Sitka Gear Turkey Tool Belt

Poll: Do-it-all freezer fillin' rifle

If you can only have one rifle/caliber, what would it be?

  • .270

    Votes: 39 12.2%
  • .30-06

    Votes: 139 43.4%
  • .308

    Votes: 52 16.3%
  • .300 WM

    Votes: 52 16.3%
  • 6.5 Creedmore

    Votes: 8 2.5%
  • 7mm08 Remington Magnum

    Votes: 30 9.4%

  • Total voters
    320
I had a 280 but it was in 760 Rem. Liked the cartridge but not the rifle. If your gonna go for something you need to reload for, have ya ever tried a 6.5x06? Got one and love it. Give's up some to 280 in bullet's though. have shot two elk with mine, both one shot, 140gr Horndy Interlock.
 
I had a 280 but it was in 760 Rem. Liked the cartridge but not the rifle. If your gonna go for something you need to reload for, have ya ever tried a 6.5x06? Got one and love it. Give's up some to 280 in bullet's though. have shot two elk with mine, both one shot, 140gr Horndy Interlock.
27 caliber or larger is required for elk in Kentucky so honestly I’d never consider a hunting rifle with anything less than a .270 personally... even if I’m aware there are calibers capable enough that are smaller. I have rifles in 7mm-08 and 280AI... and 5.56mm.
 
I have swore by my 30-06 for years and it is still my all around, go too, do it all rifle, but ever since I bought my oldest boy a 7mm-08, 3 years ago, I find myself going to it more and more. It is fun to shoot and shoots extremely well. The other day when my boys couldn't go deer hunting with me I ended up taking his 7mm-08 instead of my 30-06. In fact in the last three years we have taken more big game with it than the 30-06.
 
I voted 30-06. Is it the perfect round, meh, but it can and has killed every game animal in North America and as I live in North America, it seems to make sense. On a related note, I found out that I am getting a decent little thank you payment from my employer and new weaponry is on my wish list. Debating caliber now but it will be either a (280/28/7mm) or a 30 caliber offering. I am leaning either a new 30-06 or a 7mm RM but not discounting other rounds yet. The one round I find myself not interested in is a 300 Win Mag, if I go 30 cal. mag will lean toward something that can really bang my shoulder (300 Weatherby/300 PRC). The primary use of the rifle will be elk.
 
27 caliber or larger is required for elk in Kentucky so honestly I’d never consider a hunting rifle with anything less than a .270 personally... even if I’m aware there are calibers capable enough that are smaller. I have rifles in 7mm-08 and 280AI... and 5.56mm.

I hear ya. Smallest I've used on elk is y 6.5x06. With a 140gr Hornady interlock it has taken two elk with two shot's. Here in Oregon it is legal to hunt elk with a 243! Shoot, I don't even hunt deer with a 243 and I've got two!
 
I figured the .308 would be more popular. I understand the tried and true 06 and I own one. I guess my thought was the .308 can be had in a lighter and bit more handier gun. Heck I have a .308 pistol and it does out perform an 06 pistol. Of course that is due to the short barrel length vs cartridge length. I need to dust off the 06 and show it some more love. I just love everything about my .308.
Does anyone else have a safe full of guns but have a "go to" rifle that just never lets you down, handles good, and just gives you the confidence that if the cross hairs are on something it is going to die?
 
I figured the .308 would be more popular. I understand the tried and true 06 and I own one. I guess my thought was the .308 can be had in a lighter and bit more handier gun. Heck I have a .308 pistol and it does out perform an 06 pistol. Of course that is due to the short barrel length vs cartridge length. I need to dust off the 06 and show it some more love. I just love everything about my .308.
Does anyone else have a safe full of guns but have a "go to" rifle that just never lets you down, handles good, and just gives you the confidence that if the cross hairs are on something it is going to die?
Most of my long guns are shotguns, but I do own a couple of rifles and I will say that each of them puts the bullet right on target (assuming I do my part) every time I pull the trigger. My go-to however would be my Savage WeatherWarrior 30-06.
 
I own rifles chambered in half of the cartridges listed. But I own 3 30-06s. They are versatile, powerful, and ammo/components are ubiquitous.

Quality 165-200gr bullets in this chambering will do anything needed on the NA continent, yet it can be effectively loaded down to 130s or 150s for recoil control on deer and pronghorn (or so I’ve been told... I’ve never killed a pronghorn, and I only shoot 165s and 180s out of my 06s).

BC is irrelevant until you get way out there on range, and I don’t shoot that far anyway.

All of that being said, 270 Win, 308 Win, and 7-08 are all nipping at the 06’s heels for the mid weight ranges, and will likely kill just as effectively for all but the biggest of NA game. There is, however, no replacement for displacement.
 
I voted .308 as I've taken more bears with it than anything else. However, my favorite has got to be the .338 Federal. More punch, bigger holes, and more bleeding. The only downside of .338 Federal is its obscurity, but its not down in "I gotta reload it" levels yet. Good thing too, because I don't reload.
 
All four of our rifle bulls fell quickly to the 30-06. It’s nice because I’m not a fan of tracking!
 

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What kind of ranges did you shoot those elk?
In order from left to right: 275, 345, 10 (no that’s not a typo!) and the 4th bull shown here was 230.

All shot with 165gr Barnes TTSX hand loads.
 

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