New rifle caliber choice? You tell me!

[joelpresmyk8]

I'm looking at getting a new rifle and I can't decide on what caliber to get. I have a 30-06 currently and I want more power to be able to effectively take elk at around 700-800 yards.

 

I don't want to get a caliber that I cannot even find the reloading supplies for though.

 

What would you guys recommend? I'm hoping for first hand knowledge on calibers you guys like. I would truly appreciate the help tremendously!!

Thank you everyone!

[rcdinaz]

Do you have a preference 7mm, .308, .338?

 

The weight of the gun you are willing to deal with and the recoil might be good to consider to narrow things down.

 

7mm - 7mm RM, 7mm LRM, 7mm WSM

308 - 300RUM, 30-378, 300 WSM, 300 WM

338 - 338 Lapua, 338 RUM

 

For standard calibers you can track down everything easily this would be my starting list. I am sure I missed a couple of other obvious ones. If I am building an elk gun I am building a 338 Lapua.

 

my $.02

[ready2hunt]

338 Lapua

 

Its big enough for everything

[briant_az]

300 ultra mag. It can be hard to find things for this caliber at times but right now you can find stuff online. The hardest thing for me to find is Fed 215.

I would say 280ai would be a good choice also. Just as good as a 7mm mag but no need for a break. Also only need large rifle primers, not magnum.

[maximus]

338 lapua i great but is very expensive to reload, i have a 300 win mag and is a good round.

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

7 mm wsm

[Will K]

300WSM, 300RUM

[wish2hunt]

Can't beat the 300 wby.

[308Nut]

300 Win will nail down an elk at 800+ with authority.

[GreyGhost85]

After watching my 338 lapua hammer 2 elk this weekend, i think you would be hard pressed to find a more effective elk round

[longshooter]

Hard to beat a 300 win mag or a 257 weatherby

[pwrguy]

My vote would be for the 300WM or 300Weatherby. Heavy rifles with brakes are really comfortable to shoot if you have a high tolerance for carrying them up mountainsides. The possibility of not being able to find supplies exists in just about every offering. Figure out what you like and buy lots of them when you find them.

[southernxpress]

i really like the 280AI as well! you have lots of options for brass and it has plenty of knock down at the distances mentioned. There is 280AI brass now and you can use regular 280 brass, also if you needed you can use 270 brass. 30-06 brass could be used in a pinch but the neck would be a little short though. Depending on what you have for a donor action or if you need to find one it is very easy to find an old 30-06 or anything with that bolt fact to build off of. The magnum bolt faces aren't quite as common... most smiths can open up the bolt face but easier and cheaper if you don't have to pay to have this done. Actions that will accept the 338 lapua aren't quite as common either (a Remington 700 is not well suited for a 338 Lapua for example because the case head is quite a bit bigger and doesn't leave much rim on the bolt nose once cut for the 338 Lapua)

 

The 7 mag and 300 win have been staples for years even though i wouldn't have one, they are not bad choices by any means and are common enough that supplies are not like unicorns.

[shanehamblin]

Depends on what you Are putting into it. Factory rifle? Semi custom? Custom? I'd be looking into a 300 ultra or 300 Norma depending on how far you want to get into it. Caliber is only half the battle if you want to be effective at that distance. Spend as much on glass as your rifle

[joelpresmyk8]

Thank you guys so much for the input. I appreciate all the info! I was originally looking at the 7 mag, .300 win or the .300 rum. It'll be as custom as I can afford haha