HELP! Good all around large game caliber?

[nw.style]

I have owned and shot a 300 Weatherby since I was 16 (1982) with regular off the shelf Weatherby ammo. I have killed many large game animals in many states with my 300 Wby BUT my son wants to hunt elk with me this year. I know you can kill an elk with any caliber but I've haven't shot anything WITH another caliber. I don't really need to hear the story of how your g-pa shot an elephant with an air rifle. I have never had to track a wounded animal with the 300 and don't really want to. No, I don't shoot 1000 yards or animals on a dead run. My 300 is from 1982 and it was good then but what is good now? Long and short range with knockdown power. Now there are too many different calibers and guns. I know, opinions are like ______ BUT I really want to know what do you think? Thanks, Jason

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[deadeye]

Well to keep it cheaper than the weatherby on ammo and rifle cost get a 300 win mag from Savage.

 

[CamoDeafie]

I think Oregon's minimum caliber for elk is 0.24"? I know many old hunters used the venerable .30-06 for elk... then there's the .35+ rifle cartridges... like .35 Whelen, .35 Remington, and quite a few others I undoubtedly am missing

 

[The Heretic]

If a .30 caliber was good then, it is still good now. Elk have not changed. A .30 magnum is plenty.

You didn't want to hear about air rifles and elephants, but my father took many elk with a .30-06 and my maternal grandfather took elk, bear and deer with a .30-30

But get whatever suits your fancy and style.

 

[Horatius]

my vote is .300 win mag. plenty of gun for any shot one should take, ammo is cheaper and more available(usually). I've hunted elk with mostly a 300 Weatherby and love it but the ballistics on it don't justify the more costly ammo for a strictly meat gitter. the 06 is also a proven round for killing elk and wont destroy a 1/4 of the animal if hit in the shoulder. one thing this crowd has is opinions

 

[Dozer99]

Best all around North America Game Cartridge in my opinion would be- 30-06. Deer, Elk, Bear, Moose, Antelope, Wild Boar have all been harvested with a 30-06's in our family. It may not be the best or the newest, but after all these years the 30-06 is still standing strong.

 

[Knute]

30-06 vote too…easy enough for a younger shooter to practice with and handle, somewhat cheaper then magnum rounds, and lots of "light" 150gr. '06 ammo out there to choose from.

 

[mhayd93]

I will echo what has already been said: 300 Winchester Magnum will serve you well!

 

[Lennie]

my maternal grandfather took elk, bear and deer with a .30-30

Teddy Roosevelt wrote his sister, after acquiring a model 94, bragging about it's flat shooting trajectory and how well the 30 WCF performed. This was after his years of hunting with a Winchester 1886.

Newer and faster isn't always better.

 

[Member 53328]

.300WM.

 

[North Plains]

They all work. Just use a good bullet.

 

[Demonian]

How old is your son? Experienced shooter or novice? Recoil sensitive?

Elk, with proper shot placement, aren't all that difficult to bring down. Sure they are big, tough animals, but a hunting bullet in the heart/lungs will do the trick just like any other animal.

While 300 Win. Mag. might be proven and reliable as well as my first suggestion, it may not suit his abilities. A .308 or even 7mm-08 will kill an elk just as dead, if you keep the distances within reason, and put the bullet where it will be most effective.

If you are looking at magnum cartridges for him, I would suggest reading about the 300PRC. It's basically what the 300 Win. Mag. would have been had it been designed today, rather than in the 1960's. Ammo availability isn't the same, but the cost of the ammo is similar.

 

[Ura-Ki]

.30/06, history has placed this one at the top of the heap, none can match it's record, none even come close!
Want faster, 7MM Mag, wanna hit hard, .338 Win Mag!





Notice how any improvement requires a Magnum? Yea, no thanks!

 

[3006shooter]

They all work. Just use a good bullet.

And know where to put it.

As far as my opinion about caliber to consider, do I really need to say it?

 

[Member 34319]

308, 30-06, 35 rem, 45-70

 

[Certaindeaf]

I have owned and shot a 300 Weatherby since I was 16 (1982) with regular off the shelf Weatherby ammo. I have killed many large game animals in many states with my 300 Wby BUT my son wants to hunt elk with me this year. I know you can kill an elk with any caliber but I've haven't shot anything WITH another caliber. I don't really need to hear the story of how your g-pa shot an elephant with an air rifle. I have never had to track a wounded animal with the 300 and don't really want to. No, I don't shoot 1000 yards or animals on a dead run. My 300 is from 1982 and it was good then but what is good now? Long and short range with knockdown power. Now there are too many different calibers and guns. I know, opinions are like ______ BUT I really want to know what do you think? Thanks, Jason

Is your son a 12 year old 80 pounder? Get a .338 Lapua in case you see an elk at 1200.
What was the question?

 

[osprey]

What is your son's age and stature, also what is his shooting experience. There are many great cartridges suited for the mission but finding one that fits the shooter is key.

 

[s1xty7]

My opinion is if you already have and shoot a 300 Weatherby without issue, it would seem like getting another rifle chambered as such would allow for sharing of ammunition, shared round performance experience, etc.

Secondarily, the .30/06 is like the Chevy truck of calibers. There may be some back and forth comparisons with other calibers, but nobody is ever going to say you went wrong with a .30/06 for hunting.

Personally, I chose .270 over .30/06 because of the flatter trajectory if I ever decide to go hunting, but I have no actual hunting experience so cannot attest to the caliber's true benefits compared to the .30/06. There are a lot of others that have experience hunting though that will back up the .270. But again, no one would say you went wrong with the .30/06 in those debates.

Whatever choice you make, great to hear about a father and son getting outdoors and bonding.

 

[JRuby]

I have heard that a 270 work's, my limited opinion is 30-06 and up. I personally plan to use a 300H&H to hunt elk with this year using 180G nosler partitions. My 35 Whelen or 338-06 may be my backup. Dont wait till August to get used to it. Taking a new rifle hunting with out range time is kind of like taking a new pair of boots you haven't broke in.

 

[bbbass]

Personally, I chose .270 over .30/06 because of the flatter trajectory if I ever decide to go hunting, but I have no actual hunting experience so cannot attest to the caliber's true benefits compared to the .30/06. There are a lot of others that have experience hunting though that will back up the .270. But again, no one would say you went wrong with the .30/06 in those debates.

.270 has taken every big game and medium sized game in the world, including elephant. I don't shoot one, but can't say I wouldn't.