270wsm, 7mmWsm, 300Wsm, 30-06, 7mmMag which one?

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SanQ

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I am new to rifles, never had any rifle before. only a 12ga shotgun.

I am going to buy 3 rifles for different use. a 17HMR and a 22LR for sure.

lastly I need a deer/elk rifle.

I want one cartridge that can handle deer mostly, but still can handle elk accationally.

I don't like recoil, but I can handle 12GA 3", I want something softer than that.

so, if you are in my situation, don't own any rifle, and want to buy a new one. which cartridge would get?

thanks
 
30-06 or 7mm rem mag. Time proven and if your hunting needs are changing they are easier to resale.

Ammo is cheap and everywhere.


There is not a big difference between all these calibers in real life.
 
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^^^^what he said. Boring but still arguably the best all-arounder. Dead is dead and they will all do the job if you do yours. Recoil won't be substantially different between any of them and you may want to look at a sporter weight rifle instead of lightweight. Close your eyes and pick one.
 
I will qualify my recommendation based on a single statement that you've made "you want to hunt the occasional elk" Based on that alone I would say that your choice of gun should reflect the largest and toughest game that you plan to hunt with it. I think that out of your list there are two choices, the 300WSM and the 7mm Mag. Elk are tough buggers and require downrange energy and a flat shooting gun. I've owned a 7mmMag but not a 300. The only drawback against the 300WSM is that some guns will only allow two rounds in the magazine, at least my .270WSM does. Don't get me wrong, every caliber that you've listed is perfectly suited to the job, this is just my opinion. Ohhhh...and if you've never had a rifle before, can I assume that you're next post will be .......what brand? Savage with an Accutrigger
 
True, but 7mm mag 300 mag (another option) are sold most places that 270 and 30-06 are sold.

A 7mm mag wont recoil much more than a 30-06, so I think the comparison between these two in terms of recoil is silly:p . The 7mm mag will do everything a 30-06 will do, but quicker and a little flatter. (Once again, not by much;)

Every caliber mentioned will do what you are asking for. How much do you want to spend on Ammo? How often will you be shooting? I am assuming that the WSM ammo will be more expensive.

The next things to consider are:
- how much weight do you want to be packing around.
- detatchable magazine/internal
- type of action you prefer or that matches your hunting area
- what scope to put on it 1.5-6 power, 3 to 9 power, 3 to 12 power, etc.
- how far do yu usually shoot at game and are you proficent enough to take a 400yard shot should the opportunity present itself = confidence
- will this be your only rifle?? or do you plan on geting more boomsticks in the future?
- how do you like to hunt? - stalk, sit, inside truck, use quads etc.


May I add the .308 to your list of options? lighter usually, less recoil if you are recoil sensitive, and basically a smaller 30-06.
 
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For the boring rifle choice, the Tikka T3, the Rem700 SPS and if you are tight on money the Stevens 200 are good rifles.

Avoid the Rem 710 even if it's free.

They are the 3 favorites rifles on this board.
 
My current favourite big game calibre is 338-06. But I'm fickle, so my choice changes from time to time. Gives me an excuse to buy a new gun :) IMHO, you can't go wrong with a 7mm mag (or 280), a 338-06 (or 338 mag) and a 375 H&H should take care of all your big game needs

Anyway, I recommend you decide on a GUN before you start looking at calibers anyway. A gun you can shoot well and enjoy shooting is far FAR more important than the caliber it takes
 
I would buy a 30-06 over a 7mm mag any day.
Of the choices listed I would buy the 30-06, but if you can comfortably shoot 3" 12 guage, that recoil is worse than any of the rifles you mention.
 
Another vote for the .30-06...

martinbns said:
I would buy a 30-06 over a 7mm mag any day.
Of the choices listed I would buy the 30-06, but if you can comfortably shoot 3" 12 guage, that recoil is worse than any of the rifles you mention.
Click to expand...

+1

Yeah, .30-06 gets my vote... :cool:
 
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