I want to hunt Elk, Blacktail, Whitetail, and Muleys. I have very little experience with guns and need some advice. Is there such a rifle that would effeciently and handily cover all situations including long shots @ 300 yards for muleys, and perhaps closer ranges of 80-200 yards for deer and elk? Also, I would like a rifle that doesn't blast my shoulder off, however, I am not averse to a good kick, just no more 45/70's thank-you very much. Is there such a rifle that can quickly and humanely kill and elk and also reach way out and touch a Muley or is thisa a stupid question? if so, what two rifles would I need? Names, Models, and prices please? Thanks so much. BMF

Although certainly not the most experienced in this regard my recommendations would be...

300 win mag (most kick)
7 mm rem mag (less kick)
270 short mag (less kick....harder to find ammo)

Chuck Hawks website has lots of articles and tables discussing caliber choices, recoil etc.

Any rifle in .30-06 will handle all your requirements nicely.

A .308 would work too, but you'd need to practice more for some of the longer shots. The .308 hits about 8 inches low at 300 yards, so holding on the spine does the trick. at 400 yards its 24 inches low, which is a kind of questionable shot in my opinion.

whatever you get, practice a lot at various ranges.

Good luck.

7mm Rem Mag,Rem Model 700,3-9 Leupold scope,good for all your needs,working mans price range

270 wsm or 300 wsm, thats what i'm going for. i've been studying all the balistics charts for ammo for like a year. and those are the best calibers that i've found, they have about the same fps, shoot really flat, have a good down range impact. and would work really well for all big game. and they have a various range of bullet grains you can get for them.

i'd get a tika t3 hunter, thats one really nice rifle right there, and its acurate as hell to

THANK-YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP. YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN A GREAT HELP. bmf

My vote is the .300 WSM as well. The short action offers a light weight rifle with enough punch to do the job. Check out the Tikka T3, weatherby vanguard, ruger m77, browning a-bolt, or winchester model 70. All are great rifles, but each one offers something a little different.

Top it off with a leupold scope and rings and you're in business for everything from antelope to moose.

FP

I've shot everything from Blactails to Kodiak Brown Bear with a .300 Weatherby.

1) .300 Win Mag (My Ruger M77 was the best all around rifle I've owned, wish I still had it)
2) .280 Remington (Does everything a .270 does, only better)
3) .30-06 (most popular deer/elk round ever, what more needs to be said)

forgot all about the .280, but i'd just get the .300 its just a 30-06 with a bigger case. shoots faster and striaghter

I would recommend the 30/06. I know it's boring and everybody's got one, but there's a reason it's as popular as it is. A 300 magnum will not be of any advantage whatsoever unless you are shooting at more than 350 yards. And even then, the only advantage is your hold over will be a few inches less than with the 30/06. 30/06 ammo is much cheaper, and the /06 is a lot easier on your shoulder and I guarantee it will be a lot more fun to shoot.

Model 70 .270 featherweight
great gun for anything. I have shot mulies, whitetails, and my dad has shot blacktail and elk, all with the same gun.
It really isnt as much about the gun as it is the shooter.

^^^ thats right, i know a guy that hunts moose in canada witha a .243, and he gets one every year with it. mainly its about shot placement. although its nice to have the extra bullet hitting

You'll be happy with any of the calibers that folks are recommending. Once you find a rifle you like, take a look at the ballistics. You'll see where all of these calibers shake out.

If you use factory ammo, you'll get a little more power out of a .300 wsm than the .300 win mag, but the best part is you'll utilize a short action. Shorter bolt throw + lighter action means faster follow-up shots (if you need them).

Good luck!