all around rifle
 

i need an all around gun that could handle deer, bear, elk. i assume 30-06 is the way to go. but someone had me second guessing that when they were talking about 30-06 loads being heavy and dropping off fairly quickly.

i'll be primarily hunting in upstate PA but may do some in NH as well. down in PA my father-in-law said he doesn't anticipate shooting anything over 100 yards away. pretty woodsy area. any comments

Get a 30-06 you can't go wrong.

You are lefty so look for a Left handed Savage with the Accu-Trigger

M-14......20 round magazine.....you'll need it for huntin those herds of deer down there.......kill by supreme fire power.
30-06 out of most guns is balls on accurate and leathal to at least humans out to about 1000yds........no drop off there.

I have shot deer at 350 yds with the 30-06 and drop them in their tracks.
I 0 in at 150 yds with 180gr and it has no drop at 300yds.
What ever you shoot it is practice practice.

saw this sight the other day that put a red dot on the deer where the bullet would go.

I use a 30 30 for deer hunting in NH and all my friends in NH use 30-06

I too am lefty. Use a Browning A-Bolt 30-06. With 150 gr Hornaday Light magnums you will get out there in a hurry. Can't go wrong with a 30-06. If you want a flatter shooter a .270 is a nice round as well. But if you're only going to have one rifle, 30-06.

Sighted in at the range yesterday with 150-gr HLM an inch high at 100yds. Shot a half dozen rounds with 180-gr rounds that hit 8-inches lower. So FWIW make sure you sight in with what you're going to be hunting with.

Scott, Please be careful.

Don't forget the .270,which is a necked down 30-06.There was a guy named Jack O'Connor who killed just about everything that moved with the .270 cartridge.If I was young and wanted to do a lot of long range shooting I would take a hard look at the .260 Remington.Supremely accurate and a pussycat to shoot.Of course it may be a little light for big game,though the 6.5 mm bullet has taken lots of big animals over the years.It is a great cartridge for handloaders.Also,with such little recoil it would be a fun rifle to get in a LOT of practice.As Mike said earlier the amount of time you spend at the range will determine how proficient you will become with any firearm.

I too am a fan of the .270.If you're looking for a truly flat shooting long distance round the .300 Win Mag is a terrific choice but its certainly not an "all around" type caliber.

As far as the gun goes a Winchester model 70 is tops.

thanks guys. just trying to be budget conscious. i don't want to get a 270 and then next year my father in-laws tells me he wants to try for some elk. then i'll have to drop more dough on a second rifle.

Might want to consider .308 Win. too.The ammo is super cheap especially the Mil. surplus stuff.

I would say your best bet is to stick with the 06. Wide variety of loads and will be fine on elk or whitetail or bear. Reload your own and the possibilities are endless. While I am a M-70 guy I have to say, for the money the savage mentioned by specialist is a great rifle. I would spend as much as you can on the best scope you can afford. High dollar optics will make that savage deadly! Lastly, you need to practice with your rifle and become familiar with it. Familiarity makes you confident. If you are confident in yourself and your rifle you will make a well placed shot. In the end, shot placement is going to be the key to your success or failure no matter what caliber you are shooting or at what range.

Vic

Scott, this is like asking for an all around rod....there is always a better choice for specific apps, and none will do it all.

That said, 30-06, Savage is a good choice, high end scope, and invest in a loading system. Amazing what different grainloads will do, especially shooting high to low. And it's like rods, you will be getting another one, or two....

all advice above is good!
 

I shoot .270 winchester - more than enough for local game (never had to shoot past 70 yds so far, LOL). Out west they use it on elk. Flatter than .308 or .30-06. If I had to do it again, I would have gotten a short action .308, but NONE were to be had - this was in early 1990s. All available lefty back then were long action unless you had some big $ to have some one build you a custom rifle.

You could just get .300 win mag and be done with it -> hand load it down - those shoot FLAT, FAR and HARD. Very popular out west, too.

If you are going to be shooting out to 100 yds tops - just get an used.30-30 Marlin lever action w/ straight 2.5X scope.

Look at it this way - do you own just ONE fishing rod to cover ALL your needs? I don't think so, LOL. :)

ended up getting a remington 760 30-06, pump action with a 4.5x scope for $300 in pennsylvania. previously owned by a lefty and very lightly used. figure it will be good to get my feet wet, and can handle the father in laws adhd problem when he decides to do some elk last minute. price was too good to pass up. good starter gun.

any recommendations for loads would be awesome. i'll be hunting in a heavily wooded area that has a lot of pipe lines and valleys. apparently shots won't be any farther than 70-100 yards away.

My Grandfather had some weird special made guns. One was an Over/Under .22/-.30/30. I have no idea what happened to it or the rest of them.

Buy three boxes of 180 grain and shoot them, practice will make more difference then which load.