Looking into a new hunting rifle

If you’re looking for bear and elk, 270 is optimal and 30-06 is second

 

A 30/06, given the right weight bullet (of which there are many for this particular caliber) will make any game animal in the lower 48 take a dirt nap. I know there are going to be some that say “all of North America” but me personally I would want a very big and heavy bullet to go after a Grizzly.
Tikka makes a very good rifle with an out of the box exceptional trigger if that is what you are looking to get. You will not be disappointed with one. The bolt works as smoother as butter and if you go with the T3 lite model you can carry it all day, if spot and stalk is your flavor of hunting.
Browning, Remington, Savage (their Accu-trigger is no slouch either) or any North American made rifle will serve you just as well. Good luck with your quest and rest assured you will want them all.

 

30-06 can take anything in North America. But I’d much rather have a 300 win mag in Alaska. I live in Maine and I still use a 300 win mag for bear and moose

 

With proper shot placement, a .17 HMR is sufficient for any North American game.
But really, 30-06 ain’t enough?

 

I'd rather have the 300 for driving a 1500 lb bull moose out of a swamp. When something can impale you with 6 ft span antlers- it’s better to have more gun than necessary than just enough.

 

Depends on what rifles you like and what chamberings they are offered.
I have a .280 rem, but it's in a falling block, so action length isn't a factor.
Have a .30-06 in a bolt rig, it's a long action.

Many rifles chambered for short action cartridges, are of long action (like Savage Axis and even some more expensive models).

Personally, I wont tolerate a long action for a short action cartridge.
Shorter bolt throw I find a little nicer.

But it's whatever one wants, or wants to get used to.

I have bolt .308 in short action, bolt .30-06 (long action), two short action bolt .243's, a pump .35 and the falling block .280.

No you don't need 10 rifles. Maybe just 5 or 6

 

Its bullet more than headstamp.
A .30-06 is a .300 Winmag, if you just get closer.

 

Im not rich, but can buy a new rifle if I want.
I got a .30-06.
Boring, but it works.
Have had 7mm and .300 magnums in the past.
Older I get the less neck snap and blast I like.

If I need something bigger than a .30-06 I'll just get a .35 Whelen.

 

Look for a caliber commonly available in your area or the area you are planning to hunt. The do it all cartridge is still the 30-06. It will be at home anywhere. Biggest rifle mistake I made was buying a .308 Norma Magnum (pre 300 Win Mag) I did not need but was intimidated by the size of Alaskan moose. The one I shot was 25 yards and I could have used the shotgun with a Brenneke slug I kept for bears.

 

I have taken deer with Marlin 30-30, Marlin 35 rem, Win model 70 30.06, 308 win model 100, SW AR10 308, 12 gauge shotgun.

I have taken Elk, with Win model 70 30.06, Colt Sauer 300 Weatherby.

My best all-around pick is my Winchester model 70 30.06 with black Kevlar stock.

 

Good old Savage 110 in 30-06 from a pawn shop serves my deer hunting purpose..

 

Can never go wrong with a good old Mosin Nagant 91-30.
-Its cheap
-Tons of ammo
-Perfect out of the box
-Plenty of parts to upgrade it.

All around its a fantastic rifle cant go wrong with a old reliable platform

 

For the price- you right if all you’re doing is within slug gun range (which reminds me, for all around usefulness- a 12 gauge with interchangeable barrels or chokes is a great choice for hunting anything up to deer, hogs and even small black bear)- but I’d rather use a good lever gun. But those things aren’t great once you get past a certain distance