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My personal preference is the .270. I have killed all my best harvests with it. We load 140 gr. AccuBonds over 54 gr RL-19. Zero at 200. Furthest kill was at 280 yds. All have been clean one-shot kills. Husband and son cling to their .30-06's. 180 gr bullets with either 4350 or Ramshot Hunter.

I kilt a good bull years ago with a .30-06, 180 gr Partition over 59.0 gr Hunter. Max load, safe in my rifle, etc. He didn't stay upright long.




P
 
That's what she said.


Sorry, couldn't resist. My son is at orientation at Oregon, he's staying overnight in the dorms, I'm in a mood.

Where did my little boy go?





P

I got laid at my orientation session at WSU. Two years later, I became an orientation counselor and got laid every session that summer. College was awesome.
 
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Another solution to the 30 06 issue is that I read of a hunter that used 200 grain Nosler Partition rounds finding excellent results. I think most hunters use 180 grain but this hunter swore by the 200 grain rounds. I know of another hunter that for years used 220 grain Winchester Silvertips on the close encounter Coast Range with great results. I had a preference many years ago for 180 grain Sierra GameKing Boat Tail bullets because of the excellent trajectory. Most of my hunting was in the Blue Mountains where some long distance shooting was a frequent event. +
I've been hunting private land in the White River unit for almost 20 years. My .30-06 with 180 gr is still my first choice. I've had shots from 75 yards to 300 yards. Nine bucks for 15 tags (missed a couple years due to not drawing tags or illness). Here's a few shots of the terrain: WapinitaCanyon-deerspot.jpg
Looking down into the canyon.

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1/4 mile across and 500 feet deep.

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100 yds into the wheat field from the canyon rim.

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From the ranch house at sundown. There are three deer in this photo.

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Scrub juniper and lava flows. Mt. Hood in the background.

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View from a lava dome. The ranch house is a mile or so toward the horizon.

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Moonrise over the high ridges near Tygh Valley.

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The camo coat strung over a small juniper marks where I've dragged my buck to for loading up at the edge of the wheat field.

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Fallow wheat field. Good 270 degree view for a couple hundred yards.

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Looking back from the edge of the canyon toward Mt. Hood.

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Lots of deer in this canyon. The trick is finding them.

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Campsite within the WRWMA.

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Sundown on the high ridges in the WRWMA.

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More campsites.

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Mt. Hood in the background.

WapinitaCanyon-deershot2.jpg
Lava and scrub juniper. Deer country.
 
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I've been hunting private land in the White River unit for almost 20 years. My .30-06 with 180 gr is still my first choice. I've had shots from 75 yards to 300 yards. Nine bucks for 15 tags (missed a couple years due to not drawing tags or illness). Here's a few shots of the terrain:View attachment 603027View attachment 603011View attachment 603012View attachment 603013View attachment 603014View attachment 603015View attachment 603015View attachment 603025View attachment 603018View attachment 603016View attachment 603017View attachment 603019View attachment 603021View attachment 603024

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Nice pics! Looks like an A-Bolt.
 
Nice pics! Looks like an A-Bolt.
I use a S&W (Howa made) 1500 in .30-06 with a Hogue pillar based synthetic stock with full length aluminum backbone. 180 gr. does just fine for all shots. That deer was last year's buck. Not too impressive but tasty. Here's a better shot of the rifle with the original wood stock from 2 years ago.

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ZiG Zag: What power scope are you using? Thanks.
I recently mounted a Vortex Viper 6.5-20x44. Previously I used a Viper 6-20x50. Switching to the 44 allowed me to lower the scope significantly toward the bore, which helped with cheek weld and sighting consistency. The 50mm required medium mounts, which put the scope high above the bore. With the 44mm I was able to get about .100" clearance between scope and barrel with low mounts, whereas with the 50mm it was more like .375".

Using a basically 6-20x scope in this terrain has worked out well. I have missed only two shots out of the 11 deer I've shot at, one a running shot at 100 yds, the other a standing shot at 300 yds. 6x works well for 100 yds and 20x is enough for any long shot I would take.
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Yes, but not as much penetration - especially with heavy bone or muscle.

I was thinking more along the lines that most people don't think that .308 or .30-06 are overkill for elk at short distances (say, 10 yards), and that at some distance (say 250 yards) the .300 win mag has the same velocity with the same weight bullet as the .30-06 or .308 has from the muzzle, so at that given distance, the .300 win mag can't be overkill if the .30-06 or .308 isn't overkill at the muzzle. A 250 yard shot isn't out of the question for elk.

this. it's just physics.
 
I am unfamiliar with these regions. Usually hunt Eastern Oregon with 338 bolt gun for elk with semi-auto 30.06 as backup for wooded areas. Usually use 30.06 bolt gun for deer.

I have 270 Winchester bolt gun for long distance shooting for deer and it is very accurate. All guns are scoped.

I do not know these regions wondering if they are heavily wooded or open areas? Any suggestions. Thanks.
You might want to take a look at the " Countryside" with Google Earth or Google Maps. Depending on whether your .338 has a Magazine or not, it could be your total Go-To Rifle for Hunting everything on your list. Loaded light it can be a fine Deer Rifle and, again, loaded Right it would be Great for the Griz on your list. IMHO
 

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