Hello, I need to rack up a couple posts to get access to EE, so here we go:
I just got my PAL and restricted. Not totally new to guns after a decade in the military, just never used them outside of work. I'm hoping to join my friends hunting deer and moose mainly around Parry Sound and Muskoka, but we may make trips further north. The deer hunts are mostly driven hunts, and I've been told I'll be dogging lots for years as the new guy. I don't know much about the moose hunts. I've been told you rarely see anything further than 50 yards away in those woods.
I've got a great wishlist of guns for each different scenario, but not the money for it all in one shot. So I'd like a one gun solution that will get me going and allow me to put that money towards something nice to use, get a good optic etc. This is my thinking and what I've come to, but happy to have my Google-conceived idea shot to pieces:
-able to take deer, moose, bear
-recoil that won't make me want to shoot it less
-reasonably light and short due to all the bushwhacking I'll be doing
-ammo availability and cost that encourage practice
-something I can enjoy using to practice marksmanship at the range
-all-weather, dependable, would love it to become my end of the world rifle once I have safe full of guns for every occasion
I'm thinking a .308 bolt gun with an 18-20" barrel. Top contenders are the Tikka T3x CTR or Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle. I've also thought about getting a used T3x, getting the barrel chopped to 18", and chipping away at customizing it over time with all the aftermarket bits available. For optic I'm thinking a 1-6 or 1-8 LPVO.
The other idea was to get a Browning BLR in .243 for deer and coyotes, and a nice bolt action in 7mm PRC for moose and anything where I get to be in a stand, something like the Browning x-bolt pro SPR, but that's way more money.
Well you did ask to shoot your ideas to pieces...so here goes, and I apologize in advance. First off, I find some of your choices and matches somewhat disparate of your stated missions and wants/needs. For something handy that you'll be carrying in your hands most of the time and for mostly close range shots, I'd pick something that shoots a bigger bullet slower than a couple of your picks. There's a few reasons for this. A bigger, slower bullet means less bloodshot meat, the bullet is more likely to hold together with the impact velocity being closer to ideal designed impact, and the bullet is more likely to exit especially at non ideal angles and give you a way easier tracking job through thick bush. A bigger bore cartridge is more powder efficient and requires a shorter barrel to achieve near maximum velocity. The 7 PRC you mention is best suited with a long barrel of around 24-26" and cutting it down will show bigger losses than something like a .308, 8x57, or even 30-06. And I haven't looked into it, but is probably chambered in mostly heavier rifles.
To pick on the 7 PRC a little bit more, some might something that kicks slightly less. While I don't find stuff in that class to be especially fearsome, due to its larger payload of powder, it will kick a bit more than a 30-06, with the same bullet weights and very close to the same velocity. And the more bench or prone shooting you do, the faster it beats you up. Would not be my choice for an end of the world gun, as sometimes these new boutique chamberings catch on, and sometimes they don't and kinda fade away. In the meantime, ammo can be hard to find, and very expensive. My BIL bought one of the new, hot fad cartridge guns, and ammo is hard to find, hideously expensive, and when I bought a die set to reload for him, I found brass to be hard to find as well. SOME brass isn't too tough to make, while others are real oddball. On the subject of oddball, I've found 175 grain 7mm bullets for reloading hard to find, and 180 and above has got to be pretty rare. With a fast, large case magnum, you will want slightly heavier bullets to take advantage of the case capacity and also to hold together on big game.
I don't have a lot to say about the scopes, other than I feel they'd be mismatched on a rifle chambered for a high velocity cartridge. My personal pick for a short to medium range rifle is about a 2-7x32. The bigger objective will help in low light, 2x is pretty fast for close range acquisition, while 7x is very useable for longish range. And about 2-10x40 for longer range, but still good close up field of view.
To be honest, if I didn't reload, I'd likely have a JM Marlin (semi pistol grip for scope use) or Henry in 30-30 as one of my top picks. Shooting 170 grain bullets, there isn't much that does anything a whole lot better. Handy as can be with a 20" barrel and back up iron sights.
For "end of the world" I don't think I'd pick a newer Tikka. I think they all have a multi piece bolt (handle) and are constructed with quite a bit of plastic.
Just my preference; lots of others like them fine. I like all steel and wood, preferably controlled round feed. Stainless is nice, but can still rust, and blued guns taken care of aren't going to melt in the rain either. Shortening a barrel yourself isn't too tough either.
.308 is available just about everywhere and reasonable cost, though I prefer the 30-06 for slightly heavier bullets.
BLR are nice, but magazines are tough to come by and expensive. And many people including gunsmiths don't like taking them apart.
