30-06 hands down its taken every big game animal on the N American continent and in many other parts of the world.On a Colorado hunting trip one of the men in the Little Hills public free camp west of Meeker off county road 22 used his 06 with a 180 gr round to drop a 5x elk. When I surveyed the hunters in camp the most popular caliber present that year was the 300 win mag suitable for the 2 species present in that area, mule deer and elk.Little Hills was a former fish hatchery and the fish in the ponds attested to that ie 15" rainbows & brookies. The White River is also a good fishery,many hunters bought small game licenses since there was an ample supply of cottontails in that area.

Knowing your brother's interests counts for much. If he's basically into light-weight big game and varmints then a .25 caliber will suit him well as a one-rifle solution. If that Elk hunt will truely be a once-in-life-time hunt, then a .30 caliber is not going to satisfy his varmint needs as well as a .25 caliber will do. He can borrow or buy that elk hunt rifle a ways down the road.

My nephew had just the opposite needs at HS graduation. He was already building points for goat, sheep, elk, and thinking African plains game hunt, so he ended up with his Granddad's treasured G98 7x57mm Mauser rifle. With that rifle he can hunt the world and be reminded of his Granddad every time he picks it up.

BTW, nice thing you're doing for your brother...

pud

Buy him an M77 M2 in .257 and a mauser action. Later on his own time and to tastes builds an 8x57 on that classic action in an arguably better Elk caliber than the old 30. In the mean time he gets THE cool and effective varmint/deer caliber to shoot. Once he starts loading his own all the powders and primers work well in both and he only needs a single shell holder I not only recommend it I have it.

If it needs to be factory the only choice is .25-06 and let him borrow something bigger for Elk when he goes.

No such thing as a one gun do it all for what you listed.

Plus it would not be fun owning one gun.

I would have to suggest either a 243 or 260 for the varmints and deer and then later on he could get his elk gun that or you loan him a 06.

Now if you think your varmints might just be P-dogs and sage rats 223 or 22-250 and you could still loan him the 06 for deer until he gets his own deer & elk gun.

Well I am going to suggest something different, get him a 243. Light recoil easy to shoot, plenty for varmits and deer such as white Tails and Mule's. Plenty of ammo around, Plenty of good ammo with good bullets for big game. And its very common. Put a good simple scope on it, I think a fixed 6x would be just about perfect. And see were he goes with it. One of the big mistakes made is that new hunters get rifles that are either to heavy or to much recoil. So they don't shoot much and after a while loose interest. Let him grow into it, by the time he start hunting elk he will have gotton a job were he will be able to afford another rifle.

If I was getting my son or brother a new gun to use from varmit to elk I would get him either a 270 WSM or a 270 Wby. You can download it with light bullets for varmit or use 150 gr for elk and it is flat shooting. I have a 270 Wby that is fast becoming my favorite rifle.

Rad