Good all around Colorado hunting rifle (for new hunter)

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I have to agree with the advice of the 7mm-08. It's damn near a perfect all around hunting cartridge for North America. I can't give a numerical figure about the recoil reduction over the .308 but I can tell you it's within my ability to recognize. It's much more comfortable shooting my wife's Encore in 7mm-08 than shooting my M77 in .308 was. That's a lighter rifle with less kick.

I'd discount the 30/30 right away. I have a pre-64 Win 94 and I love it, but I wouldn't want to limit my range like that in elk country.
 
Maybe a Remington 760/7600 Pump rifle. Fast shooting, legal to use back home too.

I have one in 300 Savage.
 
I will base my choice on what has worked for my kids who all started at the earliest legal age in Co.
My oldest shot his first few elk and dear with a chopped 760 30-06 then quickly moved to a M70 in 300 Weatherby, my daughter is still using a M77 in 280 and has shot her share of deer as well as an elk. My youngest has a M77 in 30-06 and has no trouble filling his tags.
Don't let recoil dictate how you shoot, if you are of average size you should easily handle all the mid range calibers. My daughter easily handles the 280 and she was well under 100# when she started and never had flinching issues.
 
I have to say go with the 30-06. You can shoot managed recoil remy's (130 g) for deer in pa and practice and work your way up to good 180's for elk. The ranges that you tend to find in elk country can stretch your expectations some times. I have neve elk hunted in co but I have killed over a dozen in oregon and one bull in idaho all but 3 with 30-06. I shoot the same 180g loads for mule deer that I shoot for elk and they seem work just fine. I carry a ruger all weather 300 wm now and my next elk/everything rifle will be a light weight 30-06. Seems I carry my hunting rifle way more than I actuly shoot it. imho

I started shooting my m77 30-06 when I was 11. at 30 I still have to drink a gallon of water to break 155# so I aint a big guy. start with mild loads and work up as you get better.
 
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What's an average range for shooting elk?

Talking about recoil, how are these rifles going to kick compared to my 12/20 ga 870s? I'm not really scared of recoil...if I can avoid it I would.
 
I don't know if there is an average but you might disapoint yourself if you haven't practiced and proven your ability to make 400 yd shots on a paper plate sized target from field positions. Don't wait till you have the chance to try it. When I consider the elk I have shot the avg is probably fairly low, maybe 100-150yd. That does include some 40yd as well as 400+.
 
There are far too many variables to really be able to armchair hunt the answer. I suggest the following.

- Choose a rifle that you like in a reasonable caliber.
- Find a premium bullet in a heavy-for-caliber weight that your rifle shoots well.
- Determine a max effective range for the cailber WRT Elk. As a general rule, that's the range where the FPE of the projectile drops below the 2000 lb-ft range.
- Spend a LOT of time at the range sending said bullets down at paper plates, in field positions, to determine YOUR effective range with this setup.

For example, my 300 WSM retains enough energy to be effective to 400+ yds, and from a bench, I can make 400yd shots all day. However, from field positions, I have determined that I can hit the plate consistently only out to around 300 yds with a reasonable support such as a good limb or my pack. Off-hand with a sling, I wouldn't take a shot past 100! I've practiced enough that I can be realistic with my ranges and feel confident that when I pull the trigger that I'm making a clean shot.

I have a friend that uses a 7mm-08. While I have seen it (at ranges just inside 100yds) make 1 shot drops, I've also seen it make 3 shot drops with all 3 in the vitals / shoulder area. It will bag game, but as with anything, you have to be realistic about its capability and range potential.

If I had a 7mm or a 270 I would certainly hunt with it, but if I was buying a rifle for Colorado I might lean towards something that started with a 3. The good 'ol '06 has a special tone when the report bounces down the canyon walls..
 
I have to agree with the advice of the 7mm-08. It's damn near a perfect all around hunting cartridge for North America.
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Well it’s official. LOL. I’ve now heard every commercially loaded cartridge from 243 Winchester to the .375 H&H Magnum referred to as the perfect cartridge for hunting North American game…..
 
.30-06 will do the job right. IF you want to do some far range hunting, grab 7mm mag or 7mm ultra mag or the other .30 cal+ mags
 
popeyespappy's reply is funny and I think accurate. If you have access to actually fire most of the calibers listed (visit local gun range) then experiment with them and decide what is best for you. We all have opinions and recoil limits. I never turn down a request for a friend to borrow one of my firearms to see if they would like to own one or not. I do my best to encourage law abiding citizens into purchasing firearms. I gave away a muzzleloader to a friend of mine last year because his young daughter wanted to deer hunt in olney, Illinois. I was tickled pink to enable another young person to enjoy hunting.
 
I have shot a fair amount of elk and seen a lot more killed and in a lot of ways the terain will dictate the range. Some days the elk are in the open and you may have to shoot a little farther. The longest shot I have made or even attempted is 340yds on a 6x6 bull in idaho, the closest is a cow at 25 feet. 90% of the elk I have killed or seen killed have been inside of 200 yds. The fun in elk hunting pretty much stops when you pull the trigger it starts again when its hanging in the tree and you get to have a cold one. Gutting an elk by yourself on a nice steep hill side is well not as fun as you might think. When I was 14 I tried to spin a big old cow head down hill to start gutting and she started sliding on the snow and ran me over planting me in the snow like a bloody snow angle.
 
I like the 220 grain bullet in thick brush where its sectional density helps the bullet get through the brush.
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This is not a factor in any realistic scenario. The difference would be small, and to take advantage of said difference you would be shooting through much more brush than you morally should be in the harvesting of a game animal. I shot a deer a few years back with a 308 180 gr grand slam, it went through the deer and still clean through a 4 in diameter tree behind it. If you need more "brush busting" capability than a .308 provides, you might want to choose your shots more wisely.
 
In terms of recoil, the .308 is a pussycat compared to a 12 gauge, my Mossberg 500 kicks like a mule, probably 50% more than my .308.
 
I've lived & hunted in Colorado 40+ yrs. & the best I've found to take what the State has to offer is:

Remington 760 Carbine in 30/06
Winchester Model 94 "Trapper" in .44 Magnum
Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 Magnum

Both rifles have a 16 in. barrel & 2 out of 3 use the same ammunition. Short of squirrel or rabbit hunting, this is what I use.
 
I was just checking the BC values of different bullets on the Hornady website, the best .308 bullets get a .495 BC, but the best 7mm bullets get a whopping .625.:what: Now I see why the 7mm magnum is the shiznit for flat trajectory, 29 inch drop at 500 yards.
 
There really is nothing new under the SUN.

Bolt action 30/06 or 270 with a 3x9 scope is still the best rifle value.
30.06 in ether 165 or 180 grn or 270 in ether the classic 130 or 150 grn will reliable kill any north American game animal cleanly out to 400 yards with proper shot placement. This distance is greater than most ethical hunters will shoot at game.

As for recoil and weight,,,,, a standard sized rifle with a 22" barrel and scope is not hard to carry or shoot in 30-06 or 270. A rifle that is 8.5 to 10 lbs fully dressed is well with in the means of a healthy person to carry. Remember Newton's laws still rule.



Find the bolt action rifle you like then buy the best glass you can afford.
After that just practice. What ever distance you can regularly hit a 1 gallon milk jug at is your max range. For most folks in the real world of hunting that will be under 300 yards. ( that distance is not shooting from a bench on a sunny still day !)

The 308, 7-08, 260 rem, 25-06, are great guns but they really don't do anything that the old tried and true twins have been doing for over 75-100 years now.

For the record my hunting 30.06 was made in the mid 1950s it is a Remington 721b converted to LH with a 20" barrel and a 2x7 Burris. It is loud, fast to the shoulder and shoot well.
As Colombo would say..
Just one more thing...

While I have and hunt with magnums, 257 wby, 300win, 338win, and 375H&H I only do so because my penis is so very small. Not because I need the extra range or knock down power.
 
"Now I see why the 7mm magnum is the shiznit for flat trajectory, 29 inch drop at 500 yards."

Amen brother i hunted with a 270 for several years before i ran into a deal on a 7 mag......i swear i will never EVER go back. This thing is an incredible rifle the only thing that screwed me up this last elk season was i got in 270 mode and held too high over an elks back expecting it to drop more. I changed my mind and sighted it about 2 inches high at 100 yards now if i aim for center mass it will hit anywhere from 50-300 yards and land right in the killzone. I just love not having to think about bullet drop unless they are waay out there. and a 130 grain bullet will do a number on an elk. Ive never used a 130 but my old man did it by mistake (had a mixed box) and it blew right through a mature cow at 300 yards. One helluva cartridge without a doubt.
 
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