All around big game hunting rifle

[6mm Remington]

30-06, 280 Remington, or 300 WSM would cover everything out west! All are fantastic choices in my opinion.

[jay]

thanks guys

[Elkoholic307]

I would say the 30-06, bigger bullets are heavy hitters, and they handle the wind better. The only thing I ever shot witg 270 was a Bull caribou at 70 yrds and it was double lunged, and it went about 40 yrds and layed down like a bow shot. My buddy Shot his caribou wth the 06 and the bull dropped on the spot the wound channel was massive.

Kind of sounds like a bullet construction issue. What were you guys using?

[mr_wapiti]

I use a Browning Bar 338 Win Mag with Boss. If you hunt, it is your responsiblity to kill the animal as quickly and humanily as possible. The large magnums are hard to shoot with any accuracy, so that is the reason for the Boss. If you can handle the recoil you might shoot well the first few shots but as the shoulder gets sore any hunter will flinch from the recoil. They are loud so ear plugs should be used. I have taken mule deer and elk from 50 yards out to over 400 yards with a lot of knock down power.

[bigshot]

I just recently purchased a custom Remington 700 stainless with fluted barrel and bolt (6.4 lbs). The rifle is in 7mm Short Action Ultra Mag. The rifle is super accurate. I reload 150 grain swift sccirocos flying approximately 3150 fps. It matches the 7mm Rem Mag ballistics with less recoil and powder burned. This load groups four shots into .400 inches at 100 meters. I plan to take it to Colorado this year for my elk and deer hunt. I paid $1,200 for the rifle which I considered to be cheap for a custom rifle.

[Doe Nob]

I know I'm late to the party on this one, but had much debate on another site. I would either go 6.55 swede if you want to order ammo or I am going to buy the http://www.savagearms.com/ 300 win in long range with that comes with the muzzle break. Don't know if I want to go Huskemaw or Zeiss yet, still debating that one.

[6mm Remington]

Jay I guess I never threw in what rifles I would have those calibers in if it were for ME.
Winchester Model 70 Extreme Weather SS in 300 WSM- ( Just bought one for my 15 year old son.)
Winchester Model 70 Classic Sporter in 30-06 or 300 WSM
Winchester Model 70 Featherweight in .280 Remington
Remington Model 700 CDL in 30-06, 280 Remington, or 300 WSM.
Remington Model 700 MTN Rifle SS in 30-06 or 280 Remington
Ruger Model 77 Hawkeye in 30-06 (They don't chamber for the 300 WSM or 280)
Ruger #1B in 30-06 (That is my personal big gun, for smaller stuff I use a #1B in 6mm Remington. Love those #1's!)
Tikka in 30-06 or 300 WSM
Sako 300 WSM or 30-06 (If I could afford it)

[shootbrownelk]

Jay, I know Keith Anderson shoots either a .243 or a .300 Win. magnum. Not sure which he used. Probably the .300.

[robsev]

I owned a 30-06 for over 30 years, killed a pile of big game with it, and thought I loved it. About 5 years ago I bought a 270 WSM and would NEVER go back to the 06. I have a wussy shoulder and do not like the kicks. Installed a limbsaver recoil pad only and I could shoot it at the range all day. I use 130 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips and virtually every deer I have shot with the 270 WSM has dropped in it's tracks.

[MTWillie]

I own a 6mm, .270, 30-06, 7 Mag, and a .338 Mag. Out of all those, my 7 Mag outperforms them up and down. It's a custom Winchester Model 70 with my own bells and whistles, but it shoots quarter size groups at 400 no problem with 160 gr Accubonds. While it has significantly more recoil than any of the others mentioned, once you get over the flinch factor, it's smooth sailing. I can put 25-30 rounds out of it before I notice any discomfort. When before, it was about 8-10 rounds.

So for an all-around popular caliber, the 7 Mag has to be at the top of the list. .300 Mag's are nice at times too. But I've come to find that .300 WSM is a waste. Again, these are all personal preferences, but with the range of grain configurations, the 7 is a good choice. If you don't like recoil, consider a thicker pad, or a muzzle break and lower grain bullets in the 130-150 range.