Brad A

LOL, too true! Let's face it, the "TBO Syndrome" (Tostesterone Brain Overload) is pretty much the rule in hunting circles, and particularly so on the internet!

stubblejumper

Very true butsome of the poorest shooters that I have seen were shooting cartridges such as the 30-06 or 270.In most cases they bought these cartridges strictlyto save moneybecause the guns and ammo were the cheapest.In keeping with the saving money idea these people did not want to waste moneypractising their shooting so they never learned to shoot properly.I have found that the best shooters shoot very well with any cartridge whether it is a magnum or not and that the poorest shooters tend to do poorly with any cartridge because they never learned to shoot properly and don't practise.There are of course people that shoot poorly because they are scared of the recoil but it is not always with magnums.One of the worstflinches that I have ever seen was a fellow that was shooting a ruger ultralight in 270win.

TerryM

Here is one that never gets mentioned. What about a Browning Abolt stainless stalker in 7mm WSM, topped off with a Zeiss Conquest 3x9. Very handy package, light to carry all day and will likely handle anything most of us can afford to hunt .

Seeking Trad Deer

HI Guys...thanks for your advice so far. Actually, I have a Savage 30.06 that is my deer gun. Too much drop on the ballistic charts compared to the 300 Wincheseter Mag. I've never shot a 300 but the additional kinetic energy recoil didn't seem like a very big leap over a 30.06.

Burris are a good deal for the money. In the East where I am from we have Burris nowhere. I guess this has made me partial to Leupold.

charlie brown

Seeking Trad Deer - If you already have a .30-06, look no farther. You shouldn't be shooting much farther than would make a difference between the trajectory of the two anyway. Maybe 5" at 400 yards, which can easily be accounted for with practice at that range. Trust me, 5" at 400 yards would probably come close to being covered by the horizontal line in your scope anyway! If I were in the situation that you are, I would stick with the gun you have, and buy many brands of premium ammo loaded with the Nosler Partition, Swift A-Frame, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, Accubond, Scirocco, or any other bullet of similar designinweights of 165 or 180 grains, see which shoots best, buy a couple of boxes, and go hunting. I have a .30-06 and don't plan to get anything more powerful, as there is no real need. Elk aren't covered in armor plating, butyou do need to hit the right spot on the first time.

Roskoe

Another caliber to at least consider is the 7 STW. A little better trajectory than the .300 Mag and a little less recoil. Has more than adequate thump for non-dangerous western big game.

RedAllison

For 400yd elk shooting it's not just my opinion but Jim Zumbo's as well, the 06 is marginal at best. He has shot ALOT of elk and after nearly losing a good bull at 425 several years ago he was given a 300Wby by a hunter in the party with him (Gen. Chuck Yeager!) and after a season with that gun and several western heads taken with it, he admitted he should've stepped up from the 06 considerably earlier than he did.

I LOVE the 06 myself, I have 2 of them. BUT there are far more capable rounds out there that aren't going to break your shoulder or the bank when you shoot them. I don't understand the "anti-magnum" attitude that is growing on this site!

Take your pick, STW, 300Winnie, WSM, Wby Mag, RUM or even hotter... NONE of them will kill a bull to dead!!!
RA

ELKampMaster

Seek,
IMHO, your gunsmith offers excellent advice from top to bottom on rifle, cartridge and scope.... IF you didn't already have a 30-06.

To keep good cartridge spacing in your rack of rifles (and to avoid "duplication") I'd recommend going "down" to a hot 7mm or "up" to a 338WinMag(or better)or simply doing neither and just staying with the 30-06 (especially since the big bears are "off" the list).

Being scared of rifle recoil is very much in vogue on this site so I think you have to know/learn the answer to that question for yourselfas it appears to vary wildly (either mentally or in fact) from individual to individual.

Good luck,
EKM

Ruddyduck

You gunsmith gave you a good recomendation. The 300 win mag is a fine round as long as you are capable of shooting it well. If recoil is not an issue it will serve you well.
One can drop down to 150 & 165's for antelope and deer and go up to the 180 & 200's for elk if desired. If you are on a limited budget it is an excellent choice. Others good one gun rounds would be the 7 Rem mag, and the 300 weatherby and of course the 30-06 and 270.. The only drawback is for the 270 I'd want to keep shots 200 yards and under for elk to assure good clean kills.

James B

Recoil should not be a problem with anything up to a 340 Weatherby. There are many ways to beat recoil off the bench and recoil won't bother you while hunting. As long as your shoulder is healthy there are many good recoil reducing pads both slip on, screw on and wearable. There is also the lead sleds and other contraptions to take the beating out of bench shooting. One slip-on pad that reduces about 70 percent of the felt recoil is the Shooters Friend from Cabelas. Cheap and effective.