New All Around Rifle: ideas?

270 is the last caliber you’ll ever need. Just ask yourself if you want more power though.

I don't want to get flamed here, but I handled a Tikka at the LGS several years ago and cycled it a few times before handing it back to the salesman and knowing I would never own one. The action, stock and tiny ejection port all felt 'inexpensive' in my hands. Better than any Remington, yes, but I would not recommend one over some of the other suggestions in this thread.

Well yeah it’s one of the best budget rifles, but you have to remember it’s a budget rifle.
 
Many have already said it: Sako A7 in 270 win. Push a 150 grain to 3000 fps and you also have a magnum (I have done it and safely).
 
I don't want to get flamed here, but I handled a Tikka at the LGS several years ago and cycled it a few times before handing it back to the salesman and knowing I would never own one. The action, stock and tiny ejection port all felt 'inexpensive' in my hands. Better than any Remington, yes, but I would not recommend one over some of the other suggestions in this thread.

I find them the same...not a high quality piece. They are OK, not a $1000+ rifle IMHO.
 
I'm old school and use a M695 SS Tikka in .30-06, the poor man's magnum.
Never regretted the choice, it will take anything you care to point it at and you can find ammo for it anywhere.


Ah good taste, I have her little sister, M695 SS in 25-06 one fine deer rifle.


But now to the OP

where are you? what are you hunting? and what sort of distances are you shooting at.


Given the limited information I would have to base my choice on what I would shoot. So Moose, Elk, Deer gun and shots out to 400m, and you don't hand load

given that I would have to go with the 7mmRM and I do like Tikka


Now expanding choices I would say you need at least 2 rifles, my main go to rifles are a Savage 110 in 300WM and the 25-06 previously mentioned

I also have a good choice of other guns ranging from the modest 243 up to a 458WM should I feel the need. Browning, Ruger, Savage, Zastava, Tikka, Winchester, I don't discriminate.
 
If .270 is working for you, why change? I'd stick with the .270win.

If you're looking at spending Sako85 money you owe it to yourself to check out the Barrett Fieldcraft. I'm not a one gun guy, but if I was the Fieldcraft would check an awful lot of boxes. The two I've seen in person (admittedly small sample size) were very well done.
 
Sako Finnlight if that is in your budget, if not I like the A7, I have the Roughtech in 270 I replaced the stock with a Boyd's it has been my Deer rifle for several years, I also own a Tikka and prefer the Sako for the reasons already mentioned. If I was only going with one rifle I would probably go 7mm if just for Deer I might reconsider 270 and go 7-08.
 
I would take a 7RM over a 270 any day, but either one is probably going to work just fine. Pick the one you like more. Obviously, the 7RM has a very small amount of extra recoil, but I've seen 12 year old girls shoot a 50BMG, so recoil may or may not be an issue to the individual.
 
Pretty hard to beat a lightweight .270, but a 7 Mag does if the weight isn’t critical. If I need the rifle to be under 7lbs, I’d make it a .270, and if over 7lbs a 7 Mag. It’s a better .270 than the .270 is, to paraphrase Dogleg.

Personally to me rifle weight is a bigger concern than chambering, so I’d opt for the light .270.
 
Pretty hard to beat a lightweight .270, but a 7 Mag does if the weight isn’t critical. If I need the rifle to be under 7lbs, I’d make it a .270, and if over 7lbs a 7 Mag. It’s a better .270 than the .270 is, to paraphrase Dogleg.

Personally to me rifle weight is a bigger concern than chambering, so I’d opt for the light .270.

No love for the 280AI? 7 mag performance in a .270 sized package.
 
I was just in the same boat. Had a 270 I loved but came across the 7mm Rem Mag ballistics and that put a end to the 270 for me. I went with a Sako Black Wolf. Sweet rifle.
 
No love for the 280AI? 7 mag performance in a .270 sized package.

Neat cartridge, had a couple Kimber Mountain Ascents in it, but functionally it’s no different than the .270 in the field but is much harder to find ammo for. It still lags behind the 7 Mag ballistically, so I found my interest either goes to the .270, or if I need more speed, the 7 Mag and both I can feed off the local hardware store shelf.
 
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