ok heres what im lookin for somthin that would work on deer elk and moose ive ben thinkin bout the 300 win mag but i would like oppinions on what u guys think thanks

Go with the 30-06!

9.3x62! Can´t go wrong.

The .300 win. Mag. will kill each of those creatures very efficiently with proper bullet selection and accurate placement. The .300 offers a good selection of bullets and are generally accurate with various loads. I’d love to expound further, but I don’t know the conditions of your expected hunts.

Dave

I let my 300 mags go....and now use a 30-06 M-70 FWT as my "go to" big game rifle.

I'm building a 280 Rem now as I feel it's equal to the 30-06 for all the game you mentioned and with a slight bit of range difference. It's also a back up rifle.

While it certainly is not necessary to reload for the 30-06 it does bring out the best in the old girl. It'll do anything you want done except for the DG category.....if you need more than the 30-06 you really need to step up in caliber.....like the 338 or 375...

Certainly the .300 Win. Mag. will work. ANY .300 Mag. will work as well, Nothing wrong with a .280 Rem., .30/'06, .270 Win., .308 Win. or a handloaded 7X57mm Mauser (in a modern action) either. They will all kill elk and moose at any range a person should be shooting at such animals. Deer, goes without saying.......

I think your starting with the wrong approach entirely!

You need at least three rifles! And of course, you'll need lightweight rifles, and stand hunting rifles for each species. That brings a total count up a couple from there. Then you may find the need for a close range "jump shooting" type. Then..... well you see where this goes.

Never mind picking one that's the best for all three. Make do with one for now. The as you develope your personal style and methods, you'll be able to identify your other needs!

I have barely scratched the itch and I have at least six rifles that would suffice in different situations.

I personally am not as hung up on caliber as much as the rifle and which bullets are coming out of it. My fav is the M70 Featherweight, and I have a M70 Supergrade that I woudn't trade off. Really though it comes down to what fits you, whats comfortable, what do you like in a rifle. Then pick a caliber. This is where we split hairs.

IMHO when shooting bigger animals I like bigger bullets, and the 7mm RM doesn't recoil as much as a .300WM or .300Wby but is quite effective. The '06 family of cartidges (though I don't like the .270 for elk any more than the .25-06), such as a .35 Whelan would be good but not as flat shooting.
If recoil isn't an issue, then one of my all time fav's is the .338WM. It is reasonably flat shooting, has a wide variety of available bullets, and ammo can be had off the shelf in a pinch. It doesn't seem to cause as big a bloodshot area, and mine is quite accurate.

Have fun with this! Nate

It depends a lot on your style of hunting. If you are a stand hunter & want to take long shots, the 7rem mag or any of the 30 mags would serve you well. If you are a still hunter, walking & stalking, then you probably can't go wrong w/ a 30-06. If deer is the primary game & there is only the occasional elk/moose, a .280 would be my choice, but it is best handloaded.

quote:

if you need more than the 30-06 you really need to step up in caliber.....like the 338 or 375...

I could not agree more with this statement.

A step up in diameter IMOP is better than the same diameter bullet traveling a few hundred feet faster.
I have owned several .300 mags and did not feel like I had much over the standard '06 other than a bit flatter trajectory.
I went up to a .338 Win and kept all 5 of the
.30-06 rifles I like the .300 Mags but have had better luck with the lead core bullets I shoot at '06 velocities.


Scott

quote:

Originally posted by urbancowboy220:
ok heres what im lookin for somthin that would work on deer elk and moose ive ben thinkin bout the 300 win mag but i would like oppinions on what u guys think thanks

You didn't say whether or this is your first big game rifle or not. If you do own others than you know what you'll be getting into in regards to the magnum 30s and recoil, if not, you can't go wrong with the 30-06. I believe everyone should own at the minimum, a .22 and a 30-06 -probably should have a shotgun in the mix too.

Anything from a .243 to .300 win mag. I use a .280 and .300 win mag because they are accurate and I own them already.

I think .300 Win mag is a little over kill on deer, so I'd go with the .30-06. It will handle anything that you mentioned with athority. You just can't go wrong with a .30-06.

300 Win Mag...
With lighter (150-165gr) bullets it is deadly on deer. 180's for Elk and black bear, 200-220 if you ever get a moose or brown bear hunt. I even used one as an occasional Rockchuck varmint rifle with 125gr Nosler ballistic tips. Overkill? Maybe, but it kept the rifle in tune and me shooting it.

Rich
NRA Life Member
DRSS

As bland as it sounds anymore, a 30-06 will do everything you need for the lower 48 (and some would say Alaska too). It can be accurately shot by almost anyone who can hold a rifle, and it's got cheap and WIDELY varied ammo and reloading components. All of that, plus you can get it chambered in nearly every kind of shoulder fired weapon on the market. Choice is good.

7mmX57, 18 to 19inch slim, deep throated barrel, standard 98 length action, need not be Mauser, a quality 3 to 9 x 40 scope and a adequate composite stock. A 150 to 175gr. standard constructed reloaded bullet will take all that you mentioned, will be easy to carry and will have a modest recoil.

All the others that have been mentioned will work just fine but the 7mmx57 is my choice. roger

quote:

some help on picking a good cal for deer etc

If we was just talking deer the posts would be very different....it's the etc part that makes the 30-06 so very popular.....

i know it is alittle smaler than what everybodey else is suggesting but i have had luck with a 25-06 i have yet to have a deer walk away. but in heavy cover i usualy pick up my .338 win mag so there is little chance of the deer geting to far in the thick stuff to find.

375 H&H.

It puts an end to all the bullet performance debates. Doesn't damage much meat. Will stop a moose.

thanks guys this woud b used as a plains gun so long distances r possable and i thank every1 for the exclent responces

Did I mention the 9.3x62?

Lots of great responses. I'll just throw my vote in for the 300 win. In my opinion, one of the most versatile cartridges around. From deer to moose and everything in between.

Some may say it's overkill for deer, but when you shoot a deer with a 300 it's as if it was struck by a lightning bolt. I like that.

.30-06 is pretty versatile.

For bigger stuff, I use a .35 Whelen.

For hunting on the plains with possibilities for long-range shots, the .300 Win. will work well on anything from Bambi to Bullwinkle. Lots of good bullets to choose fron, but I'd try the Federal factory loads with the 180 grain Barnes MRX, just too see if the rifle liked them.

Dave

accuracy vs recoil...

how recoil sensative are you?

30-06 would be the best all rounder for the non reloader and ease of ammo finding

the 35 whelen gets my nod though...

bigger bullet and cheap case. plus the use of pistol bullets

From 7x57 on up will take care of your hunting list just fine. I would not go over a 30-06 unless you just like big bullets.

etc...hmmm...30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, 300 Win Mag, 338 Win Mag, 35 Whelen, 9.3x62, 375 H&H Mag, depending on how much/big etc you hunt. Can't go wrong with any of them really.

One gun not thrown in the mix yet that
should be if people are going to mention the 338 win.

The 325 WSM would be great and with a 180 gr bullet wouldn't be to bad on deer.

A smaller bore would be better if you are new to shooting, 30-06 or 25-06?

the 30-06 is never a bad choice. the recoil of the various 300 mags can be rough on some, so you should probaly try a friends magnum before buying one. the 280 rem or the 7mm mags would be good choices also.
shopping for new rifle is always fun!!!!
James

u c 220,
Go with your gut on this one!
The 300wm is an excellent choice.
If you load, you can tone down for deer or kick it up for open country elk.


PS better let Santa know quick!

If you can try and shoot as many different cals
you can get your hands on and go for the one you are the most comfortable with. I agree with most of the previous sugestions with the exception of the .243 , anything else in the .270 class and up will work just fine if you do your part. personaly I use a .300 win

just my opinion

ax

thanks guys im goin to the range tomm to shoot a few rifles a coworker has they r 300 win mag 25 wsm and an M1 grande 308 and M1 grande 30-06 he thinks ill like the 06 better ill let yall know what i think

Asking a question like this is like asking what kind of woman should I marry! Every one has an idea!!

quote:

Originally posted by cewe:
Did I mention the 9.3x62?

If he follows that suggestion he'll be satisfied forever with one rifle and cartridge. Then how will he spend his extra time and cash? Who'll buy the gun rags to read about the latest boomenthumper cartridge? How will the gun writers put their children thru college?

There is a lot of good advice here but I think both Fredj338 and Buckshot have made especially good points.

In the end, how well you can shoot means the most. If you haven't hunted the game you've mentioned, and don't know what style of hunting you'll use, or at what ranges you'll hunt, then go for less recoil. A 30'06 or .280 is much easier to shoot well than a 300 or 338 Win. Mag. You can practice with a .22 and do a lot of deer hunting with reduced recoil 30'06 loads. Heavier or flatter shooting loads can be used as required for elk. The 30'06 has killed plenty of deer at 350 yards and plenty of elk at shorter ranges. Buy guns used if you want to get some experience before you commit. A gun with lighter recoil can also weigh less without the recoil becoming unconfortable. I owned a very light .338 mag for a few years, and it was no fun to shoot! Hence my 7mm08 mt. gun weighs less than seven lb.s while my 7mm Mag beanfield gun weighs about 13 lb.s. One final comment, for years I hunted whitetail with a 30'06 while my two buddies used a .270 and a 300 Win Mag. All the guns worked well and I killed one at @400 yrds with my 30'06, but the 300 Win Mag ruined as much as 1/4 of venison in even a large well shot deer. I switched to a .270 for most deer hunting and have never looked back.

I vote for any thing 30 cal and up!
Someone said over kill, I really don't understand the concept.
If you hand load and pick the right bullet the 300 win mag will kill anything in the lower 48 real well, and unless you are planning a grizly hunt you can't go wrong with that choice.
But a .338 06 or a 35 whelen would be both great choices. Most folks should keep there shots to 300 yards or less anyway. Hell a .308 is fine if you get a little closer.
...tj3006

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:
7mmX57, 18 to 19inch slim, deep throated barrel, standard 98 length action, need not be Mauser, a quality 3 to 9 x 40 scope and a adequate composite stock. A 150 to 175gr. standard constructed reloaded bullet will take all that you mentioned, will be easy to carry and will have a modest recoil.

All the others that have been mentioned will work just fine but the 7mmx57 is my choice. roger

I almost agree with Roger. Find a Winchester model 70 SA in SS and rebarrel to 7X57 using a PacNor barrel. (22" barrel) Buy the new (well soon anyway) in-the bow one piece triggerguard from Matt Williams (or use a Blackburn)and have the trigger worked to 3lbs.

You will need to remove the magazine block and rework the ejector. Any good smith can do this.

Put the metalwork in a MicMillan edge painted olive. Then have the stock webbed with equal amounts of silver and black.

Top it off with a "reasonably" sized scope using Leupold dual dovetail mounts/rings and
never look back!

By the way, handloads with 140 grain bullets (or a 120 gr. TSX)
will be almost a 270, and with 160 grainers,
your elk problem is no longer a problem!

If your main quest is for deer, but the possibility of elk or moose lurks somewhere in the offing, go with the 30-06. If your main quest is for elk or moose, go with the 300 Mag.

Every species of huntable animal (other than birds) in North America has been taken successfully many times with the 30-06. That doesn't mean the 30-06 is necessarily ideal for all species, but it does mean that the 30-06 works on everything.

And it kicks less and makes less noise, and ammo for it is more readily available and less expensive than ammo for a 300 Mag.

35 WHELEN or 30/06 are solid choices. Non magnum recoil and plenty of killing power! Win Win either way.