Default Big game rifle for a newcomer?

[Thastings]

Hi guys I have been hunting for a while and I finally got my best friend into hunting he's never really shot many guns maybe a shotgun or two. He wants to hunt such game as deer elk moose and bears he has his sights set on a kimber montana and the winchester m70 ultimate shadow as a close second. I have no doubt those rifles will be perfect for him but here's the problem I haven't the slightest clue what caliber is best. I use a 7mm rem mag for my bigger stuff but I just don't know what he could handle he's a big dude and dosnt seem the type to be sensitive to recoil can you give me some suggestions on some rifle calibers that will get the job done without bruising your shoulder to bad? Thanks guys.

[WoodieSC]

A 30-06, with the appropriate bullets/loads, would handle all of that game. A 338 Winchester might be better for the elk, moose and bear (depending on which bears). It's overkill for whitetail deer... but 'dead is dead' if he won't mind losing some extra meat.

[Bad Habit]

He needs a .50 Barrett- guaranteed overkill

[Duck cutter]

.25-06

[Saltydog235]

I’ll sell him an almost new Tikka T3 Lite in .308win with a Leica ER5 2.5-10X50 #4 reticle in Tally mounts. Has had about 15rnds down the pipe, I just don’t use it much. Light and handy gun that’ll do anything he wants.

[sftull]

He needs a .50 Barrett- guaranteed overkill

I just happen to have a .50 for sale.

[ziggy]

how did you end up on scducks?

[Bownut]

.243

[buckpro]

If you wanted one rifle for all of the above, a 300 would be hard to argue with. You’d be able to shoot anything from a 150gr for whitetail to a 210gr for anything larger if you wanted.

[Carolina Counsel]

Agree with Buckpro. .300 win mag and be done with it. 150 grain bullets for smaller stuff and 200 grain for the bigger stuff. I killed a 2000 lb eland with 165 grain bullet- dropped on spot with high shoulder.

[USMCsilver]

He needs my SCAR. Send him a TP link.

Sent from my S9+ using Tapatalk

[Phone Man]

hard to beat a 30-06

[FLS]

270, 280, 308, 30-06 will kill everything you listed.

[trash2]

300 sako

[Sportin' Woodies]

I'm not impressed with those Kimber rifles and Winchester don't make anything I'd buy except longbeardxr ammo.

[abarill]

It’s hard to beat the versatility of a .308

Everyone for the past 1-2 years has been balls deep in the 6.5 CM but it seems like they are being sold left and right due to cost of ammunition. I know someone who hunted grizzly bears in Alaska this past summer- their guide said the record grizzly in Alaska was taken with a .30-06.

[lil 2 sleepy]

For those animals a .300 win will be very available and very adequate for all. .308 for a grizz would be ok, but light

[rp]

270, 280, 308, 30-06 will kill everything you listed.

This. With all the improvements made to bullets in the recent past, all the old rounds have a new life.

Personally I believe the 308 will smack the crap out of what you would hunt.

[SpottailSpecialist]

Remington 700 270 or 7 mag. If he was just shooting deer I would say 7mm .08 or 25-06 those calibers killed more deer than the plague along with a 270. Could also look at savage.

[scatter shot]

His first rifle? His 2nd, 3rd, 4th..... rifle can be anything else on the market but a gun safe ain't complete if it doesn't have a 30-06 in it. And the 30-06 will kill everything on his list.