Rifle dilemma

[skipglo]

I am seeking guidance on what to do for a general white tail rifle with a max range out to probably 400 yards or so. I am primarily a bow hunter, but decided this last year to fill my tag with a rifle and took a nice 8 point buck. Unfortunately I had sold off all of my hunting rifles to build a long range 6 creedmoor off of a bighorn TL3, which was terrible to carry in the field.
I ended up picking up a savage 110 storm in 7mm rem mag, but I am concerned that it's too much gun for whitetail in my range limitations. Now I am debating getting a 20" .308 barrel for the tl3 or selling the savage and getting a tikka in .308 or 30-06.
I have had several hunting rifles in the past that would fill this role perfectly, but I tend to get inpatient and sell them off to fund other projects. I want to just have a rifle set up in the safe that I can grab if I don't fill my tag with a bow, and just stick with it. Is the tikka worth it over the savage? Am I foolish to not utilize the awesome action I have set up with a great trigger and scope? Why can't I buy them all?

You've got a great setup....Deer won't know it's a 7 that killed them! By no means too much for Deer.....but me....I'd just buy another with as good an excuse as you are laying out!

 

[imyourhuckleberry]

Hey Janno as another lefty shooter you have every option available to you. I prefer to use rifles the other kind of people use...you know the righty's. For me I find it easier to work the bolt with the right hand while maintaining your cheek weld and your finger next to the trigger for a quick follow up shot if needed.

I've used two rifles all my life for hunting, a savage 110C and a Tikka T3 lite both factory rifles shooting sub-moa at 200 yards with 165 grainers both in 30-06. I would say that if I ever wanted to change to a different caliber it would be the 7mm magnum it is a great caliber . My other choice would be a 7mm-08, very low recoil compared to your 7mm and capable of getting the job done at the distance you want up to 600 yards on deer and about 350 give or take a few yards on elk.

You want to honor your ancestors, hunt with 15 pound rifles like they did, use what you have already. Tikka is a great crazy accurate rifle out of the box and lite. min rifle weight a little over 6 pounds plus the 9 power scope.

 

[wv270wsm]

Just read I'm a lefty post you put up op. Get you a tikka in 7 mm08 and go kill a truckload of deer . And don't look back . The 7 mm08 kills deer like lighting out as far as you want to for sure and it'll put it on bigger game for sure too. And as far as it being a tikka those are some fine rifles for the money from what I've dealt with them

 

[D2wing]

My personal choice is a Tikka T3 in 7-08 and I think it is perfect. I have shot several deer with a 7 MM mag it is great but be sure to use fast expanding bullets for deer. A 30-06 is great as is a .308. I have switched to 7-08 for accuracy and less weight and reduced recoil. All will kill deer at ranges beyond 400 yards but in my experience that's too far to shoot deer unless you are a perfect shot and use fast expanding bullets. I have shot deer with .223 and 6 MM. In my opinion they don't have the energy or velocity at long range. Great under 200 yards. BTW I hunt in Minnesota and have shot deer over 300 lbs. with a .223 as well as many other calibers. High velocity expanding bullet work best. Even big deer are thin. I have shot them end to end with a 7 MM mag.

 

[Treeslug]

That's one explanation for my love affair with factory Rem 700s and Athlon scopes.

Oh, I'm sorry! I knew there was someone else in Texas that wasn't rich. That must be you!

 

[Goldengun]

Your way, way, way over bored. Think .243, .257, .264 for those ranges!

 

[Jon Bischof]

I know from reputation that many guys shoot Savage rifles and are happy with them. But I never could get past their appearance. I suppose I might feel differently if I were to shoot one that was great but there are plenty of other rifles that shoot great also and do it without all the ugly pipe-fitting look of the Savage rifles. Life is too short to hunt with a rifle that looks like a do-it-yourself plumbing solution to something under the house.

I think I agree with you on reading too much and not shooting enough too. I had a Tikka T3 Hunter 30-06 that I really tried to like. Killed a couple deer with it; but I didn't enjoy shooting it. It was a decent looking rifle aesthetically too. But I sold it last year and bought a Sauer 100 30-06 and now I could not be happier with the way it looks, shoulders, feels and works. Shoots much better too.

There are a lot of rifles that will fill your needs and freezer out to 400 yards. Just find one you love instead of one you might like. And that endeavor need not be very expensive either.

 

[Treeslug]

You can't buy them all because you are poor like me. If you had the all money the other guys on this forum have, you could buy them ALL. Everyone else on LRH is independently wealthy.

I love the 7mm mag, but about the Savage rifle, I will have to pass on giving an opinion. I have never owned or shot a Savage rifle. There are many Savage fans here that can give you first-hand info for Savage rifles. But I still think you should inherit a bunch of money and buy them all. I would.

 

[7fan1967]

I am seeking guidance on what to do for a general white tail rifle with a max range out to probably 400 yards or so. I am primarily a bow hunter, but decided this last year to fill my tag with a rifle and took a nice 8 point buck. Unfortunately I had sold off all of my hunting rifles to build a long range 6 creedmoor off of a bighorn TL3, which was terrible to carry in the field.
I ended up picking up a savage 110 storm in 7mm rem mag, but I am concerned that it's too much gun for whitetail in my range limitations. Now I am debating getting a 20" .308 barrel for the tl3 or selling the savage and getting a tikka in .308 or 30-06.
I have had several hunting rifles in the past that would fill this role perfectly, but I tend to get inpatient and sell them off to fund other projects. I want to just have a rifle set up in the safe that I can grab if I don't fill my tag with a bow, and just stick with it. Is the tikka worth it over the savage? Am I foolish to not utilize the awesome action I have set up with a great trigger and scope? Why can't I buy them all?

Go with the 7mm. The savage is a good hunting rifle .

 

[Janno05]

Allow me to throw another wrench into the mix, I picked up the savage as a package deal with a 111 xp in 25-06, which I had thrown on gunbroker but it didn't sell. I was planning on staying with a stainless gun, but I could always use this and get rid of the 7mm.

 

[Mike Matteson]

Get a nice, fairly light 25-06, low recoil, good selection of factory ammo if you do not reload. Kill any deer going at the ranges you are talking about. Also nice selection of factory rifles to chose from. Personally, have used Federal 100gr Ballistic Tips for years on coyotes, deer and antelope. Sight it in 3" high at 100 yards and hold on top of back at 400. DRT!!

Got that right. If shooting a duplex 2 x 8 @ 8 power bring the transition at the heavy vertical hair at the transition to the top of the back at 500 yds.

 

[kolob10]

.270 Win or .308 would be fine. I have shot deer and elk with both. Never fired more than one shot per animal. Stay within 400 yards or so and you will be fine. If you move up to bull elk, I would go with the 7mm mag or 300 Win mag. Good shooting!

 

[Slibey]

7mm mag , is great cartridge, just use the correct bullet, for your normal ranges

 

[bman1221]

I am seeking guidance on what to do for a general white tail rifle with a max range out to probably 400 yards or so. I am primarily a bow hunter, but decided this last year to fill my tag with a rifle and took a nice 8 point buck. Unfortunately I had sold off all of my hunting rifles to build a long range 6 creedmoor off of a bighorn TL3, which was terrible to carry in the field.
I ended up picking up a savage 110 storm in 7mm rem mag, but I am concerned that it's too much gun for whitetail in my range limitations. Now I am debating getting a 20" .308 barrel for the tl3 or selling the savage and getting a tikka in .308 or 30-06.
I have had several hunting rifles in the past that would fill this role perfectly, but I tend to get inpatient and sell them off to fund other projects. I want to just have a rifle set up in the safe that I can grab if I don't fill my tag with a bow, and just stick with it. Is the tikka worth it over the savage? Am I foolish to not utilize the awesome action I have set up with a great trigger and scope? Why can't I buy them all?

I like my 6.5 Creedmoor for everything from 100 yds. out to 3-400 less recoil than a 308 and I've experienced the same knock down. I actually have a Ruger American that I put a Boyds Stock on and love it. Still looking at a Bergara B14 but the Ruger has been on for white tail. I reload and the Ruger has been sub moa with 140 gr sst