atlasman

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.

farmcntry

Savage .308. I have a Savage Tactical 110FP .308 and I love it.

Mykey

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!

Quack Addict

Anything the 308 will do, the 30-06 can do better. As for the WSM's (all things being equal), the faster you push any bullet out of the muzzle the more felt recoil you will have to contend with. WSM ammo seems to run about double that of decent hunting-grade 30-06 ammo. You probably won't notice much difference in performance between the 308, 30-06 or the WSM's within 250 to 300 yards.

Just my .02

farmcntry

I tend to disagree. The .308 has won the most 1,000yards matches to date.

Aught Six

I tend to disagree with you. We're not talking about competition here, but an all-around North American game cartridge. The .30-06 is the way to go, and has been for almost 100 years. Not a personal attack, just MHO.

farmcntry

.308 has won the most 1,000 yard matches. However, the .308, 30-06, and 7mm-08 are close to do the same while hunting.

8mm/06

For deer only I'd get a 7mm/08, but you said you might go for elk occaisionally. So I'd recommend a 30/06 or the 7mm mag.
OR...you could buy a used Savage 110 in 25/06, 270, or 30/06...and then buy the 338/06 or 35 Whelen barrel swap rig from Midway..........for about the cost of a one real nice new gun you could have the versatitlty of 2 great used guns for different purposes. You wouldn't need to change anything but the barrel for your swap....your bolt face and follower and magazine would all be the same. Just need the go, no-go gauges for , the 338/06 barrel (or 35 Whelen), the barrel wrench, and a barrel vice.
the only drawback is that you'd have to get the gun set-up with a couple trips to the range each and every time you wanted to swap it out from the little bore to the medium bore. one scope should do you just fine. Just leave it on the gun and make your adjustments after the barrel installation.

Rangerlab

I would go with a 7mm Rem Mag. The recoil is right along the lines of an '06, but it shoots a little flatter, with some extra punch. It's a great round for elk and will do a number on a deer.

Deer-Slayer22

I agree with Rangerlab. The 7mm is a great round for deer and elk.