Elk rifle preference

[PRC_GUY]

my favorite cartridge is 300 WM and 7LRM

 

[MeatMissile]

I’ve used several rifles for elk and settled on a 300 win mag as my preferred elk cartridge. 180 gr Barnes ttsx at 3100 fps do the job. I really like tikka rifles and I don’t think you can go wrong with one in 308, 30-06, or300 mag for your elk hunt. Good luck!

Careful with the 300 Win Mag in a Tikka. It barely fits. If I were doing a 30 magnum in a Tikka, I’d go WSM and use the longer magnum magazine and modify the bolt stop.

 

[wapitibob]

Over a decade with a 7stw. When this barrel is done I'm switching to a 28 Nosler.

 

[Forestdweller]

Killed my last 3 elk with my 300 Win Mag Model 70. I have mine in Ultralight with a gun break on the end for better recoil recovery though I dropped all three in 1 shot. Longest range I had to shoot was 275 yards. All three were on Oregon's east side near the Idaho/Washington border so lots of canyons and patches of timber.

Bullet wise I use the Barnes copper religiously. Fantastic ballistics for only a slightly higher price. Never had a problem putting down an animal.

For elk I use the:

Barnes VOR-TX Ammunition 300 Winchester Magnum 180 Grain TTSX Polymer Tipped Spitzer Boat Tail​

 

[bigbuckkilla]

Over a decade with a 7stw. When this barrel is done I'm switching to a 28 Nosler.

I have looked into that round! I hope it smacks for you.

 

[CoStick]

Yeah 308 is definitely heavily available. The problem with the tikka 30/06 is finding one available haha. Bow hunter I love those accubonds run them with my 270. I just want a bigger bullet. The actions on the tikka are insanely smooth. Y’all are awesome appreciate the time!

I use .270 win and .308. Both work great on elk.

 

[bigbuckkilla]

damn, y’all are useful. I’m so torn between the 30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, and the 300 Win Mag. The biggest deterrence is availability. The 300 WM and the 7Mm RM are in stock and rounds, can’t find a 30-06. Id like to get one within a month so I can break the barrel in and get used to the shot and trajectory. Y’all are helpful, I appreciate it for real!

 

[MeatMissile]

damn, y’all are useful. I’m so torn between the 30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, and the 300 Win Mag. The biggest deterrence is availability. The 300 WM and the 7Mm RM are in stock and rounds, can’t find a 30-06. Id like to get one within a month so I can break the barrel in and get used to the shot and trajectory. Y’all are helpful, I appreciate it for real!

You can’t go wrong with any of those. I’m a big fan of the 7mm Rem Mag. 160gr Partition at 3000 fps makes for a versatile load for elk and deer.

In regards to trajectory, the 7mm and 300 given similar BCs will have nearly identical trajectory. The 30-06 won’t be quite as flat. With a 200 yard zero, we’re talking maybe 1 1/2 inches difference at 300, 4-6” at 400.

 

[Forestdweller]

damn, y’all are useful. I’m so torn between the 30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, and the 300 Win Mag. The biggest deterrence is availability. The 300 WM and the 7Mm RM are in stock and rounds, can’t find a 30-06. Id like to get one within a month so I can break the barrel in and get used to the shot and trajectory. Y’all are helpful, I appreciate it for real!

As stated, all good choices. Only thing I will say is that my Dad uses 7mm Rem Mag and that ammo will be more expensive and difficult to find if that's a problem for you.

Fantastic firearm though.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

How tolerant are you of recoil?

While I personally do not find the recoil (8# for all-in in my T3X in 300 WM) to be as bad as what many claim it is, it definitely lets me know it’s there with each shot.

I’d lean towards the 7mm RM just for future growth. It’ll do everything the 30-06 can do and more. The recoil should be pretty close between the two.

 

[bigbuckkilla]

How tolerant are you of recoil?

While I personally do not find the recoil (8# for all-in in my T3X in 300 WM) to be as bad as what many claim it is, it definitely lets me know it’s there with each shot.

I’d lean towards the 7mm RM just for future growth. It’ll do everything the 30-06 can do and more. The recoil should be pretty close between the two.

Recoil isn’t awful for me, I am just trying to figure since it’s going to be walking and hunting I’d like to be able to shoulder and fire if needed. But I also have plenty of time to adjust to the gun I decide on.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

An 06 will work, I have killed cows out to 475yds with mine. But my preference is the lightest rifle I can carry. Right now it's 6.5 lb 18" .308 it works just as well. With an AG stock my rm 700 300wm is down to 8lbs it works well too, little heavy and I am not of fan of the long barrel in timber...2 to 3 lbs doesn't sound like a lot until you have carried it from before daylight to after dark...lol

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Recoil isn’t awful for me, I am just trying to figure since it’s going to be walking and hunting I’d like to be able to shoulder and fire if needed. But I also have plenty of time to adjust to the gun I decide on.

Cool. A Limbsaver can help a bit on the recoil side.

I have two T3Xs (6.5 CM and 300 WM). They are great rifles. Easy to carry and accurate as heck.

Toying with the idea of grabbing another one in 7mm RM.

 

[Ross]

Tikka is a solid choice and will serve you well, as to caliber the 06 will do all you need, partial to the 7mm as that is all I‘ve hunted will since 1980

 

[Forestdweller]

How tolerant are you of recoil?

While I personally do not find the recoil (8# for all-in in my T3X in 300 WM) to be as bad as what many claim it is, it definitely lets me know it’s there with each shot.

I’d lean towards the 7mm RM just for future growth. It’ll do everything the 30-06 can do and more. The recoil should be pretty close between the two.

Recoil isn’t awful for me, I am just trying to figure since it’s going to be walking and hunting I’d like to be able to shoulder and fire if needed. But I also have plenty of time to adjust to the gun I decide on.

As I have said the Ultralight + barrel break combo is invaluable to me in higher caliber weapons. Makes it loud as hell though.

It's not a matter of being a tough guy and handling recoil it's a matter of recovery and getting the bead back on the animal after the shot.

Having an Ultralight weapon is its own reason, though some people don't like a synthetic stock aesthetically I am more of a pragmatist.

 

[Outdoorsman12b]

If you go with a tikka lite in 300wm unbraked I would recommend grabbing a scope with very good eye relief and give yourself lots of time to shoot it in different field positions. As others have said the recoil is not intolerable, but if you don’t have a good grip on it or shoot from an awkward angle it will redecorate your face. When that elk steps out you probably won’t be thinking about that much, so important your muscle memory is built pre season.

 

[cnelk]

A good read from Chuck Hawkes regarding the 300 WM

.300 Win. Mag.

 

[3325]

I have some ideas that I like but I want to have a good round for more than just elk.

Use the .270 you already have.

 

[Tbonespop]

All choices you are looking at work as everyone is saying. As having just recently bought a Tikka T3X myself (in 308 for me), good luck finding it in a 30-06. Get what you can find or be very patient, because they aren't exactly abundant. As you have likely found out, availability will likely be your determining factor.

 

[Currymac]

Anyone using a 6.5? I bought a CVA Cascade in 6.5 PRC and I’m working up a lot for it. All the ballistic tables show it plenty powerful enough for elk even out to a decent distance I know people who have taken elk with a creed more with great results. Always interesting to get different perspectives.