First elk hunt. Leaning toward Tikka

Tikka makes a fine rifle for the price. That being said, take your 30.06. It will kill elk just fine. I've shot a few with my 6.5-284 just past 400 yards with no issues.

As long as you are comfortable shooting your 30.06. Just keep practicing with it and take it. 30.06 has killed a lot of elk and is plenty capable out to 400
 
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2021. Montana elk and mule deer combo. I don't own a magnum. I figured I'd take my 30-06 with 168gr Nosler Accubond and limit my shots to 400 yards.

A call to the outfitter this week may have changed my mind. He's pushing the 300wm as his go to and the 7mm RM as a second choice. Now don't get me wrong, I've wanted a magnum for years now and I am leaning toward the 7mm (always wanted one).

I want a Tikka T3x Superlite. I've read that the slower twist rate could be problematic for the 175 grain loads. Can anyone help confirm or deny this?

Outfitter says the average shot is under 300 yards but a 400-500 yard shot (Or longer) is not uncommon. I want to keep this rig light without breaking the bank. I'm not aware of another rifle that is under 6.5 pounds (regular t3x is my second choice but the same slower twist) and under a grand.
If you want a new rifle go get one, I do it all the time. I have (4) Elk rifles now, just fished my 338 Mag. build, but I still reach for the 264 Mag. first. However your 30-06 with some 180"s will work just fine out to 400 yards. If you want something that might change your mind, have your 30-06 reamed out to a 30 Gibbs. Just another thought, I was shooting a buddy's new build a 280 AI and was wacking steel out to 600 yards with a mild recoil from his rig. Got me thinking of another build.
Ace
 
How old are you ? (Old)
Are you in shape to handle the altitude ? (Just as long as I don't have get off the sofa)
When was your last comprehensive physical ? (What's that?)
FYI a 3 state (ID, MT, WY) study determined the average Elk kill was under 150 yards. (Sounds about right)
In my outfitted hunts (ID and WY) my longest shot on Elk was 200 yards. ( I was just over 225 yards)
If you are comfortable with your 30-06 and it shoot MOA, you don't need a new rifle.( Amen, Amen) (But if you want a new rifle buy it)
Spend your money on a better scope, good boots/clothes and horseback lessons. (Yeah, but better to get shape)
For myself, I'd never hire an outfitter who could not get me within 300 yards of any big game animal.
This forum is dedicated to long range hunting. You should consider that when seeking advice.
I will be thinking about all this as I am huffing and puffing trying to drag my fat backside up the mountain again.
 
I will be thinking about all this as I am huffing and puffing trying to drag my fat backside up the mountain again.

That's why God made these. My boys.


IMG_2913.jpg
 
That's why God made these. My boys.


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Wow, good looking boys. I don't miss that anymore, been stomped run over, bit, kicked and bucked in my youth. I once had a horse fall on me as I was cleaning his frog and that screwed up my back. When I was 10 feet tall and bullet proof, I thought I was a bareback rider. Now I just hurt and got the scars to prove it.
Ace
 
Votex strike eagle 4x16X44
This is just me, and I am not sure what your budget is for the new rifle and what glass you were going to put on it. If you were going to buy a tikka and scope it with a lower end scope like the strike eagle, I think you are better off taking that money and upgrading the scope on the 30-06 to a VX5HD or PST Gen 2 or Nighforce SHV. Your 30-06 is more than capable of taking elk out to 600-800 yards. I would rather scope it with something that tracks better and will give you a few minutes of extra shooting light.

If money is no object and you can buy the tikka and slap some good glass on it, by all means, get a new gun.

I feel like so many people prioritize the rifle over the optics, when IMO, it should be the opposite. A piece of me dies inside when I see a $1000 rifle with a $300 scope, or a $3000 custom with a $600 scope - SMH.
 
This is just me, and I am not sure what your budget is for the new rifle and what glass you were going to put on it. If you were going to buy a tikka and scope it with a lower end scope like the strike eagle, I think you are better off taking that money and upgrading the scope on the 30-06 to a VX5HD or PST Gen 2 or Nighforce SHV. Your 30-06 is more than capable of taking elk out to 600-800 yards. I would rather scope it with something that tracks better and will give you a few minutes of extra shooting light.

If money is no object and you can buy the tikka and slap some good glass on it, by all means, get a new gun.

I feel like so many people prioritize the rifle over the optics, when IMO, it should be the opposite. A piece of me dies inside when I see a $1000 rifle with a $300 scope, or a $3000 custom with a $600 scope - SMH.
Budget is 1k for an optic. I'm wide open for suggestions. I've always wanted a Trijicon. Maybe this is the time.
I'm looking at B&C stocks also.
 
Budget is 1k for an optic. I'm wide open for suggestions. I've always wanted a Trijicon. Maybe this is the time.
I'm looking at B&C stocks also.
If weight is a consideration, the VX5HD will be tough to beat, glass is unreal in low light. If you don't care about weight, you have all sorts of good options:

Nightforce SHV
Sig Whiskey5
PST Gen 2
I have never owned a trijicon, but they are probably a good option.
After dabbling with all sorts of different scope in different price ranges most of mine sport VX5HD and VX6HDs.
 
If weight is a consideration, the VX5HD will be tough to beat, glass is unreal in low light. If you don't care about weight, you have all sorts of good options:

Nightforce SHV
Sig Whiskey5
PST Gen 2
I have never owned a trijicon, but they are probably a good option.
After dabbling with all sorts of different scope in different price ranges most of mine sport VX5HD and VX6HDs.
I'll take that into consideration. All but a few of mine wear Leupold or Redfield revolution scopes.
 
You can buy a bughole shooting rifle for well under $1000. May 308 Savage (on sale) was $325.00. It did fine at the range with a $350.00 scope, but, out in the field it does much better with a $1000 scope. Seeing better equals shooting better.
 
My main elk rifle is a 300 RUM, my back up is 7 Rem Mag using 175 bullets. Both rifles are either full or semi-custom. Although with the last statement, I wouldn't hesitate for one second to use my Grandpa's 40 year old 06'. 30 cal bullets, pushed fast or slow, have always proven to me to be good elk medicine. Instead of buying a new rifle this year, I invested in reloading equipment which up'd my game significantly. I simply cannot bring myself to take my Grandfathers old scope off, so I have to limit my shooting distances a little more then the other two.
 
As you are going on a fully guided hunt and if all other factors are equal like already owning high quality clothing and a unit with good numbers of quality bulls, in my opinion the thee three most vital things for your success will be:
#1-Great fitting well broken in WATER PROOF boots. Your FEET are by far your MOST important piece of hunting equipment. You can be a long range marksman who's skill would make David Tubb weep with envy, be in BETTER shape than a Olympic triathlete but if by morning of day 2 your feet are so badly blistered you can not walk a 1/2 mile let alone 10 your hunt is screwed.
#2-You CAN NOT be in to good of shape. You simply can not. Before ALL of my elk hunts I did cardio at a minimum of 5 days a week for over four months from the day after I got the draw results till the day I left for my hunt. Remember you start to fall out of shape the very day you stop excising. Mostly wearing a pack that I built up to finally carrying 40lbs in and walking up and down my local HS football stadium steps non-stop for at least one hour per session. My next choice was a very large and steep hill over grown with weeds created from a sanitary land fill I again walked with a pack but with 50lbs. This hill was very steep and allowed me an opportunity to educate and harden my feet to side hilling and going down hill both are in my experience much harder on you feet than walking up hill. You have an AWESOME advantage of living close enough to actual mountains to exercise in and NOTHING can equal preparing to hunt in the mountains like exercising in mountains. Not only will it get you in good enough shape to greatly increase your odds of success, it will also get your feet in shape and expose any problems your boots might give you when walking at angles while side hilling and going up or down at steep angles, none of which can be done while walking on flat ground or even steps. Lastly if you are in exceptional shape you can expect your guide to put forth a maximum effort and not limit any areas to hunt because your physical inabilities are wont allow for it.
#3-Your rifle/optic and shooting abilities. If your guide says 500 yard shots are possible then assume 600-700 are as well and invest time in shooting at long range to determine what you personal maximum range is you can take shots at elk to. In MY opinion it is much much easier and much more fun shooting to become good to 700 yards than loosing the weight you spoke of and with a quality gun like a Tikka and an equally high quality optic there is no reason you can not become proficient to 700 yards, so why limit your chances for success? Equip it with a Simms Laboratory Limbsaver recoil pad (as I did on my T3 300wsm) and you should be good on recoil management. I do own and have used NF and Zeiss with adjustable turrets, I will allow those more qualified than I to recommend an optic as I am still deciding on mine.

I would strongly as possible recommend a Tikka T3 Lite in 300wm as there are so many extremely high quality factory loads for 300wm you will without doubt find factory load ammunition more than sufficient for 600-700 yard shots.
If recoil will not affect your ability to shoot often enough to become proficient to 700 yards then why on earth not increase you maximum effective elk range from 400 to 700 yards?

If you can accomplish these three things and luck is on your side in terms finding decent numbers of quality bulls and the weather, you will have gone a LONG way in maximizing you odds for success.
 
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