Tikka T3X Superlite: Questions on 300 Win Mag vs. 30-06

[aftriathlete]

There is a 2" difference in those guns, not 4".

I'd get the 6.5. I've had three T3x 6.5's and a T3x 30-06, and several in 308, and a couple in 223. Yo be happy with the 6.5

You're right, that overall length info I had was from the sellers' websites, but I just looked them up on Tikka's website, and they show 44" for the 30-06 and 46" for the 6.5. Interestingly, Tikka's site also shows the 30-06 Lite as slightly lighter than the 6.5 Superlite (6.4 lbs vs. 6.6).

I think I've decided based on what I've read and discussed here and all the other reading I've been doing that 6.5 is the way to go, buy a 30-06 barrel to go with a heavier hitter later if I need it.

 

[Gorp2007]

I think I've decided based on what I've read and discussed here and all the other reading I've been doing that 6.5 is the way to go, buy a 30-06 barrel to go with a heavier hitter later if I need it.

And keep your eyes open, you can probably find a factory take off 30-06 barrel for <$100 that you can throw in the gun safe and spin on down the road.

 

[fmyth]

I appreciate the opinions from those that time the time to share them. Man I go back and forth. I wonder about ammo availability, and what will I be able to find in Hawaii and just what's the easiest to find anywhere? 30-06 seems like the easiest ammo to find just about anywhere for a guy that doesn't load his own right? I also think about, would I ever actually take a shot on a big game animal beyond 400 yards? I think no, but I've never looked down the scope at a trophy animal at 500 yards either. So why not a 6.5 Creedmoor? Will I be shooting at anything bigger than a mule deer in the next 3 years? No, but I do want to be a single rifle hunter, which means overkill for some things and maybe pushing the limits of the cartridge for others. But I'm sure many people across the US have taken elk with a 6.5.

In my opinion .308 is the easiest ammo to find and also the cheapest. Not sure how available it is in HI.

 

[VinoVino]

In my opinion .308 is the easiest ammo to find and also the cheapest. Not sure how available it is in HI.

Plus, you don’t need new magazines or bolt stops to convert from 6.5CM to .308

 

[specneeds]

You can do lots of things with a 6.5 Creedmoor including varmints at 1000 yards if you have enough scope & skill. Reliably killing elk at 600 yards is NOT one of those things. A 270 or 7mag or 06 are all good all around rifles nothing bad to say about them. If you are setting up an elk gun for longer than 350 yards the 300 Win mag has a significant advantage. If you can’t comfortably handle the recoil a new brake & pad will make it tolerable. I shoot a heavy Vanguard 300 Weatherby and it’s not a big deal for me - elk rifles should have thump. My son has a tougher time with recoil we are putting a Ross Shuler brake on his new Tikka 300 Win before he even pulls the trigger. If you love a 6.5 great - but if you handle recoil well don’t let others who don’t talk you out of a rifle that really does it all.

 

[aftriathlete]

I was actually gonna post an update to this, but I picked up the new 30-06 barrel takeoff from the classifieds section here today. So now I just have to make it over to the next town to pick up the rifle! But definitely moving forward with the 6.5 CM Tikka Superlite and keeping a 30-06 barrel on hand to swap barrels to a heavier round if I ever need it.