I've got a question that I need to throw out here & get some opinions.
It's a question that's been asked a 1,000 times...What caliber should I go with in a new rifle ??

Here's the scenario...

I just had a new single shot built that's a 30/06, I figured I couldn't go wrong with having the king of versability in regards to cartridges IMO. It has a 26" barrel so I should get optimum performance with this caliber.
My plan was to use this rifle mainly for deer & perhaps elk.

The problem lies in the fact that I liked this rifle so much I decided to have another one built & can't really decide on a caliber. The cost to have one built is quite expensive so I want to get it in caliber that will give me the most versability as possible.

My present battery of rifles include
300 H&H
300 Win Mag
300 WSM
2-30/06
308
280
284 Win Mag
2-6.5-284 Win Mag
2-6.5x 55
264 Win Mag
257 Roberts

As you can see I need another rifle like a hole in the head, but what the hell. If you can enjoy what's the point.

My game plan was to start hunting more with the single shots. I do think I need to look at a caliber that if I only had one shot what caliber would I want to have in hand for that particular animal? I mostly hunt deer & elk. Once in awhile sheep, if I can get the money together & quit buying new rifles. LOL

My thoughts have run in two directions.
1. Use the 30/06 on mostly antelope & deer & the other rifle on anything from mule deer to elk.
If that's the case then I was leaning towards having the new rifle in a 300 H&H or a 300 Win Mag.I thought of a 338 Win Mag, but because the rifle will be coming in at about 7-8 lbs with scope I feel it's a little too light for the 338.

2. Use the 30/06 for elk & mule deer with a 200 grn load & the other rifle for long range deer & antelope. If that's the case then I was looking at a 7 mm Rem Mag or a 6.5-284 Win Mag with a 120-140 grn load.

So now I throw it out to guys on the forum & ask for your opinions.
"What would you do ?"

Decisions,Decisions !!!


Thanks

I'd say either go big or go small. Go with the 338 with a heavy barrel to get it up to 9 Lbs and use it for elk, or go down to a 22 or 20 caliber for light weight plinking and varmint shooting.

Go with a .338-06. With a long barrel, it will approach the velocity of the .338 Win. Mag. without the recoil (FWIW, my .338 Win. Mag. weighs less than 8lbs. unscoped, and recoil is not a problem).
It will work on game like elk, bear, moose, caribou, and a good assortment of African plains game.

George

hit-em:

You really screwed yourself for your second rifle when you picked an '06 for your first one.

It's just too versatile. What advantages do the newer cartridges offer or even the older magnums. Realistically about 50 yds.extra range. They do offer more power though. For elk, not a bad idea.

Have fun with your new project.

Go with the 338-06/35 Whelen or 338 Win mag.

I would go to a 338 Win. unlike George I have never been able to tell any difference in the recoil between the 338-06 and the 338..The 338 Win will sure outperform the 338-06 IMO...I have been both routes...

I would simply use a standard weight 26 inch like a no. 4 (Douglas) barrel, that would add a little weight.

The 06 will do anything the rest of the rounds you mentioned will or at least give them a run for the gold, might as well take a step up and the 338 is the premier elk cartridge.

The 338 Winnie will be my next project rifle. I have a short magnum action in the safe. It is a cartridge that doesn't tax me in the recoil deptartment and it has plenty of snort for N. American game.

I really took quite a bit of time sorting through building a 338 or a Holland's 375. The 375 may be a bit more versatile, but it is really more cartridge than I need.

If I need more snort than the 338, I've got a 458 or a 505 Gibbs than will handle anything too ornery for the 338.

but you don't have a 375. you really need at least one 375 at least one

you definitely need to step up, you are lopsided right now with just a bunch in the middle range and nothing small or big. I say go the 338 or 35 whelen route. You could even go to a 358 Norma. if it is going to be for hunting than other than practice, which I am thinking will be mostly offhand and hunting positions, you aren't going to be plinking with it, so I wouldn't let recoil worry. if you are sensitive to it you can wear a pad when practicing and then when you are hunting you'll have your jacket on (unless it is like CA where the start of season can still be in the 80-90 degree area) and are only going to fire if trying to get your game.

Since you have a single shot and it will be shorter than I would get a 26" barrel too.

Red

You've got everything you need to kill game up to and beyond elk size animals. What you don't seem to have is a low recoil varmit and paper punch rifle that could sub on the smaller bean field deer.It would be hard to beat the .244 Rem. roger

Why not go to something more exotic like a 7.82 warbird(lazzeroni)i like the 308and 358 norma mags but not sure if willing to go those routes you could check out the new 325wsm

I'd look into having your existing 30-06 turned into a 300 Mag of some type and then build a 270 or 7X57 single shot. Otherwise, I'd go smaller and build something like a 257 Roberts or a 6.5X55; or even a 6.5X57 if you want something more exotic.

I really think of anything larger than the 300 Mags as bolt-gun fodder. I see no advantages to the short mags in a single shot.

My choice would be a .338 Winchester Magnum. But then I already have one in a Ruger #1. Given enough practice a person loses little to a bolt gun in regards to feeding shells with one caveat. You can run a bolt with your face on the stock but you can not do it with any speed with a single shot. I have shot deer and elk with mine and the one shot has been adequate but I have not shot any great number of animals with it (3 in fact). I do like the single shots.

I often wanted one in a .223 or some caliber for varming shooting and found a flaw in that thinking. A good friend has one and the lever does not allow him to shoot it off the bags and reload without cocking the rifle sideways without hitting his shooting table. Seems like a simple fix but it did get annoying for him.

You do have a desirable problem and with you luck with it.

My next rifle project for myself is going to be a .338 bolt gun but I don't know when I can get started on it.

Scrollcutter,
Boy you got that right in regards to putting the screws to myself by going with the 30/06 first

I think after reading some of responses & suggestions that perhaps the way to go is to go with the 338 Win Mag & look at having some weight added by increasing the contour of the barrel & see if I can get it in the 8-9 lb range with scope.

Probably be a good idea to have a 1" decelerator pad installed too.

The one thing this has shown me is just how versitile the 30/06 really is. I've been pouring over ballistic charts for the last couple of weeks & it's really hard to beat .
Hell of a round !!

Keep the ideas coming because I need more confusion in my life.

quote:

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Originally posted by hit-em:
Scrollcutter,
Boy you got that right in regards to putting the screws to myself by going with the 30/06 first

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I've never owned a 30-06 in my life and that's allowed me to own a few dozen medium caliber rifles instead. You've got think before acting. The unintended consequences can be brutal.