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Elk rifle help #7846767 05/21/20 04:13 PM
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I plan on going on an elk hunt in the next few years. Currently my 2 biggest calibers are 7mm-08 and 6.5 CM. I am thinking about getting a new Tikka in 7mm, 300 WSM or 300 win. Would all those work pretty well or any I should avoid? I dont plan on taking a shot of more than 400 or 500 yards max.

Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7846772 05/21/20 04:17 PM
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Originally Posted by aggiegolfer09
I plan on going on an elk hunt in the next few years. Currently my 2 biggest calibers are 7mm-08 and 6.5 CM. I am thinking about getting a new Tikka in 7mm, 300 WSM or 300 win. Would all those work pretty well or any I should avoid? I dont plan on taking a shot of more than 400 or 500 yards max.


If you get a Tikka get a 300 wsm and then bring either 6.5 or 7/08 as back up, with that said I personally would have zero issue taking an elk under 400 yards with with the 7/08 or CM. Over that better calibers with more retained energy


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Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7846775 05/21/20 04:21 PM
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a 7mm-08 will kill an elk at a reasonable distance with a good bullet like a 140 grain accubond.

A better elk caliber is a .300 magnum of any flavor with a 180 grain bullet like a partition or Accubond.

400 yards Is a long way to shoot but in certain situations you could stretch a shot that far. 500 yards is pretty dang far even on a elk and I would avoid that shot on an animal even if you are a experienced target shooter. Too many factors come into play at that range.


For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7846777 05/21/20 04:23 PM
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Originally Posted by aggiegolfer09
Tikka in 7mm, 300 WSM or 300 win. Would all those work pretty well or any I should avoid? I dont plan on taking a shot of more than 400 or 500 yards max.


7 Rem Mag if it'll stabilize 180's

.300 Win Mag makes more speed, than the short mag. I loaded for a friend's Tikka .300 Win Mag with 210 gr Berger VLD-Hunting. He sends me pics every time he puts something down with it, loves it!

I'm not trying to sell you on a Berger. I'm trying to sell you on a 7 Rem Mag with 180's (what I use) or a .300 Win Mag with 200 gr, or heavier bullets. Just in case you need to make that +400 yard shot, you brought enough gun.


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Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7846779 05/21/20 04:25 PM
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I’m personally not a WSM fan but any of the three will get the job done. 7 mag I’d shoot 180s, 300, would be 200 plus.

I’ve never Elk hunted or even pretended too so take it for what it’s worth.

Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7846781 05/21/20 04:26 PM
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I guess I type too slow, lol.

Re: Elk rifle help [Re: J.G.] #7846782 05/21/20 04:27 PM
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Originally Posted by FiremanJG
Originally Posted by aggiegolfer09
Tikka in 7mm, 300 WSM or 300 win. Would all those work pretty well or any I should avoid? I dont plan on taking a shot of more than 400 or 500 yards max.


7 Rem Mag if it'll stabilize 180's

.300 Win Mag makes more speed, than the short mag. I loaded for a friend's Tikka .300 Win Mag with 210 gr Berger VLD-Hunting. He sends me pics every time he puts something down with it, loves it!

I'm not trying to sell you on a Berger. I'm trying to sell you on a 7 Rem Mag with 180's (what I use) or a .300 Win Mag with 200 gr, or heavier bullets. Just in case you need to make that +400 yard shot, you brought enough gun.


Do you ha e to change out the bottom metal to shoot 210’s?


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Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7846789 05/21/20 04:37 PM
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I was in a very similar position and opted to do a 7mag
Got a Tikka superlight and dropped into a McMillan carbon stock
it shoots several loads to the same point of impact at 100 yards, obviously at distance there is going to be a difference between different loads

I really can't tell the difference in recoil between 162g Hornady ELDX and Black Hills 175 ELDX

Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7846796 05/21/20 04:43 PM
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I'd go with a .300 wm or .300 wsm.


"You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas".
Re: Elk rifle help [Re: BOBO the Clown] #7846800 05/21/20 04:46 PM
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Originally Posted by BOBO the Clown
Originally Posted by FiremanJG
Originally Posted by aggiegolfer09
Tikka in 7mm, 300 WSM or 300 win. Would all those work pretty well or any I should avoid? I dont plan on taking a shot of more than 400 or 500 yards max.


7 Rem Mag if it'll stabilize 180's

.300 Win Mag makes more speed, than the short mag. I loaded for a friend's Tikka .300 Win Mag with 210 gr Berger VLD-Hunting. He sends me pics every time he puts something down with it, loves it!

I'm not trying to sell you on a Berger. I'm trying to sell you on a 7 Rem Mag with 180's (what I use) or a .300 Win Mag with 200 gr, or heavier bullets. Just in case you need to make that +400 yard shot, you brought enough gun.


Do you ha e to change out the bottom metal to shoot 210’s?


Don't have to, but I did change his.

Even then, the free bore in the Tikka barrel is so long that I had to jump those 210's like 100 thousandths. Still got it running very well with the right powder charge.


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Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7846824 05/21/20 05:17 PM
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All the calibers listed above will work well. The advantage to the Tikka's are their light weight. The negative to the Tikka's is their light weight, when it comes to recoil. So the magnum's will have heavy recoil, but manageable. A 280 Rem, 30-06, 270 Win, and the other WSM's would work well also. Figure out which bullet you want to shoot, and how fast you want that bullet going, and work your caliber choice backwards from that info. That's generally what I do.


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Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7846832 05/21/20 05:25 PM
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you buy a big, heavy rifle to shoot at long range, you will have to pack a big, heavy rifle around in the mountains too, remember that


For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7846872 05/21/20 05:57 PM
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I plan on shooting with a suppressor so that will help with the recoil some. I would like to take my 7-08 since it’s cut down to 18 inch barrel and light weight but worried it might be enough knock down power

Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7846878 05/21/20 06:06 PM
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I bought a 300 wby in anticipation of an elk hunt several years ago. Im closer to actually doing the hunting part of it now. I have a 7mm08, 270, 30-06, and the 300 wby. If I take the 300 on the hunt it will be only because that is the reason I bought it. I have no doubt what so ever in the ability of 7mm08-3006 ability to get the job done.


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Re: Elk rifle help [Re: BOBO the Clown] #7846895 05/21/20 06:18 PM
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Originally Posted by BOBO the Clown
Originally Posted by FiremanJG
Originally Posted by aggiegolfer09
Tikka in 7mm, 300 WSM or 300 win. Would all those work pretty well or any I should avoid? I dont plan on taking a shot of more than 400 or 500 yards max.


7 Rem Mag if it'll stabilize 180's

.300 Win Mag makes more speed, than the short mag. I loaded for a friend's Tikka .300 Win Mag with 210 gr Berger VLD-Hunting. He sends me pics every time he puts something down with it, loves it!

I'm not trying to sell you on a Berger. I'm trying to sell you on a 7 Rem Mag with 180's (what I use) or a .300 Win Mag with 200 gr, or heavier bullets. Just in case you need to make that +400 yard shot, you brought enough gun.


Do you ha e to change out the bottom metal to shoot 210’s?

47000 posts an first time I recall u ASKING a question. that's not a cut at all


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Keep your gratitude higher than your expectations. RWH
Re: Elk rifle help [Re: freerange] #7846926 05/21/20 06:43 PM
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Originally Posted by freerange
Originally Posted by BOBO the Clown
Originally Posted by FiremanJG
Originally Posted by aggiegolfer09
Tikka in 7mm, 300 WSM or 300 win. Would all those work pretty well or any I should avoid? I dont plan on taking a shot of more than 400 or 500 yards max.


7 Rem Mag if it'll stabilize 180's

.300 Win Mag makes more speed, than the short mag. I loaded for a friend's Tikka .300 Win Mag with 210 gr Berger VLD-Hunting. He sends me pics every time he puts something down with it, loves it!

I'm not trying to sell you on a Berger. I'm trying to sell you on a 7 Rem Mag with 180's (what I use) or a .300 Win Mag with 200 gr, or heavier bullets. Just in case you need to make that +400 yard shot, you brought enough gun.


Do you ha e to change out the bottom metal to shoot 210’s?

47000 posts an first time I recall u ASKING a question. that's not a cut at all



Tikka isn’t my forte’, but thinking about a new 300 for an up north hunt.


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Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7846928 05/21/20 06:44 PM
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Where are you planning to elk hunt? Deep timber? Open areas? Mid-level elevation? High elevation?

It is easier to get by with a "smaller" caliber, such as the 7mm-08, in timber than in wide open spaces where you may have to shoot 500 yards or longer. While your first shot may be at X yards, your follow up shot may be at Y yards. Ensure that your cartridge sill has enough oomph at Y distance to still reliably expand and penetrate.

Your overall rifle/scope weight may not matter all that much in rolling terrain at 5-7K feet but will matter if chasing elk in 9K+ feet.

I personally recommend shooting the most "powerful" cartridge that you shoot very well. I'm partial to the 300 Win Mag but I am biased: T3X in 300 Win Mag that shoots 190 gr Bergers and flat out kills stuff.

Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7846938 05/21/20 06:57 PM
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300 RUM

Re: Elk rifle help [Re: ChadTRG42] #7846940 05/21/20 06:59 PM
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Originally Posted by ChadTRG42
All the calibers listed above will work well. The advantage to the Tikka's are their light weight. The negative to the Tikka's is their light weight, when it comes to recoil. So the magnum's will have heavy recoil, but manageable. A 280 Rem, 30-06, 270 Win, and the other WSM's would work well also. Figure out which bullet you want to shoot, and how fast you want that bullet going, and work your caliber choice backwards from that info. That's generally what I do.



X2. My choice would be the Rem. 280 or 30-06. You might want to consider physical condition. A 10-12+ lb rifle at 8-10k elevation can be a millstone around your neck, especially for us flatlanders. Even the LW TIKKAS WILL GET HEAVY.





Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7846956 05/21/20 07:23 PM
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Once you nail down a caliber got to Scheels to get your hands on a few. I've never seen a place with that depth of selection. You don't have to wait on someone behind a counter to hand it to you, they're right there to get a hold of. You don't have to buy there, but you can definitely get a hands on feel of the fit, weight and balance of a lot of great rifles.


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Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7846957 05/21/20 07:23 PM
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300 wsm or 300 WM with a 215 Berger hybrid.

Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7846996 05/21/20 08:04 PM
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OP, for the calibers you asked about for elk:
Any of the 300’s are outstanding. So is a 7RM.
In the 30 cal. I would be shooting something like a 180 partition or Accubond.
In the 7 RM I would be shooting either a 160 partition or Accubond or possibly a 175 partition.
For an elk hunting round, look at proven terminal performance. Choose a tough projectile for elk that will hold together and drive through heavy bone and penetrate.
Enjoy setting up your Elk rifle.


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Re: Elk rifle help [Re: onlysmith&wesson] #7847002 05/21/20 08:08 PM
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Originally Posted by onlysmith&wesson
Once you nail down a caliber got to Scheels to get your hands on a few. I've never seen a place with that depth of selection. You don't have to wait on someone behind a counter to hand it to you, they're right there to get a hold of. You don't have to buy there, but you can definitely get a hands on feel of the fit, weight and balance of a lot of great rifles.


This the place in the colony?

Re: Elk rifle help [Re: aggiegolfer09] #7847064 05/21/20 09:09 PM
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There os a real nice remington 700 bdl with detachable mag in the classifieds, 300 win mag, with a vx-3 4-14 on it. If I were looking for an elk rifle that is what I would get, and fast, before it is gone


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Re: Elk rifle help [Re: AZ_Hunter_2000] #7847133 05/21/20 10:16 PM
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Originally Posted by AZ_Hunter_2000
Where are you planning to elk hunt? Deep timber? Open areas? Mid-level elevation? High elevation?

It is easier to get by with a "smaller" caliber, such as the 7mm-08, in timber than in wide open spaces where you may have to shoot 500 yards or longer. While your first shot may be at X yards, your follow up shot may be at Y yards. Ensure that your cartridge sill has enough oomph at Y distance to still reliably expand and penetrate.

Your overall rifle/scope weight may not matter all that much in rolling terrain at 5-7K feet but will matter if chasing elk in 9K+ feet.

I personally recommend shooting the most "powerful" cartridge that you shoot very well. I'm partial to the 300 Win Mag but I am biased: T3X in 300 Win Mag that shoots 190 gr Bergers and flat out kills stuff.


Not 100% sure yet but right now I am thinking New Mexico on one of these hunts. https://texashuntingforum.com/forum...2/new-mexico-rifle-elk-hunts#Post7741372

I have read a lot of people that said they used a 7-08 or 6.5CM. I was thinking just get a bigger gun to be safe and I could always sell it used later if didnt think I would go big game hunting again.

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