Help with Rifle selection

TS95

FNG
Joined
Dec 2, 2025
Messages
2
Looking for help on selecting a rifle and caliber for elk, it would also be my primary gun for whitetail right now. I would like to make sure it has plenty of juice to take an elk up to 400 yards. I also don’t plan to reload, also won’t shoot for fun besides a few rounds before the season every year to get dialed in. Price range is roughly $1200

I’m entering elk draws and playing the long game on some of them so the hope is that I can pick it up next year or in 15 years when I get the draw and ultimately same for my sons, they can pick it up and elk hunt in 25 years. With that being said I like the idea of having a stainless barrel that has cerekote

As for a rifle I have been looking at tikka mostly I’ve just always wanted one but never had one.

For caliber, I have a 300 WM already with a 5-6 boxes of federal premium trophy bond 180grain. So that’s a plus but it’s overkill for my primary whitetail hunting that has most shots being 100 to 150 yards. Occasionally as close as 50 and as far as 350. I like the idea of having a short cartridge but from what I’ve read it doesn’t matter with a tikka as they are all long actions. I like the idea of getting down to a 6.8 western, 6.5 prc, or even .308 for recoil but the concern with prc is can it truly handle elk well, and 6.8 availability. Since I have 300wm something like 7prc just doesn’t make sense to me.

Euro optic has a rough rec ember 300 winmag for 900 so this looks good and my thoughts are to buy a muzzle brake which isn’t included to help mitigate kick. Or should I look at a tikka in 6.5 prc or a browning hells canyon in the prc or 6.8 which would give an actual short action.

Thanks for all tips, info, and advice.
 
muzzle brakes suck.
I wasnt aware that anybody bought 6.8 westerns

Outta what you mentioned I'd grab the 308. Mainly because I'm cheap and you can shoot that thing a lot
 
I personally love muzzle brakes and have them on several rifles. I highly recommend the 6.5 PRC. I have taken several elk, deer and bears with mine.

Tikkas are good. Browning X-bolts are also solid and many come with a brake.
 
If you are not shooting for fun and already have an elk rifle, save the money for something that actually interests you. I wouldn't burn $1200 for potentially a few more bites of deer meat.
 
You already have a great elk gun if you want a heavy hitter. Any of the guns mentioned will kill either deer or elk easy at 400. It's just personal preference and bullet choice after that. Your not reloading so something like a 308 will have the most lots of types of ammo readily available (and cheaper).

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Well I am one of the guys that actually bought a 6.8 western. It's an xbolt mountain pro. Couldn't be any happier with it. Shoots amazingly well, very very accurate. I've killed a bull and a pronghorn with it so far. Ive stocked up on the ammo it likes and also bought a set of dies for it. Im not concerned about it going anywhere. The gun is a lot of fun to shoot. It does have the recoil hawg brake on it which lessened the recoil below my 25-06 i use to shoot. One day ill throw a suppressor on it.
 
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