Quote:
imskippy
Good advice here. However, since you are coming out of New Jersey where there isn't a lot of room to hunt, I would make a couple suggestions.
1) I wouldn't buy a magnum cartridge as your first centerfire rifle. The recoil can be a real eye-opener if you haven't shot a centerfire very much.
2) I'd suggest something in the 30-06 family (.270, .280, 30-06) or the 308 (including the 338 Federal)
3) I'd suggest a lot of range time in order to become familiar with ballistics, recoil and distance estimation.
DaveD made a good point on the first page. There are allot of guns out the that will work for elk. but if this is your first centerfire you should stay off of the big boys. You have shot the 30-06 but I sense from your post the recoil was stout. Well it is. 30-06 and .308 are pretty much max for average sized deer, with excessive meat damage, but make perfect deer/elk rifles. If youve changed your mind and are just looking for a deer gun then Id say the .243 is minimal for a first deer gun. 260/ 7mm08 will give you a little more room for error.
Good nonbigbadmakeyouflintch magnums for elk enclude the .308, 30-06, and wsm familys. .270win as a MINIMUM.(the 270 has always been iffy but with modern bullets (ex. tsx and partition its now a contender) .270, .270wsm, 7mm wsm, 7mm08, .280, .308 marlin, .308, .30-06, .300wsm, .338 federal, and .338-06. You could even add the .350 rem mag and .35 Wheelen but recoil starts getting sharp.
You wont find allot if any outfitters that will let an Eastern hunter bring something smaller than a .270 win. If you do the the 6.5mm cartridges could pull it off at lesser ranges. .260 rem, .264 with properly constructed bullets ofcoarse. Like the tsx or partition.
That all being said my elk rifle of choice is a .58 cal flintlock. My second choice is my .325 wsm.