Purchasing new rifle

[Raptor 1]

I'm planning to purchase the new Tikka T3 with the camo stock.Not sure on the caliber/cartridge. Would like to use this new rifle mostly for deer hunting in Pa., but would also like to use it for an occasional coyotte or an mule deer/Elk combo hunthopefully in the near future. Looking for suggestion.....

R1

[stubblejumper]

You would be hard pressed to find a better cartridge than the 7mmremmag for your uses.

[reddog132]

I like the .270 myself.

[Folically Challenged]

And here come several more pages of posts!!!!!!!

You're going to get tons of really strong opinions about what's "best", and what's "absolutely unacceptable" for the game you're hunting. These opinions can be helpful, but they mean little on the gun range, and even less in the field.

If you're a good enough hunter to get close before shooting, then feel free to get a smaller caliber, or a cartride that burns less powder. If you want to shoot from several counties away, go for a magnum. Whatever you choose, just make sure you spend enough time at the range to beable to hit what you're aiming at in the field!

My advice would be to avail yourself of the cameraderie at the shooting range, and see who'll let you send afew rounds through their rifles. You can see what "speaks to you" through some actual shooting.

I s'pose you could also look into ammo availability, or whether you feel like reloading, or if you're a caliber-nonconformist by nature, or if you ever see yourself buying more guns in the future, or if this is going to be your one-and-only-go-to rifle, or if you'll be passing this down to a pre-teen someday, or loaning it to your boss who's got a reconstructed shoulder...

Whatever you choose, though, you have to post some picutures!

Good Luck!

[TrophyTracker]

I agree with fc. do your home work before you buy, research recoil, ammo availability and selection, ballistics of different rounds and match them to you hunting situations and game. Go to the range and shoot different calibers to see what ones suit you. I learned the hard way and rushed in to buying something that wasn't right for meandthen regreted it. I went from a 300 rum to 270 winchesterand then finally settledon a 7mm rem mag formy main big game gun.Where I live we usually hunt moose and deer similtaneously where 50-300 yard shots are common.I am not saying the 7mm is the best, becausethere are plenty ofgreat rounds out there , its really a personal choice. For me it was a balance between good balistics and recoil in a caliber that had a good selection ofinexpensive factory ammo so I could afford to target practise and become compentent with it.The 30-06 and 308 are also very good rounds to consider for deer/elk sized game.

[ChevyGuy]

I have the tikka T3 in a 300WSM and it kicks quite hard for mostly deer I have heard good things about the 7mm-08, be nice with the yotes too

[martinfaw]

I would go with the 7mm-08, low recoil and hits harddddd. I read a article by John Wooters and he said the case and bullet size were efficent and that it done more than it was susposed to do.

[thndrchiken]

For what you say you'd be using it for I suggest a 25-06 or 270.

[handloader1]

Raptor1:


Because you want to kill the occasional coyotte, I would go with the .270 WSM. Good luck.

[bugsNbows]

I've got a T-3 in 25/06 (which I love) that would suffice nicely for your intended purpose. Very mild recoiling too.