So it begins again... new rifle time.

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rduchateau2954

rduchateau2954

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A couple years ago I had the opportunity to hunt premo white tail land in WI. Countless hours of research led me to buy a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless .270. Opportunity fell through, sold the rifle.

Now I have an opportunity to do some hunting in Wyoming. Time to start again.

I'm thinking first if like a caliber recommendation, then a particular rifle recommendation.

Thanks guys,
Ryan
 
Why not get the same make and model Tika again? You spent a lot of time researching it. It's. It like rifle technology has changed that much in the years since you made that decision.
 
I've also got another interesting... option. I am right handed, left eye dominant. Always shot righty because that was how I was taught. WhenI started bow hunting a few years ago I decided I wanted to shoot left handed because I had no muscle memory shooting a bow right handed.

I'm debating whether or not to go lefty on this rifle. If I'm ever to do it, now is the time. I'd like to be out there for the fall of next year.

Correction on location, it's north east Wyoming.
 
.30-06 in the bolt gun of your choice would be, well, my choice.

If you have a lot of range to work with, a .300 Win Mag might be of value to you, but I'd rather just get a few yards closer with the '06...

And don't underestimate the .270's ability to drop elk... Throw some premium copper bullets in it like a Barnes TSX, and you'll have no problems whatsoever. If that's what you're used to, that's what you may want to roll with. The '06 can push some higher BC bullets, but not much higher. And coppers don't need to be heavy to penetrate. Heck, I'm talking myself into a .270 here.

If you think you'll go lefty, Savage is one of your only options. Not a bad option, mind you, I hunt with 111's.
 
Another thing I forgot to mention, the bear population here in Wisconsin has exploded. There's a very good chance I'll be bear hunting, probably fairly short range, in the Wisconsin Northwoods.

That I would probably like to do with the bow or .44. However, it would be nice to have the rifle be able to pull double duty.

With my last rifle I spent so much time getting it just how I wanted it, when it fell through after so many years of promises I felt that disgust every time I looked at that rifle. I don't ever want to do that again.

Wyoming elk, Wisconsin bear, whitetails, mule deer or whatever. I want something that can do it all so when an opportunity falls through I haven't wasted all my time and money.
 
I've talked to a number of folks that've used 180gr '06 TSX loads on Alaskan brown bear (what sparked my interest in the TSX). For a bear hunt with ideal shot placement, my understanding from those with actual experience is that it works like a charm. It's not the ideal stopper, but makes a great hunting cartridge.

There's a reason the '06 has a reputation for such a great general purpose rifle. With the right bullets, it just does a lot well. For what you're looking for, it sounds like the '06 should get some strong consideration.
 
.270 with a 150gr TSX should be fine for black bear and elk. I'd shoot just about anything in North America shy of grizzly bear with that combo. If you have to have a .30, .308 or .30/06 with a 165gr TTSX.
 
Hard to go wrong with the classic .30-06 in a bolt action.

Of course .270 is a dandy choice too.

I'd go with the '06 myself. A good controlled expansion bullet like a Nosler Partition will cleanly kill any animal in the lower 48. I like the 165 grainers.
 
I carry a 375H&H for elk and can load it up or down depending on whatever game I am after. I can put a 270gr bullet at almost the exact same poi as a 180gr 30-06 at 300y. And no, it will not totally destroy the meat. In fact the 375 does less meat damage than a 7mm Mag or the big 30 cal and 338 mags. The recoil of my rifle is very mild and easy to manage, less severe than some light weight 30-06s I have shot.

That being said, pretty much all of the calibers mentioned are good for elk. 270, 30-06, 7mm... the list goes on.

The 06 can handle the heavier bullets better than the 308, has less intense recoil than the 7mm and I have no idea how it stacks up to any of the 6.5s.
 
Why the '06 over 308? Or even the 7mm. Or a 6.5?
Today 06:46 PM
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With elk on the option list a 30-06 is as close to the ideal all around rifle as it gets. It'll shoot the same bullet weights as 308 about 100-200 fps faster depending on the exact load and bullet weight. A 308 will do exactly the same thing, 50-100 yards closer. In a standard size and weight rifle there isn't much reason to choose a 308 over 30-06. The exception is that a 308 can be made in a much lighter, more compact rifle. My Kimber 308 is still under 6 lbs scoped. In steep rugged terrain giving up 100 fps for a rifle that is 2 lbs or so lighter isn't a bad idea.

I have to say I am surprised. I expected suggestions of .300 and up.
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Just as a 30-06 will give you 100-200 fps over a 308, one of the 300 magnums will give you 200-300 fps more speed than a 30-06 with the same exact bullets. At under 400 yards no game animal will ever notice the difference between the 3. The 308 starts to lose enough speed after around 400 yards that bullet expansion may not be enough. A 30-06 will give you 50-100 more yards before this is a factor. The 300 mags will add another 100 yards of so to the effective range of a 30-06.

The question is, at what range can you hit an elk? And how much recoil can you tolerate.

A stout load from a 308 or 270 will hit you with 17-18 ft lbs of recoil
A stout load from a 30-06 will have around 20-21 ft lbs of recoil
A 300 magnum will vary from around 25-30+ ft lbs of recoil. There are at least 1/2 dozen 300 magnums and it varies.

But to be perfectly honest, any of the popular chamberings from 7-08 and up will kill elk. The bullet you choose and where you place it is more important than the caliber. A 270 loaded with good quality 150's or a 7-08 with 140's would be just fine if you wanted to go lighter.

Roberts 375 wouldn't be my choice, but it'll certainly work. Choose something you like and will enjoy using.
 
Thanks! Range. Range is the big issue. As much as i'd like to think I'll be dropping elk at 500 yards it's just not realistic. Ranges around here max at 200. I can stretch it to 300 on some private land but not on a regular basis.

Looks like I should have kept my .270. I'll start the ball rolling on a .270/.308/30-06 then. Hopefully I can find a few guys that will let me shoot their lefty rifles and see how that goes.
 
I'm going to go another way with it since you said 200yds. .. I would say a 6.5 Creedmoor! You can get match grade ammo that can be hunted with... I have one in a savage lrp that shoots 1/2 moa, recoil is nearly nonexistent (you can see what you hit through the scope), pretty flat shooting, you can get 120 gr and 140gr factory ammo which will cover most north American game...the 140gr travels about 2800+ fps... I handload 123gr amax bullets and they travel 2920 fps and will handle anything g deer sized and smaller to 500yds easily... the factory hornady 140gr amax would handle elk size and down, especially at the ranges you specified...
 
How about .338 Federal? Savage has embraced that cartridge across their product line this year. Basically it's a .308 necked up to .338.
 
How about .338 Federal? Savage has embraced that cartridge across their product line this year. Basically it's a .308 necked up to .338.
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Might as well go 358. Can neck up a 308 for a 358 as well. Elk would get smacked HARD with a 358.
 
Rduch;

I lived in Wyoming for decades, now live in Montana. I have a Tikka T3 Lefty in .30-06, and can tell you from a fair amount of experience that it'll do the job just fine. I happen to have a 3-9X mil-dot scope on this gun and also have the mil-dot reticle on several other guns, love it for big game hunting. Put the Nikon Monarch3 2.5-10X mil-dot on that gun & you'll have an excellent rig for just about anything that' you'll hunt on this side of the world. Which means it'll do for elk in Wyoming or whitetail in Wisconsin.

900F
 
If you were hunting elk exclusively, I might reccommend a .338 WM if you have a bit of experience with larger calibers. For all round use, the .30-06 stays at the top of the list. In the lower priced rifles, the Tikka is my choice for a light rifle and the Weatherby Vanguard for a heavier weapon. If you want to spend a bit more, current Winchester Model 70's are great rifles.

gary
 
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