Help me find my 3rd rifle

[ryjack70ss]

Hey all. I have a Tikka T3x superlite 6.5 CM and a weatherby mark v accumark 30-378 (my dad gave to me). They both shoot nails. Over the next 5 years I am planning hunts for a goat, sheep, caribou, elk and black bear.

The Tikka is a dream to carry. The WBY is long and heavy. Would you all hunt these game with the rifles I have or add a 3rd larger caliber/lighter weight rifle in the mix? If so, which one? I would likely go Tikka again or Christensen Arms as I would want a lefty bolt action.

Thanks!


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[Texasbuckeye]

I went through this over the past year as I had a 25-06 I use for Texas WT hunting, but didn’t feel the power behind it would be good enough for my elk hunt this season. Looking at all the options, I wanted to stick to a .30 cal in some form....so what to do.
I ended up with a .300wsm, ballistically comparable to the .300wm out to 500 yards, and if I am shooting beyond that it will be at something like an antelope or something small.
I did have a local guy work up a custom lid for it so I have 200gr eld-x getting 3000 FPS at the muzzle, gives tremendous power. Very happy with it.
I got a fierce fury (right handed), would recommend looking at them if they make a left handed model.

 

[Rob5589]

280ai or 7RM

 

[thinhorn_AK]

30-06

 

[Doc Holliday]

Hey all. I have a Tikka T3x superlite 6.5 CM and a weatherby mark v accumark 30-378 (my dad gave to me). They both shoot nails. Over the next 5 years I am planning hunts for a goat, sheep, caribou, elk and black bear.

The Tikka is a dream to carry. The WBY is long and heavy. Would you all hunt these game with the rifles I have or add a 3rd larger caliber/lighter weight rifle in the mix? If so, which one? I would likely go Tikka again or Christensen Arms as I would want a lefty bolt action.

Thanks!

My Christensen Arms 7mm rem mag Mesa is a tack driver. Also, the stock really goes well with my natural grip, unlike any other rifle I have ever held or shot. Only other thing I would say is if the first of those hunts you mention is not for a couple of years, you might wait to see what comes out in the next year or so.....seems like there is always something newer and better around the corner.

 

[kickemall]

Your 6.5 will work for everything you listed. I'm a fan of .30s for elk though so my vote would be for a 300 wm.
I'd also give some thought to a knock around .223 for cheaper practice shooting.

 

[ryjack70ss]

Your 6.5 will work for everything you listed. I'm a fan of .30s for elk though so my vote would be for a 300 wm.
I'd also give some thought to a knock around .223 for cheaper practice shooting.

Thanks everyone. I do have a 223 and 22 and slug hunt in IL so have that in 20 ga and 12 ga. I appreciate the advice that the 6.5 would work for those. I read a lot that many would t recommend it. I am trying to learn when it’s just not a good idea and to have a larger caliber. The 30-378 is a nice 30 cal, just heavy as hell. 280 AI I have thought about but may be easier calibers. 300 win vs 300 win mag vs 7mm rem seem popular. My reason I haven’t bought another rifle yet is I don’t want to be under gunned or over weight. Keep the advice coming.


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[sndmn11]

Unbeknownst to me until a handful of weeks ago, are the Tikka prefit barrels. With $100 in tools, you can swap barrels on that tikka to get any standard bolt face caliber that is long action or shorter for half the cost of a new rifle.

With the two calibers you have, there isn't a "need" for anything else though.

 

[davsco]

if the wby is too big and heavy, sell that and get another tikka in 300wsm. if you want to dress it up a little, mesa precision makes some nice stocks incl lefties. love my lefty tikka t3x 300wsm with the mesa altitude stock!

 

[Wapiti1]

Depends. You have a couple of perfectly capable rifles. Scoped that Weatherby is probably about 9.5lbs, which isn't bad and it is a hammer. If anything, I'd replace it with a .300 Win Mag, or .338 that comes in at 8lbs.

Otherwise, I don't know if I'd change things up.

Jeremy

 

[Carpenterant]

Why stop at 3? Looks like your missing a 7mm, 6mm and a lot of the smaller ones and probably a 30 you can carry all day

 

[30338]

If you have good optics on the 6.5 creedmoor, I'd call it good. If not, I'd buy a very good scope for it and then call it good.

 

[ryjack70ss]

Unbeknownst to me until a handful of weeks ago, are the Tikka prefit barrels. With $100 in tools, you can swap barrels on that tikka to get any standard bolt face caliber that is long action or shorter for half the cost of a new rifle.

With the two calibers you have, there isn't a "need" for anything else though.

Hmm. That’s interesting. How does that work and what calibers can be interchanged for the 6.5cm?


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[ryjack70ss]

Depends. You have a couple of perfectly capable rifles. Scoped that Weatherby is probably about 9.5lbs, which isn't bad and it is a hammer. If anything, I'd replace it with a .300 Win Mag, or .338 that comes in at 8lbs.

Otherwise, I don't know if I'd change things up.

Jeremy

That’s good to hear. I haven’t yet mountain hunted but am getting set up next year or the year after. Everything I read is that really heavy. Maybe the few extra pounds aren’t that big a deal and can be lost elsewhere. I was planning on getting the rifle carrier for my exo pack, so maybe that will negate the few extra pounds.


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[ryjack70ss]

If you have good optics on the 6.5 creedmoor, I'd call it good. If not, I'd buy a very good scope for it and then call it good.

I have a leupold VX5HD on both rifles, so should be more than capable for anything I plan to hunt.


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[sndmn11]

Hmm. That’s interesting. How does that work and what calibers can be interchanged for the 6.5cm?


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Screw off factory barrel, screw on new prefit. Any standard bolt face short action will work with nothing more than that. Any standard bolt face long action will work with replacing the bolt stop and using, or modifying to, long action magazines.

 

[EmperorMA]

Personally, I see no need for something as powerful (and big, loud, heavy and hard-kicking) as a .30-.378 Wby. Plenty of folks who put an elk in the freezer year after year with their trusty .243. I’d sell it and get a .280 AI, .30-06, .300 WSM/WM/PRC or maybe something really cool like a .338-06.

The Tikka stocks apparently don’t fit me well, as I even find one in .270 Win to have noticeable recoil. In .300 WSM, they kick like a mule.

I really like the idea of selling the .30-.378 and getting REALLY good glass for your 6.5 Creedmoor. You can probably still afford an easy-to-carry 7mm or .30 after that.

If I had to have three rifles for all the hunting you describe, they’d be:

6.5 Creedmoor - A standard hunting rifle configuration with 3-15 or 3-18 glass that I’d hunt everything on your list with, especially in more open open country where shots might be out to 600 yards (my personal comfort level). I’d run the 129 or 142 ABLR for everything.

.338 Federal - Also in hunting rifle configuration, with 2-10 glass. I’d carry it thick woods for any animal I might find there. Bullets would be either the 160 or 185 TTSX for big critters or the 180 AccuBond or 200 SST for deer-sized game.

6.5 PRC - This would be in a long-range hunting rifle configuration. I’d find whatever 140+ bullet it likes best and use the rifle to practice and get good at dialing and calling wind and quickly calculating dope. This should make me a better shooter in the field. It could also just as easily be a 6.5 Creedmoor if factory ammo availability is important.

 

[Vandy321]

Hey all. I have a Tikka T3x superlite 6.5 CM and a weatherby mark v accumark 30-378 (my dad gave to me). They both shoot nails. Over the next 5 years I am planning hunts for a goat, sheep, caribou, elk and black bear.

The Tikka is a dream to carry. The WBY is long and heavy. Would you all hunt these game with the rifles I have or add a 3rd larger caliber/lighter weight rifle in the mix? If so, which one? I would likely go Tikka again or Christensen Arms as I would want a lefty bolt action.

Thanks!


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Another option...with your current tikka. I just reached out to @Shooter71 about opening up the bolt face of a T3x and rechambering the 6.5 CM for 6.5 PRC. New bolt stop and new mag box too and for less than $500 total, you turned your T3x into a 6.5 PRC. The PRC would do just fine for everything listed, even bull elk out to 600+.

That is, unless you would rather get a 3rd rifle.

 

[rkcdvm]

I would stick with the Tikka . However I would be lying if I said I hadn’t bought rifles I didn’t need !
I am also a fan of the 30’s on bigger game .

 

[ryjack70ss]

I would stick with the Tikka . However I would be lying if I said I hadn’t bought rifles I didn’t need !
I am also a fan of the 30’s on bigger game .

That’s what I keep reading. Some say 6.5 cm is more than capable then others say i need bigger. Dilemmas.


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