Deer and Elk

[sxsmike]

Pop,
I hope you or someone else can help with my problem. Pop you have helped greatly in the past, within just the last 2 weeks as a matter of fact. My son is 11 years old he is a good size kid 5'6''and around 145 lbs. He is not recoil shy he has shot as many as 100 rounds of 20ga, shooting clays this is his year for his first rifle. I shoot a 300wby Accumark way too much for the kid. I reload so I am thinking maybe a .308 or a 30-06. Any help would be great the more information a guy can get the he is able to make a well informed decision.
Thank You to any one that can give me an honest opinion.
sxsmike.

 

[YoteSmoker]

Anywhere between 6.5x55-30-06 will make a fine deer and elk rifle that he should be able to handle fine. I would look at likely distances to be shot then decide which cartridge would fit the range and then what bullet design would work best. A Partition or AccuBond bullet will serve well either way in medium-heavy weight per caliber.

 

[FOTIS]

I would look into a 270, 7mm-08, 280, 308, 30-06 something in that range. All of the aforementioned are versatile with good bullet selection and good trajectories for reasonable ranges.

 

[Guest]

Since you said you handload, check out an article in the 2009 Hodgdon Annual Manual regarding low recoil loadings that are pressure safe and ignition safe for a wide variety of rounds, even including the 7mmRemMag. If nothing else, it's good food for thought. All the rounds the author lists run about 10-11lbs recoil, much like a 100gr .243Win round.

 

[Powerstroke]

Anywhere in the range of the .260 on up to the 30-06.

The 7-08 & .308 would be great choices with a lot of brass for reloading and great bullet selections. There is also a lot of data out there for reduced recoil loads for just plainly getting some trigger time behind the gun.
The 7-mag would fall into that category of doing just about anything.... getting a little up there in the recoil category however on a normal / heavy load as they seem to have a sharp crack type of recoil.

 

[JDMAG]

I agree with Powerstroke on the 7 Mag if he can tolerate recoil. It doesn't seem to have the same recoil of the other MAG rifles. And as dubyam said you can load it down, for trigger time, and deer, and back up for elk.
Don't do anything to create a flinch tho! it takes for ever and a lot of shooting to help him get over it. But we can help with that too if need be. :grin:

 

[JD338]

Tough to beat the 30-06. You can load it down for target shooting and load it up for elk. Wide range of bullet weights available, which you would both be able to load and shoot in your rifles.

JD338

 

[1Shot]

I would go the 308 or 30-06 way also with a good stock like the H&S precision. They soak up a lot of felt recoil compared to wood stocks and light plastic stocks. For deer hand load the 125 gr Nosler ballistic tip and keep to around 3000/3100 fps. This can be done in the 308 with 46 grs IMR 4895 and in the 30-06 with 53.1 grs Varget. This is a flat shooting low recoil drop a deer in its tracks load. I have never hunted elk but a 165 to 180 Nosler Partition or AccuBond sounds like a winner to me.

The first highpower rifle I had was a full military dress Remington 1903A3 Springfield 30-06 that I worked all summer mowing yards to buy. It was unissued and cost a wopping $40.00 when I was 13 years old in 1970. I was not much over 100 pounds soaking wet but I learned not to flinch and to really shoot with that rifle. I had a cousin that was in the National Guard and every month he would bring me 250 rounds of black tip AP ammo when he came from the Guard weekend. I learned how you use the peep sight on that rifle and I could hit a ground hog or crow just about as far away as I could see it with that rifle. I could still kick myself for letting go that rifle. I have a Smith Corona 1903A3 now in my collection of military rifles.

 

[old #7]

280 !!!!!!!!

 

[Greg Nolan]

Depending on what you might hunt a 308 Win is pretty hard to beat. Short action (light), same .308 bullets as your WBY, accurate and you can load down to 300 Sav. ballistics and still have a plenty of power. 308 Light magnum loads will give you elk power. I wouldn't go shorter than 20" in barrel length and 22" would be better in case you want to load up in velocity. A .308 with a 22" barrel can propell bullets up to 165 gr. faster than a 30-06 with a 18.5" barrel. And with less perceived recoil.(barrel flip)
Of course a 30-06 is the "all around caliber".
Have fun choosing one :grin:

 

[str8meat]

280 rem, assuming you hadload because these are not readily available in every little gas station in america.

 

[jmad_81]

+1 on the 7mm-08 or 280, just because I don't like .308 cals. :lol:

 

[FOTIS]

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU DECIDE.

Really you can not go wrong with all of these suggestions. 8)

 

[Mighty Peace]

7mm-08 or I like the 270WSM with 140gr Accubonds gets my vote for yor son. Great deer/elk caliber. Its what my wife shoots, and I shoot one also now.

 

[nitis]

as someone else mentioned what is the projected distance to be shot?

I am all about making a big hole for youngsters I would rather see them loose a few chops or steaks than the whole animal if they dont make a great shot so I would have to lean towrds the 30.06

I would steer away from the 7 mag I think it is a bruiser but I love my 270 wsm and you can do 160gr partitions in it

good luck

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

For Wives and Kids, and like the .270 Winchester. Keep the loads moderate. 140gr AB, and 150gr PT are excellent choices.