New hunting rifle advice

Sako 85 is around $1500 to $1700 and is the absolute best production hunting rifle in existence. A Tikka can be had for around $600-650 and is a budget Sako (sister company). Anyways, you said "nicer side" so I will recommend you a Sako 85 of any flavor you desire (wood, synthetic,stainless, blued, etc.) with some Vortex or Burris glass (swarovski, schmidt and bender, nightforce if you want to spend more). The sako I have hunted with on numerous occasions (I dont own it) is an 85 finnlite in .270wsm topped with a Schmidt and Bender
3-12X50 Zenith. It is by far the nicest production hunting rifle I have shot and it is the gun I have killed most of my deer with. .30-06 will kill anything in North America and most places beyond so you picked a good caliber there. But as mentioned, you cant go wrong with the Sako, it is simply phenomenal.

Thanks Chatrabbit. I've actually seen the Sako 85 and the Tikka T3 recommended multiple times on forums I have been lurking here the last couple of days. Now just a questions of if I want to go with the Tikka or pay double for the Sako. The Tikka sure does look nice on some of the sights I've been looking at.

Any input on maybe going with a .308 instead of the 30-06? Maybe a little easier on the shoulder when I'm shooting at the range and cheaper ammo?

Maybe not Moose but should be fine for Elk, no?

Tikka T3 CTR.

30-06 has enough load diversity to kill anything in North America. If you reload, get 280 Ackley Improved

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What type of distances you plan on shooting? A 30-06 will do everything but a 300 win mag will be much flatter and deliver more energy on the larger game.

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No set distances. I'd like to buy the best all around rifle that I can that can take down pretty much anything as well as be good for the range and not kill the shoulder every time I want to go to the range.

There's tons of options in your price range. I'm partial to the Tikkas and Winchester model 70 featherweight

I shoot a sako finnlight in 308 with a swarovski z6 1.7-10. Just got back from a moose hunt in which I also packed a 375 h&h. After the first couple days, I put that heavy sob back in the case amd carried around my 308.

I would suggest the sako because I like mine. But the Tikkas are really quality guns too. Differences that I can think of are the mag and the stock. Mag holds 5 amd is made of metal on the sako. Mag holds 3 and is made of plastic on the tikka. Stock is much nicer on the sako, it's made of a grippy material. I like it, a lot.

If you're going to be packing this thing around for elk, I would go with something light with a synthetic stock, packing around all thay extra weight that wood brings is for the birds.

I am going to have to disagree. The outfitter and guides we used kept saying it didn't take much to kill them, amd they were right. The hide isn't as thick as you think and they are "weak hearted" as the guides said. All the moose were shot with 270s amd 35 whelen. The only one that ran more than 20 yards was shot with the Whelen. I don't think I would have a problem bringing any deer rifle on a moose hunt after what I have seen.

Couple of thoughts:

1. Whatever your budget is, I always recommend spending more on glass than most people. Look at it this way: every production rifle out there is inherently more accurate than we are so it won't be your limiting factor - you will. In the price range you're talking about, I would look at Swarovski or S&B. If you're spending over $1000 on the rifle, don't skimp on the scope.

2. The Sako is a lifetime gun and an heirloom gun. I would also look at a Browning x-bolt as an intermediary in terms of price between the Sako and the Tikka. The tikka to me is a tool - it gets the job done but isn't something you buy for posterity. The Sako will last generations and is a work of art.

3. For a round, either the .30-06 or the .308 will do fine for anything elk and under. I wouldn't hunt grizzlies or moose with it though. Sure, it'll kill them, but it's not ideal. IMO, the best all-around cartridge is the .270wsm. You pay a lot for the ammo, but how often are you going to shoot? Maybe a box a year? So who cares if it's $45/box instead of $30/box for a more common round.

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If you actually have a chance to shoot a moose you do not want anything smaller than 7mm mag.

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This is not true. .308 or 6.5 will kill a moose just fine.