Big game rifle

Redleg84

New member
I need to get a dedicated hunting rifle that isn't a varmint caliber. I was leaning towards a 7mm Rem mag but I think I'll just get a 30-06. Thoughts?

Barrett Fieldcraft in 30-06 has my eye at the moment
 
Neither, Both calibers are a complete failure in the field
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Both are fine up to Elk or Moose but which is better depends on who you ask. Most conventional people will favor the 30-06 but I am not conventional so I will say the 7mm Rem Mag.
 
A very controversial subject to be sure. The .30-06 has been with us for over 110 years and is better than ever. There is no game animal on Earth that has not been killed with one I don't expect.

Are there better deer/antelope rifles? Yeah I think so. Better elk and moose and big bear rifles too I suppose. But the ought six will work fine on all of them if the shooter knows how to use it. And best of all ammo is available all over the world for it too. Good ammo too.

Hard to beat the old .30-06. It's still popular for lots of good reasons.
 
Whitetail is about as big of game I hunt so I use 6mm stuff but if I were to go larger, I really like the 7 mag. I used an Encore in 7 mag one year shooting 100 grain bullets. Drops a WT in his tracks and just nasty on a coyote.
 
Originally Posted By: Redleg84If you guys could have one big game rifle for north American game what caliber would you choose?

There's no real answer for that question. It's like asking, blonde, brunette or redhead? Heck, I like them all! When it came time to marry and settle down I chose blonde and if forced to choose just one cartridge I wouldn't have any trouble settling down with a good '06. An old school 180 gr. Partition at near 2,800 fps covers a lot of country. It's the right combination of rifle size, weight, recoil, accuracy and economy. Been shooting a .30-06 since I was 16 and shoot it very well. That confidence is important.
 
Originally Posted By: GCOriginally Posted By: Redleg84If you guys could have one big game rifle for north American game what caliber would you choose?

There's no real answer for that question. It's like asking, blonde, brunette or redhead? Heck, I like them all! When it came time to marry and settle down I chose blonde and if forced to choose just one cartridge I wouldn't have any trouble settling down with a good '06. An old school 180 gr. Partition at near 2,800 fps covers a lot of country. Been shooting a .30-06 since I was 16 and shoot it very well. That confidence is important.

Good answer....
Esp if a guy wants off the shelf ammo, mild to wild can be had.

If not see my post above this one.
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The 30-06 and the 7mm Remington magnum are very similar and are used for similar size game. Both are excellent cartridges. The 7mm shoots smaller bullets a little faster, the 30-06 shoots a bit heavier bullets a little bit slower. If you are going for long range the 7mm Magnum has a slight advantage over the 30-06. Both are good up to moose size game but a bit too small for large grizzly bears.

It also depends on what is the largest game you intend to shoot and how much recoil you want to deal with. If deer and black bear are the largest animal then 270, 7mm-08, 25-06 etc. will be sufficient and have a little bit less recoil. If you are going to shoot moose then 30-06 and 7mm Remington magnum are hard to beat.

Which is better is personal preference. My preference is the 7mm Remington Magnum but most will say the 30-06.
 
Nothing wrong with any of the above.I like the 270win it just works for me...Little less recoil easy to load for and ammo is easy to find but that can be said for the ought 6,7mm rem mag also.I had both the 7 mag and 30/06 but didnt like the recoil compared to the 270win.I am getting softer in my old age lol...
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogKinda hard to imagine just only having one!

It is, but we are spoiled. Grancel Fitz used an iron sighted .30-06 to be the first man to collect all the Boone & Crockett big game species in North America. "Beware the man with one gun" and all that jazz.
 
Either cartridge will do what the other one does with slight advantages to each under certain circumstances. Six of one and so on.

If you have a rifle that you like as you have indicated, I'd consider that element harder than the cartridge choice.
 
I just chose those two as they seem the most common, not limited to them by any means. I know there's no right or wrong answer, just curious as to what people prefer.
 


My Dad being WW2 Veteran love his 30-06. He liked those 220gr Silver Tips.
My Grandfather like the 30-06 Springfield after WW1.
Here in Ohio, I deer hunt with a 38-55,Winchester 94 rifle.
 
Barrel life will be a lot longer on the 30'06 and if you reload,
it will use less powder. As far as performance on game there won't be any difference.
 
The old thing "Beware of the man with one gun". I just could not do it. The Mags are fun, but would rather shoot the 06 or 280.
 
Both are boringly perfect for big game and I've killed more than a couple truck loads of deer with both of them and the 270Win, All have very good over the counter ammo available everywhere almost to the point of not needing to even bother with reloading. All more than adequate for anything in the lower 48 and most in AK and Can.

Your choice should really come down to fit and how the gun looks and feels to you.

That said I don't have a single 7mm Mag or 30-06 left in the safe preferring to take what few big game I hunt anymore with totally unique guns and cartridges, with my big game cartridges being a custom bolt gun in 25-204(250-3000 balistics), a drilling in 16/16/7x57 Rimmed, Savage 99 levergun in 375 Win and a custom Rem 721 in 35 Whelen.
 
Originally Posted By: Redleg84If you guys could have one big game rifle for north American game what caliber would you choose?
I know you will get the correct answer soon. I’ve got my ear to the rails and can hear the .264 vibrations coming!
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