Lionclaw, since you said last night you are still undecided on which rifle to choose, I just wrote this in their forums:
Ignoring shotguns and slugs: and basing both on my own experiences and the German Wiki, with which I agree in its assessments of the Anschütz rifles.
The brute power of the 9.3 is without rival within ranges of around 100-150 meters. It's the rifle that I brought to full kill score as the first rifle in my statistics. It's a Panzerfaust. It also is damn accurate within that range. In excess of that range however its ballistics make themselves felt, and the bullets drop more than with the .300 or 30-06. If you can compensate for that, you still have a cannon in your hands. At maximum rendering distance of 230m, aim maybe the width of one hand higher.
The .300 is more precise over longer ranges, that's why the scopes for it are zeroed in for not 100 but 150 meter. It delivers a good punch, and adding the precision, in capable hands it is as lethal as the 9.3
But you have to differ between penetration power and the body damage in general. The .300 has a good, maybe better penetration power than the 9.3, but is not en par with the body damage done by a 9.3. The 9.3 does more damage, if it penetrates shoulder bones, for example. If you aim in such a way that you avoid needing to penetrate bones, the 9.3 still is the superior weapon. The .300 is the safer weapon to penetrate, and easier to handle, due to better precision.
If you do not call long range shots, but like to close in, do like I do and prefer the 9.3. If oyu prefer the long range shots, maybe the .300 is better choice.
The 30-06 is a very good allrounder. Slightly stronger than the 8x57IS, no interfering ballistics at 200m, and it can easily hold its ground with the .300 and 9.3.
All these callibres are lethal, if you handle them according to their small differences and adapt to them. I would not choose a rifle because of them, but because of the scopes, the sounds the rifle makes, and the looks. Serious. And the sounds of the Anschütz rifles are - well, they leave the .300 and 30-06 in the dust, imo. The .300 is slow in reloading, you hardly get off a second shot. The Anschütz rifles I often use for two shots, on some occasions even three (though they do not reload as fast as the Blaser R8 6.5). The Winchester also reloads quite fast. The .300 has a very good scope: fine crosshairs with a red dot, fits any light condition.
Do not count out the Anschütz 8x57IS. Its more precise than the 9.3, and a VERY good allrounder. Not maximum penetration and body damage, but very good values in both, and that combined with the precision and fast reloading and nice sound and scope makes it a very good rifle in game.
I come to love with the Blaser 6.5 since the last weeks. For its kind of game, it now is my favourite weapon: Blacktail, Whitetail, Mule, Coyotes, even hogs. The key to it is understanding its strength: precision, fast travelling bullets, and the resulting high penetration power. It doe snot do as much damage than the callibres mentioned above. But also, it doe snot ruin your trophy score that way. For the prey mentioned, it is maybe the most superior rifle in the game. It has a good scope, characteristic sound, and reloads extremely fast. Damn good rifle! For elk, moose and bears you need a bigger one, however, not because you could not kill with 6.5, but because the ethical argument ingame (no score, that is
)