Help me choose a hunting caliber

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Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by MontyShooter » 14 Feb 2018, 12:12 pm

Hey all,

I'm keen to add to my collection and have landed on a tikka t3x superlite stainless for hunting deer in the Vic high country.

I tend to lean towards accruing multiple calibers.
So given I have a 6.5 creedmoor chassis gun, BLR in 308, and an AR in 556 and 300 blackout, I'm ruling these calibers out.

I'm thinking 300wm or wsm which should be enough for sambar.

Given this rifle will see limited rounds through it, I could prob go a more exotic caliber and it wouldn't hurt the wallet too much for ammo.

Any thoughts?
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by Mr.Seacucumber » 14 Feb 2018, 12:29 pm

300 Nitro. If your going to do exotic do it right.
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by sungazer » 14 Feb 2018, 12:39 pm

Really the 308 is more than capable for any hunting duties. If you want an exotic big magnum then it would have to be a choice between the 300 Win Mag and the 338 Lapua. I would go the 300 win mag as it is still overkill but you would be at least able to shoot it on any range that has a 8mm projectile limit. Although I don't think any of the big caliber magnums would go that well in a Tikka super light
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by slickncghia » 14 Feb 2018, 1:10 pm

High country? I'd be looking at 7mm rem mag.

Slippery heavy enough projectiles going fast. What's not to like
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by cracker » 14 Feb 2018, 3:12 pm

.458 winmag
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by Bigjobss » 14 Feb 2018, 3:29 pm

If you not afraid of recoil then go for a 375RUM, shot a mates and nearly s**t my pants.
He never has to track a sambar very far!
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by MontyShooter » 14 Feb 2018, 3:33 pm

cracker wrote:.458 winmag


That sounds painful.
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by MontyShooter » 14 Feb 2018, 3:36 pm

sungazer wrote:Really the 308 is more than capable for any hunting duties. If you want an exotic big magnum then it would have to be a choice between the 300 Win Mag and the 338 Lapua. I would go the 300 win mag as it is still overkill but you would be at least able to shoot it on any range that has a 8mm projectile limit. Although I don't think any of the big caliber magnums would go that well in a Tikka super light


Do you mean too much recoil to enjoy?
I don't mind the big kickers.

If I didn't already have the BLR I would go 308.
Just want something a little different.
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by MontyShooter » 14 Feb 2018, 3:37 pm

slickncghia wrote:High country? I'd be looking at 7mm rem mag.

Slippery heavy enough projectiles going fast. What's not to like



Hmm.
Don't know much about this round.
Lemme do some googling.
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by bigrich » 14 Feb 2018, 4:44 pm

if ya want something exotic, 8 mm rem mag.had a mate years ago get a 98 8x57 mauser reamed out. was single load only cause the rounds were too long for the magazine, but mate, a sambar wouldn't get far
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by yoshie » 14 Feb 2018, 5:20 pm

9.3x62 mauser
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by bigrich » 14 Feb 2018, 5:42 pm

9.3, hell yeh . saw a voere ( re conditioned maser 98 sporter ) for sale online.used guns or oz gunsales i think . factory ammo isn't expensive compared to other exotics
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by MontyShooter » 14 Feb 2018, 6:11 pm

Gotta be limited to what tikka put out in the t3x superlite.
7mm rem mag looking good as a flat shooter.
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by bladeracer » 14 Feb 2018, 6:47 pm

bigrich wrote:if ya want something exotic, 8 mm rem mag.had a mate years ago get a 98 8x57 mauser reamed out. was single load only cause the rounds were too long for the magazine, but mate, a sambar wouldn't get far



I've been considering getting a reamer to turn one of my 8x57's into 8mm RemMag, gives about 500fps more velocity than the 8x57mm but the brass is 15mm longer. Puts it 150fps short of .338 Lapua velocity-wise.

8x57mm AI is an easier option but only gives about 100fps improvement.
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by Oldbloke » 14 Feb 2018, 7:43 pm

bentaz wrote:Forget the tikka, get a ruger no1 in 375 h&h!


Was scrolling down to tap in 375 H&H, seems Ben read my mind. And he isn't my wife.!
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by bigrich » 14 Feb 2018, 7:52 pm

go the 8 mm mag BR. easy conversion on a 98 mauser in 8x57.but it will be a single shot. would be OK long as your not hunting armoured personel carriers i reckon. :lol: sorry MS, got carried away. mate of mine has a 300 win mag in tikka t3. i've shot it with 150 gr win ammo. wasn't too bad. heavier projectiles i've been warned carry more kick. when sighting in at the range my mate put 20 rounds through it before he had enough. both him and me are over 125 kg but
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by MontyShooter » 14 Feb 2018, 7:53 pm

bentaz wrote:Forget the tikka, get a ruger no1 in 375 h&h!


Ruger are cheap junk.
Wouldn't take one for free after my last experience.
Spent more time sending it back for repairs than shooting it.
All I heard was how unusual it was for a ruger to have a problem...junk

I prob should have mentioned I fractured my clavicle in four places last year. So I wanna go a little punchy but maybe not quite 375 H&H.
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by Bigjobss » 14 Feb 2018, 7:58 pm

Forget the 375h&h thats a little girls gun :sarcasm:
The 375RUM will throw a 270 grainer almost 500fps faster.
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by Stix » 14 Feb 2018, 8:10 pm

Sheesh...a tikka superlite...
I have one of those in 7-08...when stuffed full of 2209 & a 120/140gr holding it all in, most people take one shot and say thanks--not liking the recoil...
I cant imagine shooting a well loaded magnum in a superlite...
Maybe Im just a scardeecat...!
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by RoginaJack » 14 Feb 2018, 8:13 pm

Yeah, yeah go for the 9.3x62mm. There's a video of a hunter downing a big red stag in N.Z.; dropped him like a sack of potatoes...
Boom, Boom! Tikka, Tikka, Boom! Shoot first, video later.
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by sungazer » 14 Feb 2018, 8:14 pm

Cmon you need at least 185gn bullet for Australian game.
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by Lorgar » 14 Feb 2018, 8:31 pm

slickncghia wrote:High country? I'd be looking at 7mm rem mag.

Slippery heavy enough projectiles going fast. What's not to like


I'll back that :thumbsup:

150gr pill in there and you've got a cracking deer round for longer ranges.
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by Member-Deleted » 14 Feb 2018, 9:12 pm

Monty Shooter my advice would be try and find somebody who has a caliber you like in a superlite
and try it first I've fired a 338 cal and I don't think you would handle the recoil in a superlite especially
if you have had shoulder bones broken
I have just bought a 7mm mag and I think it is a pussy as far as recoil goes and think it would be easy enough
to handle in superlite but I personally wouldn't be trying larger cal like 300 up in super lite mate but the choice is yours

Hope ya find what you are looking for

Cheers
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by MontyShooter » 14 Feb 2018, 9:18 pm

Yeh 7mm rem mag is firming up.
I'll save 338 and 50 for my chassis setups.

I could probably get away with just using the BLR 308. But that doesn't put a cool new gun in my safe!
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by JimTom » 14 Feb 2018, 9:31 pm

Stix wrote:Sheesh...a tikka superlite...
I have one of those in 7-08...when stuffed full of 2209 & a 120/140gr holding it all in, most people take one shot and say thanks--not liking the recoil...
I cant imagine shooting a well loaded magnum in a superlite...
Maybe Im just a scardeecat...!



Mate that’s exactly what I was thinking. Wouldn’t want anything bigger than .308 at the absolute most in a lite.
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by Member-Deleted » 14 Feb 2018, 9:48 pm

Dial in on google'' Shooting with sako roughtech range 7mm rem mag'' and there is a show that shows a bloke who
built a extra lite 7mm I think it was a tikka not sure but have a look you'll find it I did and that says something i'm not
real good on these sewing machines

cheers
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by fxol » 15 Feb 2018, 5:05 am

Robbo from Bolt Action Productions on youtube has the 7mm rem mag Tikka. Maybe look at a 270 wsm? Flat shooting, very similar to the 7mm
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by bigfellascott » 15 Feb 2018, 6:19 am

MontyShooter wrote:
bentaz wrote:Forget the tikka, get a ruger no1 in 375 h&h!


Ruger are cheap junk.
Wouldn't take one for free after my last experience.
Spent more time sending it back for repairs than shooting it.
All I heard was how unusual it was for a ruger to have a problem...junk

I prob should have mentioned I fractured my clavicle in four places last year. So I wanna go a little punchy but maybe not quite 375 H&H.


What model Ruger was it?
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by slickncghia » 15 Feb 2018, 6:58 am

I have a ruger American 30-06 and that thing would be as light as or close to the tikka my max load 180s at around 2750-2800... You know you have shot it!

Good thing about a 7mm rem mag is that with a 150-160 grain projectile you should end up with at most similar but likely slightly less recoil than the max 06 loads.

Plus can hold 2000ftlb at 400yards. Maxed out 06 is 2000ftlb at 300yards and 308 is 2000ftlb at 200 yards.

So you are getting a good step up in long range performance over the 308 but without bone breaking recoil and the 7mm rem mag fits in a standard long action length and is actually a hair shorter than 30-06.

Worst case if it's too much recoil you can always down load it a touch or try a weight lighter Barnes/equivalent copper projectiles or put a slightly heavier stock on it
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Re: Help me choose a hunting caliber

Post by marksman » 15 Feb 2018, 7:14 am

in a tikka the 270wsm or 300wsm because of the oal issues with the tikka :thumbsup:
I personaly would go the 300wsm :drinks:
one sold new in tikka light last week for $800 on abused guns
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