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There are many calibers that will fit your deer -AND- elk requirements and the caliber doesn't matter as long as the bullet delivers the appropriate energy and performance to the intended target. If you want -ONE- caliber to hunt both deer and elk then the bigger animal of the two determines the energy needed. Any elk caliber will take a deer, but not necessarily the other way around. Also, an elk caliber does not necessarily mean it will destroy a deer, for each caliber you can buy heavier or lighter bullets that can do the job cleanly on both.

When selecting a big game cartridge you want to compare the calibers sectional density not its bullet size (caliber) or weight (grains).

For elk you want to select a caliber that offers a good range of bullet choices with a sectional density of .270 (not the caliber) or more and a caliber that delivers that bullet at sufficient velocity to deliver that energy. Your looking for a caliber no less than 6.5mm, but a good middle ground choice is better than the low end where limited bullet selection due to the smaller size. Look for .270 Winchester, 7mm Remington Mag, 30-06... any of those 3 are excellent all around deer/elk calibers and ammo is readily available. You can go bigger if you want but there's no need.
With those calibers if you choose a load closer to the lighter end you'll have a good all around compromise with deer size game, one rifle, one ammo, one zero.




but i'm not sure where my tolerance is with a rifle. it would probably be good for me to start with a rifle on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of recoil. i can afford two rifles if that is what's best.
recoil is not an issue,... your hunting elk, man up. Your not target shooting all day with a hunting rifle. if you can handle a 12g your fine.
Haha...i am a little confused. i know Elk are much bigger than deer, so i was not sure if it is ideal to have different rifles if one can afford two separate rifles or if one rifle is just fine. i'm not sure if the grain and ballistics necessary for an Elk would destroy too much of the meat for a deer. But it sounds like a .308 works for both
IMO its ideal to have only 1 rifle that you use the most than two. Hunting ammo is expensive and its a lot of work to zero and get to know your calibers range and your skills.
One clarifying question - when you say eastern vs. western deer, is that a reference to the size of the deer, the terrain and typical distance from the deer, or both?
They are just different sub species. Western deer are way more elusive though.
 
Of the cartridges you mentioned,

6.5 Creedmoor is a target cartridge, too small to be ideal for elk.

300 Win Mag is an excellent elk cartridgeIt is too much for deer (I have taken a couple mule deer with it). It is also a poor choice for recoil sensitive shooters.

30-06 is the best all around. You can get 150 gr loads for deer or step up to 180 gr loads for elk. Many poo poo it because it is boringly common.

.223…yeah no. There is a reason some states ban small calibers. You need to step up to a good hunting bullet and should stick with smaller size animals with it. Shot placement is too critical with it and beyond the skill of the average hunter.

The problem with every cartridge is the marksmanship of the shooter. Buy what you can afford to practice with and shoot it out to the distances you intend to hunt at. Don't shoot a game animal further than you can keep the on a paper plate.
 
My questions would be;
1, Do you. or will you handload your ammo?
2, Will you need a rifle(s)/caliber(s) suitable for both long and short ranges.
If using only factory ammo your choices are more limited than if you're loading your own.
Your recoil tolerance will play a factor.
 
Thanks for the info! I do not have experience with a rifle, so i would definitely need a rifle that is good for a complete novice! I've shot a 9mm handgun and carbine and a 12 guage shotgun and did not mind the recoil, but i'm not sure where my tolerance is with a rifle. it would probably be good for me to start with a rifle on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of recoil. i can afford two rifles if that is what's best.
Bolt action rifles IMO are best for novice shooters/hunters. And IMO tend to be more accurate than MOST AR platform rifles. Accuracy is a must for bullet placement and for longer distances when hunting eastside.

If you handled the recoil of high base Express, or even Magnum, hunting loads in 12ga shotgun, then you have felt enough recoil to be comparable to a standard big game rifle cartridge. If only experienced target loads in 12ga, then not so much. You should see if you can shoot a few diff cal rifles so that you know what you can do. Not everybody is recoil sensitive, but as a beginner, if you go with a 300 Weatherby out to the range, shoot 20-50 rounds, and develop a flinch when pulling the trigger, that will not be good for your hunting.

I LIKE two rifles, one for deer and one for elk, but I don't NEED two rifles. I once owned a larger cal rifle for elk hunting for the knockdown power, and a smaller cal rifle for deer for pleasure to shoot and ease of carry. In fact, I owned at least 10 diff cal rifles because I liked shooting. But today, ammo is spendy so if I was just starting out, I'd probably go with one that would have two diff bullet choices and call it good. After my divorce forced me to sell all my rifles to pay for lawyers, I choose the .308 as the one rifle I would own because I wanted a shorter action cal that would be lighter to carry than a long bolt cal. A .30-06 has a long bolt, is slightly heavier, is slightly more powerful, and has taken many elk.

Either .308 or .30-06 would be ideal for both size game, in my opinion. As mentioned, one can find factory ammo in 180gr for elk, and in 150gr for deer. Although you can still shoot 180 for deer but I don't recommend 150 for elk in those cartridges.

Eastside vs westside.... hunting is more open on the eastside and a flatter shooting cartridge is beneficial. But beginners should keep their shots at game under 400yds anyway and the drop for both the above cartridges is manageable at those ranges. One can get rounder 180gr 30cal loads that will not tend to deflect off branches as much when hunting the denser woods.

Westside deer species are smaller, eastside has Mule Deer, larger, and IDAHO muleys are larger yet.
 
Bolt action rifles IMO are best for novice shooters/hunters. And IMO tend to be more accurate than MOST AR platform rifles. Accuracy is a must for bullet placement and for longer distances when hunting eastside.

If you handled the recoil of high base Express, or even Magnum, hunting loads in 12ga shotgun, then you have felt enough recoil to be comparable to a standard big game rifle cartridge. If only experienced target loads in 12ga, then not so much. You should see if you can shoot a few diff cal rifles so that you know what you can do. Not everybody is recoil sensitive, but as a beginner, if you go with a 300 Weatherby out to the range, shoot 20-50 rounds, and develop a flinch when pulling the trigger, that will not be good for your hunting.

I LIKE two rifles, one for deer and one for elk, but I don't NEED two rifles. I once owned a larger cal rifle for elk hunting for the knockdown power, and a smaller cal rifle for deer for pleasure to shoot and ease of carry. In fact, I owned at least 10 diff cal rifles because I liked shooting. But today, ammo is spendy so if I was just starting out, I'd probably go with one that would have two diff bullet choices and call it good. After my divorce forced me to sell all my rifles to pay for lawyers, I choose the .308 as the one rifle I would own because I wanted a shorter action cal that would be lighter to carry than a long bolt cal. A .30-06 has a long bolt, is slightly heavier, is slightly more powerful, and has taken many elk.

Either .308 or .30-06 would be ideal for both size game, in my opinion. As mentioned, one can find factory ammo in 180gr for elk, and in 150gr for deer. Although you can still shoot 180 for deer but not 150 for elk in those cartridges.

Eastside vs westside.... hunting is more open on the eastside and a flatter shooting cartridge is beneficial. But beginners should keep their shots at game under 400yds anyway and the drop for both the above cartridges is manageable at those ranges. One can get rounder 180gr 30cal loads that will not tend to deflect off branches as much when hunting the denser woods.

Westside deer species are smaller, eastside has Mule Deer, larger, and IDAHO muleys are larger yet.
Years ago I complained at gunshop my rifles was too heavy. Gunsmith says "lose ten pounds fat boy and you can carry a heavy rifle in the place of the 10 pounds" :s0093: insulting at first but he was right.:D
 
Years ago I complained at gunshop my rifles was too heavy. Gunsmith says "lose ten pounds fat boy and you can carry a heavy rifle in the place of the 10 pounds" :s0093: insulting at first but he was right.:D
I could carry a heavier rifle, but I didn't LIKE to...

Moving about and climbing mountains while hunting should be a pleasant experience, not that of a Nepalese mountain guide. ;)
 
Whatever rifle/cartridge you get, know your drop table exquisitely, and practice practice practice, at the range before ever pulling the trigger on a game animal.... I can't say this LOUDLY enough!!!

And practice shooting from all positions, esp standing, sitting, and kneeling. Prone, not so much, I've never take a shot from prone in the woods. But I have shot offhand while standing, and while sitting on a hillside, and having dropped quickly to one knee just before a deer came out of a gully, so as to obscure my human profile. The only bench rest type shot I took was while sitting behind a big pine log. You can also get hunting sticks or a stick, to steady the rifle while standing.
 
30-06 is the best all around. You can get 150 gr loads for deer or step up to 180 gr loads for elk. Many poo poo it because it is boringly common.
yup, its boringly common but has probably the single best reputation for taking deer and elk.
Hornady has many loads for it advertized for both, but Id probably stick to the 180gr loads and call it good for deer or elk.
 
Most any mid-range modern cartridge and above will fit your needs. More important is bullet selection and experience with chosen rifle. I would recommend a 30.06, 308, 7mm-08 and 270 as they are more economical to shoot and therefore practice more with. Practice of various shooting positions and situations is far more important in my opinion than any one specific caliber, rifle brand, etc....

Make sure you are honest with yourself about recoil and your sensitivity to it. I love recoil and seek out the larger magnum calibers. My primary hunting rifle for antelope to elk is a Winchester model 70 in 375H&H and my goal is to shoot out the barrel from practice and a much lesser extent hunting before I am to old to still enjoy the recoil. I look forward to the cost of a new barrel and gunsmith bill if I accomplish my goal because it will have meant a lifetime of great memories with a cherished tool.
 
Thanks for all of the great info!
Bolt action rifles IMO are best for novice shooters/hunters. And IMO tend to be more accurate than MOST AR platform rifles. Accuracy is a must for bullet placement and for longer distances when hunting eastside.

If you handled the recoil of high base Express, or even Magnum, hunting loads in 12ga shotgun, then you have felt enough recoil to be comparable to a standard big game rifle cartridge. If only experienced target loads in 12ga, then not so much. You should see if you can shoot a few diff cal rifles so that you know what you can do. Not everybody is recoil sensitive, but as a beginner, if you go with a 300 Weatherby out to the range, shoot 20-50 rounds, and develop a flinch when pulling the trigger, that will not be good for your hunting.

I LIKE two rifles, one for deer and one for elk, but I don't NEED two rifles. I once owned a larger cal rifle for elk hunting for the knockdown power, and a smaller cal rifle for deer for pleasure to shoot and ease of carry. In fact, I owned at least 10 diff cal rifles because I liked shooting. But today, ammo is spendy so if I was just starting out, I'd probably go with one that would have two diff bullet choices and call it good. After my divorce forced me to sell all my rifles to pay for lawyers, I choose the .308 as the one rifle I would own because I wanted a shorter action cal that would be lighter to carry than a long bolt cal. A .30-06 has a long bolt, is slightly heavier, is slightly more powerful, and has taken many elk.

Either .308 or .30-06 would be ideal for both size game, in my opinion. As mentioned, one can find factory ammo in 180gr for elk, and in 150gr for deer. Although you can still shoot 180 for deer but I don't recommend 150 for elk in those cartridges.

Eastside vs westside.... hunting is more open on the eastside and a flatter shooting cartridge is beneficial. But beginners should keep their shots at game under 400yds anyway and the drop for both the above cartridges is manageable at those ranges. One can get rounder 180gr 30cal loads that will not tend to deflect off branches as much when hunting the denser woods.

Westside deer species are smaller, eastside has Mule Deer, larger, and IDAHO muleys are larger yet.
Very helpful info; thanks!
 
I hunted with two different rifles and calibers in my younger days.

West side is really brush filled hills with tanglefoot Briars out in the woods. I used a Remington 660 in 308 as it was short and didn't catch in the jungle yet the 308 was good enough to not be deflected by brush. Light package I loved when dragging out a deer.

East side the underbrush was nothing but the shots got farther away because the deer could see you. I hunted with a Browning 270 semi auto and even though the deer are bigger and heavier it worked well if I stayed in my range.

Now days I hunt a nap, of good caliber of course. :s0093:
 
Whatever rifle/cartridge you get, know your drop table exquisitely, and practice practice practice, at the range before ever pulling the trigger on a game animal.... I can't say this LOUDLY enough!!!

And practice shooting from all positions, esp standing, sitting, and kneeling. Prone, not so much, I've never take a shot from prone in the woods. But I have shot offhand while standing, and while sitting on a hillside, and having dropped quickly to one knee just before a deer came out of a gully, so as to obscure my human profile. The only bench rest type shot I took was while sitting behind a big pine log. You can also get hunting sticks or a stick, to steady the rifle while standing.
Good point about practicing first...i hope to buy a rifle in the next month or so and put in lots of practice time before going out with an experienced hunter
 
There are many calibers that will fit your deer -AND- elk requirements and the caliber doesn't matter as long as the bullet delivers the appropriate energy and performance to the intended target. If you want -ONE- caliber to hunt both deer and elk then the bigger animal of the two determines the energy needed. Any elk caliber will take a deer, but not necessarily the other way around. Also, an elk caliber does not necessarily mean it will destroy a deer, for each caliber you can buy heavier or lighter bullets that can do the job cleanly on both.

When selecting a big game cartridge you want to compare the calibers sectional density not its bullet size (caliber) or weight (grains).

For elk you want to select a caliber that offers a good range of bullet choices with a sectional density of .270 (not the caliber) or more and a caliber that delivers that bullet at sufficient velocity to deliver that energy. Your looking for a caliber no less than 6.5mm, but a good middle ground choice is better than the low end where limited bullet selection due to the smaller size. Look for .270 Winchester, 7mm Remington Mag, 30-06... any of those 3 are excellent all around deer/elk calibers and ammo is readily available. You can go bigger if you want but there's no need.
With those calibers if you choose a load closer to the lighter end you'll have a good all around compromise with deer size game, one rifle, one ammo, one zero.





recoil is not an issue,... your hunting elk, man up. Your not target shooting all day with a hunting rifle. if you can handle a 12g your fine.

IMO its ideal to have only 1 rifle that you use the most than two. Hunting ammo is expensive and its a lot of work to zero and get to know your calibers range and your skills.

They are just different sub species. Western deer are way more elusive though.
Thanks! I didn't know about sectional density
 
Thanks! I didn't know about sectional density
I brought it up to steer you away from any smaller calibers recommendations....
The short version of your question is get a 30-06 and one and done. Though I like any of the 3 calibers I recommended above will work too. There are other calibers that fit that lineup that are good but then you get into the more hard to find ammo and right now ammo is scarce but 30-06 is common and can be found.
In fact, if you want to be able to have enough to zero and practice with, before fall hunting you might want to get a lead on whatever caliber you decide...
note, whatever loading you buy to zero with, only hunt with that. (Each load has a different zero. )

 
One clarifying question - when you say eastern vs. western deer, is that a reference to the size of the deer, the terrain and typical distance from the deer, or both?
Yes, Eastern Deer (Mule deer) are larger but not enough so that bullet size makes a difference with good shot placement and enough energy behind it to punch through hide, muscle, and bone but you will have a lot more open country so you have more opportunities for longer-range shots.

Western Deer (Black Tail) are typically smaller but I have seen some big ones. Usually found in rougher thicker cover but not uncommon to see on the far side of a clear cut in a tree line so that boils down to what another member asked about is what kind of hunter are you, the type to watch clear cuts or go into the brush. A shorter carbine is Ideal for thick brush hunting that is why I use a 6.8SPC for AR-style rifle for Western Oregon.
 
Haha...i am a little confused. i know Elk are much bigger than deer, so i was not sure if it is ideal to have different rifles if one can afford two separate rifles or if one rifle is just fine. i'm not sure if the grain and ballistics necessary for an Elk would destroy too much of the meat for a deer. But it sounds like a .308 works for both 👍
I've killed both with my .308. Elk are big and tough but can be killed efficiently with a well placed 180 gr slug. I personally would recommend a 30-06, 150 grain bullets of good quality for deer and 180 gr for elk. wasted meat is just bad shot placement so practice shooting uphill and down hill as well as offhand kneeling and prone. I pick the 30-06 as recoil is light compared to 300mags and the ballistics and knockdown are good.
 
I've killed both with my .308. Elk are big and tough but can be killed efficiently with a well placed 180 gr slug. I personally would recommend a 30-06, 150 grain bullets of good quality for deer and 180 gr for elk. wasted meat is just bad shot placement so practice shooting uphill and down hill as well as offhand kneeling and prone. I pick the 30-06 as recoil is light compared to 300mags and the ballistics and knockdown are good.
What he said 👍to use a lighter bullet for deer. It's kind of fascinating how a bullet design in the same weight can have different effects or how much difference that 70grains makes on performance. Visually speaking from gutting, skinning, and processing the meat on mine and watching others from my party. It kind of also goes to show how certain bullet designs are more accurate out of certain rifles even though they are visually the same for the most part. I had 2 different Browning BARs that were hard to get a tight group with 180 core Locks but impressively grouped with 180 partitions. The partitions also seemed to do a lot more damage, granted there are different variables to each harvest.
 
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Fear the man that only owns one rifle, to be that man it takes practice, lots and lots of practice. Not just bench rest practice but real world practice. Go walk about and pick a white rock on a hillside and guess how far it is then use your range finder to see how close you are. Without firing a shot practice sighting and aiming at the rock from various real world positions. Figure out how to get the rifle up to your shoulder safely and quietly all while looking at the white rock. Wash rinse and repeat at different ranges, terrain, and targets. I've had lots of rifles over the years and will most likely have more in the future, but right now I have a Savage bolt gun in .270 win. for a hunting rifle. I'd say a 30.06 would be a good choice as well. One thing about common calibers is the ammo is available most anywhere and finding the latest gee-whiz ammo might not easy to find in the way out back.
 

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