Caribou Gear Tarp

Yes....another which caliber

MTBowhunter542

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Since this was my first year hunting with a rifle, I am unsure as to which caliber will fill the "do most categorie". The rifle I'm interested is offered in the following options, 308, 6.5 creedmoore, 6.5 prc?, 6mm creedmoore. My plan is to practice lots (think affordable factory ammo) and hunt Elk, Mule Deer, and Antelopes in Montana. I have no distance criteria, since that will be determined by how much practice I get at. Please help a new rifle hunter out.
 
Of those options only the 308 would be somewhat reliable for elk IMO. If you could get one in 300 win mag that would even be more versatile for other critters as well and elk are very tough when it comes to taking lead. I shot a 6 year old bull last year twice at 30 yards with my 375 H&H with 235 gr bullets and he didn't show any signs of a hit. He piled up within 30 yards but wow to take those bullets that close right behind the shoulder is quite a hit.
 
.308

There is no other rifle that does it all like the venerable .308 and is still reasonably light (in most models) and still fun to shoot at the range. A close tie for 2nd would be the .270 and 30-06. Kind of depends on what your proclivities are. .270 is flatter shooting with a smaller bullet. 30-06 shoots the same bullet as the .308 but with a little more recoil, but pretty similar ballistics in terms of trajectory and energy. The .308 is kind of between the 2. It will handle any large game you might want to hunt in North America (w/ the possible exception of Moose and Alaskan Brown Bear) at standard hunting distances, and still be fun to shoot just for the sake of shooting. This is just my opinion, of course, but I think it's the best all-around general-purpose large game cartridge. Others will surely have different opinions for different reasons; just don't be taken in by the ever-so-trendy 6.5manbun. Blech.
 
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6.5 creed is good for deer ,lopes,sheep ,ect,,,but a bit light for bear and elk or moose,,,.308 might be better all around,,or 30-06 with lots of bullet weight choices.
 
7mm Mag is probably the best “do it all” caliber with affordable ammo and plenty of choices... just my 2 cents. FYI I do not own one.
 
Those you listed go with the 308. If other options are considered give these a thought. Short action 7-08, long action 25-06, 270, 280, 280 ai, 30-06. Of these I think the 280 A.I. would be my choice. I have 2 270 pre 64 mod 70's and they work if I do my part.

Good luck,
Dan
 
Yep 308win with a 165gr will be just fine. Great choice in the seekins for a first rifle!
 
Pick what you want. The Creed is the flavor, but there ain't no dust on the .06. Choose wisely. mtmuley
 
The Seekins Havok is currently only offered in 6.5 creed, 6mms creed, 6.5 prc, and 308.

I'd never heard of it before. Seems like a nice, light option for long range shooting, out in the open. I really don't want to piss on your parade at all, but for that price, I'd be tempted to get two rifles instead. You could get one that is suited to long range shooting and another that is suited for general woods hunting. That might open up some more options for chamberings too...
 
I'd never heard of it before. Seems like a nice, light option for long range shooting, out in the open. I really don't want to piss on your parade at all, but for that price, I'd be tempted to get two rifles instead. You could get one that is suited to long range shooting and another that is suited for general woods hunting. That might open up some more options for chamberings too...

No argument there. It retails for a premium, but I have a coupon for that , lol!
 
Of those options only the 308 would be somewhat reliable for elk IMO. If you could get one in 300 win mag that would even be more versatile for other critters as well and elk are very tough when it comes to taking lead. I shot a 6 year old bull last year twice at 30 yards with my 375 H&H with 235 gr bullets and he didn't show any signs of a hit. He piled up within 30 yards but wow to take those bullets that close right behind the shoulder is quite a hit.

Perfect example of what I call the “elk fallacy”

You hear how tough they are then arm yourself with a powerful rifle. You then find an elk and it takes multiple well-placed shots, unlike any whitetail or mule deer you’ve ever shot. Then logically, you think that anything smaller would kill slower and be less effective.

The reality is, elk don’t seem to care what you shoot them with. They seem to die at about the same speed with it all. I started out with a .300 WBY. Then, because I started liking lighter rifles, I started shooting elk with smaller cartridges. I expected elk to stay on their feet longer, but I’ve yet to see a difference.

To the OP: go with a .308.
 
Perfect example of what I call the “elk fallacy”

You hear how tough they are then arm yourself with a powerful rifle. You then find an elk and it takes multiple well-placed shots, unlike any whitetail or mule deer you’ve ever shot. Then logically, you think that anything smaller would kill slower and be less effective.

The reality is, elk don’t seem to care what you shoot them with. They seem to die at about the same speed with it all. I started out with a .300 WBY. Then, because I started liking lighter rifles, I started shooting elk with smaller cartridges. I expected elk to stay on their feet longer, but I’ve yet to see a difference.

To the OP: go with a .308.

I understand your point and for the most part agree, however there is something else to consider and there is still a minimum caliber that should be used on elk for efficacy. I have shot multiple elk with a 25.06 and they have all died as they were shot in close range. But there was a problem. One elk, a spike bull, was next to a herd and with the snow on the ground the tracks became undifferentiable with that many animals after the shot. The smaller caliber did not exit nor leave a blood trail so for quite a few hours it was tough with me thinking there was no way I missed a 40 yard shot. I did end up finding that spike but after that I could not justify using that small a rifle when I can shoot my larger one just fine and enjoy it. Just an anecdote as to why I now use a larger caliber since I had a bad experience and didn't fall into "elk are big, use a cannon" mentality, just don't like tracking or any animal getting away when not necessary.
 
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