I have been awefully intriged by the new t3. Seems you get a better rifle than the remingtons and brownings at a much better price. Now the problem is I was leaning towards a 7mm-08 which isn' t offered. I will be using this gun for MN Deer hunting only. My cartridge choices are 30-06, 270, 308, and 7mm mag. Which cartridge is the way to go. I presently have the 7400 rem in 30-06 and hate the gun. feel the 30-06 really is on the high side for deer. But then again, maybe I am wrong. What is everyone' s recomondations?
The .30-06 is more than adequate for Plains game in Africa and it takes 700-800 pound antelope every day. I agree with you that the .30-06 is overkill for whitetail deer. However the other cartridges you mentioned are of nearly equal overkill.
I personally recommend the .260 Rem for deer...or the equivalent things like 6.5 X 55, .257 Roberts, .25-06 etc.
At least with the 7 MM or the .30-06 you will not have to buy another gun for elk or other non dangerous game.
You' ll find an advocate for each of the calibers here, I' m sure, so I' ll just try to give you a rundown of my impression of each.
.30-06 I' ve never really liked. Maybe because it' s too popular. The thing is with that rifle that you can load up or down as you see fit - all the way up to .300 Win Mag ballistics with Hornady Light Mags. It' ll shoot pretty flat.
.270 is, for my money, the best option here. It shoots very, very flat, and is great poison for any whitetail. It' s almost as popular as the .30-06, without the capability to load it heavy like you might want to.
.308 is, as somebody will tell you, the caliber that a lot of military snipers use. As accurate as you' ll find, pretty decent ballistics... not my cup o' tea, personally.
7mm Rem Mag is the most firepower for your buck on the list. If you think an ' 06 is on the high side for deer, I wouldn' t go there. It' ll shoot as fast and as accurate as any gun on the list, and have more speed to spare. It kicks like a mag, though, and... well, again, if you' re looking to go ' less gun' from the .30-06, I think you' re looking at the wrong rifle.
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' I had him to myself as he lay there in the crushed ferns - all by myself, a boy alone in a cathedral of oaks and cypress in a vast swamp...I knew then that I was the richest boy in the world as I stroked the hide of my first deer.'
-Ruark
thanks for the help so far. What are the differences between the 25-06 and 7mm-08? Is the 25-06 really enough gun for a 200 lb whitetail buck? I was told you need at least a 130 to 140 grain bullet to be sufficient? thanks, I am new to balistics just want the perfect gun for my situation of hunting in MN
I' d say, basically, that the .25-06 is the smallest gun I would use on really big whitetails, as opposed to the .243 for smaller (Southern) deer. With the 7mm-08 I wouldn' t have qualms shooting any deer that stepped out. There is no animal I would definitely shoot with the 7-08 and not the .25-06, but there is a little more ' umph.' On the other hand, the ' 06 is a better varmint gun.
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' I had him to myself as he lay there in the crushed ferns - all by myself, a boy alone in a cathedral of oaks and cypress in a vast swamp...I knew then that I was the richest boy in the world as I stroked the hide of my first deer.'
-Ruark
the t3 does look like a good rifle. don' t count on getting one this year. there is a big demand for them and not enough rifles are being inported to fill the demand. so you may have to wait awhile.
in the choices you listed, I would go with the .270.
For deer-sized game than the 25-06 rem(my opion).It will dispatch any deer you shoot.I hunt both white-tails and mulies with mine here in Montana.I launch 115 noslers or Ballistic-tips out mine and I have never had one get away.
No dust on the 7mm-08 either.
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"When the moment of truth comes,and it's time to dance.You better get jiggy with it or find a new partner."
As much as I love the .270, I' d probably lean more along the lines of the 30.06 or the 7mm Rem Mag. Here' s why. You' re in Minnesota. Deer can reach pretty good size up there and a perfect broadside shot is not always feasible. Also, you can run into some long shots up there, though rare. So, if it was me, I' d choose the .06 w/ 180 grain bullets for hunting the thick stuff, and 150' s for open country. If, they both shoot well in the gun.
My .02
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Danny
Life Member, North American Hunting Club
Life Member, National Rifle Association
Life Member, Buckmasters
Oklahoma Hunter Education Instructor
New Tikka T3, which Caliber?
The thing is with that rifle that you can load up or down as you see fit - all the way up to .300 Win Mag ballistics with Hornady Light Mags. It' ll shoot pretty flat.
