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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Rifles

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agent00
.224 member

Reged: 02/07/05
Posts: 26

good allround caliber for elk and deer
#42937 - 04/12/05 04:23 AM

Hi, its me again, and the moment I am saving money for a new hunting rifle, but I am a newbie in hunting and I would be pleased hearing a few amm tipps. Which allround caliber would be the best choice for hunting deer and elk, and mayby brown bear. At first I will start hunting deer, and elk.

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JPeterson
.275 member

Reged: 08/10/05
Posts: 68
Loc: Wisconsin USA

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: agent00]
#42949 - 04/12/05 08:36 AM

If you want just one rifle for all three I would suggest one of the various .338's. If the Brown bear hunting is still far into the future, I would go with a deer rifle that can double as an elk rig e.g. 30-06 or one of the .300 Mags. IMHO it's about personal preference, how you handle recoil, and budget. Most of all have fun with the process and let us know what ya end up with.

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Gibbs505
.333 member

Reged: 09/08/03
Posts: 442
Loc: BC, Canada

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: agent00]
#42951 - 04/12/05 10:45 AM

That is good advice! The only things I could add is to look at the 375 H&H as a 'all round' rifle. What is more important is a rifle that fits you well!! Try out for fit several in apporite calibers and pick the one that you feel most comfortable with!

BTW, have you shot much rifle before?

--------------------
So I can't spell, so what?

Those who beat their swords into ploughshares, will plough for those who don't!

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luv2safari
.400 member

Reged: 09/11/03
Posts: 1408
Loc: United States

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: JPeterson]
#42955 - 04/12/05 11:12 AM

338 Win...ammo available at every mom & pop "Gas, Bait & Ammo" store all over Western N. America.

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Hunt with Class and Classics

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agent00
.224 member

Reged: 02/07/05
Posts: 26

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: luv2safari]
#42999 - 04/12/05 08:02 PM

ok thx for your answers.

@gibs505 I have shot a few times a 30-06 and a 7 mm remington mag. I can handel the recoil the two catridges.

Edited by agent00 (04/12/05 08:42 PM)

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agent00
.224 member

Reged: 02/07/05
Posts: 26

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: agent00]
#43161 - 05/12/05 09:11 PM

And I think I will start with an 300er Mag rifle. But which magnum would you recomend? the 300 win mag, the 300 win short mag or something else??

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bonanza
.400 member

Reged: 17/05/04
Posts: 2335
Loc: South Carolina

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: agent00]
#43168 - 06/12/05 12:55 AM

Strictly for elk and deer? I'd go with either 30-06 or 7mm Rem Mag. The 7mm is good out to 300yards while the 30-06 is so nice to shoot.

However, a .300 win mag in a browning BAR would be very sweet.

--------------------

"Speak Precisely" G. Gordon Liddy.

"Life is absurd, chaotic and we must define its purpose with our actions" Abert Camus

"I''m the dude playing a dude disguised as another dude."

"Yo! Mr. White"

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agent00
.224 member

Reged: 02/07/05
Posts: 26

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: bonanza]
#43174 - 06/12/05 05:03 AM

@ bonanza Yes I will start with hunting deer and elk. When I have got more hunting experience I will hunt also brown bear, but for that kind of game I will buy another rifle in 338 win mag or even 375 H&H Magnum.

ps: I like the BLR, I have shoot a few times the BLR in 7mm Rem Mag, and I think I will also buy an BLR in 300 win mag.

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DarylS
.700 member

Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27093
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: agent00]
#43191 - 06/12/05 07:52 AM

As soon as I read your post title, I thought, why, .375H&H or .338WM or 8mm mag-type. Soon as you included Brown bear, it's a definite for a good .375mag. No silly stuff like the Ultra's, just the plain old .375.
: The recoil is soft compared to other rounds in it's class and I find the .375 easier to shoot than about any classic stocked .338.
: With the newer 260gr. Nosler Partition, you can handle about everything, but 285GS and heavy partitions really seem to work well on the big bears.
: The .338 works too, but the 3/8" bore seems to have a bit more.

--------------------
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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luv2safari
.400 member

Reged: 09/11/03
Posts: 1408
Loc: United States

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: bonanza]
#43232 - 06/12/05 04:08 PM

I think that as soon as you pop your first elk with a 7mm, you might wish you had chosen a 338 of some variety. The 300 with 200s would do a decent job, but, man...they can be big and tough critters.

I shot a Southgate FN action 7mm Weatherby for enough years to convince myself that a 30 or 338 is much better.

--------------------
Hunt with Class and Classics

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fredj338
.224 member

Reged: 06/12/05
Posts: 3

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: agent00]
#43234 - 06/12/05 04:45 PM

Agent, since you know you want a bigger rifle for brown bear (wise decisions), it's hard to beat the good old .30-06 for deer & elk. I'm not sure what part of the world you are hunting in but the 7x64 is also a great round for deer & can stretch to elk. Any of the .30mags are also fine, I've just never been a fan. The .375h&h is also a great round but rifles can be a bit heavy for a long hike up steep mountains for elk.

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303
.300 member

Reged: 15/03/05
Posts: 136
Loc: west retreat

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: fredj338]
#43242 - 06/12/05 07:25 PM

the .35 whelen is a good elk and deer caliber so i am told i dont know how it would go on bear though

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agent00
.224 member

Reged: 02/07/05
Posts: 26

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: 303]
#43255 - 06/12/05 10:31 PM

Thx again for your anwers. And it seems that there are many good choices, but I will start with an Browning BLR in 300 win Mag. And next summer, I will buy an bolt action rifle in 375 H&H Magnum.

ps: which load in 300 win mag would you recomend for deer and elk?

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DarylS
.700 member

Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27093
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: agent00]
#43293 - 07/12/05 05:42 AM

You can use 200gr. Nosler's for everything in a .300 MAg. My buddy uses little else, unless he's hunting with his .375 or .45/70. According to him, the 200gr. Partitions start to open on deer and drop them in their tracks but don't blow them up like lighter bullets tend to do. They're perfect medicine for Elk and Moose, but the larger bores still work better on the big Bears.

--------------------
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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agent00
.224 member

Reged: 02/07/05
Posts: 26

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: DarylS]
#43376 - 07/12/05 11:44 PM

ok thx for your ammo tipp and I will use Nosler ammo

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agent00
.224 member

Reged: 02/07/05
Posts: 26

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: agent00]
#43734 - 11/12/05 09:30 PM

Hi, its me again, and I will buy my rifle tomorow. I will buy an Browning BLR in 300 Win Mag.

ps: Concerning bear hunting: A buddy would sell his winchester model 70 in 416 remington mag at a good price. But what do you think about the caliber? isn' 416 remington mag to powerfull for bear?

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JPeterson
.275 member

Reged: 08/10/05
Posts: 68
Loc: Wisconsin USA

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: agent00]
#43752 - 12/12/05 05:05 AM

IMHO, there is no such thing as overpowered. The 416 would make a great bear rifle. The only thing to consider is the step-up in recoil from a 375 to a 416. I have a 416 and I would rather carry a 338 or 375 just personal preference.

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DarylS
.700 member

Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27093
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: agent00]
#43753 - 12/12/05 05:38 AM

A .416 is a GREAT big bear rifle, however it's recoil for a factory ammo shooter is beyond what most guys can handle, accurately. If you handload, you can tailor ammo for whatever game you're after and load to whatever recoil level you are comfortable with. In a handloaded .416, a 300gr. bullet at 2,200fps makes for a very good bear/elk/moose load, yet is fairly pleasant to shoot.
: I know many fellows have .300's, but many of those I see at the range, have trouble with their .300's recoil, let alone something that has twice the felt recoil of their .300 as the .416 factory ammo has.
: A .375H&H will have perhaps 30% more felt recoil than the .300 - considerably less than the .416 developes. Some people, myself included, find the .375H&H generally more pleasant to shoot than a .300 mag. The .416Remingtons thump pretty hard in any standard rifle.

--------------------
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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jro45
.300 member

Reged: 25/12/03
Posts: 192
Loc: DE, USA

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: agent00]
#43833 - 13/12/05 04:36 AM

For deer and elk the 300 win is a good choice. I won't go brown bear hunting with the 300 win. The smallist rifle I'd be carrying is the 375 H&H or my 416 Rem Mag.

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bonanza
.400 member

Reged: 17/05/04
Posts: 2335
Loc: South Carolina

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: JPeterson]
#43839 - 13/12/05 05:49 AM

There is such a think as overpowered. Usualy it results in bullet destruction and/or overpenetration. A .416 is overpowered for east coast black bear, but great for Grizzly. In fact, if I were to build a rifle for Alaskan bear hunting, it would be a .416 Taylor. But, I digress. The original poster said he is getting a BLR in 300 mag and I would consider that a very good choice.

--------------------

"Speak Precisely" G. Gordon Liddy.

"Life is absurd, chaotic and we must define its purpose with our actions" Abert Camus

"I''m the dude playing a dude disguised as another dude."

"Yo! Mr. White"

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JPeterson
.275 member

Reged: 08/10/05
Posts: 68
Loc: Wisconsin USA

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: bonanza]
#43863 - 13/12/05 11:17 AM

There is a difference between "power" and bullet selection or construction. A dead Black bear is a dead Black bear as long as the proper bullet was used.

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agent00
.224 member

Reged: 02/07/05
Posts: 26

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: JPeterson]
#43919 - 13/12/05 11:02 PM

ok thx again for your answers. I will ask my buddy if I can try out his winchester model 70 in 416 rem Mag, and if I can handle the recoil I will buy it. But at the moment I am happy with my BLR in 300 win mag, and at fist I wil only hunt deer and elk and later (sometime next year) when I have got more hunting experience I will start hunting bears. And for that purpose I will save alot of money to buy a good bear rifle.

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allenday
.333 member

Reged: 18/04/04
Posts: 318

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: agent00]
#44154 - 17/12/05 01:18 AM

For all around deer and elk, plus brown bear, I'd go with the 338 Win. Mag.

I've shot a number of deer with the 338 Winchester, and it not only drops them stone-dead on the spot, but it doesn't tear them up as badly as something like a 270 Win. It is by no means too big for any deer hunting, as some might surmise.

I've used the 338 Win. Mag. more than any other cartridge for elk hunting over the last 25 years, and it's a tailor-made cartridge for that job. If you can't cleanly taken any bull elk that walks this continent with a 338 Win. Mag., you won't be able to get the job done with anything else.

For brown bear, I'd rather hunt with a 338 Win. Mag. than any other cartridge. With premium 250 gr. bullets at 2700 fps., it's more than up to the task, and you'll have a much lighter rifle to carry compared to a 375 H&H, 416 Rigby, etc., and a more shootable one as well.

Versatile and practical all-around cartridge? You bet!

AD

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agent00
.224 member

Reged: 02/07/05
Posts: 26

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: allenday]
#45357 - 31/12/05 09:42 AM

Ok thx again for your answers. In the meantime I have got my BLR in 300 win mag and its a great rifle

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Plains99
.300 member

Reged: 10/11/04
Posts: 225
Loc: Dodge City, Kansas, USA

Re: good allround caliber for elk and deer [Re: agent00]
#45364 - 31/12/05 10:15 AM

I have a Browning BLR in .30-06 and it is a really nice rifle... very much underrated by the Gun Press and not mentioned much... but if your's shoots a well as mine, you'll really like it. I bought mine used and immediately threw away the Tasco scope and chincy scope mounts the previous owner had on it... and shoot it with standard open sights... which are simply excellent... the best I have ever used. I use mine as a medium range deer, hog and elk rifle and have always been pleased with the performance.

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