"If you could have three bolt action rifles for hunting in different calibers...small, medium, heavy...small as Coues deer and antelope up to moose, what would they be? I mean, you can choose whatever brand rifle you want?
Christensen Arms Ridgeline - 6.5 CR - Light recoil, ammo availability and it is a handy rifle in small places with a 20 inch barrel version.
Christensen Arms Ridgeline - 308 - To me, the best mid-size cartridge. Was available when nothing else was. Inexpensive. Ridgeline is light and has an awesome trigger. Fits me like a glove.
Christensen Arms Ridgeline - 30-06 - Same as above, ammo readily available. Inexpensive. Also, a vast array of bullet weights. I think for moose, this is the lightest I would go. I have shoulder and neck problems, so I am recoil sensitive. If I wasn't, I might go with a .338."
Interesting concept. I don't have time to rad all five pages but I do a bit of experience with the .308 and 30-06. I did a test a few years back running the Winchester 180 gr. power point load though a 22" barreled .308 and 22" barreled 30-06.
The .308 was a Winchester M70 with 1 in 12" twist 22"barrel and the 30-06 was on a commercial Mauser, JC Higgins M50 with 22" barrel and 1 in 10" twist.
Interesting thing was the .308 was about 20 to 30 FPS faster than the 30-06.
Data for bullets heavier that 180 gr. for the .308 is a bit scarce. I do have one of the earlier One book/One Caliber load manuals for the .308 Win. that has data for 200 and 220 gr. bullets. For spits and gring, data was by Winchester and powders were W748 and W760. I didn't bother with W748 as I felt it was a little too fast burning ffor a 220 gr. bullet. I did work up the W760 load and reached a velocity a little over 2300 FPS. The 30-06 is advertised to run a 220 gr. bullet at about 2400 FPS.
Data for W760 is as follows.
Start: 42.0 gr./ 2177 FPS/ 42,000 C.U.P.
Max: 44.0 gr./ 2295 FPS/ 46,900 C.U.P.
For W748 for comparison.
Start: 36.0 gr./ 2111 FPS/ 45,000 C.U.P.
Max: 38.0 gr./ 2232 FPS/ 49,900 C.U.P.
Looking at the pressure data, it seems like the max charge for the 220 gr. bullet could easily reach or surpass the 30-06 without too many pressure pains.
Unfortunately, health issues prevent me from working further on this issue. I can only add that this was done mid summer here in Southern Arizona and mid day temps were already 100 degrees or slightly higher.
Paul B.