Caliber Recomendation - Elk & Mountain Lion

[LightningBG]

I'm looking for a new rifle to be used for Elk and Mountain Lion.

Is there a good crossover caliber? I have a 30-06 now that I use for whitetail in MN and WI, but would like something with a flatter trajectory and longer range. I'm leaning towards a .300 Win Mag. Any thoughts?

[S.D. Ice Angular]

I think you are looking at two different spectrums with Elk and Mountain Lion.

For Elk:

I would look at a Remington .300 Ultra Mag or even a .338 Rem Ultra Mag if I were in your shoes. I think they are some of the best new cartridges on the market today.

With the .338 RUM I would not think twice about a 350 Yard shot at an Elk.

As far as the lion goes??? Most lions are shot with hand guns treed by dogs as far as I know.

But the above mentioned cartridges will sure do the job if you need it too.

[jeffreyd]

i have a 300 wsm that will knock down anything i throw at it. the 338 is a great caliber if you are needing something that big for most shooting. i use my 300 for deer elk and if i ever got drawn big horn sheep. lion around here are shot with pistols, ranging from 9 mm to 45 cal. my ex bro in law shot a 160 male lion at close range that had one of the dogs down with a 9mm. nice animal and tasted pretty good as he kept some of the meat.

[jay83196]

Your 30-06 has more than enough energy, but for flatter flight a 7mm magnum or any of the 300 mags would be a step up. If you really want some speed a weatherby 30-378 is about the fastest flatest out there , I have one and its deadly accurate at over 500yds...ammo is over $100 a box though. Have fun deciding, gun shopping is the best!!

[Esox_Magnum]

I'm a Magnum fan, I own a 300 Win Mag and love it. Had a 300 RUM but wasn't as accurate as my old trusty Interarms. If I could afford it my dream rifle would be the 30-378.....

[jay83196]

It's a great caliber if $ is not a concern then the 30-378 is the best choice for distance and power all in one. And with the weatherby acubreak its a mild recoil.

[knowsnothing]

Well I will give you the same advise I was given on the elk. If you are comfortable and familiar with the your 30.06, shoot that. Spend the money you would have spent on a new rifle into the optics. I dropped my elk at 305 yards with no problem at all. Federal Vital shock makes an HE round that is realy good. Hard to find, but really good. Stories from the elk guides said too many hunters buy a new set up and choke on the shot because of not being familiar/comfortable with the gun. The vital shock HE ammo had the Rocky Mountain Elf Foundation logo on it for ID. I think the model number was 3006F. Everyone has 3006P but it is not the same. you want the high energy round. Less drift and drop and nice energy out at the distance you may be shooting at. Jusy my 2 cents. Good luck on the hunt. I too am looking into a cat hunt, but nothing beats the taste of high country elk!!!!

[jay83196]

exactly right!

[LightningBG]

Thanks for all the info everyone. I'm still undecided at this point, but I have plenty of time. That gun is #2 on the list for now. The next gun will be the Browning Maxus for pheasants this fall. Looking forward to it.

I figure everyone likes pictures, so here one is. This is a mountain lion my father in law shot a few years back (who I'd be hunting with). It was taken out west. Unfortunately I don't have any of the specs on it, but its huge. That is a normal sized adult female on the bottom right of the mount. The story goes... They tracked this cat for about 2 days, then it tracked them for about 2 days before he took it.

The girl in the picture (my wife) is 5'4" to give you some reference (sorry about the editing, she doesn't enjoy having her picture online)

[InTheNorthwoods]

Instead of a new rifle, I would look into spending that money on reloading supplies and try and find a handload 30.06 cartridge to fit the specs you are looking for. From what little I know about handloading, and from what I hear, you should be able to find a bullet to get pretty close ballistically to the results you desire from another caliber rifle that is custom suited for the species you are after and you'd likely save some money on ammo over the long run. It may even turn into a fun hobby.

[Archerysniper]

A 30-06 will be just fine for both, spend the money on range time and bullets to figure out your long range shooting. If you want a new rifle a .300 win mag would be my first choice then 7mm mag and .270 weatherby mag. The .300 and 7mm you will be able to find ammo for in most stores and gas stations if you forget yours or run out all three are exellent choices for long range and heavy game they can also be turned into your new deer rifle with the proper bullet back here.