1st MT elk gun?

[gbromley]

Hey Folks,

Been lurking for a bit since I decided that I would like to get into elk/mule deer hunting in my neck of the woods (Bozeman). My first season will be 2022. I have a suppressor ordered and now I need to find a gun to put it on. My current thoughts are:

• Keep rifle+scope to <$2500
• Need to cost effectively put a lot of rounds through it (.308?)
• not a reloader, so will be shooting factory
• Needs to easily run suppressed (shorter barrel?)
• Light/portable enough to backpack with
• I'd like to keep shots on elk (if I even find any) at <300 yds for my first season

Guns that seem to be a good fit:

• Tikka T3x lite veil (barrel seems a little long but its a tikka)
• Sig Cross (seems ideal, but pricey)
• Savage 110 ultralight (lighter and looks like a more adjustable stock compared to tikka)
• CA Ridgeline

Can anyone provide some feedback on these or any alternatives?

Thanks!

 

[Outdoorsman12b]

The Sig has a super short barrel and will severely handicap your velocity. Can’t speak to the others but a standard tikka stainless lite would be my pick. Caliber selection is a badgers den here but I am on the bigger is better camp for elk with a tougher bullet.

 

[ramsdude47]

Kimber Montana. No reason to spend more than a VX3 for a scope.

100% agree on 308.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

I have two T3Xs and one UltraLight. All shot commercial ammo well and hand-loads took them to a different level. I have a Storm 110 that shoots commercial ammo just as well as the rifles previously mentioned.

Buy a T3X Lite or Savage 110 Storm and get it threaded by a smith. Sign up for a one-on-one shooting fundamentals class. Spend the rest on the scope and rings/base. Put the Zeiss V4, Vortex Razor LHT, and the NF SHV on your short list.

Note: will get lots of great suggestions. For the rifles, physically shoulder every one of them. Whittle the list down to those that fit you.

The 308 is popular but fairly anemic from a ballistics perspective. There are better choices, such as the 7mm-08, that have better ballistics yet still are shoulder and pocket friendly.

Think longer term for defining your rifle requirements. It sucks to have a setup that is limited in functional value. I learned that lesson the hard way with… a 308 Win.

 

[Flatgo]

make sure you can thread you suppressor on the barrel. most suppressors are 5/8 x24 and recommend for 30 calibers. you can get adapters for smaller barrels, but seems a little hokey to me. that's the true benefit in a carbon barrel is you get sporter barrel weight with a barrel that you can thread 5/8 x 24. just something to take into consideration

 

[JPeters218]

The ultralite is great. I have one in 30-06. For me, the stock of the Ultralite (or any savage) handles recoil incredibly well. I can shoot it all day. I used to have a Tikka in ‘06 and I could only handle about 15 rounds. I’ve heard a limbsaver pad goes a long way tho.
It is also really easy to adjust LOP and comb height with the Accustock of the Ultralite.
The Ultralite is definitely going to be lighter than the Tikka. My 30-06 with a VX3HD 4.5-14x50 comes in right around 7lbs scoped and loaded.

 

[LeftyWilbury]

i personally consider 308 a little anemic for elk but that's probably because my 308 is a tactical tikka which is crazy accurate but a bit heavy to lug around if it only has enough power to responsibly take elk to 300 yards. and i have tikka 7 mags that i'm comfortable shooting to 400.

as for your stated rifle options, any of those would be fine. my 24" tikka 7 mag looks a bit ridiculous with a suppressor on the end but it is manageable. looks like tikka has 20" and 22" Veil models both threaded 5/8-24 so you're not looking at anything terribly long. savage ultralite is 22" and you'd save about a pound. SIG cross is cool but seems a bit specialized for your first season out. sure i want one, but not because i'm crawling up crags trying to snipe a sleeping ram. people seem to love or hate CA guns. to me it's a bit pricey for "only" a .308. if i'm going to spend close to 2 grand on just the rifle, i personally want something with more power than a 308.

of course all this depends on whether anyone has a suitable firearm in stock and available ammunition. and while it'd be nice to put hundreds of rounds through your centerfire to get to know it, i'd consider picking up a .22LR or even a pellet gun to practice with since ammunition is scarce and expensive. I can shoot my pellet guns in my house which is nice in winter. and even an outrageously expensive brick of .22 is going to be 500 shots vs. an outrageously expensive box of 20 .308 rounds....

 

[Sadler]

Buy a tikka stainless t3x lite, chop the barrel to 16”, screw your can on(make sure it can support that cartridge at that barrel length), buy some ammo from unknown munitions and you’ll be good to go. If you can swing it, mount a nightforce nxs 2.5-10x42. I’m doing the same thing but with an 18” barrel chambered in 300 WSM.

 

[wind gypsy]

I think 308 is a good choice with a 300 yard limit and the idea that you'll actually spend time becoming proficient rather than trying to "buy capability" with a magnum you wont want to shoot or pay to feed ammo. Bet you'd shoot a 308 more accurately at 300 yards than a magnum too which is what matters.

Tikka is a good choice IMO. You could just thread a t3x lite and save a little weight over a veil if the barrel length is a concern.

Savage actions are just janky IMO so I would avoid one even if it has a nice barrel like the ultralight.

CA ridgeline/mesa stocks suck IMO.

I have a factory browning x-bolt that comes with me ahead of my customs a lot because its not as heavy and just works. I think that would be a good option.

 

[MikeDeltaFoxtrot]

Of your rifle choices, I'd go with TIkka, but for your budget take a look at the Weatherby offerings as well. The Accumark gives you a lot for your money.

If you plan to practice a lot, which you should, then .308 makes sense. Ammo is cheap and there is plenty of FMJ for reasonable prices. The better choice would be to buy some 30 caliber magnum ( 300 Win Mag or 300 Weatherby, etc) and learn how to load your own. If you do that, then the magnum ammo is not much more expensive that .308. It just takes a bit more powder.

The magnum cartridge will give you more practical range for hunting and a bit more margin of error if your shot isn't perfect. I have dropped a few deer over the years with Texas heart shots using a 180 grain Barnes TSX loaded in a 300 Win Mag. It has always exited.

Be wary of the temptation toward very short barrels. They are handy, but you pay a big price in velocity and thus killing power. Also, most suppressor manufacturers suggest minimum barrel lengths for their cans.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

Hey Folks,

Been lurking for a bit since I decided that I would like to get into elk/mule deer hunting in my neck of the woods (Bozeman). My first season will be 2022. I have a suppressor ordered and now I need to find a gun to put it on. My current thoughts are:

• Keep rifle+scope to <$2500
• Need to cost effectively put a lot of rounds through it (.308?)
• not a reloader, so will be shooting factory
• Needs to easily run suppressed (shorter barrel?)
• Light/portable enough to backpack with
• I'd like to keep shots on elk (if I even find any) at <300 yds for my first season

Guns that seem to be a good fit:

• Tikka T3x lite veil (barrel seems a little long but its a tikka)
• Sig Cross (seems ideal, but pricey)
• Savage 110 ultralight (lighter and looks like a more adjustable stock compared to tikka)
• CA Ridgeline

Can anyone provide some feedback on these or any alternatives?

Thanks!

The suppressor will do a great job reducing recoil as well as sound ( depending on which one you bought).
I'm going to recommend a tikka 300 wsm chopped to 18-20" max, trust me you will appreciate the shorter barrel with a suppressor and it'll have enough velocity to kill elk at twice your stated range.

My second choice would be the same setup in 270 wsm, you'll see a common theme here because the shortmags kick a$$ with short barrels

 

[TNKnoxville]

I recommend the Browning XBolt also. I have 3 and all are tack drivers, and about $1,000.

 

[Ringtail]

My dad has a Savage Ultralite in 6.5 creedmoor and he shoots factor Winchester 142 ABLR. It is a great rifle and such a joy to carry.

 

[mtwarden]

Kimber Hunter in .308 with the barrel shortened to 18-19", VX3 2.5-8 scoped with Talley Lightweights, factory loaded 165 Accubonds - done

minus the suppressor, with a little tinkering you can be sub 6 lbs scoped and be well under budget too

 

[hunting1]

My go to is a Kimber Montana with a Leupy 3.5-10. I have killed 4-elk with it and have not seen any difference between killing from my -06 or 300WM. All shots have been under 200-yards. I have a Montana in 300WSM but the .308 is so easy to carry at 6-lbs.

 

[Firestone]

That tikka is hard to beat for the price. Mine shoots awesome

 

[zion zig zag]

Kimber Hunter in .308 with the barrel shortened to 18-19", VX3 2.5-8 scoped with Talley Lightweights, factory loaded 165 Accubonds - done

minus the suppressor, with a little tinkering you can be sub 6 lbs scoped and be well under budget too

Curious what distances you are comfortable to with that scope? I’m trying to decide on a lightweight scope and I keep coming back to this one. I try to stay inside of 300 yards but could see an occasional 350+ yard shot.

 

[roymunson]

Lots of people with a lot more experience with multiple hunts and multiple guns, but I love my Tikka T3 in 7 mag with a Vortex 4x16 on it.

 

[mtwarden]

Curious what distances you are comfortable to with that scope? I’m trying to decide on a lightweight scope and I keep coming back to this one. I try to stay inside of 300 yards but could see an occasional 350+ yard shot.

I prefer to shoot within 300 yds as well, but with a good rest would be comfortable to 400 yards with it.

 

[gbromley]

Thanks everyone for the insight!

I do have a 22lr that I have been practicing with. I'll definitely be adding a longer range magnum in the future once I spend more time dialing in the shooting fundamentals.