Going crazy trying to pick a rifle

[Spoonbill]

That is the main reason i am sticking with 308.

If you already have 308 ammunition, a Tikka t3x in 308 would fit the bill for what you are looking for.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

My rifle is 7.25-7.5 lbs. I run a 30-06 and 300 WM. I hunt elk/deer in ID mountains off trails. Personally, I can't imagine 1.5 lbs making that much of a difference. I wouldn't over analyze this (personally).

I always say most of can lose a few pounds of body weight, myself included, yet a lot of us Western hunters worry about gear weight and are willing to spend a lot of money to minimize weight.

Get whichever rifle you think will shoot the best at crunch time. If that means a heavier rifle then so be it. There are so many ways to trim weight.

 

[MallardSX2]

Browning.

 

[barrister]

Fellow Buckeye here. Go Bucks! I’ve been through this exact decision, and have the trial and error experience that came with it.

I use a Bergara Premier Stalker 30-06 for out of state hunting and love it. Have used it for western hunts for elk and mule deer. I also take it to northern Michigan for whitetail. In addition to the Bergara branded guns, I have faith in any gun with a Bergara barrel. I use a CVA muzzleloader and it shoots well. I have two CVA Cascade bolt action guns (350 Legend and 450 Bushmaster - I am in Ohio after all LOL). They are well made, lower priced rifles with Bergara barrels. IMO, having owned Tikka and Thompson Centers, the CVA Cascades are much better. You should be able to find the CVA rifle in Ohio to at least handle since it’s available in the straight wall cartridges. That would give you a feel for the gun if other rifle brands aren’t readily available in your area.

Last thing, since 30-06 isn’t available in all of these guns, I would go with a 7 mm or a 300 Win Mag as a second option if I wanted one gun for western hunting. Lots of versatility there. Personally, I would prefer to “overkill” an antelope with a bigger caliber than feel undergunned with a quartering shot on an elk or a moose.

 

[SDHNTR]

You want a 7-7.5lb ish rifle. New shooters and ultralight rifles are not a good mix. .308 or 30-06 are both great choices.

 

[barrister]

Sorry, I missed the part about having 308 ammo already. It’s a great cartridge as well and I’ve used that caliber since I was a kid. Nothing wrong with it as a one rifle option if you already have ammo and you aren’t going to try a bunch of alternatives to identify what your gun likes best.

 

[RockinRam96]

Fellow Buckeye here. Go Bucks! I’ve been through this exact decision, and have the trial and error experience that came with it.

I use a Bergara Premier Stalker 30-06 for out of state hunting and love it. Have used it for western hunts for elk and mule deer. I also take it to northern Michigan for whitetail. In addition to the Bergara branded guns, I have faith in any gun with a Bergara barrel. I use a CVA muzzleloader and it shoots well. I have two CVA Cascade bolt action guns (350 Legend and 450 Bushmaster - I am in Ohio after all LOL). They are well made, lower priced rifles with Bergara barrels. IMO, having owned Tikka and Thompson Centers, the CVA Cascades are much better. You should be able to find the CVA rifle in Ohio to at least handle since it’s available in the straight wall cartridges. That would give you a feel for the gun if other rifle brands aren’t readily available in your area.

Last thing, since 30-06 isn’t available in all of these guns, I would go with a 7 mm or a 300 Win Mag as a second option if I wanted one gun for western hunting. Lots of versatility there. Personally, I would prefer to “overkill” an antelope with a bigger caliber than feel undergunned with a quartering shot on an elk or a moose.

I see you mentioned you had a CVA muzzleloader. What model do you have?

I may replace my muzzleloader before next season. Barrel is shot. I really like the CVAs I would love a paramount but I think it is a little out of my price range. I think I will settle for the Accura.


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[Midnightz71]

at a 700 budget I would go with a tikka t3x lightweight. bergara are heavy in that price point

 

[Sc00ter079]

Sorry, I missed the part about having 308 ammo already. It’s a great cartridge as well and I’ve used that caliber since I was a kid. Nothing wrong with it as a one rifle option if you already have ammo and you aren’t going to try a bunch of alternatives to identify what your gun likes best.

I also have a old 30-06 and some ammo but not as much. My other idea behind the 308 is my son will be able to handle the recoil much sooner.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

I also have a old 30-06 and some ammo but not as much. My other idea behind the 308 is my son will be able to handle the recoil much sooner.

Do you reload? H4895 for reduced loads is great. Max load x 0.6 = lowest load. My 30-06 I could go as low as 30 grains but I usually went between 35-40 grains for the kids. It was a really nice way to introduce my kids to big game rifles. FWIW.

 

[barrister]

I see you mentioned you had a CVA muzzleloader. What model do you have?

I may replace my muzzleloader before next season. Barrel is shot. I really like the CVAs I would love a paramount but I think it is a little out of my price range. I think I will settle for the Accura.


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I have a Wolf and it's the compact version. I'm not the biggest guy and I only use it during the Ohio muzzleloader season which is usually pretty cold. I like the shorter stock when wearing all those layers. It's been a good gun for me and a consistent performer out to 100 yards. I've never needed it for longer. If I ever start heading west for muzzleloader hunts, I'll look into upgrading to one of the higher end CVAs.

 

[barrister]

I also have a old 30-06 and some ammo but not as much. My other idea behind the 308 is my son will be able to handle the recoil much soonerI'll just share this since I've been down this same road. Keep in mind, it was several years ago and ammo was in a shortage. Also, I don't reload. When I started my quest for what would be my main hunting rifle for those once a year trips out west or to Canada, I would buy several different different cartridges to try in my rifle. I'd buy a few different bullet weights, bullet types, different manufacturers, etc. I would see what the gun liked best and that was the load for the gun. I'd get a turret for my scope and buy a lot of that ammo after the research was done. I'm only pointing out that having a pre-existing stockpile of ammo is a benefit (current shortages and having ammo to plink and practice form with), but in the long run it might not end up being the ammo that brings out the best in your particular gun.

I also have a old 30-06 and some ammo but not as much. My other idea behind the 308 is my son will be able to handle the recoil much sooner.

Understand about the recoil. I don't find a lot of difference between the two, but that's an individual evaluation and you know your son.

I'll just share this since I've been down this same road. Keep in mind, it was several years ago and ammo was not in a shortage. Also, I don't reload. When I started my quest for what would be my main hunting rifle for those once a year trips out west or to Canada, I would buy a box of several different cartridges to try in my rifle. I'd buy a few different bullet weights, bullet types, different manufacturers, etc. I would see what the gun shot best and that was the load for the gun. I'd then get a custom turret for my scope based on the specs from that gun/bullet combination and buy a lot of that ammo after the research was done. The end result is a combo of rifle, ammo and scope that you trust as pretty optimized for a non-reloader. I'm only pointing out that having a pre-existing stockpile of 30-06 or 308 ammo is a benefit (current shortages and having ammo to plink and practice form with besides your main hunting ammo), but in the long run the pre-existing ammo might not end up being the ammo that brings out the best in your particular gun.

No matter what you do, there is no "wrong" decision. All of the calibers in question are good and will do the job. Plus, the stockpiles you have will likely shoot well enough out of a modern rifle to get you effectively hunting from day one within reasonable distances. Fine tuning the variables can be a longer term process.

 

[Spoonbill]

I also have a old 30-06 and some ammo but not as much. My other idea behind the 308 is my son will be able to handle the recoil much sooner.

A 6.5 creedmoor, 7-08 and 25-06 will all recoil less than a 308. In terms of ammo availability, a 6.5cm is going to be the easiest to find.

 

[Sc00ter079]

A 6.5 creedmoor, 7-08 and 25-06 will all recoil less than a 308. In terms of ammo availability, a 6.5cm is going to be the easiest to find.

the 6.5 creedmoor is very tempting due to its recent availability but the 308 is still easier to find around me.

 

[sndmn11]

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/920486461

 

[JustMe7]

In my unprofessional opinion, I would choose the tikka in .308-
The ammo availability. The quality, accuracy of the tikka. The Tikka factory trigger is easily manipulated to set anywhere you want.
The Tikka 30/06 is extremely accurate. Switch the factory pad to a limbsaver and the recoil is manageable.
In my experience the 30/06 was more accurate than the .308
Very close- the tikka 30/06 was doing 3-shot one hole groups out of the box with 150 gr Winchester power points.
I’m a huge .308 fan, have owned many. Hard to go wrong with the .308 very accurate also!
Happy Hunting!

 

[Chad717]

If you reload go .280ai if not 30-06

 

[Long Cut]

Flip a coin. They all do great with modern bullets. The .223 Thread proved this.

I’m partial to 6.5’s as I have all the dies/powder/brass for it but I wouldn’t hesitate with a .243 or .308, 30-06 etc

 

[MJB]

X bolt in 06 for elk, deer 270.....I went with 6.8 W to cover longer distance when needed. Sometimes closing the distance can't be done.

308 is the last caliber I would pick

 

[49ereric]

Lite weight rifles kick more so pick carefully