New rifle, which would you choose?????

[OptimaAndy]

I am buying a new rifle after christmas. I have a 243 and a 50cal optima elite but my son now wants to hunt. yaaahoooo
So he is going to use the 243 and i am buying a 300 win mag. I have it narrowed down to 2 rifles. The weatherby vanguard and the Tikka T3 lite.
Both have excellent reviews. Which would you choose and why?

thanks

 

[Widude]

May I ask where in general you live & what you plan to hunt? Do you reload your own? My largest is a 300WSM, though I just about always use something smaller for deer & probably even bear next Fall. I don't have either of the guns you mention. In general with a gun you carry a lot & shoot seldom I like them in the lighter & somewhat shorter category.

 

[OptimaAndy]

I live in maine and hunt deer, bear, moose and yotes.

 

[Anonymous]

If I were in the market for a new centerfire I would purchase the TC Venture.

300 Win Mag would be an all around gun, little heavy for yotes though. Buy what best fits you and is in your price range.

 

[OptimaAndy]

If I were in the market for a new centerfire I would purchase the TC Venture.

300 Win Mag would be an all around gun, little heavy for yotes though. Buy what best fits you and is in your price range.

i have a 243 for yotes.

 

[skwirl]

The action used on the vangaurds is made by Howa...............so rather than pay for the Weatherby name look in to the Howa rifles

 

[gobbler getter]

Tikka hands down, i have been shooting a Tikka for about 8 years it is the most accurate rifle i have ever shot. adjustable trigger and the smoothes action i have ever worked. i also have a vanguard in 7mm mag. trigger was stiff and gunsmith could not adjust below 3 lbs. safely. the vanguard will shoot but nothing like a Tikka

 

[OptimaAndy]

which tikka do you have

 

[frontier gander]

there was a discussion like this on another forum, a lot of guys bought tikka's and hated them, they said they felt very cheap in the hand and had trouble with them. Not sure about the weatherby.

 

[Widude]

I don't mean to muddy the stream but it wouldn't be very hard to find a slightly used A-Bolt in 30-06 or 300 win mag for a reasonable price.

 

[choc-dog]

OptimaAndy,

What would be your farthest shot in Maine for Deer,moose and bear?

Do you reload?

Chocdog

 

[OptimaAndy]

OptimaAndy,

What would be your farthest shot in Maine for Deer,moose and bear?

Do you reload?

Chocdog

Most often under 200 yards. Usually right around 100-125.
I dont reload anymore but i have a friend that does

 

[richdeerht]

I have a Tikka T3 lite in .270, and it's a great rifle. I like the light weight.

With the light weight, however, it'll kick pretty hard in .300 magnum. It jumps pretty good in .270.

 

[gobbler getter]

which tikka do you have

sorry work got in the way, i have a model 595 Whitetail Hunter in 308 cal.

 

[HighTechRedneck]

We have stupid laws on rifles for deer hunting here in Indiana. In fact they have only been legal equipment for 3 or 4 seasons. Basicaly they have to be a handgun cartridge to be legal. The lack of rifles being legal is why I went to smokeless powder muzzleloaders several years ago. This will be my 1st season with a cartridge rifle. I got a Ruger 77/44 just a few weeks ago.

 

[choc-dog]

OptimaAndy,

What would be your farthest shot in Maine for Deer,moose and bear?

Do you reload?

Chocdog

Most often under 200 yards. Usually right around 100-125.
I dont reload anymore but i have a friend that does

If your new rifle must be .30 cal then the ole' 30-06 is your ticket. The 30-06 loaded with 165 grain Barnes TTSX will kill about 90% of the worlds animals.

Chocdog

 

[fla shooter]

I have a Tikka T3 Hunter in 30/06 and this thing will flat out shoot if I do my part

 

[cayuga]

We have stupid laws on rifles for deer hunting here in Indiana. In fact they have only been legal equipment for 3 or 4 seasons. Basicaly they have to be a handgun cartridge to be legal. The lack of rifles being legal is why I went to smokeless powder muzzleloaders several years ago. This will be my 1st season with a cartridge rifle. I got a Ruger 77/44 just a few weeks ago.

Don't underestimate that .44 caliber for moderate range shots. I took a deer with my Ruger Redhawk a few years back. She was only about thirty yards away, but I was really impressed with the damage that thing did. She did not die on the spot though. And I did not get a pass through with that 240 grain hollow point Winchester I was using, but the internal damage put her down pretty quick.

Many years ago, A friend I worked with hunted with a Ruger Minnie 14 in .44 mag caliber. He'd bought the rifle for his daughter but she did not like it. He told about hunting a river valley where his truck was parked up on the top of the hill. He took the little Minnie 14 because he figured it would be a perfect rifle for walking the hills and valleys around there. He jumped a nice six point in the bottom of that valley and let fly with that .44 mag. Hit the deer good and square he said, and the blood was pouring out of it. The deer ran up the hill and died 15 yards from the back end of his truck.

Good luck with that rifle. I have a M77 but it is in a 7mm mag. Did they make that law because of the population density of the area or just being crazy?

 

[johnpb]

Don't overlook the new Savage. They have some of the most "out of the box accurate" models on the market and in just about any caliber that you would want. And at a real good price!

 

[fliowa]

I have a Tikka T3 lite in 308, but I bought it new when they first came out. I have heard the prices have gone up a little. Flat out shoots. My friend has since bought two of them (243, and 7mm08). No complaints from him either.