I have a 04 Ranger 185VX with a Mercury 150 optimax. When I turn my 30 amp breaker on my motor tilt moves up. Is it going to simply be one of my tilt switches has gone bad or am I about to have to find a short?

I went through something similar not long ago. I isolated each trim switch to ensure they worked properly or which leg was bad. I found on mine where some critters had chewed the wiring going to the front switch.

Could be a stuck switch. There's one on the shifter, probably one on the bow, maybe one on the steering column. Start at the shifter, have someone turn on the breaker while you push the switch down and up, may have to push it pretty hard. Check each switch.
Don't leave the pump on long.
After manipulating each switch, if you don't find one stuck, it could be a relay on the engine. Good luck.

After a rain or washing the front trim switch can be an issue.