So you want to hunt Eastern Oregon . . . . .

[Ironbar]

A different answer than everyone else's.

 

[Koda]

1 rifle for deer, elk, antelope...

30-06, 7mm Mag., or 270... probably in that order. Ammo is widely available in 30-06 with a good range in loads

 

[clearconscience]

I would go with a savage 7mm.
Rounds aren't too expensive, accurate as far as you want to shoot, recoil is nothing compared to a 300wm.
Good all around round.
Savage rifles are probably the most accurate out the box, and cheap compared to other brands. This time of year you can get great rebates on them.

 

[thorborg]

I bought an M77 Ruger in .270 when they first came out that has helped filled my freezer more times than I can remember for over 35 years in Eastern Oregon. Some mid and southern Oregon but primarily from Mill Creek Watershed, to the Wallowa's, to The Imnaha valley from Eagle cap to the snake river. I maintained a steadfast reliance on it while others hunting with me using 7mm mag, 300 Winchester mag and 375 H&H mag and the like, slowly backed off on their bragging, and reduced their shoulder busting overkills over the years to more pleasurable shooting tools. Most notably to 30-06 though I attribute this because of bias towards the .270 back in the day.
As far as caliber performance, cartridge availability in smaller towns east, ease of shooting and extensive platform offerings I would go with the .270 and 30-06 as second concessionary choice for those in average physical standing and above.
If less physically able;
I've downsized the last ten years due to age and physical condition, first to .243 then to 6.5X55 with both producing one shot big game satisfaction for me albeit I prefer the 6.5 X 55 so will likely finish out my hunting days with that.
Also, something to think about, I have a friend that has taken everything Oregon has to offer with his beautifully sporterized (in 1952) 303 Brit. Enfield, but quality ammo was harder to come by. Producing just a bit less in recoil then the 30-06 and with the modern ammo components available does even better than we got in the sixties with available fodder.
If you can borrow a caliber you seem interested in then shoot two boxes of ammo in one sitting, if your feeling abused, I would downsize a little because if you can't have fun on the range you will get little practice with it. When you shoot the same rifle over the years, more importantly, throughout the year at the range, you will be a better, more confidant hunter, and likely never need that second shot.

 

[JRuby]

30-06 165g bullet

One rifle one loading so you dont have to deal with differen trajectories

 

[2ndtimer]

Over 20 years ago, I decided to start shooting/hunting again after a 5 year hiatus when our boys were small. I decided to buy one rifle for deer and possibly elk. Since I was recoil sensitive (and frugal) I wound up with a Winchester Model 70 Super Shadow in .270 WSM. (I still had my reloading gear). I worked up a very nice load with Nosler 140 gr Accubonds at 3100 fps and figured I was good for anything I might want to hunt.
Fast forward to today, I now have rifles in .223 Rem. (6!), .243 Win., 270 Win., .270 WSM, and .308 Win. My old Super Shadow has been pilfered by my oldest son and he rebarreled it with a 27" Lilja tube and pushes the Nosler 150 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips 3200 fps, and that is his primary antelope thru elk rifle. He missed his bull elk when I switched the Ballistic Tips to Partitions, so he has vowed to stick with the tried and true Ballistic Tips for now. (We are experimenting with newer Long Range Accubonds to see if they might replace the Ballistic Tips and offer improved penetration.)
As for me, I have settled on my cheap Marlin XL7 in .270 Win with Speer 150 gr Hot Core bullets at 2700 fps for deer and I used my .243 Win. on a nice Montana Antelope buck last month.
Since I don't think I am physically capable of hunting elk any more, I will probably just stick with those two. And if I had to pick just one, I would go with the .270 Win.

 

[Koda]

I bought an M77 Ruger in .270 when they first came out that has helped filled my freezer more times than I can remember for over 35 years in Eastern Oregon. Some mid and southern Oregon but primarily from Mill Creek Watershed, to the Wallowa's, to The Imnaha valley from Eagle cap to the snake river. I maintained a steadfast reliance on it while others hunting with me using 7mm mag, 300 Winchester mag and 375 H&H mag and the like, slowly backed off on their bragging, and reduced their shoulder busting overkills over the years to more pleasurable shooting tools. Most notably to 30-06 though I attribute this because of bias towards the .270 back in the day.
As far as caliber performance, cartridge availability in smaller towns east, ease of shooting and extensive platform offerings I would go with the .270 and 30-06 as second concessionary choice for those in average physical standing and above.
If less physically able;
I've downsized the last ten years due to age and physical condition, first to .243 then to 6.5X55 with both producing one shot big game satisfaction for me albeit I prefer the 6.5 X 55 so will likely finish out my hunting days with that.
Also, something to think about, I have a friend that has taken everything Oregon has to offer with his beautifully sporterized (in 1952) 303 Brit. Enfield, but quality ammo was harder to come by. Producing just a bit less in recoil then the 30-06 and with the modern ammo components available does even better than we got in the sixties with available fodder.
If you can borrow a caliber you seem interested in then shoot two boxes of ammo in one sitting, if your feeling abused, I would downsize a little because if you can't have fun on the range you will get little practice with it. When you shoot the same rifle over the years, more importantly, throughout the year at the range, you will be a better, more confidant hunter, and likely never need that second shot.

This is probably the best advice, a better explanation for the reasons behind my caliber suggestions. I went thru the same experience over the years hunting elk with my dad who upgraded to a 300 win mag. It was a beautiful rifle but I hated shooting that thing at the range. There are lots of calibers out there that can work but the most important takeway here is Thorborg's advice.... spend time with your rifle throughout the year each year.

 

[orygun]

Also, something to think about, I have a friend that has taken everything Oregon has to offer with his beautifully sporterized (in 1952) 303 Brit. Enfield, but quality ammo was harder to come by. Producing just a bit less in recoil then the 30-06 and with the modern ammo components available does even better than we got in the sixties with available fodder.

My dad was one of those guys with a sporterized British 303. He bought it in the late 50's and sportered it himself. Used that rifle in the Coast Range, Cascades and Eastern Oregon. It filled our freezer many times. In the early 60's we moved from Estacada, to Salem, to Sisters, then John Day, leaving JD in 74. Every year after that until the mid 80's Dad took it back over to JD for elk season. He never longed for anything else. It wasn't until the late 90's that he wanted to put a scope n it and it just wasn't practical. Only then did I buy him a 30-06 to use.

 

[shybladder]

300 mag with the proper 200gr nosepicker Ammo

 

[Marine Airedale]

I shoot 165 Accubonds out of my 30-06 AI at everything up to but not including moose and brown bear. In those two circumstances I would probably use my 338 win mag. The 165s perform the best over all distances, retaining energy better at distance ie pronghorns, and have close to the same energy as 180s with better trajectory. Goes back to my basic first rule, if it is not broken, do not fix it.

I choose not to shoot a 30 caliber magnum, even used to have one mainly because I do not prefer the shorter neck of the win mag and have been to lazy to build a rifle in 308 norma which would be my choice in the caliber. A fellow I knew back in the day had a Norma built on a Springfield action that I loaded for. An absolute fine shooting rifle.

 

[PaulB47]

.308 Win. I like the Creedmoor, but for any reasonable distance the old .308 works better, and I guess it is cheaper too.

 

[terdog]

I agree with PaulB47 , Its hard to beat the 308. Rnds are way cheap so you afford to stay sharp, and shes got some "decisive impact".
And with soo much interest in the 6.5 Creedmore, theres some deals to be had.

 

[thereddog]

nobody likes a .308?

 

[terdog]

WHAAAAAAA ???
I LUV MY 308 !!!

 

[JRuby]

I have three semi's and a bolt in 308 and i enjoy them but for hunting my choice is a 30-06

 

[Mark W.]

A $400.00 used Savage 110/111 in 30-06 with a $50 3x9 scope will take any game animal from a Blacktail Doe to a Black Bear

 

[3putts]

It's a push between 30-06 and .308, have both and dispatched animals with both. Both are easy carry, 760 GameMaster and Winchester Mdl. 88.

 

[walrus]

Well, my son taken multiples of everything on the list with a 6.5x55 swedish mauser with 140 grain SSTs. Very accurate and less recoil than just about everything else listed. Personally I'm a 270 guy, but that's just me.

 

[ajgunner]

I had to make this same descion when I was 18 and my older brothers already had a firm hold on the family hunting rifles in 243 and 30-06. I chose a Ruger model 77, in 7mm Remington magnum. Bought it new from Payless Drug store in Beaverton mall and paid $199 out the door. Later in life as I could afford to do so, I added the same model 77's in 300 win mag, and 243. The funny part is that I always seem to take the 7mm as my first choice for everything, and the others have become either backup or kids rifles.

 

[pigiron]

.260 Remington or 6.5 Swede.