Rifles???

[Kraizee_Skot]

[font "Impact"][#ff4040][size 3]Was just wondering what rifles you guys use for your big game? As for me I have a 7mm rem mag. It can take down all the big game we have here in UT. So far I have gotten 2 elk and 2 mule deer with it.[/size][/#ff4040][/font][size 1] [/size]
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[campfire]

I apologize if I highjack you thread but your question is a difficult one to answer because you will get as many answers as there are rifles manufactured. The truth is that just about any rifle will do a good job on "big Game" in utah under particular conditions with good shot selection and placement. Some are more suited to some conditions and others more suited to other conditions. Your rifle should match your particular hunting methods and game. And your ammunition should also match youir hunting style and game. I have an experience to site as example. Years ago I was hunting elk on a guided hunt in Colorado. I shot a mature bull at about 200 yards with my 30-06 and Nosler partition bullet. It struck the right shoulder shattering the shoulder like glass, penetrated the rib cage twice and the thoracic organs and came to rest just under the skin on the off side. The bull went down like a rock against a small bush. The guide told me to watch the bull while he approched it. On the way the bush gave way and the bull "rolled over". Thinking that the bull was going to get up the guide shot it in the butt with his 7mm mag. I thought his shot would have ruined the whole hind quarters but when I butchered the elk his bullet had panetrated only a few inches and completely disintgrated. My point is that his choice of ammunition was not good for his faster 7mm mag and expanded too quickly. Most centerfire rifles will get the jod done when matched to the right range and with the right ammunition and good shot placement.
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[Jethro]

I use a .270 but I am upgrading to a 7mm this year...
The 7mm has a wide varity of bullets from 90-200 grains...
I have used as small as a.243 but it is not very effective past 300 yards...
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[fishhungry]

I use two guns. I have a .308 that I use for deer. I think this is the perfect deer rifle. Enough power to be effective to 300 yards, yet has relatively little kick and is lightweight for carrying. For elk, I feel I need a little more power--not for knocking them down, as I've killed many elk with my.308 before I got my second gun, most with one shot--but for longer-range shots. I find that most of my elk hunting opportunities result in much longer shots than deer hunting. My .308 drops 20+ inches at 400 yards, so its ineffective. For these reasons I chose the .300 WIN MAG. I load it with a relatively light 150 grain Nosler Partition and I zero it at 250 yards. This way I can shoot without even making any elevation adjustments to 400 yards.

I must admit though, a .300 isn't for the gun shy. My shoulder is usually hamburger after getting it sighted in.
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[Kraizee_Skot]

[font "Impact"][#ff4040][size 3]Hey campfire, That guide must have been using some whack ammo. Both my elk were shot using 165 gr noslers. They both just dropped on the spot. One was even shot at 400 yards, and after gutting it I found that I had blown its heart to pieces. Nothing left of it. It's like you stated, you must match the right bullet to your gun for it to be as effective as the manufacture wanted it to be.[/size][/#ff4040][/font]
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[IceFishingGod]

I use a 7MMSTW for both deer and elk. I use a 168gr Combined Technology Partition with 82gr of reloader 19. Puts the bullet out the bad end at 4060fps. It's a custom gun built on a Win pre 64 model action. It's got a 28" barrel and a carbon fiber stock. It was built by Brad Stair at Preformance Firearms in West Haven. He is the man for all your gunsmithing needs.
I also have a 300 Win Mag, non-custom that I use when hunting the dark timber. I use 220 gr partitions. I don't expect shots past 60 meters so bullet drop isn't a concern.

IFG