My first rifle was handed down to me from my Grandfather, a Lee-Enfield .303 made in 1942. I have taken deer, elk and moose with that gun. I have also missed animals with that gun, 180 grain bullets drop a bunch after 150 yards. Still has the punch at distance, but with bullet drop there is way less accuracy. So if your in the field without a range finder and not a bunch of practice at the range, it's basically a crap shoot at anything 200 yards and up. I now have a Tikka T3 300 win mag for longer shots. But I still like the 303 for anything up to 100 yards. Just feels cool to hunt with Granddad's gun, you know? Anyways, anytime I go into a store that sells ammo I check out the selection for 303. There usually is just some boxes of 180 grainers, so bullet selection if very limited, I think I saw a box of 150 grain once. Crappy tire always has 180's in Winchester brand, which my 303 seems to favor.
But as everyone has already said 30-06 is an extremely versatile caliber. So I you want selection, go that route.
caddisguy "I worry about predators wanting to eat me or bucks trying to take my manhood. "How was your hunting trip honey" ... "wahh I don't want to talk about it... sob ""
^^^^^150 grainers is all I buy for my lee enfield .303, haven't had much of an issue finding them thus far..
Like Buck said, the .303 will get the job done up to a 150 yards no problem, and my dad and uncle used them to bring two moose home very year in the 50s and 60s...and early 70s...but there are a lot more effective rounds out these days. Get something you can knock a moose down with at 400 yards!
B.C., PRE-NDP, formerly the best place to play! Cogito, ergo armatus sum!