Good Rifle??
- Thread starter BiLLaBoNg24
- Start date
What ever you do, just make sure you don't get something stupid like a Tikka or something.
X2
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Good post HG!
I missed that the OP was from the Hat, so if restricted to factory ammo, the .270 would be preferable. But don't disregard a light handy .308 with 130 gr TTSX handloads. These duplicate the trajectory of the .270/130 and will prove devastating on deer or speed goats. That county south of Medicine Hat is a walking rifleman's paradise.
- Location
- Medicine Hat
i thought tikka was good? not worth the big price tag?. i still have a few months till i buy a rifle. for a scope i was thinking a bushnell elite 3x9x40
Tikka rifles are good, super accurate right out of the box, built by Sako of Finland. I think a few people could be jealous about the accuracy of these rifles. Throw a scope on it, and your well on your way. That Bushnell Elite will do just fine, you'll have something that will take multiple varieties of game with no problem. I could also go on bashing one rifle or the other, they are all descent, they will all throw lead, it is a matter of your preference. Do not make up your mind until you have held/fitted the rifle to yourself, cycled the bolt, dry fire it a few times to check the trigger pull, and remember, practice makes perfect!
So, is it safe to say that you are tring to say that a Sako rifle with a Leupold scope is the best way to go? If so,
my man!x2
Pick one up, Cycle the bolt, pull the trigger and pull and reinsert the clip. I think you'll like it. They shoot "Lights out" for the price. As for the calibre. I bought a 270 win, but if I was to do it again I would buy a 30-06 just for the variety of ammo. I also put a Bushnell Elite 3200 3x9x40 on it and I love it.
To be perfectly honest there are so many affordable rifles that shoot well you just have to go to some gun shops that are not too busy and handle some.
G
I, too, am a Leupold guy, but it wasn't long ago where they were well beyond my pay scale. I had to "settle" for the Bushnell Elite series of scopes, and to be honest, never really had any issues with them. I am assuming the OP is working with a budget, so for the money, it should do him just fine. Same goes for the Sako rifles, way out of reach back then, as well.
And that's why I always hold my tongue when it comes to other brands of guns. I am not a Tikka "fan boy", as you describe, although I do like the rifles. That being said, I haven't found a gun I didn't like, but I, just like you, have my preferences. I also enjoy shooting my 3 Win's, my Browning Bar, my Marlin, and my CZ's, among a bunch of others. My intention is not to turn the OP into a "fan boy", just give him something to work with. In the end, hopefully after he "feels" the gun in person, will make his own descision.
OK OK. I'll add a negative comment so I don't seem like a "Fan Boy".
I don't find the T3 to be well balanced. It's a little light in the front end and I can't shoot it off hand as well as my Savage 116.
It also kicks a lot for a 270. The recoil pad is stiff as a tire. A lot end up with limbsavers on them. And they are kind of ugly.
Hows that?
G
I have owned many t3 lites and my last one was a lemon.. i am sure it was a rare breed of T3 family but it happened.
my other T3s were .2-.5 @ 100 yards with reloads after 15-20 rounds. so i went and bought another in 300wsm for plinking long range and the rifle took 150 rounds of reloads. 3 different bullet companys, 5 different powders, shells and could not figure it out. I finally had to rip everything apart and grabbed a grinder and took o big chunk of stock for the barrel to completely free float. T3s Lites will have 2 plates holding the barrel in the stock and it was not ment to freefloat completely. My last option was to free float T3 but it worked. was getting about the same with my other rifles but had to slow down on shooting times since the barrels are thinner and with free float, it heats up very fast.
so if you decide to get T3 lite and can never seem to figure out why its not accurate. take the stock out and mark the barrel with chalk , put it back together and grink the point on contact.
puttin my T3 experiences a side,
Ask your self which enviroment are you wanting to hunt at? open fields, hiking, in the bush, and so on.. but most important is to check what other games are in the area where you will be hunting..
for eg, I would shoot low cal 223-308 for deer any day but will not bring it into bush or places where many black and grizz bears are active. They Tend to come to you when gun shot fires and would not want to protect my self with 308 against them..
Coming from my experience with bears..... i absolutely became a big fan of big cal rifles.. only because i have came across 1000+ grizz bear and my partner seeing grizz and her twin cubs at 30 yards with no woods to hide. I had a 150grain barnes 300wsm with me at that time and would have loved to have a canon with me.
so ask your self first which enviroment you would like to go and how. are you comfortable with low cal bullets if you do come across some big bears or just go with a flow. i am sure the low cals have enough impact to get any game down at low range but its just mind game you need to win and I lost with that big ass grizz bear.
also the scope, many new shooters will purchase 8x24 + power scopes hoping to shoot rong range with it. any 3x9 will do perfectly fine and if you are in bush, you will not see anything farther then 100 yards and most times you will end up taking games less then 50 yards.. if that is the question, 3x9 will have just way more visibility then those long range that are good to 1000+. my 8x24 might show me a Fuzzy Dear fur at 50 yards at its best.
my other T3s were .2-.5 @ 100 yards with reloads after 15-20 rounds. so i went and bought another in 300wsm for plinking long range and the rifle took 150 rounds of reloads. 3 different bullet companys, 5 different powders, shells and could not figure it out. I finally had to rip everything apart and grabbed a grinder and took o big chunk of stock for the barrel to completely free float. T3s Lites will have 2 plates holding the barrel in the stock and it was not ment to freefloat completely. My last option was to free float T3 but it worked. was getting about the same with my other rifles but had to slow down on shooting times since the barrels are thinner and with free float, it heats up very fast.
so if you decide to get T3 lite and can never seem to figure out why its not accurate. take the stock out and mark the barrel with chalk , put it back together and grink the point on contact.
puttin my T3 experiences a side,
Ask your self which enviroment are you wanting to hunt at? open fields, hiking, in the bush, and so on.. but most important is to check what other games are in the area where you will be hunting..
for eg, I would shoot low cal 223-308 for deer any day but will not bring it into bush or places where many black and grizz bears are active. They Tend to come to you when gun shot fires and would not want to protect my self with 308 against them..
Coming from my experience with bears..... i absolutely became a big fan of big cal rifles.. only because i have came across 1000+ grizz bear and my partner seeing grizz and her twin cubs at 30 yards with no woods to hide. I had a 150grain barnes 300wsm with me at that time and would have loved to have a canon with me.
so ask your self first which enviroment you would like to go and how. are you comfortable with low cal bullets if you do come across some big bears or just go with a flow. i am sure the low cals have enough impact to get any game down at low range but its just mind game you need to win and I lost with that big ass grizz bear.
also the scope, many new shooters will purchase 8x24 + power scopes hoping to shoot rong range with it. any 3x9 will do perfectly fine and if you are in bush, you will not see anything farther then 100 yards and most times you will end up taking games less then 50 yards.. if that is the question, 3x9 will have just way more visibility then those long range that are good to 1000+. my 8x24 might show me a Fuzzy Dear fur at 50 yards at its best.
...and like so many have said, that at least leaves some money over for the glass.
RG
<><
- Location
- Eastern Edge of the Foothills
I've killed exactly 7 deer in 3 years with a Tikka T3 Hunter wearing a Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x40 in the same kind of open country you'll be in.
If you can shoot, then that combo works just fine.
- Location
- Eastern Edge of the Foothills
I have to take exception to this comment. I was a big arrogant a**hole WAAYY before I bought a Tikka!
I bought a tikka 30-06 bolt action brand new with a scope for hunting deer and elk for just over $900. I know lots of guys that hunt deer and a lot of them use 270 or 7mm but I couldn't tell u the price. The bolt actions are always cheaper. Lots like the savage firearms.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
If we compare the .270 Winchester, the .280 (7mm) Remington to the .30/06, we see that we have better sectional density and ballistic coefficient in any given bullet weight and in any given bullet style with the smaller diameter bullet. Thus terminal performance and trajectory favor the smaller diameter bullet when all else is equal. Another way to look at it is that if two similar bullets have the same velocity and trajectory, the 7mm bullet will do it with less recoil than the .30, because it will be lighter. By the way, depending on how you define it, both or either .277" and .284" bullets can be considered 7mm.
The advantage the larger .30 caliber bullet has, is that when two bullets of the same style and weighing the same are fired at the same pressure, the larger diameter bullet is faster due to the shorter bearing surface. Heavier bullets are available in larger calibers, which provide deeper penetration due to higher sectional densities, larger wound volumes due to larger expanded frontal areas, flatter trajectory over longer ranges, but at a cost of greater recoil.
In a normal big game hunting scenario where typical for caliber bullet weights and styles are employed, in normal hunting rifles, there is so little difference in the performance between a .270, a .280, or a .30/06, that few could tell them apart.
My personal preference is a 30-06. I Have a new S2 with the wood finish with a Weaver fixed power scope (again - my preference). I can post a pic or two if you want. It has the 24" barrel and I am now in process of working up loads, but to date, I am thoroughly satisfied.
