I think I would go 338 Win Mag.

I agree when using h1k or retumbo the 300 win mag is a big ole push versus a sharp crack out of a 30’06 with medium burn rate powders like 4350, 4064, 4895, etc..
plus the long inconsistency in the neck is a big turn off in the 30’06.

You should take a .30-06 when you go to Canada then

Waaaaah 30-06 hurts



Think id go with a .338WM if I was going to Canada… but I don’t plan on going to Canada.

300 Win Mag, you can't go wrong.

I shoot a 30-06 loaded with IMR 4350 and have a 300 wby no notable difference in recoil from a 300 win mag. The wby is a pound heavier and the recoil isn’t in the same ball park as the 30-06.

Does a 270 shooting a 150 grain with 4350 kick like a 300 too? Heck a 308 is advertised as equivalent to 30-06 by some so a fast charge of varget must make it brutal.

What part of Canada are you going to? Eastern Canada where you are shooting whitetail, black bear and smallish moose, a .308, .30-06 or a .270 is fine.

Western Canada is where the need may arise for more gun. If you’re moving to B.C or Alberta then you may have a need for a little more ooomph.

Tab, I see 30-06 is not among the list of calibers you own but it is one of the rifles I would take if I was going to Canada for a couple years. A good stout 180 grain bullet around 2750 fps has 3,000 foot pounds of energy and is proven to be effective for any big game in North America if you can put the bullet where it needs to go. If you can’t do that you will have issues with a 300 just the same. Using your past posts as a reference, you shouldn’t have any trouble there. From the cartridges you have listed, I’d take the 308 and either the 300WM or the 375 H&H.
Good luck knocking around in Canada!

Side notes: I own a 30-06 and a 300wm. I like them both. I load 180’s over H-4831 in the 30-06. Neither are overly harsh recoil wise but the 300 has noticeably more recoil. The men I grew up around all shot bolt action 30-06’s which probably influenced my preferences. This forum is the only place I’ve ever heard grown men complain that a
30-06 has too much recoil for them. 30-06 is the most commonly used big game cartridge in both Canada and Alaska. Logic would lead me to the conclusion it is probably the most readily available ammunition which is not insignificant if you plan to be there for two years.

No one said a .30-06 kicks too much.

The point was made that if your gonna get kicked, might as well have the better performance

I can’t remember exactly in this thread, but many times on here I have noticed many complain about 3006 recoil. That’s all I’ve shot for 50 years and I dont like recoil, but I dont shoot much.

A .30-06 kicks.

It’s not a big bore magnum, but it’s a the upper limits of what is comfortable for the average shooter. I’m not particularly recoil adverse but I don’t enjoy getting kicked off don’t have to.

Most other people don’t either, that’s why .308’s, 7mm-08’s, 6.5 whatever’s, etc. have become much more popular.

A .30-06 is a fine cartridge no doubt, but its popularity was due to it being a service cartridge returning GI’s were familiar with combined with cheap and readily available surplus rifles. That’s its.

.338 Win Mag.

300WM will do the job no doubt. Year after year big game animals must be getting tougher and tougher. IDK. Hunters that haven’t heard about that phenomenon still kill moose, elk, and grizzly bears with their moderately recoiling 30-06’s without problems every year. Why do you think the 30-06 is still the most used cartridge by the people who live in Canada and Alaska? Is it because it just flat out works?

TxTro, that was a fine fine post. If you had just left off the “That’s it” at the end….😊

30-06 works ok for me…., two trips to Northern B.C. = two bull moose. Both took one shot using Federal Premium 180gr Partitions.

My 30-06 is a pleasure to shoot. Very enjoyable. Even with the Hornady Superformance loads, and it really likes them.

You either love it or hate it. If I were going to Alaska I’d probably hunt big game strictly with two weapons- granddaddy’s 30-06 and bow and arrow. Not because it is particularly “ultimate”, but to put some more stories and kills on that gun before it gets passed down.

If I didn’t have it, and I were shopping for an Alaskan rifle, it’d be a 300WM or maybe a 338WM. Unless you’re averse to recoil.

There is a whole lot of difference in a 30-06 and 300WM in both recoil and muzzle blast. They are only comparable if you are measuring hot 30-06 handloads to typical factory 300WM loads on the walmart shelf. Those loads are mild.

Hot dog look at that, great cartridge and great bullet with great results!

I would be in Alberta, western Canada..

I’m not opposed to getting a new rifle built in a new caliber, like I said it’s more about ammo availability and the ability to replenish what I shoot.

The 200 rounds has me in a box, it’s not clear if it’s 200 per gun or just 200 all in.
I was going to file for the PAL.

Data pertaining to the .30-06's popularity.

https://backfire.tv/popular-cartridges/

18 most searched cartridges, it is 9th.

20 what are rifles chambered in, it is 9th.

10 of the most popular cartridges custom rifles are chambered in. 30-06 is not on the list.

12 cartridges ranked by ammo sales, it is 7th.

There is an age group still propping it up. Up and comers don't seem to care about it. When I was buying chamber reamers and gauges, I did not buy .30-06.

Your facts are understandable and your opinion I agree with. I like my 3006 but I know it’s likely slowing down with younger folks.

Southern hunters where there are no native large big game animals and the target crowd have gravitated to short action calibers for decades. Long action calibers have a strong following out west and up north where big animals are regularly hunted. That spells out the disconnect in this thread.

Of course people search new things more.
What portion of gun ownership does the custom rifle owner make up? It’s minuscule.

Out of all the cartridges out there it’s 12th in sales… sounds pretty high.

None of that data crap has anything to do with the fact that the venerable 30-06 is a proven game killing machine. Always was, always will be no matter what the young, flat brimmed crowd says.

So the real question is are you running from Trump?

Your rifle is still one of the top 5 coolest old rifles I've ever had my hands on. Oh the stories it could tell!