I pulled some candidates out of the safe:
1) VZ24 Mauser, 300 Win mag, 23.75" barrel, medium weight.
2) 1903 Turk Mauser 8mm 29.5" barrel, very heavy
3) 1903 Turk Mauser 8mm 27.5" barrel, medium weight
4) Ruger #1 7mm mag 26" barrel, medium weight
5) Nagant 7.62x54R, 28.25" barrel, light weight
6) Savage 110 30-06, 22.25" barrel, light weight
7)VZ24 Mauser, 308, 24" barrel, medium weight
8)Savage 99 308, 22" barrel, light weight



I have some bullets already here:
Nosler 30 cal 200 gr partitian
Nosler 30 cal 180 gr partitian
Hornady 30 cal 220 gr round nose
Hornady 7mm 175 gr spire
Sierra 8mm 220 gr Game King
Sierra, .311, 180 gr spire

I plugged them into Quickload at 60 kpsi, using Re22, IMR4350, and IMR4895 as needed.

What I came up with was this order:
1) 2) 29.5" 8mm and 300 Win mag are best
3) 27.5" 8mm is like 25 yards less range
4) 7mm mag is like 50 yards less range
5) 7.62x54R is like 85 yards less range
6) 30-06 is like 150 yards less range
7) 24" 308 is like 175 yeards less range
8) 22" 308 is like 200 yards less range

I first have to take them to the range, and maybe I should buy some Barnes triple shock bullets, and a sleeping bag.

Which gun do you shoot best? Which can be carried all day and not make you wish you were bowhunting instead?

The .300 Winchester with 180 or 200 Partitions (negligible difference) is probably the best choice, just from a "ballistic" standpoint, but you might be better off with the Savage '06 if you shoot it better. I have no idea what you mean by the difference each caliber has in "range" (and whatever you mean, forget it), but your concern here should be which RIFLE is most accurate, dependable, and shoots the best for you.

You don't specify scopes. That could make a big difference in that having a dependable, fog-proof scope is nearly as important as the rifle it is mounted on.

if I was to choose from your list it would be the savage (I hate them) 30-06 and nosler 180 partition. But the .308 in M-99 is certainly a good one too.

First choice the 300 Mag Mauser with 180 or 200 Nosler Partitions.
Second choice the 308 Mauser with 180 Nosler Partitions.

Savage 110 30-06, 22.25" barrel, light weight
VZ24 Mauser, 300 Win mag, 23.75" barrel
VZ24 Mauser, 308, 24" barrel, medium weight

In that order if I shot all three guns equally well. I'd use the 180 grain Nosler Partition in all of them.

My head got sore reading all the caLculations, etc.

Use a MV of 2800 fps (or less) shoot a decent bullet, nothing else matters.

Shot placement reigns supreme and always will.

Any of them would work, but to narrow it down I would ask about what kind of elk hunting you expect to do. Will you be doing a lot of walking or will you mostly be on horseback? The more you will be hiking/climbing the more I would lean towards a lighter gun, like the 30-06 you have. If you'll have the gun in a scabbard most of the time, then I'd go with the 300. If you expect to be hunting in more open country and shots may get long, I would also lean more towards the 300 or the 7mmMag. For timber hunting, you might make a good argument for the little 99 in .308. Another thing to ask yourself is which gun do you have more confidence in?

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
Which gun do you shoot best? Which can be carried all day and not make you wish you were bowhunting instead?

The .300 Winchester with 180 or 200 Partitions (negligible difference) is probably the best choice, just from a "ballistic" standpoint, but you might be better off with the Savage '06 if you shoot it better. I have no idea what you mean by the difference each caliber has in "range" (and whatever you mean, forget it), but your concern here should be which RIFLE is most accurate, dependable, and shoots the best for you.

You don't specify scopes. That could make a big difference in that having a dependable, fog-proof scope is nearly as important as the rifle it is mounted on.

Stonecreek, you typed a mouthful there pard... well said!

I would suspect that you'd be better off with your 30-06 than anything else. The '06 was my first elk rifle, and with today's bullets, this cartridge is better than it's ever been before.

AD

The 300 WM and either Nosler partition will do what ever needs to be done. If you shoot this rifle on a par with the others, that would be my choice.

I agree completly with Vapodog. Either of those two rifles will fill the task nicley but I would lean toward the Savage 110.

This is on the assumption that you will be looking for them in steep heavily wooded terrain where they usually are found.

quote:

Savage 110 30-06, 22.25" barrel, light weight
VZ24 Mauser, 300 Win mag, 23.75" barrel
VZ24 Mauser, 308, 24" barrel, medium weight

In that order if I shot all three guns equally well. I'd use the 180 grain Nosler Partition in all of them.

My exact choices from what you have. No flys on the 7mag either (160grNP)& I love hunting w/ my #1s.

The Ruger No1 with 175gr Nosler Partitions or the Barnes TSX would be poison on Elk at any ranges your capable of shooting.

Thanks for the response. I have been bird hunting for 40 years, but this is my first big game hunt.

I have only got great groups from a bench with the two Turks. The others are mostly untested.

I am going to the Lake Rimrock area near White Pass in WA state. It is very mountainous and forested there. Elk hunters will be on 200 foot centers.

The two guys that just bought the cabin and invited me inexperienced and way out of shape. They want to stand on the dirt road next to a 4x4. I am inexperienced, but very fit, and I would like to climb.

I will be within a mile of a guy I know who is an experienced hunter [he dropped off the Nosler partition boxes]. I can call someone he will be with on the cell phone to get help if we need to gut an animal.

I also have a shooting bench I could carry:
http://www.rimrockbullets.com/index.php?module=pncommer...=itemview&ItemID=190

I have many scopes I could put on all those rifles, the best is a new Leupold 8.5x25x50 Mark 4 illuminated, and the worst is a 30 year old Leupold 4X.

tnekkcc , Rimrock brings back alot of hunting memories. I worked on the damn up there over two elk seasons and got elk both times. If you plan on hunting south of the lake, it is some rough country and it will require alot of glassing and even more hiking to get to the elk.
If It were me I would go west on Hwy 12 towards White Pass until you pass the silver beach resort, take the first left and go to the campground on your left. Walk down into the campground , towards the lake and find a good spot and wait for the elk to head back to the mountain. Try to get there at least 1 hr before sunrise, you will be surprised at the number of elk. I would suggest not using a cell phone while out hunting, the wardens up in that area are true blue assholes just looking for a reason to write a ticket. good luck with the hunt

WHATEVER you do, DON'T put a 25 power scope that's as large as an aluminum baseball bat on a hunting rifle. The old 4x Leupold would be much better. A newer Leupold variable with a low end between 2x and 3.5x might be ideal, but likley no more effective than the tried and true four power.

I don't understand the concept of the 4X Leupold being the worst scope unless it is busted- then send it back to Leupold to get fixed. I like 4X scopes and have three on different rifles I have hunted successfully with in the last two years.
I would use the 4X on whatever gun weighs less than 9#, feeds and ejects flawlessly and you shoot best from several field positions.

Paul

I found some more guns in the safe. I don't know if I can take them all to the range, hunting starts in 32 days. I am going to have to pare it down.

1) VZ24 Mauser, 300 Win mag, 23.75" barrel, under construction, unfired
2) 1903 Turk Mauser 8mm 29.5" barrel, 10.5 pounds, 1" average
3) 1903 Turk Mauser 8mm 27.5" barrel, 8 pounds, 1.5" average
4) Ruger #1 7mm mag 26" barrel, 9.5 pounds, unfired by me
5) Nagant 7.62x54R, 28.25" barrel, 8.25 pounds, 3" average
6) Savage 110 30-06, 22.25" barrel, 7.5 pounds, fired a long time ago
7) VZ24 Mauser, 308, 24" barrel, 8 pounds, fired a long time ago
8) Savage 99 308, 22" barrel, 7 pounds, unfired new barrel
9) JP Saur 98K Mauser 8mm 23.75" barrel, Redfield peep sight 7.5 pounds, unfired by me
10) VZ24 30-06, 24" barrel, 7 pounds, unfired by me
11) Pre 64 Win 70 30-06, 24", 9 pounds with 2x7 Redfield, sling, buttstock cartridge carrier, unfired by me

8.5x25x50 illuminated Leupold 30 ounces
1.75x6x32 Leupold 14 ounces
2x7 Leupold 11.5 ounces
Lyman 4x post reticule 11 ounces
Leupold 4x 10 ounces
Leupold 4x 10 ounces
Weaver K3 post reticule 9 ounces
Weaver K2.5 post reticule 9 ounces
Weaver K4 10 ounces
Weaver K4 10 ounces
Weaver K4 10 ounces
Weaver K4 10 ounces

.308 Nosler 200 gr. partitions old blunt nose screw type (25)
.308 Nosler 180 gr. partitions (50)
.308 Sierra 180 gr. game kings (100)
.308 Sierra 150 gr. game kings (100)
.308 Hornady 150 gr. round nose (100)
.308 Hornady 220 gr. round nose (300)
.308 Hornady 180 gr. round nose (100)
.284 Hornady 162 gr. SST (300)
.284 Hornady 154 gr. RN (300)
.284 Hornady 175 gr. SP (300)
.323 Sierra 220 gr. Game Kings (300)


Thinking of getting:
.308 Barnes TSX 180 gr. (50)
.323 Barnes TSX 200 gr. (50)
.284 Barnes TSX 160 gr. (50)

TNEKKCC,

A month to go- get some Federal premium 30-06 ammo, take two of the 30-06s to the range, make sure all the screws, scopemounts, etc are tight, try them both out and pick one. I wouldn't start working up loads for hunting this close to the hunt. Most likely both of the guns you try will put three factory loads inside of 2 inches off the bench.

Paul