A big winner -- do I keep it?

[Dahitman44]

This is a lot off topic, but I respect your opinions. I also posted this in the hunter/shooting area.

Please give some feedback.

I won a gun last night at the NWTF dinner in Moorhead.

It is a Rem. 710 bolt action 300 mag with a 24" barrel and a 3 shot mag box.

It also can with a mounted package scope -- Bushnell.

I am not excited about the scope, but should I keep the gun?

I had my choice to pick up wither that one or a 7mm model. I chose the 300 mag. I am not sure if that was a good choice or not.

I may be able to trade it in toward another gun but I would guess i would only get $200ish in a trade.

I DO NOT have an elk/moose gun and always planned on tryuing for the big game. I have a 30-06 for everything else.

Is this a good gun? Better to upgrade?

Please give me your thoughts.

Thanks

Hit

[barek68]

Well Hit. if you shoot like you ice fish I would say sell all your guns. Just razen ya a little, a 300 is a nice gun witha lot of power and range should be good.

[Code-Man]

300 mag is a nice gun. I would keep it if I were you unless there is one you like better. If you ask whoever/whatever that put on the auction/raffle if they can tell you who donated or where they bought the gun then sometimes you can ask that place if they want to do any trading. My dad won a Ruger Stainless 30-06 he already has 3 30-06's from his years of acquiring guns but he found out who they bought the guns from and he wanted a 300 mag for elk out in Wyoming. The guy charged my dad 100 bucks for the same gun in 300 mag so shop around and ask some questions. See if they are more willing to make a better deal.

[bak2MN]

HIT THE 300 is a real good gun for elk or moose. I used a 270 when i went out to wyoming and was a little weak. The 300 is the only gun my uncle uses out there, and hes lived there for 35 years and wont shoot anything else.

[pan man]

the 300 is an awsome gun nice flat trajectory compared to the 7mm with just as much punch. you'll be able to tip anything you put the crosshairs on,real good long range gun seen a guy take an elk at 850yds with one. tipped it over right where it stood. pretty spendy gun

[eyehunter]

You could give it to me

[bobber2400]

If they bought it from any Fargo/mhd stores like Scheels, Sportsman Warehouse, Gander Ect... they will give you trade for purchase price for anything in the store. I have done that a few times in the last few years. Just find out where they bought it and take it back to trade.

[Dahitman44]

-

Cute.

But ... I am afraid ... You might be right.

[Dahitman44]

Thanks a lot guys.

I think i want to keep it for elk/moose.

Just don't know if that model Rem. is any good and if I should trade up to a "fancier" one?

The scope is not good, but I will fix that.

So -- you guys say stay with the 300 mag instead of the 7 mm?

thanks

Hit

[Dahitman44]

Heard the 710 was NOT a good gun.

Think I might trade it in -- the sales guy was talking about a Tika T-3 by Berretta or Remington 700 SPS --

Any thoughts out there on that?

If I am going to take a $40000 elk hunt probably shouldn't take a $300 gun?

[Code-Man]

T-3 is a great gun but see what fits your way of shooting. I like Ruger but it's all just a matter of preference and wether you want a clip or not.

[HOT SPOT]

I have a t-3 in a 22-250 and I love it. If you are looking to get read of it I would be interested if its the right size

[Dahitman44]

I have heard of good things in the T-3 might consider that.

Does that come with a clip?

[groundswatter]

Comes with a 3 shot plastic clip,the only thing that I dont like about it but it hasnt given me no trouble.

[HOT SPOT]

YOU CAN GET A CLIP FOR 5 SHELLS SO THE GUN CAN HOLD 6

[Dahitman44]

Great info -- keep it comin'

[Ray1]

Tikka all the way. I own a 22-250 and a 25-06 and love them both. The action is really smooth, and u can adjust the trigger pull down to 2 lbs.

[Dahitman44]

T3 -- just got this weekend. stainless -- nice gun. Got the .300 mag short.

No scope yet -- gun was expensive enough!

Thanks to all.

[deer-n-eyes]

hit., i also won a gun ., 30.06 but im going to keep it .,i have never had a rifle till i won that one., let me know what kind od scope you put on that bad boy ., im also looking for a scope for my gun!!

[Dahitman44]

which 30.96 was it?

[deer-n-eyes]

oh ,.it is the cheap one ., stevens bolt action.,

[Dahitman44]

Well -- at least you won something. You could trade it in like I did -- Leon did a good job for me a Skeels.

[deer-n-eyes]

yes i thought of that also .,but im goin to keep it ., i really dont hunt with rifle that much anyway!! bow or smokepole., rifle as a back up .,lol

[fishuhalik]

The t3 is a heck of a gun, but i think I'm more of a remington man. I think it's mostly personal preference and having confidence in what you're shooting. I shoot a rem 700 25-06 w/ a leapold mark III, haven't had the time or $ to go for the truely big game yet. My uncle actually gave it to me as a high school graduation present. I went out to his place in Denver prairie dog hunting and loved it more than his varmint guns, so he figured it'd make a good present! I'm also a big leapold man, I've never had one fog up and it's spot on every time. Works a heck of a lot better than the 30/30 I was using before! It puts down deer right now and I've used it for yotes, prairie dogs, I even got a grouse a few years back

[Dahitman44]

That's, fish -- I am excited to get the T3 going.

[southwest]

Another good thing about Tikka - is they take care of issue's with there guns's. My business partners and I each bought a T-3

.223 and had for about 3 yrs. Then we recieved a card in the mail

that said the steel may be to soft and rifling may wear out. We sent back the guns and they sent out new riflew with the heavy barrel, we had regular barrel, new rings and a

real nice knife for our trouble. I like the plastic clips better

than the steel clips they had on an older model I had rust problems on the metal if they sat for a while and with the plastic clips the shells alway move smoothly into the chamber and the clip into the gun.

[beckerjfish]

I've got a T-3 lite in a .30 - .06. Its a stainless with composite stock. Great gun. Light weight. Tight groups. Best??? option for an all around big game caliber. You won't be disappointed with the T-3, after all, Tika is made by Sako. Only downside is very expensive clips at $70 apiece for an extra.

[Code-Man]

Oh geeze lets not get into the BEST caliber...we've had a few of these discussions/arguments on other pages that last 5-10 pages long. I don't think Hitman did to bad with his decision. I think he did it right with thinking through. Researching what is out there then finding one he liked. Good purchase Hitman now time to shoot it.

[Dahitman44]

Code --

Thank you my new Hawley Brother. For saying such nice things about me you can pick up your 12-pack payment.

[MontanaMax]

Sorry to join the thread late, but had to put my 2 cents in. I've been going after elk every year for the last thirty, but only started "hunting" in the last 10. I've taken elk 8 years in a row and only 1 over 150 yards, most in dark timber. The only gun I use for elk, deer and antelope is a Ruger 30-06, 165 gr. boat tail bullet. It kills them all dead quick. In my experience, 300 mags and 7mms are for guys who don't shoot well and hunt out of their pickups, favoring 500 yard running shots which wound but don't knock down. My college roommate, the son of a government trapper (yes, we have them in Montana) and outfitter only hunts with a .243 and seems to kill everything he shoots at, including 6x6 bull elk.

My point is, find a comfortable gun you shoot well and use it all the time. Find a bullet weight and shape that shoots as fast and flat in your gun as you can, sight it in so it stays in the kill zone 100-250 yard (between 3" high and low), and it should kill any and all big game if you know where to put the shot. If you plan to hunt out west, save and then spend your money on an outfitter who can teach you how to hunt what your after so you don't waste 20 years hunting from a pickup like I did. Nothing's more satisfying than getting a hand dragging out an elk from road hunters who say things like "I didn't know thar were elk in that timber."

(I have a couple .243's and a .270 which I shoot a the range, but always take the 30-06 into the field.)