Elk rifle recommendations

Huntinguy0120 · Jul 11, 2016

Tikka! I don't know many factory rifles that come with a 3 lb trigger but my T3 hunter cracks somewhere around 5 lbs. The one thing you sacrifice with tikka is a max barrel length of 24.5", which will get you out to 500+ comfortably and consistently. Under $1000 I don't know if tikka can be beat for out of the wrapper accuracy with their sub 1 MOA guarantee.

My current one is in .300 win mag...

If I could do it again: I'd go t3 hunter, fluted stainless barrel, 7mm Rem mag or .300 again (same barrel length), Talley Rings/bases for $100, limb saver recoil pad for $40 and an additional aftermarket magazine for $75.

Scope would be in the 3-15x range. I mounted a 2.5x10x and sometimes find myself wishing for just a bit more.

greentimber · Jul 11, 2016

I'd concur with the suggestion of the Tikka, especially give your desired price range.

Mountain10mm · Jul 12, 2016

I have to agree with all the others...and I feel your pain. I lugged around a 10lb+ Sako Hunter for years in the CO mountains. Switched to a Tikka Lite SS 300WM with a Swarovski Z5. I shoot a Barnes TSX reload and it's all of 1MOA. It's a super simple rifle and many of the parts are plastic, which makes it feel a little "cheap" but necessary for the weight savings. The only drawback to the rifle is the the cost of extra magazines, they are $75 EACH.

As for caliber...all of Tikka's rifles use the same long action and I'm assuming that's how they keep the prices low. If you get a 308 or 300WM, it's still the same long action, they just add a spacer in the magazine for the short action cartridges. That being said, there is no advantage in weight savings to getting a short action cartridge such as the 300WSM.

wy-tex · Jul 12, 2016

Those new savage rifle with accutrigger are great. Not near the price of a Tikka. Weatherby vanguard would be a great rifle also. That long action is not necessary, more weight. Go with a 300wsm. Many elk have fallen to mine. 165- 180 gr bullets between myself and spouse.

buckbull · Jul 12, 2016

The weatherby vanguard is a tad heavy but probably the only under $1000 rifle that can complete with Tikka's accuracy. I have 2 vanguards and one tikka. Chasing elk in the mountains I'm carrying the Tikka. A lot of guys like the ruger american which is in your weight range but I don't have any experience hunting with that rifle.

mntnguide · Jul 12, 2016

I'll put up another vote for Savage..I have the 116 lightweight in stainless steel in 7mm Mag. .harvested elk, deer, antelope and sheep with it. .I've abused the hell out of it for years and it still does the job. ..if I upgrade to a 300WSM which I've been considering. ..it will be the same model savage for under 1000 and it will shoot great as well

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Huntinguy0120 · Jul 12, 2016

I bought mine back in 08 (T3 Hunter in .300WM) before they put much thought into recoil absorbsion, so a limb saver recoil pad was much needed for mine. It was a lifesaver for me. I wouldn't try to estimate a number of rounds I put through it before I feel like I'm getting punished but there is no noticeable difference on my tikka than the heavier Remington's or the older Brownings that weigh in the 10-12lb range in .300WM.

JimP · Jul 12, 2016

Where are you getting 10.75 lbs for your Weatherby? Factory specs for the Mark V delux with the wood stock is only 8 lbs and even the .460 mag is only 10 before you put a scope on them.

Personally what I would do after shooting my Vanguard for the last year is to get one of them. You can get the S2 for around $500 and then spend the rest of your budget on a scope and still be under a grand. With the right load it will shoot sub moa at 100 yards all day long. When I first took mine out to sight it in with a box of factory loads I had 3 shots cut a real nice cloverleaf and then I tried some reloads and the 3 shots all cut each other with two of them so close to the same hole that it was hard to tell.

JimP · Jul 12, 2016

When you said WM I just figured that it was a Weatherby.

When you are looking see if any of the stores have a 6.5x300 Weatherby mag on the shelf. Right now it only comes in the Mark V and is way out of your price range but I think that it would be a sweet shooting elk rifle.

I'm going to be down in Denver next week and might check out Sportsman's and Cabela's and see what they have.

JimP · Jul 12, 2016

I always liked Gander Mountain when they had their catalog sales going on back in the mid 90's and before. They were close to the same size that Cabela's was at the time and they actually had better quality and better prices. I think that I shopped there quite a bit more than I did with the Cabela's catalog. But then Cabela's bought them out from the rumors that I heard. Now they got some retail and a smaller catalog.

6mm Remington · Jul 12, 2016

Montana Rifle Company X2 in 30-06, 280 Remington, 280 AI, or 300 WSM.

buckbull · Jul 12, 2016

MtnBuck said:
You guys with the lightweight Tikka T3s 300WMs how's the recoil? Even my heavy 300WM (the T3 is 2 lbs lighter) will beat up my shoulder some if I shoot more than 20 or so rounds. Which is why I'm planning on dropping down to the 7mmRM. The other option is to stick with 300WM, but practice with my .243 Ruger 77V wearing the same scope.

Thanks for all the recommendations so far.

I don't find the recoil that bad from my T3 in .300wm. There are always tradeoffs. I'd rather deal with a light rifle for 99.999999% of the hunt and recoil .000000001% of my hunt.

Mountain10mm · Jul 12, 2016

Recoil in the Tikka Lite 300WM isn't horrible, but it isn't pleasant either. The gun is light and the cartridge powerful. Mine came with a super soft recoil pad and it helps, about 20 rounds is all I can tolerate sitting at the range bench. I use an additional slip on recoil pad if I'm going to shoot more than that. It's not a 15lb. sniper rifle, and that's the precise reason I bought it.

brianboh · Jul 12, 2016

Do you have this gun? I have been contemplating for months on buying it. No one around here has one for me to look at

Elk rifle recommendations

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