Need some advice from the crowd here. A friend of mine working overseas is wanting to buy a rifle when he comes home. His desire, as he puts it is a "bolt-action rifle that is flat-shooting, and to be used on deer, bear, and elk". He didn't say which kind of bear, but I'm thinking black bear since he normally lives in the Ozark Mts, but will do some hunting out west, too. He already has a 30-06, and he used to have a 7mm Win Mag that he sold, I think because he didn't like the recoil. He doesn't handload, either. Aside from the rifle, I would guess he has two classes of cartridge to choose from: the 270 Win/280 Rem type cartridges, or even the 7x57mm if he can find the ammo; or the 270/7mm WSM type cartridges if increased recoil isn't a really big issue, as long it isn't at full-length belted mag or RUM levels. I know that this leaves a lot of rounds out of the picture, and some people will say, "Why doesn't he just use the 30-06?" You know, there's always room for another rifle. The choice of rifle itself is another story. Advice, theories and even catcalls are welcome.

Hmm, something suitable for deer through Elk, less recoil than a 7mm Mag and flat shooting..

I would suggest a 280 Remington.

I think I'd have to ask him some more questions. Did he have a problem with recoil? Is he wanting or fond of classic designs or a ss/synth fan? Set on a short or long action? What does he like the most about a rifle?

When it comes to picking out a rifle it is a personal thing about how it feels, fits me, and what I have in mind. Others may look at it differently.

If I were to order a friend a rifle without knowing all the specifics I'd have to consider his personality and how he hunts and go from there.

I really like the Kimber rifles but don't have one yet. Maybe if they come out with a .264 WSM!

I'd recommend you pick his brain a bit more. Nate

If he's already got a 30-06 I'm not sure why he'd need anything else, unless he just wants a new toy... So I'd agree with the above poster and suggest the .280 Rem cuz it's one of our flattest shooting rounds and yet it's recoil is modest. Also 7mm bullets are easy to find and of excellent sectional density in the heavier weights.

He doesn't handload, so that kind of puts my favorite, the .280, out of the running. Just not enough good factory loads. IF he doesn't like the 7mags recoil, maybe a .270WSM. I'm not a big .270 fan but a good 150gr bullet @ 3000fps will certainly take elk.

i'm JJB check into my question about my brother wanting a rifle to hunt coyotes with!! there's lots of answers there.................

How about a .25-06? With that caliber and his .30-06, he can about cover anything he'll hunt Stateside.

L.W.

A 7 Mag or Short Mag may still be just the ticket for the type of hunting mentioned. I would guess a stock or weight issue with his last 7 Mag caused the recoil problem, if that is why he sold it. Realy shouldn't be a concernable difference in recoil between it and a 30-06.

Maybe he should try to find one that fits him better and if possible, fire a few rounds through it.

Flat shooting, low recoil, Deer through Elk, describes the 7 Mag IMHO

I had a collegue in K. L. ask me the same question last Christmas. He was going to be home and wanted to buy a rifle for his son. I recommended the .270 WSM.

I forgot to ask until recently how the story ended. He said his son is in love with the caliber. The father used it on a late-season whitetail hunt, and said it was hard to imagine a better choice.

I would make the same recommendation again.

I would suggest a .338WM, but only if he could take its recoil. But since you already have said that he can't take the recoil of a 7mm magnum, and that he has a .30-06, this .30-06 should be all he needs. He could use lighter than 180-grain bullets for smaller game such as deer, and 180-grain for bears and elk. If he decides he wants flatter shooting ammo, which will increase recoil, then he could use some of the Federal HE or Hornady LM ammo. The .30-06 is perhaps the most versatile cartridge in the US, specially because of ammo availability. Just look at the ammo selection for it in the Guns & Ammo Annual. There is at least one page of ammo for the .30-06 on the tables at the back pages!

There are a couple of things that could be done here. My first inclination is to recomend a good heavy magnum with a muzzle break. I know, I know, some of you don't like them, well, I do and many others do. SO, with that out in the open, you could turn a 7mm, 300 Win or 338 Win into the recoil of a 243, 270 and 30-06.

If that isn't an option, could he not look at the short mags? I have not shot a 300 WSM but I hear their recoil is significantly reduced from a normal 300. for those of you who have shot them, am i off base here? Does the 300 wsm have less recoil than a 7mm? I thought it did.

What about a 338-06? I have shot a round or two out of that caliber and found it to be quite mild considering the caliber.

Just a couple of thoughts. Best of luck.

Autumn Pulse

Thanks for the advice, guys. I think that this does fall into the "wants a different rifle" category. Yeah, he had everything he needed in both the 30-06 and the 7mm Mag. I'll ask him some more specific questions. Oh, yeah, I thought about including in the original post where he wondered if .243 Win was good for elk hunting, but I thought it might be flame bait.

My two cents are that he should get a .270 Win in the same rifle that he already has in .30-06 for consistency of operation and feel, and use the 130-grain factory load that it likes best. Either will do it all, of course, but the .270 will have the lighter recoil that he seeks.

If he has a .30-06, he is all set unless he just must have something new. I went thru that problem this past year preparing for an African hunt. Nice new heavy rifle and then arthritis set in so bad I could not practice. Back to the .30-06 I went, and I collected all my plains game with the .30-06 with 220 Noslers and with a 7x64mm. Someone has suggested a .280, and based on the 7x64 (ballistic twin) that's a good choice too. BUT, why not just save the dough and stick with that .30-06?
LLS

For your friend's purposes, it's hard to see how he could improve much on a 30'06 and lower recoil...unless he wants a gun with a muzzle brake. I guess he just wants a new gun, and that's cool. His interest in lowering recoil is wise. Shot placement matters more than caliber choice and all other things being equal he'll shoot a gun with less recoil better. If he wants a new gun he might want to consider a muzzle brake. I now have three brake equipped guns and shoot much more accurately than I ever shot pre-muzzle brake. I have two guns (.270 & 7mm Mag) with a BOSS systems that allow me to hunt with muzzle brake or compensator when I don't want to carry the ear protection. A couple of young fellows tried to razz me at a range one day about having a brake on a .270 until I showed them the targets. Groups of one ragged hole at 100 yrd.s in a factory rifle shut them up. I recently bought a Rem. 700 Ti. in 7mm 08 (under 7 lb.s loaded with swivels, sling,scope and rings) and added a Simms recoil pad and a Gentry 'quiet' brake that probably needs ear protection hunting. If I wanted a .243 today and could find one with a BOSS, I would buy it so equipped. Go forth and slay beasts!

I would use the '06 for Elk, and just go with the 260 Rem in a Ruger 77 for everything else.

7x57, light recoil gets the job done.

i fall in line with nearly everyone else here. tell him to use the aught six for the elk & bear and buy a smaller caliber small recoil (like the mentioned .243 or 6mm) to satisfy the new gun itch.
certainly no need to try & justify want/need new gun around here!!

mike