Hunting Rifle: Remington vs Tikka .....

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Hello all,

I'm toying with a Hunting adventure in the coming couple of years.
The WIFE suggested that for my 40th I should go hunting. (my sister is a taxidermist, her friend doesn't animal skin mounting).

I'm interested in the idea enough to have started shopping for a rifle, scope and put some practice time into shooting it while getting my CORE in the process.

I haven't handled a Remington 700 due to the current recall, but it seems to be a consideration from the reviews I've read. A Tikka T3 Lite was nice to handle and bolt action was very smooth. I have taken a look at a Browning X-bolt, but that bolt seemed a hair sloppy and rough as compared to the T3.

Feedback and suggestions are appreciated. Judging by the two I've seen, you can guess my price point it in at about $700 preferably. I'm into the rifle with a caliber choice of (maybe) .243, but thinking more 270 or 308. I'd be hunting deer to start.

Your thoughts please .....
 
As far as a rifle goes, get what feels right to you. There lots of good rifles out there in your price range. You will know which one is feels right when you pick it up.
What ever you get, go for a .270.
 
Throw a Weatherby Vanguard into the discussion - and choose between that and the Tikka. No wrong answer there. See which one feels the best for you.

And x2 on the .270 Win. Recoil's not bad, shoots flat, easy to find good ammo for, and is more versatile than a lighter caliber should you go for game bigger than deer one day.
 
I was in the same boat as you a few yrs back. To me the T3 won me over with its crisp trigger, light weight, and slick bolt right out of the box. Many calibers to choose from also and to this date it's my go to hunting rig and haven't looked back even tho I do have a few others in the stable...it's nice enough to use but not worried if it spends the day out in the rain (stainless) or gets a few beauty marks while out in the bush in use. M2c
 
i prefer the Xbolt hands down but thats just my personnel preference, it really just comes down to what feels best for you. x3 on the 270 though lol
 
I have a Rem 700 (Its my first, after 30 years of spouting that I'd never own one) and it shoots beautifully. The whole damn rifle is a thing of beauty. I reloaded 50 rounds (in different powder charges, to find the sweet spot for accuracy) and all the powder levels shot really well. I then reloaded another 40 with a different powder and bullet combination, and it shot all those well. So much for finding a sweet spot for powder. I might as well just dump in some powder by sight and shoot them, as the gun just plain shoots everything I have tried in it. I even shot a box of factory Rem cor-loct and a box of factory Winchester power points. Both shot at just under an inch. Jeebus. I can't believe I wasted so much time finding Remington rifles. (older ones mind you, not the new junk) I have owned pretty much every kind and make of hunting rifle, and have owned 3 T3's (one of them a T3 lite in .338win mag) and I found that each one had good accuracy, but it was more limited to the type of bullet and powder that would shoot well. They were all super smooth, and well made, but accuracy was a bit more finicky than most of the other types of bolt rifles I've used.
Don't forget Rugers and Winchesters.......
 
I have had all three and in .243, .308 and .270. For a do-all rifle that can find ammo in the smallest store in Canada I might get a .308 but typically I prefer .270 for most game. As far as brands go- keep trying them out and one will fit you perfectly. That just saved you several hundred dollars of having the stock fit to you (that nobody does anyways) and improved your shooting without you doing anything. You will also enjoy shooting that gun more by default.
You price point and options considered are all winners. Choose what you like with confidence.
 
ive had Abolts Rem700 sps an a T3 now, all have their own pros an cons but are all fine fine fine deer hunting rifles, I too would go for the .270Win, such a great performer all round.

Personal preference within your budget will see you having fun on the range an in the field for years to come!

WL
 
And you cant get a better trigger for the money than a Tikka! Definitely dont go the Weatherby way if you want a good trigger. I have had a Tikka for 37 years and it still shoots as tight today as it did straight out of the box - .75moa. Mate bought a T3 yesterday, loaded 9 rounds of one recipe, 9 rounds of another recipe, down to the range this morning and shot 6x3 shot groups, not one was over .5, and 2 had all 3 touching. If the Tikka feels good to you, I would suggest getting it, you wont regret it.
 
I like Remington 700s, but if you're not an enthusiast and the recent recall makes you uncomfortable, you might as well go with the Tikka if for no other reason than to avoid having to overcome the lack of confidence caused by the recent problems and criticisms related to the Remington. Choose the rifle you like best, and pay less attention to the cartridge its chambered for. Having said that, of the cartridges you've mentioned, and I own and shoot all of them, the .270 is probably the most versatile. Don't discount the importance of versatility, as you said deer hunting is where you would like to start, and BC has much, much more to offer.
 
I have 3 Remingtons, 2 Tikkas and 1 X-bolt

Prefer the Tikkas for fit, feel, and function. Butter-smooth bolt, excellent triggers. My Remingtons shoot a bit better, though.
The X-bolt? .................. it's a .375 H&H. Haven't shot it a lot, but it shoots well
 
So far no mention of the current production Ruger M77 Hawkwye MKII's... an excellent, well made, accurate CRF platform... I have a half dozen of the All Weather models and can highly recommend them.

If you choose to go with the Rem 700, I would recommend canvassing the used market for an older BDL/ADL in your caliber of choice. They are very nice guns.

I will also recommend the New production Winchester M70's a beautifully made rifle (gotta love the Japanese attention to detail)... also in the caliber of your choice, it is a purchase that you will not regret.

The Weatherby S2's are a decent gun, but I can't get excited about them...

Note; No mention of Browning X-Bolt, Tikka T3, TC Venture, or Rem SPS... draw your own conclusions.
 
hoytcanon said:
So far no mention of the current production Ruger M77 Hawkwye MKII's... an excellent, well made, accurate CRF platform... I have a half dozen of the All Weather models and can highly recommend them.

If you choose to go with the Rem 700, I would recommend canvassing the used market for an older BDL/ADL in your caliber of choice. They are very nice guns.

I will also recommend the New production Winchester M70's a beautifully made rifle (gotta love the Japanese attention to detail)... also in the caliber of your choice, it is a purchase that you will not regret.

The Weatherby S2's are a decent gun, but I can't get excited about them...

Note; No mention of Browning X-Bolt, Tikka T3, TC Venture, or Rem SPS... draw your own conclusions.
Click to expand...

I'm a M-70 fan and have been since . . . well for a long time, but you do know that the new ones made by FN are manufactured in deepest darkest South Carolina right? The Ruger Alaskan and the Hawkeye are the two I'm familiar with, and I'm like of both. My son's a south paw, and his rifle is a wood stocked LH Hawkeye in .270 topped with a 3.5-10X Leupold . . . it looks wrong, but it shoots. A pal of mine owns an Alaskan in .375, and with all the time he spends around the water it proved to be a great choice for him. Pounder has an Alaskan in .416 so the one-upmanship is ongoing.
 
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