General Purpose Cartridge for Coyotes up to Elk

Welcome from SE PA!

Lou270 said:

6.8 Western or 6.5 prc would be my short list. I would prefer the 6.8W and the heavier bullets for the larger game but 6.5 prc is a "modern" 270 Win and that old classic is still a personal favorite. As for factory loads with 6.8W I have had great results with the Browning/Win loads but there are a bunch more for 6.5 prc if that worries you

Lou

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I do really like the 6.8 Western. I think I would like it or the 6.5 PRC the most. Hoping the 6.8 Western gets more support going into the future. Have heard good things.

charlesh777 said:

Oh, I'm sure. Might need to talk with some family members about having a reloading set up at their place until I can make room lol.

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I've been C clamping my single stage RCBS press onto a study bench or table. Decap primers outside my house with Lee hand held press. Been doing that for over a decade. Makes ammo good enough to shoot over 1k. Heres a coldbore badger I shot last year with my 260 AI at 659 yards. My 260 AI "budget build".

xsn10s said:

I've been C clamping my single stage RCBS press onto a study bench or table. Decap primers outside my house with Lee hand held press. Been doing that for over a decade. Makes ammo good enough to shoot over 1k. Heres a coldbore badger I shot last year with my 260 AI at 659 yards. My 260 AI "budget build". View attachment 600688

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Love the badger! I got caught by the wife doing the c- clamp press on the kitchen table . Let's just say it didn't go well for me.

crazymonkey said:

Love the badger! I got caught by the wife doing the c- clamp press on the kitchen table . Let's just say it didn't go well for me.

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Yeah that would be bad lol. I use an old computer desk.

I'd go with a 300wsm. Personally think that a 6.5 prc is too small for elk. Good barrel life. Huge selection of bullets and arguably one of the most accurate and easy cartridge's out there.

Old school guy here, but my first big game rifle was a 30-06. It has taken from prairie dogs to elk. You can get ammo anywhere in the world if needed. Possibly the 308 can match it for finding ammo.
I have hand loaded it for many years and it was my only center fire rifle for many years. It never failed. Loads ranged from 100 semi jacketed, 110 fmj (loaded very light for grouse, turkeys, etc), 150 for deer and antelope, 165 for up to elk, 180 & 200 for elk.
Started numerous kids on it with the very light 100 grain bullets loaded very light.
I still believe in it as a great cartridge. 400-450 yards is what I am comfortable as my max in the field range, so it fits.
In all honesty I have owned many other rifle cartridges…357, 44, 222, 22 Hornet, 223, 22-250, 243, 257 Robert's, 25-06, 6.5 CM, 270, 7mm-08, 30-30, 308, 300 WM, 338 Lapua, 375 H&H, probably something I just forgot. Of all of them I have always owned a 30-06 and always will.

Best of luck deciding what works best for you!

Guys have been slucing moose in Scandinavia for 125+ years with the 6.5x55… so I'm sure it's way too small for elk.

charlesh777 said:

Thank you all for the welcome! I look forward to learning as much as I possibly can here. I have have been a member of another long range forum for many years and decided to make the switch over here due to a bigger focus (and probably sole focus) on hunting. Yes, I understand that it is a lot to ask for one cartridge. I am also contemplating two barrels for one rifle. Would prefer to keep a short action, so 7 PRC is out. I also should have stated that I will be running factory ammo. I would like to get into reloading at some point, but I don't currently have the space for it. Otherwise, I might be looking at different cartridges. There are a lot of cool wildcats that have caught my eye. Think 6.5 PRC might be the ticket for now. Or start with a short action in a smaller caliber like 6mm or 22 creedmoor for coyotes and then buy another barrel (or rifle for that matter) for elk in the future.

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Welcome from Idaho.
If you can give us a list of components that your build will have we can help you narrow it down. Most importantly what action you are planning on? Short-Med-Long. If you plan on 2 barrels there are some great options. Since you do not reload at this time, the easy button would be an action that is easy to swap bolt face size. Do a 22 or 6 Creed barrel and a 6.5PRC or 7PRC barrel for the bigger stuff. All on a long action, with the Hawkins Hunter BM. You can get spacers for the short action cartridges, then bolt head or bolt, barrel swap, different mag for the bigger stuff. One action, one optic, one stock/chassis.
Or the super easy button as you mentioned 6.5PRC on a Medium Action.

My 2 cents

PH

FEENIX said:

I built this 21 years ago as a mobile reloading setup. It is 20"x 60" and fits perfectly on a hitch carry-all.
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As you can see with FEENIX's set up it doesn't take a lot of room to reload. More space is of course better, but you can still make high quality ammo with simple set ups. This box shown would last a lifetime. I size brass using the single stage bench mounted press. And seat bullets with my Lee handle held. Although a good bench mounted press would be better. Watch videos on reloading, buy reloading manuals, get good equipment and dies, ask questions and start off slow. Here's a rockchuck I coldbore shot at 533 yards.

6.8 Western would be a great all around rifle, especially if you decide to reload.

Welcome from Louisiana!

I'm with the majority!
Pick your elk load and you have that all-purpose rifle!!
I never overkilled a coyote !!

FEENIX said:

Some guys in my range do their load work inside their trailers. I have no desire to do that. I have a pre-determined goal when I am at the range. I just want to shoot, collect data, and adjust accordingly at home. I am about 10-15 minutes to my range. Most of the time, I am the first one there, and I am done when people start showing up.

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If I just want to shoot, I have a 150 yard range at my house. Unfortunately that's as far as I can go without building elevated platforms to not be below a hill. My property is long and narrow, and unfortunately I have neighbors at the long ends.

About all I do at the 300 yd range 20 min from my house is ladders and seating depth tests. I'd like to have a range box similar to yours, just smaller scale to be more organized. I get tired of my little tool box that I've been using, it's crowded and everything I need is always buried.

xsn10s said:

Yeah that would be bad lol. I use an old computer desk.

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I did that for a while too, until I was sizing some 340 Weatherby cases that were being difficult at the web and the entire desk top came off and landed in my lap… everything went everywhere, guess the the RockChucker Supreme has too much leverage.

Cheers.