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.358 Winchester w/250 gr. bullet, in a Browning BLR.
.308 is a excellent all around cartridge, 7mm-08 is a great choice for handloaders, but I agree with the .358. It is, IMO, distance limited, but there are some nice 35 cal bullets available. And a bonus, throughout the last 1 1/2 years of ammo shortages, 200gr cartridges never went out of stock, and the price only rose a couple of dollars a box at my suppliers.
 
.308 is a excellent all around cartridge, 7mm-08 is a great choice for handloaders, but I agree with the .358. It is, IMO, distance limited, but there are some nice 35 cal bullets available. And a bonus, throughout the last 1 1/2 years of ammo shortages, 200gr cartridges never went out of stock, and the price only rose a couple of dollars a box at my suppliers.
The .35's have been brought up a few time in this, I've always like the .338's....338 Federal, .338-06 & .338 WM.
 
The .35's have been brought up a few time in this, I've always like the .338's....338 Federal, .338-06 & .338 WM.
One of my elk camp buddies shot a .338WM with a muzzle break on it... we always knew when he was shooting because it sounded like a cannon!! But his kills were one and done. We called him "Elk Killer".
 
The 7mm-08 punches waaaay above its weight.

I've killed 14 elk and not one of them would have been killed less if I had used a 7mm-08 instead of a different cartridge. Easy to shoot means easier to shoot well, I believe.
 
The 7mm-08 punches waaaay above its weight.

I've killed 14 elk and not one of them would have been killed less if I had used a 7mm-08 instead of a different cartridge. Easy to shoot means easier to shoot well, I believe.
I'm a big fan of the 7x57 Mauser and there is certainly a lot of hunting lore about the chambering. Karamojo Bell and all that crap.

But, anything the 7x57 Mauser can do, the 7mm-08 can do in a shorter action with more consistent chamber specs and brass. I've never owned a fussy one while all four 7x57s have been all over the map.
 
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.
Bullets are available for the .30-06 from 110 grains to 220 grains. That makes it very versatile.
 
If you're good (ie, not a 2nd LT) you can call for fire and have your elk cooked before you pack it out.
Where we hunted deer when I was a teenager was in the high Sierras, where a buck might be 400 yards away as the crow flies, but an all day hike/climb down one mountain and up the next on foot. We used to joke about putting salt in our hollow points in order to preserve the meat until we got there.
 
Where we hunted deer when I was a teenager was in the high Sierras, where a buck might be 400 yards away as the crow flies, but an all day hike/climb down one mountain and up the next on foot. We used to joke about putting salt in our hollow points in order to preserve the meat until we got there.
I grew up hunting SW Oregon's coast range, lot of time wondering what the hell am doing in these rock bluffs, and hoping I didn't hunt the next 300' in 5 seconds.
 
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
Not much better than a 300WTHBY, why not have him use it. I have shot a few with one. I can give lots of answers. Unless he is young and you are worried about recoil i would have him use it. My first elk was with a 300WM when I was young. I have since since moved on to different calibers. If he is recoil sensitive then lots of calibers will work as long as you are aware of ability or lack there of.

I am bullish on recoil. But I prefer really dead critters. So I may not be the best person to ask.
 
Well to keep it cheaper than the weatherby on ammo and rifle cost get a 300 win mag from Savage.
Like trading a Rolls Royce for a yugo. Rather have a gun that will handle 200,000 cup (weatherby) than one only rated for 90,000 cup (everything else, pretty much,). Roy Weatherby tried to blow up a mk v in 300 wby by pushing a 300 bullet into the bore ahead of the chamber, then chambered a 300 round loaded to beyond spec. Both bullets were pushed out with no discernable damage to the gun at all. Both bullets hit the target.

You get what you pay for.

There are all kinds of loads for the 300 wby, factory and handloads. The most versatile and popular cartridge weatherby ever made.

Just refinished the stock on mine, next it's going out for magnaporting. (I am getting old). It's German made by J.P. Sauer. Circa 1961. Mk V Deluxe 24" barrel.

couple of pictures
20210728_073356.jpg 20210728_073242.jpg spec

edited after fact checking my statements and fixing my errors
 
Last Edited:
Like trading a Rolls Royce for a yugo. Rather have a gun that will handle 200,000 cup (weatherby) than one only rated for 90,000 cup (everything else, pretty much,). Roy Weatherby tried to blow up a mk v in 300 wby by pushing a 300 bullet into the bore ahead of the chamber, then chambered a 300 round loaded to beyond spec. Both bullets were pushed out with no discernable damage to the gun at all. Both bullets hit the target.

You get what you pay for.

There are all kinds of loads for the 300 wby, factory and handloads. The most versatile and popular cartridge weatherby ever made.

Just refinished the stock on mine, next it's going out for magnaporting. (I am getting old). It's German made by J.P. Sauer. Circa 1961. Mk V Deluxe 24" barrel.

couple of pictures
View attachment 1000754View attachment 1000755spec

edited after fact checking my statements and fixing my errors
E11A1702-AFD3-4E29-AEA6-F05F3243BA8D.jpeg
 
Not much better than a 300WTHBY, why not have him use it. I have shot a few with one. I can give lots of answers. Unless he is young and you are worried about recoil i would have him use it. My first elk was with a 300WM when I was young. I have since since moved on to different calibers. If he is recoil sensitive then lots of calibers will work as long as you are aware of ability or lack there of.

I am bullish on recoil. But I prefer really dead critters. So I may not be the best person to ask.
I've killed a few bulls with the 300 Wby Mag and 180 Partitions, including the one on the left.

24302E6A-ED97-4FE0-9E23-0833DDE1FE55.jpeg

Broadside around 100 yards, zipzip through and through. All he did was turn his head and start walking. Meanwhile the one on the right, by my brother, was dead on the ground from a high shoulder shot from my brother's.30-06 and a 180 Core-Lokt. My bull took a second shot, his didn't need one.

This bull died amazingly quickly from a single 140 grain Partition from a 7mm-08.

32D3A8F6-221E-4D6C-8527-FE79125F7C7E.jpeg

My point is, placement trumps velocity. Sometimes an extra 300 fps just gets you a louder noise when the bullet hits the ground on the other side of the animal.

This was another 300 Wby Mag, 180 Partition.

F556A639-A863-4D90-9031-E29529DAE6AB.jpeg

Interesting, he was also the farthest any bull ran after the shot. I had to track him, no blood, no tracks, over 100 yards in the thick of the Oregon Cascades. Truth be told I was lucky to find him. Big bodied SOB.
 
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
I am not recoil sensitive to many cartridges except for the 30-06, but even I know this round is phenomenal in getting life dead. I own (and have for sell) a 300 WBY and I can shoot it better than the 30-06s' I owned. I have gone hunting for elk with 270 Win and 300 WM but I trust my abilities fully with the 6.5 Swede and that is what I will use this season.

Now, all I need is for @pharmseller to show me the ropes, he seems to have killed more elk than I have seen.;) I will settle for the cows, no place to store the antlers.
 

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