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

[burntslap]

300wm, 180 gr
trophy bonded has never let me down, deeror elk, east side or west. Works really well for coyotes too!

 

[shybladder]

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

Yes, yes they do. Muley's to bears and anything In between, an ought 6 will do the job. Slap a 60$ bushnell 3*9 turd on It, tune and perfect that gun at the range until you feel comfortable enough to kill an animal, and that 400$ rifle will feel like a 3000$ sniper rifle

 

[gunrnr]

I started out with a 270 when I was 12, it liked a 130 grain bullet. After a few years I got a good deal on a sako in 7 mag, it liked a 160 grain bullet, I shot it many many years. I now shoot a 7mm/08 in my ar10, it likes a 140 gr bullet. Each of these guns were tack drivers with the bullet they like.
Each of these calibers , and several of the others mentioned in this post ( except the 30-30 in my humble opinion), would do a good job in eastern Oregon.
Let your gun tell you what bullet and load it likes.
Always beware the man who owns one gun.

 

[Oohrah]

However, you're a person of limited means. Meaning you can only afford one rifle to hunt deer, elk and antelope. So, obviously this
limits you to a single caliber. I'm throwing out switch barrel rifles 'cause they are generally more expensive. You can count on a
deer tag at least every other year and an elk tag tag close to that. Antelope tags are scarce, last one I got I had I 17 points. So the
question is, considering your financial constraints, what is the one caliber rifle you would choose to hunt these critters? And why.
For me it would be a .300 Win Mag. Deer at 150 gr., elk at 180 gr. and antelope at 125 gr. All commercially available or handloaded.

If you can afford tags for all those that isn't limited. OK kidding I've taken all those except Elk with a 30-06. Only I suppose because I'm familiar with the caliber and have used it in peace and war since 1957, starting with a $20 DCM 1903 A3 and reloading tool called a nut cracker 310 Lyman. If I were starting out all over today, the caliber of choice would likely be for that specific area to hunt, a 7MM Rem Mag. Take the time to get an accurate one, and tailor and load your loads to match the game you are hunting. The Elk, I would choose one better partition heavy bullets such as Nosler, Barnes, or a good proven one, but also the most accurate one your rifle shoots. The deer and antelope are not that hard to kill, but a lighter weight will keep your trajectory flatter, and partition bullets for the most part have pretty controlled expansion and not so destructive on meat should you have a closer shot or hit a bone. My long time load for the 30-06 was 180gr Sierra with 57 gr. 4831. Not a high velocity, one shot kills but at few times that bullet was a shade too destructive. Accurate number one! but moved to a heavier jacketed bullet when hunting terrain was changed to shorter shots. The Sierras worked great for those long distance shots where you could plop down prone with a tight sling and the deer were big Mulies and 300 yards and up slowed those heavy bullets down. Hold over was with a breeze was tricky, and lot of time spent during summers on running jack rabbits just to hone skills a little. Haven't hunted eastern Oregon, but Nevada, Wyoming, California, and Arizonia...Minnesota, N. Dakota. Just a piece of Idaho and Utah. Each is a little different, but all have a little area of similar type terrain. Luck to you on your hunt. I will sat one thing, they have really come up with some fantastic equipment over the years. When I was a kid growing up in Minnesota seldom saw a scoped bolt run rifle, and most popular were maybe a couple hundred yard lever action rifles. Now, it's endless selections and they all work!