Good hunting rifle?

Question

I would like to know what the best all-around rifle would be for deer and elk, and possibly bear. I would like one that would be good for when you set the scope at 100 yards, and it only falls about an inch or two at three hundred yards. What do you think would be a good rifle that would meet those characteristics. I wouldn't mind having a bigger one either. I would also not mind a smaller round, as long as it would have PLENTY of knock-down for an elk around 200-300 yards. Can anyone help? Thanks!!

Answer 1

My choice is the 30-06. Using 165 gr. dead on at 200 will give you just under 2" high @ 100 & just under 8" low @ 300 yds.Yes there hotter rounds out there . But you can hunt anything in North America with the old- 06. And any store that sells ammo will have -06 ammo .- Just my thought.

Answer 2

By your question I'm going to assume that you are new to hunting. For an experienced shooter I'd recommend a rifle in the .300WSM. While its a tad large for deer it will certainly work and it will make a dandy elk and bear rifle. The shorter action is a bit lighter than standard or magnum actions and that makes it a bit stiffer which is an aid to accuracy. It also makes it lighter which is an aid to carrying it while hiking up and down the mountains. The drawback is the recoil. This wouldn't worry an experienced shooter much but any .30 caliber magnum will not be a good choice for a novice shooter.

Therefore I'd look most likely to a .30-06. A .308 Winchester is another good choice but be prepared to limit your shots on elk to around 200 yards or so depending on the angle of the animal and other factors.

Good luck!

Answer 3

To meet your bullet drop requirement you need a very hot varmint round, which is not reccomended for deer. Throwing the bear requirement in negates all the good deer rounds. In Alaska, a 300 Win Mag was considered the bare minimum for brown bear. It is a little overkill for deer but can be loaded a little lighter. A 300 WSM is a little faster for the same weight bullets and thus carries more knockdown power. .338 was considered a good adequate powered bear round. It is also a great elk round. It is way to large for deer.

So I would have to say, even though it will drop more than 2 or 3 inches at 300 yards, a 300 WSM is probably your best bet. If you were talking black bear, any of the larger deer rounds would also suffice, 30-06, 7mm.

Answer 4

Well, us hunters have been grappling with that question for a long time..probably the reason why once you start hunting you will quickly realise there isnt any "best" rifle...alot has to do with your personal preferences, your budget (a biggie), the game you are going after, and the environment you are going to hunt in. If you are a newbie, the odds are that you would not be proficient in taking game 300 yards away. Even experienced riflemen often fail in that regard. You do want a rifle that is efficient (kills quickly and humanely), with reasonable recoil and power so that YOU will become proficient shooting it well. I personally know alot of guys you think bigger is better and end up buying Magnum rifle like the 7MM or 300 win Magnum. I guess they have bragging rights, but often they do not shoot those rifles very well because they are not comfortable rifles to shoot, and because of that, they never really learn how to shoot them well. If you are just starting out I highly recommend learning to shoot well using calibers that are easy to handle, won' kick the crap out of you, and are very accurate. The ones i mention here are all very accurate within the ranges you mentioned, but mostly I think you'll find in the east coast all the way to the rockies you'll be doing most deer and elk hunting at 200 yards or less. I recommend the .243, .308, .7mm-08, 6.5 x55mm for deer and if you are also going to hunt elk, .30-06, .280 or .270 or .338-06 or 35 Whelen with the right bullet will all work for Elk (and black bear) as well as being great deer rounds. Most of the Elk calibers I mentioned (most are based on the .30-06 case) ARE not comfortable shooting 20 times from a bench (at least for a newbie). That's why its good to start with the likes of very comfortable and highly accurate rounds like the .243 , 7MM-08 (maybe the IDEAL white tail round) and the .308. Keep in mind that I did not mention the venerable .30-30 round which has probably taken more deer at 150 yards and less than ANY other round out there...it's a great starter round for east coast or southern white tail deer....have fun, and JOIN the NRA and protect your rights to choose what to own , shoot and defend yourself with..Dave

Answer 5

I think everyone above me has given you valuable information. I personally do not think there is 1 "best" gun to do what you are asking. The closest to your request will probably be the 30-06.

I hunt white tails in Michigan and then finish the year hunting Elk in Colorado. I personally do not think you should go after Elk with anything less than a 7mm Mag. (I use a 300 Win Mag) However like it was stated above, these gus are for experienced shooters.
They boot you like a mule and it is easy to get gun shy.

I use the Thompson Center Encore with interchangeable barrels. I have a 7mm-08 for white tail and 300 win mag for Elk. The 300 is way too overkill for whitetails and the 7mm-08 is too underpowered for Elk.

If you think you can handle the punch and won't get gun shy, I would probably go with a 7mm Mag. It is a little potent for white tail but it is sufficient enough to get through the meaty bruins and heavy boned Elk.
I have never tried one with a muzzle brake but I hear they work well.

Good hunting and Godspeed

Answer 6

338 WinMag. But I don't think you are going to find a rifle that you sight in at 100 yards that only drops an inch or two at 300.

Sight the rifle in at 200 yards, and learn the balistic table for the load you are using. It will be a couple of inches high at 100, and a few inches low at 300.

Answer 7

The "possibly bear" part complicates things. Without that, anything from 270 Win. up will do, and that holds for black bear. If grizzly is a likelihood, I'd consider 9.3x62 or a 375. And don't set the scope for 100 but for point-blank range for the caliber and load you choose. It'll only be a smidgen high at 100 and you won't have to worry too much, being within "minute of critter" at normal hunting ranges.

Answer 8

The .30-06 Springfield.

H

Answer 9

for size .308 or 30-06 is great for deer, black bear, and elk at closer ranges.
.308WIN is one of the most popular rounds out there and the ammo is cheep + they make a lot of guns in it.

For body shots on elk over 300yds something like a .338 is a lot better. And brown bear i wouldnt go smaller then .338.

its hard to beat the .308 for mid sized game.

Answer 10

A 270.
my favorite 300 magnum
30-06