What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

I am going to buy a rifle in the near future. As it looks right now I will be getting a Savage because I won't use it enough to justify spending MAJOR $$ on it........and I have heard nothing but good stories on Savage accuracy.

My question is what caliber should I get in a rifle that will most likely only be used for deer.........but I have a brother in law in New Mexico and one of these years we are gonna hook up for an Elk hunt and I don't want to have to buy another rifle when that day comes.

I live in a shotgun only zone but travel to PA and maybe soon I will head out to some rifle zones in NY also so again this gun will get about as much use if not less then my muzzleloader.

Of course my first thought was 30 '06.........but I am not very knowledgable on the WSM setups. They have a BEAUTIFUL 270 and 300 WSM at Gander Mountain but I don't know enough about them yet.

Do the WSM guns have a big recoil or any other disadvantage due to the extra power??

Any and all recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

I'd recommend the .30-06, as far as deer are concerned, the only difference you'll EVER notice in performance between the .30-06 and the .300WSM is recoil, the WSM is going to kick quite a bit more, but it won't give you any more practical performance, i.e. it's still only a 600yrd maximum deer rifle (in the best of shooters' hands). For elk, the .300WSM would get a SLIGHT advantage in the form of better performance with heavier bullets, as I mentioned, only a very slight advantage...since you'll only RARELY hunt elk with it, it's not worth planning that into your purchase, the .30-06 will do quite well-you'll never notice the difference only hunting them once or twice-the recoil isn't worth the once or twice use and barely improved performance IMHO.

Also, last I checked, the WSM cartridges were about 1.5-2x the price of .30-06 cartridges in the same loading, I don't know if this is still the case, but it's definately something to consider.

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

30-06. For the hunter who has only 1 rifle it's hard to recommend anything else.

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

If you would have said deer only i would say the 25.06 but of course you said maybe something bigger later on. Like already mentioned the 308 is a fine caliber as is the 270 but i've always said if i could only own one rifle it would be the trusty old 30.06. The 30.06 will do anything you ask of it and more if you do your part. The ammo is available just about anywhere. Your choice in rifle brand is also a good one as Savage makes a good rifle for the money and for the type of hunting you said you're going to be doing it sounds like a good match. Good luck!

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

I agree that the .30-06 is a do-it-all cartridge, at least in North America.

I use a Remington 700 ADL, which performs as well as I would want it to. I'm using a Leupold Rifleman 3-9x40 scope, which is pretty basic, but again it does what I want. And Leupold makes excellent optics, whether it's a $200 scope or a $400 one.

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

No matter what or where you hunt the KISS principle always is #1. Simple rifle and optics with readily available ammo. The proven platforms, Win model 70, Rem seven or 700, win 94, marlin 94, etc. will seldom let you down. The more obscure the optics the more difficult getting repairs in the field.

No matter where you hunt in North America you can always find 30.06, .308, .270 and 30.30, at small stores and even in camp. The odd calibers can be tough to find, i.e. .300 SA ultra mag, 25.06, 7mm-08, etc.

I can only find one store that carries .300 SA ultra mag in this metro area and they had 4 boxes, two options, that can be a problem.

Good luck

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

Normally when a guy says he has decided on a make of gun and wants advice only on the cartridge, I try to stick to the topic and recommend a cartridge.

However here is a diffrent option. Get a Thompson/Center "Encore" single shot rifle in the "deer cartridge" of your choice (say .308 or .260 or 7mm/08). Then for a couple hundred $ you can get a diffrent barrel for it in an "elk cartridge" ( say .300 win. mag. or 7mm rem. mag. or 45/70), Then some day you might decide to take up long range chuck shooting so you can get a 22/250 barrel. You might get a shotgun barrel for it or the 209X50 muzzleloader barrel so you have a backup smoke pole or one for the wife or kid to use.

One rifle, lots of options.

Robin

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

.30-06 should fit your needs nicely. Combined with a Savage 110 or 116, shouldn't need another gun for a while.

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

I would buy a 300-Winchester magnum if I were only going to buy one gun for all game. The 300-WSM does not out-preform the 300-winchester. The good old 300-win mag is also cheaper to shoot.

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

the 30-06 is king. great performance on all north american game, and you can get a variety of loads for cheap.

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

The 30-06 is a great all around cartridge. However do not over look the 280 Rem. or any of the 7mm and 300 magnums as well. All of these are excelent one rifle game getters from antelope to moose and black bears. I also wouldn't hesitate to hunt elk and moose with a 7mm-08 or 308 either.

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

Far as the 270 wsm goes, its a *****cat to shoot. Havent shot a 300wsm yet;) But for mostly deer hunting u dont need a 300 anything. It would be a 270wsm or the 30-06 for me. Id also consider a 7mm rem mag.

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

Duffy has a good idea on the Encore. Heres another idea that is similar....but a little different.
If you really want to save $$ and are already commited to a Savage....what about getting a used Savage 110 in 25/06 and then getting one of the Adams & Bennet barrels from midway in either 35 Whelen or 338/06.
I would guess you could get the used Savage for about $200 and the cost of the extra barrel, barrel wrench, barrel vise, and the go, no-go gauges would be around $275. From then on you could switch back and forth if you really needed to.
On the Encore I think you need to have a scope for each barrel or you will need to keep mounting and remounting one scope to the switch barrels. On the Savage you could get by with one scope, but would still need to tune it in each time you swapped.

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

Thanks a bunch guys for all the advice.

I would love to grab a used rifle for a couple hundred bucks. They are just no where to be found around here because it is shotgun only for deer season. Any rifle hunting requires a few hours trip to PA or the Northern zones of NY.

I have looked for used guns and have seen a few but they are not much cheaper and the selection is pitifull.

Any advice on where to look in a non rifle friendly area??


I love the looks of MANY of the rifles out there today. The Remingtons, Brownings, Rugers, Winchesters.......they all are great looking guns. I like the Savage guns with wooden stocks and they are within a tolerable price range for the limited amount of use I will get out of it.

I guess the WSM are out for me.......THANKS. I don't want excess recoil and also don't want to pay double for ammo.

I wish I could bring myself to just grab a Wally World package gun for less then $400 bucks but I just think those black plastic stocks look silly and cheap.

Decisions Decisions

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

Go to a gun show and shop for some used Savage rifles...or if you can't find any at least buy a few used copies of "The Shotgun News" to "Gun List" and look through the classifieds for used Savage rifles....they are out there... or...
Take out an ad in the local biggest city newspaper and run a "wanted" ad for what you are looking for. A used Savage with a decent barrel shouldn't be too hard to find. If you get one based on a 30/06 case, then you can do the barrel switch i talked about to 338/06 or 35 Whelen withough changing the bolt face or the magazine or follower.
If you are really commited to going for a "one gun" approach, I suppose the 30/06 or 7mm mag would be the way to go.... But I think the 25/06 with a 35 Whelen or 338/06 barrel would be a cool cheaper way to get 2 different ranges of hunting out of one gun. Same for the Encore idea.

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

Newsflash!!!
I just got off the Midway site...I saw a "Adams and Bennet Re-barrel Yyour Savage Kit"... product # 529194 ...
It included the 35 Whelen Chrome Moly Blue 24" barrel with 1 in 14" twist, the barrel nut wrench AND headspace guage....for 174.99!!!!

Now I'm thinking hard on taking my own advice!

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

If I was subject to only one rifle, it would be a .300 Wby. Mag., or a .300 Win. Mag. Good luck.

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

I have to agree, for all north american game the 30-06 wins hands down. With todays bullet technology no longer can the magnum crowd beat up on the good ole 06! It's generaly cheaper, easier on the shoulder and there are very few if any manufactures who don't offer a rifle in this cal.

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

Iv uesd the 30-06 for yaers and i agree if I could anly have one it would be a 30-06 by the way the one that I have is a savege 110 good look

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

i would say the 30-06sprg. just because i own two and they are great. good selection of ammo. ammo is cheap aswell. plus if you go by plane somewhere and they loose your ammo. almost any mom and pop store will carry it.
but my second choice would be maybe a 280rem or 270win depending if you are gonna hunt more deer than elk.
top her off with a nice leupold. ( your gun is as only good as the optic you put on it ) JMHO.....
maybe a 2-7X33mm would surfice..

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

Hi atlasman,

If you are intending to have only one centerfire rifle to do anything in North America....the .30-06! (Actually, you can find ammunition for the .30-06 worldwide.) It is the quintessential "single rifle battery"!

You'll find ammo for it anywhere. You'll find it inexpensively....because it is so common. And you'll find it in very differing loads to tailor for its intended use. It is the most common caliber for a very good reason!

Best of luck with your decision!

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

Since you mentioned you didn't want to spend a lot of money, leave the WSMs out of it (expensive ammo). I'd go with a .270 Win or a 7mm-08 Rem. Both are perfect deer cartridges that are more than adequate for most elk hunting. Good luck!

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

30-06!

Good Luck and Good Hunting,
EKM

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

You'll never go wrong with a .30/'06! None of the new short magnums have enough more power than the '06 to recommend them, and you can get '06 ammo anywhere on earth. The short magnum ammo is not yet as widely available!!

Other good choices would be the .270 Win., 7mm Rem Mag., or .308 Win.

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

My own choice would be the 7mmremmag as it shoots flatter than the 30-06 with similar recoil.

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

30.06 will work just fine. Great all around rifle.

RE: What rifle will cover ALL my needs???
 

For 1 rifle, I would go with a 340wby--its more than sufficient for the big bears and has worked great on antelope and deer. If you are worried about the recoil--ask yourself--do you really feel recoil when shooting at game?