eldeguello

There is not alot to choose between the calibers you listed, but I would not use a .243 for elk or moose, although my daughter-in-law regularly kills her elk with one!

There is a slight edge to the 7mm Rem. mag., but it is slight! Either a .270. a .308, or a 7mm Rem Mag. will certainly kill elk and moose, as well as anything smaller! Just choose the bullet that is appropriate for the job!

mudtutl

Get a 30-06 and start filling tags. Then start saving for your next rifle, either bigger or smaller, depending on which path your hunting interest takes. You'll neverneed another rifle with a 30-06, but you'll sure want one, or two...

Soilarch

Along the vein of the last two posts I'll say thisEDIT there's been some new posts...sorry)

If there's a decent chance you'll go after the bigger game stay with a 30-06. Trajectory isn't bad at (by my standards...I've made a conscious effort to avoid 'magnumitis'. What on earth did all those hunters use before the 60's?) with 150grain bullets, which are great on deer. (realize a 308 will do everything a 30-06 will but drives the bullet 150fps or so slower...so it's by no means 'out of the running'. )

If there's little chance of the bigger game get I'd look into a 7mm-08 or 270. Flatter, less recoil, and popular enough to provide a good selection at good prices.

48thguns

+1...Regards, Rick.

skeeter 7MM

Given your choice of a light rifle the T3 and new shooter I'd suggest the 308 or 270 win. I also agree the 7mm 08 would bea good choice but for a factory ammo shooter the choices for an elk or moose bullet are limited (at this point anyway)then the 270win or .308. If you know somebody who reloads then it would be an excellent choice.

The 3006 and 7mm rem mag might be the best choice but at higher recoil, something I don't think a new shooter/rifle hunter should set themselves up for.

wronkatonk

yeah i went to a gun shop to look at other guns and talk about calibers. they said either 30-06 for its versitality or just go with a .243 for now then go with something bigger if you need one. hows .243 for deer? and how is 30-06 to shoot /take down moose or elk...for i was discouraged from this caliber months ago and talked into .308

p.s. im loosing hair at age 18 hahah

mudtutl

Keep your hair, you'll need it later. A 30-06 is enough medicine for Elk and Moose, as is a 308, although lotta hunters prefer thelarger bore rifles for the bigger stuff.

ipscshooter

The .243 works fine on deer. My son and I each got one two years ago, and we've taken seven deer with seven shots.

As far as being "discouraged" about a .30-06, and then getting talked into a .308... How did that happen? The .30-06 will do everything a .308 will do, and will do it with just a little more power, a little faster, and a little flatter trajectory. And, the .30-06 can handle 220 gr. bullets as well. This would be an advantage in favor of the .30-06 if you wanted to use it for the big bears. It's hard to find .308 factory loads using bullets larger than 180 gr. The .30-06 is plenty of gun for moose and elk. The .308 is a fine cartridge, and will do everything that you have asked about in this thread. But, the .30-06 will do it all just a little better. The only advantage in getting a .308 is that you can get it in a short action, so your rifle will be about an inch or so shorter. This can be a small advantage if you hunt from a blind. Whichever of the two you choose, the game won't know the difference.

If this is your first rifle, I would avoid anything that says "magnum". Recoil and noise are not your friend when you are just learning to shoot. Ihunt from a blind, so I've developed aslight preference for the short action cartridges. The .243 and .260 are both good rounds if you're interested in coyotes and deer. For the bigger stuff you've listed, they'll work, but, it's reallly better to add a little more power, so take a step up to the 7mm-08 or .308.

Red Lion

I see that the "minority" or .308 pimps got to this thread first!

ipscshooter

I don't think it's a matter ofbeing ".308 pimps". It's being recommended because it was in his initial list of choices. And, it's not a bad choice at all. I was responding tothe apparent misunderstanding that led him to believe that the .30-06 was somehow inferior to the .308, which, of course, it isn't...