Tikka vs R700

[Pecco22]

I have a budget of around 1500 +/- to put together a rifle. I know that's not a lot and could easily be exceeded.
So with that money in mind.
This is my wish list. Looking for help and any input is welcomed.

Debating between the R700 and a tikka t3....price appears to lean towards the tikka.
I plan to hunt whitetail and I can shoot in several places 600+ yards.
I'm down to either a .308 or .300 win mag. I know the .300 is more round than I will need for deer but I do plan on hunting bigger game and would prefer to not need another gun......
As for optics...I was thinking Nikon M-308 4-16×42mm.

Ask any questions and I'll gladly answer. Just want to put together a nice shooting gun that I can grow with and not need to replace anytime soon.

 

[falconew]

i myself am looking at the Tikka T3 in 300 wm i am going to Texas later this year and several people i know swear by them very accurate guns and light weight. Now with the 300 wm i would strongly recommend a muzzle brake on it, I am leaving towards the Vais muzzle brake. as for the scope that's up to you...

 

[Pecco22]

I am open to options when it comes to optics. As long as I can make it fit my budget.

 

[falconew]

look at the Vortex line

 

[jjmp]

P22, get the 308 ,brand your choise your cash, shoot the barrel out, buy that time you'll know what works best for you ! Absolutely nothing wrong with a Nikon BDC retical ,they Work great , food for thought sometimes too light is not rite , regards & good shooting to you jjmp

 

[MudRunner2005]

From what I have read others discussing on here before, the 700 will have noticeably more room in the magazine to seat longer heavier high BC bullets. The Tikka is limited by it's shorter detachable magazines.

My personal opinion is get a Remington 700 Long Range in 7mm RemMag in you want a good 100-1000 deer rifle. Swap in a Timney trigger, as the factory X-Mark Pro trigger is junk. Also, having the action bedded and barrel floated would be a cheap and good upgrade to help ensure proper accuracy.

Vortex HS-T on top with Seekins Precision rings and an EGW HD 20MOA rail should get you where you want to go.

If you went with the setup I listed above, you would come-in right around your $1,500 budget.

 

[Pecco22]

From what I have read others discussing on here before, the 700 will have noticeably more room in the magazine to seat longer heavier high BC bullets. The Tikka is limited by it's shorter detachable magazines.

My personal opinion is get a Remington 700 Long Range in 7mm RemMag in you want a good 100-1000 deer rifle. Swap in a Timney trigger, as the factory X-Mark Pro trigger is junk. Also, having the action bedded and barrel floated would be a cheap and good upgrade to help ensure proper accuracy.

Vortex HS-T on top with Seekins Precision rings and an EGW HD 20MOA rail should get you where you want to go.

If you went with the setup I listed above, you would come-in right around your $1,500 budget.

How does the 7mmRemMag hold up to larger game?

 

[bigngreen]

Personally I'd built a 308 set up for the 215 Berger on a Tikka and feed from a box or single sled a 300 Win mag and 215, a Tikka has a stupid short mag that there is no solution for yet but the action is so far superior to a Remington it's not even funny. I have no issues smoking an elk inside the ranges your talking with a 308 set up correctly!
You may consider a 300 WSM from a Tikka, get a magnum mag box and trim the bolt stop and you have a perfect fit for a WSM!!!

 

[MudRunner2005]

How does the 7mmRemMag hold up to larger game?

I've only hunted in Alabama, and we don't have anything much larger than whitetail deer around these parts. But one of our members on here shot a monster-sized moose at over 900 yards with one several years ago. Said it either took a few steps and fell, or dropped him in his tracks, I can't really remember his exact words about the kill, as it was quite a few years ago. Either way, moose are huge, and if it can drop one at almost 1000 yards...Plus, my last 15 years of hunting deer with a 7mmRM, tells me it will handle what you will be throwing at it. But if you prefer the .30, the .300WM would be a good one.

The .308 Win is an exceptional cartridge, and I have had several, and will always have at least 1 in the safe at all times...My current .308 is a 24" that shoots the Berger 168 to the 210 VLD's quite well (I have not tried the 215 Hybrids like Rhian shoots, yet, but will soon). But if you want some extra horsepower down range, the 7mmRM or .300WM would be the better option. Using a 180 Berger Hybrid in the 7mmRM, you shouldn't have any issues with larger game, but as with anything, shot placement is key, and each and every animal reacts differently than the next. You never know how one will react when it gets shot, it might run, or it might flop right over... It's one of the biggest continuously unknown factors in hunting.

 

[Pecco22]

Oh and is there a reason you wouldn't do the 300 win mag in the R700 long range?

 

[Csafisher]

Both are good choices. If you buy a Remmy, you'll probably want to swap the trigger out. I have a 4-16x monarch and love it. Also have a 6-24 vortex viper. Also love it. Would give the edge to vortex however it's a little more expensive.

 

[roninflag]

My personal opinion is get a Remington 700 Long Range in 7mm RemMag in you want a good 100-1000 deer rifle. ........agree with MUD. my rem 700 long range 30-06 I had to the range Saturday for the first time, it showed it was easily capable of 600 yards with every load I tried. my brother has two T-3 7mms, he has been through a Lot of loads trying to find a good combination.

 

[bigngreen]

I've been rebarreling half the Rem 700 Long Ranges I see come in, also have to retime the handles because there is no primary extraction. A new Remington is a HUGE crap shoot!!!

 

[MudRunner2005]

Oh and is there a reason you wouldn't do the 300 win mag in the R700 long range?

No actual reason, other than I prefer 7mm to .30... Which is strange, because I have just as many .30's as I do 7mm rifles... Not sure how that happened, but I guess I need to build another 7mm or two, just to re-tip the scales back to normal.

I have a 7mm and .30 in just about equal case sizes on several different areas of the cartridge capacity scale, and have both a 7mmRM and .300WM, and would say ballistically they are both pretty equal with equal weight-for-caliber bullets traveling at relative speeds.

It's kind of a toss-up with a 7mmRM and a .300WM. Both will do the job you want, and will do it well, just pick your poison.