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.