Narrowed down new mountain rifle

[Mudshack]

I’ve dispatched pretty close to 30 elk over the years, the farthest shot was 340 yards, most were less than 100 yards. Your 308 will be fine but that’s not a good enough reason to you to not get a new rifle.

Shhhhh. Don't tell my wife that!

 

[grappling_hook]

Shhhhh. Don't tell my wife that!

The best reason for a new rifle is because you want one!

 

[def90]

I don't know, if I want a new rifle I just buy one. I don't go online to build a caucus to support my decision.

 

[Mudshack]

I don't know, if I want a new rifle I just buy one. I don't go online to build a caucus to support my decision.

Yeh. U are a far superior human being than me. Oh how I wish I could be more like you and less like me.

 

[Unckebob]

I have been a whitetail hunter for 40 years. Have used mainly my Browning BLR in .308. Now that I live in Colorado, I am changing ALL of my equipment to lighter and longer shooting gear. It's crazy what a different kind of hunting gear is needed.

So....I have my mountain rifles narrowed down to the following in either .300wm or 7PRC

Browning X-Bolt 2 Speed
Bergara Wilderness Sierra
CVA Cascade LRH
Tikka T3X Lite (.300wm only option)

Thoughts?

The Browning and the Tikka are the best rifles.

If you get a really light rifle, get a model that allows you to use a muzzle brake or a suppressor. Light, heavy recoiling rifles are hard to shoot accurately.

My Browning is a 6lb model chambered in 6.8W. As an experiment, I took off the muzzle brake and shot it bare. It kicked like a mule and was very difficult to control. I don't plan to do that ever again. With a suppressor, it kicks like a 270.

 

[jbwright]

I’m certainly not here to claim 300WM is ballistically superior, but I ended up going with the 300WM primarily due to cost and availability of factory ammo in my area. I have all the equipment to reload, but with two kiddos under two year old, time for reloading wasn’t high on the priority list. PRC or Nosler cartridges were crazy expensive, 7PRC wasn’t on the market yet a couple years ago, and I do like 30cal. With a muzzle break recoil is really tame in my gun. For those reasons I went with a somewhat lightweight carbon barrel 300WM.

Which model?

 

[jonesn3]

Which model?

Christensen Ridgeline, added side baffle break and larger bolt knob. It’s not the lightest gun, but compared to what I was coming from seemed like a good step up.

 

[yfarm]

270 or 280ai or use your 308. Was in a hardware store in a small town in northern NM, 2 yrs ago all they had on the shelf was 300WM, last year 308,6.5 CM, 243,270 and 300 WM

 

[MoeFaux]

You're getting lots of input here, @Mudshack. I'm feeling unreasonably vested in this decision now, and I'm dying to know how you're leaning? Have you narrowed down your rifle choices? Have we convinced you to consider a smaller cartridge?

 

[Mudshack]

You're getting lots of input here, @Mudshack. I'm feeling unreasonably vested in this decision now, and I'm dying to know how you're leaning? Have you narrowed down your rifle choices? Have we convinced you to consider a smaller cartridge?

I am leaning to 7PRC (300wm #2). Waiting to see price of Tikka when they come out in 7PRC. Probably will be price of X-bolt 2. Leaning towards a 24” threaded model to handle suppressor.

Wanted to stay under $1300 for rifle/scope. But realizing this will be a heirloom purchase.

 

[Smooch]

I bought a tikka t3x lite in 300wm from SW last summer. I like it a lot. I’m no expert long range shooter but was shooting sub moa straight away and got better through the first 40 rounds.
That being said, my dad who is a damn good shot had trouble with it, likely due to recoil. Ammo is also fairly expensive. I’m extremely happy with my decision but could understand if people recommend something smaller.
I don’t have experience with any 7prc but love the 7mm and it’s supposed to be a bit better

You could spend a lifetime trying to decide between options, but the truth is these are all fine choices and you’ll be in a great spot regardless as long as you do some practice.

Spend $40 and buy the limbsaver recoil pad, best $40 you'll ever spend! Night and day difference!

 

[MoeFaux]

I am leaning to 7PRC (300wm #2). Waiting to see price of Tikka when they come out in 7PRC. Probably will be price of X-bolt 2. Leaning towards a 24” threaded model to handle suppressor.

Wanted to stay under $1300 for rifle/scope. But realizing this will be a heirloom purchase.

Tikka announced at the SHOT show that all their barrels will be threaded for 2025 and beyond, so that should help.

The T3x Lite in blued steel and black stock is only $750. You can pay a little more for stainless, or more still for camo/roughtech with cerakote on the BA. But if you do the cheap version of the rifle, you've got just enough room in your budget for a decent Leupold.

Are you planning on hunting ranges long enough to justify better glass? Or do you want a different aesthetic than black-on-black?

 

[KenLee]

If you've limited it to just the things you have here, then I'd consider the following:

300wm Tikka gonna make him whimper if he's recoil sensitive.

 

[KenLee]

Understandable. I have a buddy considering a 7PRC in a chassis gun, folding stock and carbon barreled, cool setup!

Before I got that WM, I did some “theoretical” recoil energy calcs for a few different models and cartridges, also compared to a few rifles I have in the safe, just for reference. On paper the recoil had a little concerned, but the muzzle break makes a big difference and tames the recoil to the point I was pleasantly surprised. I had been using a couple Pre-64 M70 rifles in 30-06 and 338WM (gifts, hand-me-downs) with hard plate recoil “pads” on the stocks. Those rifles definitely had some recoil in comparison. Granted the muzzle break on the 300WM isn’t all that fun to be next to at the gun range, and it will set off truck alarms in the parking lot, but it works great and I’m happy with it.

@huntnful - that 208gr bullet seems nice, what twist do you need to get that stable?

If you need a deafening brake to shoot a rifle, you have too much rifle.

 

[KenLee]

Tikka announced at the SHOT show that all their barrels will be threaded for 2025 and beyond, so that should help.

The T3x Lite in blued steel and black stock is only $750. You can pay a little more for stainless, or more still for camo/roughtech with cerakote on the BA. But if you do the cheap version of the rifle, you've got just enough room in your budget for a decent Leupold.

Are you planning on hunting ranges long enough to justify better glass? Or do you want a different aesthetic than black-on-black?

Decent Leupold for hunting?
Just give the man a paper towel roll

 

[KenLee]

I am leaning to 7PRC (300wm #2). Waiting to see price of Tikka when they come out in 7PRC. Probably will be price of X-bolt 2. Leaning towards a 24” threaded model to handle suppressor.

Wanted to stay under $1300 for rifle/scope. But realizing this will be a heirloom purchase.

24 plus suppressor is waaaay too long coming from a 20 inch barreled 308.

 

[MoeFaux]

Decent Leupold for hunting?
Just give the man a paper towel roll

Leupold VX-3's have served many thousands of hunters well for decades. I know how snooty roksliders like to get about their optics, but I personally don't see any reason to pay more than $500 for a scope (on a hunting rifle) unless you're a dedicated LR hunter.

I believe in spending dollars on binos and spotting scopes that you may sit behind for hours and hours to spot and spy on your game, but a rifle scope serves a simpler function. All it has to do is 1) hold its zero, and 2) allow you to see the target. Marginal improvements in color shift or resolution don't make me a better shot at 400 yards, they just cost more money.

Obviously, since the OP started with a target budget of $1300, he wasn't looking at investing in a high end Steiner.

 

[180ls1]

I've seen the X-Bolts in 7PRC (others cals also) going for $500 or less now that the 2 is coming out. That is an incredible value for the $$$ and where my vote goes.

 

[MoeFaux]

I've seen the X-Bolts in 7PRC (others cals also) going for $500 or less now that the 2 is coming out. That is an incredible value for the $$$ and where my vote goes.

SHOW ME!

I want to go to there.

 

[180ls1]

SHOW ME!

I want to go to there.

wikiarms and gun.deals

I haven't checked for a little while but keep an eye out there.