better pressure curved powders there are things you can do nowadays with the venerable old .30-06 that wasn't even dreamed of 30 years ago. For instance, you take a 150gr bullet for the .270, I'll take a 180gr bullet for my .30-06. Now, at 350 yards, which one do you think will have more punch on target and have higher retained speed/energy? Again, this is all due to RELOADING not factory ammo. 99% of factory ammo will be out run by the .270. BUT there really isn't a ton of high BC bullets out there for .277. But theres dang near unlimited supply of extremely efficient high BC bullets in .308 caliber (that's .30cal for the uninitiated).

As far as your statement of "less meat damage", you obviously haven't compared the 2 nor can you make that statement as a general anyway. THAT is dependent upon muzzle velocity, range of target, and bullet type. Smaller faster bullets tend to create MORE damage not LESS! I have to use fairly stout bullets in my 7mm-08 because of close range meat damage. The SST's I used to use would make a deer look like it was hit with a grenade anywhere inside of 70 or so yards! But my Interlocks at close ranges I can dang near eat up to the hole!

I am wondering what a carabu is? I know a fellow who lives in Idaho and I've never heard him speak of such a critter.


If you meant caribou, I also have never heard him speak of hunting them in Idaho either.


Al

Caribou, I apologize for the autocorrect. I ended up purchasing a savage 11/111 trophy hunter xp in the 30-06 caliber. Action was more study than the axis 2, I figured the extra $100 would pay off in the long run when I decide to customize the rifle. Now I cannot wait for spring when black bear season opens up😃

Thank you guys for the input and different view points. Deciding factor ended up being the grain range the 30-06 has over the .270 and .308. Plus my father in law uses 30-06 so using ammo on hunting trips will be that more simple. Plus the 30-06 is so accessible and widely produced it makes life easier while I gain more experience in this sport. Once I get more seasoned I'll probably look into different calibers and challenges.

Hint for future reference Aaron, just because a factory loading shoots good in your pops rifle doesn't mean it will shoot well out of yours! It MIGHT, then again, it might NOT. Most every Savage I have owned hasn't been all that particular about loads. I haven't really bought factory ammo in many years so I can't really speak to them much. BUT most every rifle I have ever owned has a particular combination of specs that it shoots absolutely great and some that look like you shot the target with a shotgun at 80 yards rather than a rifle. Experiment with a few different brands and bullet weights to find the one that your rifle likes the best and stick with that until you get the reloading bug!

Are there some brands that tend to be better than others in the hunting world? We avoided wolf ammunition for our AR's (range shooting) and stuck to Remington or federal but that is kind of the extent of that

I'm a big time Hornady bullet fan. I use them ALMOST exclusively. As far as their factory ammo, I have heard very good reports on consistency from box to box. Their "American Whitetail" line of ammo is reasonably priced and the cartridges are loaded with the Interlock bullet which is an OUTSTANDING bullet. Never had one fail me yet on anything from Hogs to Moose! As far as your particular rifle goes, for what you are intending to hunt (up to and including Elk) I wouldn't go under the 165gr bullets myself. Sure you can drop an Elk with 150's. I've dropped them in their tracks with 139gr Interlocks from a 7mm.08 but why hamper the performance of the cartridge? Try out a box of the 165gr BTSP (boat tail spire point) http://www.hornady.com/store/30-06-S...d-165-gr-BTSP/
ANd then a box of 180gr American Whitetail loaded up with FBSP (flat base spire point) http://www.hornady.com/store/30-06-S...can-Whitetail/

See which ones give you the best accuracy from your rifle. If neither, then you are the unlucky owner of a picky rifle of which I have a few. They can be hair pullers. People ask me why I have had a crew cut for 60+ years. I tell them I am a precision rifle shooter..Ask any PRS and they will tell you the first thing you want to do is cut yer hair short so you don't pull it all out

Hornady Interlocks are also all I use and they have never let me down either. The three calibers I reload for are .243, 25-06, and 30-06 and they all are very accurate with the Hornady bullets and get the job done quickly on any animal.

Before I started handgun hunting exclusively, I used my 270 on game ranging from coyotes to a massive red stag using cheap Winchester and Remington bullets, with an occasional Federal/Nosler load. Ever since I started handloading, I've become a fan of Hornady and Barnes bullets.