Help me choose my next rifle

All you need is your 308 with a 165-168 Grain Barns. The bullet needs to hold it's weight and open up. You would have enough energy to pass through and tare him up. Up to 250Yards or more. That's all you need. Put the varmint gun (25-06) down. That would be like a eskmo killing a moose with a 30-30. It works at 50 Yds. It can be done but why rune a expensive hunt because you goofed.
 
I would go with either a 7mm mag or a 30-06. Either will put a bullet with enough weight out far enough to reliably do the job. I would find out the most likely expected distance and make the choice based on that. The 7mm's claim to fame and I can assure you from experience is that it will reach out long distances and flat. With bullet choices up to 175 gr, you have it covered. Put a limb saver pad on and you can shoot it all day. Or, it should just take one shot so don't worry. For shorter distances, the 06 is great and with it you can go from 110 gr. all the way up to 220 and it does it well.
The Savage rifle is a good choice, known for out of the box accuracy so you can't go wrong with that. My only complaint with them is the less than 100% reliable magazines.
Good luck and congrats on retirement....now you will really have to work...lol
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by lefteye
Why do you recommend a .300 Win Mag.?

Because a .300 WM is far more popular and it's easier to find rifles and ammunition for.
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Even if a .300 Win Mag "is far more popular", IMHO the popularity of a cartridge is not a particularly valid reason for choosing a rifle cartridge for elk hunting.

Having visited small gun shops and big nation-wide stores regularly for more than 40 years, I simply cannot believe it is easier to find a .300 Win Mag rifle and ammunition than several other rifles and their ammunition, .e.g., .30-06, .270, .308, 7mm Mag.
 
lefteye said:
Even if a .300 Win Mag "is far more popular", IMHO the popularity of a cartridge is not a particularly valid reason for choosing a rifle cartridge for elk hunting.

Having visited small gun shops and big nation-wide stores regularly for more than 40 years, I simply cannot believe it is easier to find a .300 Win Mag rifle and ammunition than several other rifles and their ammunition, .e.g., .30-06, .270, .308, 7mm Mag.
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If you find .30-06, .270, .308, and 7mm RM in a store more than likely you'll find .300 WM sitting on the shelves as well. However, you might not find 7mm RUM sitting on the same shelves. That is why I imagine reynolds357 recommended it over his choice of the 7mm RUM. I never implied .300 WM was easier to find than the choices you listed.
 
Here in Co we call them farm or tractor supply stores and I can buy feed/livestock/tractor supplies also 7mag/300Win mag ammo along with 270/30-06. Some of those even carry powder,bullets,primers maybe some things for shotgun/muzzle loader or sell firearms.

When I build my barn I got stall fronts/panels/roping chute and ropes from store that sold firearms/ammo and still in business today.
 
Taylor, you are exactly right in your speculation of why I recommend .300 Win mag and not 7 RUM. There are times when you can not even order loaded ammo or brass for the RUM.
 
The range limitations between the two are about 100 yards less for the .308.
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Less maybe but I don't think there's nearly a 100 yard difference between the .308 and the 30-06, everything else being equal in terms of bullet weight, barrel length, etc.
 
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