Best deer/elk rifle?

[charliesnyder]

Going to be hunting for the first time this year. I'm experienced with weapons and have done all the classes...


Now the fun part, finding a rifle. Is there such thing as the "perfect" rifle caliber to hunt with? What do you guys use? What works for you?


Discuss :corn:

 

[messix]

30.06 does it all pretty good.

 

[FastEddy]

.270 for the win! flat shooting fast bullet, i like mine better than my .300

 

[ain'tstuckjustresting]

You hunt Elk w/ a .270?

I love my 30.06 but there are better rounds now.

 

[pokey]

For deer and bear, In the woods where visibility is limited I like my lever action 30-30 with open sights. When hunting in more open areas I use a 270 with a 3-9 variable scope.

 

[starkinthedark]

i know its a little over kill, but i use a 7mm rem mag for everything you should see what it does to those poor animals!:haha:

 

[zukkev]

.270 or 30.06--- I'm partial to my .270 with a 2-10x42 Weaver scope, as it is lighter than my 30.06 when humpin the brush:redneck:...either one will definitely get the job done. :awesomework: you said it, there is no perfect round....:;

 

[FastEddy]

I hunt Elk with a bow now, and shot my first cow with a .270 dropped in its tracks. killed bears with a .308

 

[charliesnyder]

Awesome! Thanks for the info guys! Keep up the discussion! Can't wait to get out next season.

 

[FastEddy]

.300 or a 7 mag will put the hurt on anything! make deer do backflips and crack coyotes in half! :cheer: i want me a lever action 45-70 govt:awesomework:

 

[TreeClimber]

1 gun only? 30.06.

Multiple guns? Use a .243 or a .270 for smaller game & a 300 Win Mag for bigger game.

My guns? Use a .243 for deer. Use a 300 Win Mag for elk. Use a 375 H&H for caribou & elk.

My thoughts? You need KNOCK DOWN power for most hunting in Washington. Primarily due to one overriding factor. Too many hunters. If you shoot (and kill) an animal with a small caliber, that animal will likely run a few hundred yards, perhaps a 1/4 mile before it lays down to die. During that run, the CRACK of your rifle will awaken all the other hunters (because the report is so near) and one of those hunters will put another round in your (nearly dead) critter. That hunter will tag your animal. So you better have a rifle with knock down power, to drop that animal in it's tracks. And that takes weight. A .270 simply doesn't have enough bullet weight to drop a big game critter. Oh yeah, it'll kill one just fine, but you'll have to track it for a while. I think the minimum bullet diameter for a big game critter is .308 (30.06). But getting a smaller bullet is tough to find on the big cartridges, so the ought-six is a great, all-around gun.

 

[FastEddy]

1 gun only? 30.06.

Multiple guns? Use a .243 or a .270 for smaller game & a 300 Win Mag for bigger game.

My guns? Use a .243 for deer. Use a 300 Win Mag for elk. Use a 375 H&H for caribou & elk.

My thoughts? You need KNOCK DOWN power for most hunting in Washington. Primarily due to one overriding factor. Too many hunters. If you shoot (and kill) an animal with a small caliber, that animal will likely run a few hundred yards, perhaps a 1/4 mile before it lays down to die. During that run, the CRACK of your rifle will awaken all the other hunters (because the report is so near) and one of those hunters will put another round in your (nearly dead) critter. That hunter will tag your animal. So you better have a rifle with knock down power, to drop that animal in it's tracks. And that takes weight. A .270 simply doesn't have enough bullet weight to drop a big game critter. Oh yeah, it'll kill one just fine, but you'll have to track it for a while. I think the minimum bullet diameter for a big game critter is .308 (30.06). But getting a smaller bullet is tough to find on the big cartridges, so the ought-six is a great, all-around gun.

where are you hunting?? sounds like it sucks i am never that close to people or to deep in the brush. Shoot em in the dome problem solved! could kill an elk with a deuce deuce:awesomework:

 

[whatthe?]

The best gun is the one you shoot well. I'm not a big fan of recoil, I use a .243, .270 or '06. A friend likes the .45-70, .300's or bigger if he could get his hands on it. Barrow some guns and find one you can put 20 rounds through with out starting to flinch. When hunting you won't feel the recoil but sighting in is where flinching develops.

 

[DRobinson]

I have hunted deer around the wet side of the state for years with a 243 never had one run off. However I have changed my ways for no reason other than the 243 is quite old now and I don't want to trash it anymore because its been passed down. I now use a 300 WSM for around here mainly because it has a 24inch barrel its light and easy to maneuver in thick brush. When I hunt on the east side or out of state I use my 7mm ultra mag so I can reach out and touch something. Not that the 300 won't do long range its just the short barrel and it has a clip so its to restricted to load the type of bullets I use to shoot long range.

Like mentioned earlier if you are not comfortable shooting the gun it won't do you any good to have a large caliber magnum.

Also any idea on the brand of gun your looking for?

 

[charliesnyder]

I have hunted deer around the wet side of the state for years with a 243 never had one run off. However I have changed my ways for no reason other than the 243 is quite old now and I don't want to trash it anymore because its been passed down. I now use a 300 WSM for around here mainly because it has a 24inch barrel its light and easy to maneuver in thick brush. When I hunt on the east side or out of state I use my 7mm ultra mag so I can reach out and touch something. Not that the 300 won't do long range its just the short barrel and it has a clip so its to restricted to load the type of bullets I use to shoot long range.

Like mentioned earlier if you are not comfortable shooting the gun it won't do you any good to have a large caliber magnum.

Also any idea on the brand of gun your looking for?

Not really decided on brand yet. All my brothers hunt, I've been shooting since I was 10 and have shot some BIG rifles before.

The recoil isn't too much of a worry for me. I am a smaller framed guy but I think I handle rifles fairly well.

And yes to answer an earlier question. I'm limited to one gun... Finances don't allow multiple gun purchases and/or time/money to make them ready(i.e. ammunition, scopes, or range time at that!)....

 

[monstaru]

we have always used 308's.a lighter load for deer, and a heavy load for elk.never had one walk off unless it was a bad shot ,of course there was a throat shot once and thhat sonofa bitch ran 2 miles with no esophogus, but that was a big deer.....elk always dropped for my father in law.he is a killer ****in shot ......cheers, b

 

[Jeepasaurusrex]

I shoot a Howa 1500 chambered in .270 Winchester. Between my Dad and I we have dropped everything from Elk, Deer, Bear, Grouse (poof!) you name it with the .270. Its all about shot placement. The .270 is a very accurate round and you can put the shot where you need it. The problem with guns like the 30-06 is that at longer ranges the bullet will drop faster than the .270. For example, for me to hit dead on at 500yds with my .270, I am shooting 2" high at 100yds. A 30-06 is almost 5" high at 100yds to hit the same point. I'm not knocking the 30-06, its a great round. I killed my first deer with one. But if I had a choice, I would go with a .270. The 30-06 would be my second followed by the .300 Win Mag.

Note the neck shot. That was the only shot I had at him. The range was 110yds.

 

[charliesnyder]

Good lookin buck!

 

[chainsaw]

Well you guys sound alot better then some of the knuckle heads I knew in Texas who were shooting 120# whitetails with '06s and .300 mags. Like said before. An '06 will kill anything in northern america if you have time. Ive always liked a 270 cause they shoot flat.

 

[whatthe?]

I shoot a Howa 1500 chambered in .270 Winchester. Between my Dad and I we have dropped everything from Elk, Deer, Bear, Grouse (poof!) you name it with the .270. Its all about shot placement. The .270 is a very accurate round and you can put the shot where you need it. The problem with guns like the 30-06 is that at longer ranges the bullet will drop faster than the .270. For example, for me to hit dead on at 500yds with my .270, I am shooting 2" high at 100yds. A 30-06 is almost 5" high at 100yds to hit the same point. I'm not knocking the 30-06, its a great round. I killed my first deer with one. But if I had a choice, I would go with a .270. The 30-06 would be my second followed by the .300 Win Mag.

Note the neck shot. That was the only shot I had at him. The range was 110yds.

Not to high jack a thread but a .270 drops a lot more than 2 inches at 500 yards, we're talking feet at that distance. Any ballistic chart will show that. Any "normal" hunting round starts to lose a lot of energy around 350 yards. Sure a .270 will kill a deer at 500+ yards but you better know down to a couple of yards the distance. You won't be able to hold dead on if you're sighted in 2" high at 100. Nice deer, good shot. A .270 is what I used for deer/elk for years.