My rifle predicament.

[PNWGATOR]

^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^

95gr NBT out of the .243
77TMK out of the .223
143 ELDX or 147 ELDM out of the 6.5 CM

 

[Gila]

Seems like a lot of folks favoring the .270.

I think what I will do, is keep both guns. Put the Viper 3.5-10 I have coming to me on the .270.

Start accumulating ammo for the .270 as it becomes available (hard to find right now) and shoot both guns as much as I can over the summer and see which one feels best an I shoot best. I'm betting it will be the .270 as it has some type of trigger work done for sure.

The .308 has a Diamondback 3x9 on it. While that scope gets alot of hate, I dialed it in at sea level in 2018. Drove cross country, Hunted the mountains of WY for 10 days fell with the gun and landed on the scope, banged it around in the Adirondacks in single digit temps. Then had it ejected from my camper when I had a terrible accident and rolled over. The gun landed in the middle of the highway median in a soft case, finally got it out of the case months later and started shooting and it was still dead on after all that, and I mean dead on. I guess there is no reason not to just continue shooting that gun as is for the time being and using the BDC reticle rather then dialing. Make myself up a dope card for the reticle.

I appreciate all the advice. I knew I would get some different perspectives on here. Thanks guys.

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That is what I would do. The .308 is a good pill for elk out to 400 yards. The .270 is a flat shooter and a good pronghorn cartridge. Once you learn how both rifles shoot, you won’t need any dope sheets or anything. You could use a standard duplex and do the holdover out to 400 yards, no problem.

 

[Alaska_Joe]

I just put this scope on a Tikka t3x ultralight in .300WM for a super light mountain rig that I can take anything here in AK with. It’s crazy light, great reticle, great glass… some may not like the reticle but for me and my background (PRS, active duty sniper) it’s perfect. I’d pick whichever gun shoots better, get this scope, and go to town. Personally I’d go with the .308 going off your replies to the other comments. Oh, just a heads up, if the brass you have is mil surp, the primers would be crimped and you’ll need to get a primer pocket swage tool.

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[Anschutz]

IMHO, you've got a great two gun system. If I was in your shoes this is what I'd be thinking.

1) Winchester stays set up how it is loaded with 180gr bullets and used to stalk timber.
2) Savage gets a new scope and gets practiced with a lot but not so much that you shoot out the barrel. IMO, a Savage isn't worth rebarelling. I've done it and it shoots great but the action is the weak point for me. 400 yards is where things start getting interesting. Wind becomes a factor and you are past MPBR for anything you can afford to shoot all day.
3) Save for something to replace the Savage eventually. Tikka is a great option but there are others, save enough and buy a Sako that can be handed down like the Winchester can be. I'd stay with the .270 on an open prairie rifle. Moderate recoil, good enough for elk with premium bullets in the right spot, and 270 ammo is everywhere in the west (under normal circumstances).

No matter what you decide, you've got two usable rifles and it sounds like one usable scope and one on the way. Add a rangefinder, buy ammo, and shoot as much as possible under field conditions. Practice under bad conditions twice as much as you do under good conditions. It isn't always a bluebird day when that big bull steps out.

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[MikeDeltaFoxtrot]

If you really don't want a Tikka, a Weatherby Vanguard or Howa is a fine choice too in the same price range. Weatherby also just released an economy version of the Mk V called the Hunter. I am not sure what the street price will be, but my guess is around $1k. I have had nothing but good experiences with Weatherby rifles.

I disagree with the advice about 6.5CM and .243 Win. I don't understand why you would want to take such a cartridge hunting when you can have something more powerful like a 300 Win mag. It gives you more range and more margin for error if your shot isn't perfect. I think people make too much of recoil. Get a rifle that fits you that isn't too light for the cartridge, and just shoot it. Recoil doesn't matter. I just ignore it.

I started deer hunting with a 300 Win Mag, and I have killed many animals with 180 grains Barnes bullets in that cartridge. In recent years I have shot a few with a .308 because I wanted to field test a particular rifle, but it is limited in range. I own a 6.5CM, but I just bought for my kids to shoot. I really like my 7mm Weatherby too, although given the cost of ammo, I would not recommend it unless you hand load.

 

[Fatcamp]

Which one is more accurate? That's all that matters.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

+1 for the easy button special

 

[Actual_Cryptid]

Back in the day I was hitting a pie plate (y'all might know the orange shot spotter) with M855 from a 14.5" barreled M4 with a 4x fixed scope and a universally recognized tight eyebox. Three things make that possible: practice, practice, and practice.

I will disagree with most folks here. You can sell the 270 or not, I'm not a fan of the caliber but I don't hate it. Savage rifles are fine, they're not a Tikka but you also paid a hundred bucks for it so your value proposition is tough to beat. The Winchester 70 is fine as well. The Diamondback scope is probably your weak point equipment-wise, but I would wager if you're lacking confidence that's only part of the puzzle.

If you ask me, the first thing I'd say to do is buy a thousand or so projectiles and some powder for that .308 and get to practicing. I like shooting the 150gr Nosler e-tip and the Hornady 150 FMJBT is a close load (not perfect but close enough) when run at the same velocity. Find a similar partnered load, find some distance ranges and ideally some unknown or variable distances, and practice your wind and distance calls. I grew up shooting sporting clays, now there are some little metal pigeon holders that you can stick in the ground. I like those for practice because there's no question, there's no flyers, there's no "well it's on the line" you either broke the clay or you missed. Gongs work too if you can shell out some money and hoof a 50lb plate and rack back and forth.

Scopes depend on budget, and there are plenty of options. The SWFA 6x works, I've shot the 10x on bench rifles and appreciated it for a feat of brutalism. It's heavy, it's cheap, and it's pretty effective. If the Razor LH 1.5-8x was still around I'd be suggesting that, but if I find one I'm buying it. I have 3 athlon scopes, all Ares BTR. Don't bother with the Argos, I bought one and returned it shortly. I haven't tried the Helos, although I have been eyeballing that Helos 1-10x, haven't found one in person to ogle yet. I just bought a Sig Cross in .308 and I'm moving my Trijicon Credo over to it. I like the "precision hunter" reticle a lot.

But that brings me back around. $2k on a tikka or $2500 on a Cross+optic isn't going to make you good enough to take that shot. Whatever scope you choose, I think that practice is more important than anything else.