Recommendation for a calibre and scope

geotensor

geotensor

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Hello Fellow CGNers!

I have shot many rifles before, so I have experience using and operating them. However, I never owned one before, and now I am hoping to change that.

My rifle of choice is the Tikka T3 Lite. It is both cheap and accurate. From what I hear, it is also light. The guaranteed 1 MOA is a good selling point, but that shoots way better than I can.

First of all, I'd like to know what kind of scope I should mount on it. For only 699.00, I don't feel like buying a really expensive scope, but I don't want something too shabby either. I don't have too much money to spend.

I am also indecisive about what cartridge it should be chambered for. I wanted to get the .270, because it's the cartridge I am the most familiar with. It is also one that I can use for protection against wildlife like large bears.

I am also looking at the .308. From what I can see, it's extremely popular and also easy to obtain in bulk. I am leaning towards the .308 since all I'll be doing is putting holes in paper down at the range.

Can anyone here help me make my choice?

Thanks!

Edit: My budget is ~1000 dollars for this. 699 for the rifle, 150 for the scope, and 50 dollars for accessories.
 
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geotensor said:
Hello Fellow CGNers!

I have shot many rifles before, so I have experience using and operating them. However, I never owned one before, and now I am hoping to change that.

My rifle of choice is the Tikka T3 Lite. It is both cheap and accurate. From what I hear, it is also light. The guaranteed 1 MOA is a good selling point, but that shoots way better than I can.

First of all, I'd like to know what kind of scope I should mount on it. For only 699.00, I don't feel like buying a really expensive scope, but I don't want something too shabby either. I don't have too much money to spend.

I am also indecisive about what cartridge it should be chambered for. I wanted to get the .270, because it's the cartridge I am the most familiar with. It is also one that I can use for protection against wildlife like large bears.

I am also looking at the .308. From what I can see, it's extremely popular and also easy to obtain in bulk. I am leaning towards the .308 since all I'll be doing is putting holes in paper down at the range.

Can anyone here help me make my choice?

Thanks!
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308 in my opinion is your best choice. Very versatile cartridge and as a military calibre lots of choices and good availability of ammo. Will also pretty much kill any critter in Canada if you do your part taking it hunting.

Also, the 308 in Sako/Tikka is a medium action AFAIK vs the 270 being a long action.

As for a scope I personally use the Zeiss Conquest line as a default.
Best value for money in scopes IMO. Quite a few of the site sponsors sell Conquests. I have a 3-9x40 on one of my hunting rigs and a 3.5-10x44 Z600 on my lighter rifle which I carry in the mountains. The 3.5-10 also comes in a Mildot reticle which I'm considering for another rifle.

A Tikka in 308 with a Zeiss Conquest 3.5-10 Mildot would allow you to get into some serious shooting over time and pretty much hunt everything you can hunt in Canada
 
Thanks for the advice guys! I'll get a .308 then. That scope you mentioned, altaberg, seems like a good buy. I may get a CZ 750 when I get the cash, so I'll get that scope for it. It'll either be that platform or a Sako.

djchapman, what you say is true. I fired lots of .270 rounds before. It was very nice. That's what makes this choice so hard. I think I'll go for the .308 due to ammo choices.
 
In terms of tack-driving accuracy, maybe - maybe - the .308 has a slight edge. I say that because there are a lot of .308 target rifles out there, but damned few .270 target rifles. Moreover, if you're hand-loading, there are more .30 cal bullets available, making fine-tuning accurate loads much easier.

That said, we're talking about minimal differences. I've shot both a lot and, frankly, my most accurate group was with a .270. (Maybe it was a fluke, but it's on the wall over my reloading bench all the same. I stare at it after one of those days when you can't hit the floor with your hat.)

As to bear protection, I doubt there's a shade of difference between the two.

Find the rifle - in either calibre - that feels good in your hands. You'll know it when you pick it up.
 
ATOM said:
In terms of tack-driving accuracy, maybe - maybe - the .308 has a slight edge. I say that because there are a lot of .308 target rifles out there, but damned few .270 target rifles. Moreover, if you're hand-loading, there are more .30 cal bullets available, making fine-tuning accurate loads much easier.

That said, we're talking about minimal differences. I've shot both a lot and, frankly, my most accurate group was with a .270. (Maybe it was a fluke, but it's on the wall over my reloading bench all the same. I stare at it after one of those days when you can't hit the floor with your hat.)

As to bear protection, I doubt there's a shade of difference between the two.

Find the rifle - in either calibre - that feels good in your hands. You'll know it when you pick it up.
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Sure thing! Thanks for the advice. Good point on the reloading part. I did want to get into sports shooting, so having a good reloading rig would be quite helpful.

I'd expect the .270 to be more accurate because of its powder-load and bullet weight. Still, the .308 more accurate than what I can do.

Got any advice for a scope? I don't mind if it's cheap. All I want is something that works.
 
"...want to get into sports shooting..." Hi. You should re-think the Tikka then. Not that there's anything wrong with 'em, but you won't be competitive with a hunting rifle.
"...guaranteed 1 MOA..." That's just marketing. Some place in the small print it'll say something to the effect of, 'with specific ammo'. You won't get 1 MOA with all ammo.
"...expect the .270 to be..." Nope. There's far more to accuracy than the powder load and bullet weight. In any case, the .270 is a hunting cartridge.
 
sunray said:
"...want to get into sports shooting..." Hi. You should re-think the Tikka then. Not that there's anything wrong with 'em, but you won't be competitive with a hunting rifle.
"...guaranteed 1 MOA..." That's just marketing. Some place in the small print it'll say something to the effect of, 'with specific ammo'. You won't get 1 MOA with all ammo.
"...expect the .270 to be..." Nope. There's far more to accuracy than the powder load and bullet weight. In any case, the .270 is a hunting cartridge.
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Should I then save my money up for a good sport rifle then use that to solely practice with? I thought it would be best to start out with a not so expensive rifle then move up to a better platform once my skills get good enough. That'll take a while, though.

I understand that to get that level of accuracy, you'll need the proper match ammo for it.

What is there to accuracy with a cartridge? Could you link me to some information on this?
 
"...save my money up for..." Hi. If you can afford $700 for a rifle and still have money for a scope, you can afford a reasonably good target rifle. Think heavy barrel with an adjustable trigger. A lot will depend on the kind of target shooting you want to do, but a 'varmint' style rifle will do nicely to get started. Either in .308 or .223.
"...What is there to accuracy with a cartridge..." The bullet and meticulous loading techniques.
Where you are matters too.
 
sunray said:
"...save my money up for..." Hi. If you can afford $700 for a rifle and still have money for a scope, you can afford a reasonably good target rifle. Think heavy barrel with an adjustable trigger. A lot will depend on the kind of target shooting you want to do, but a 'varmint' style rifle will do nicely to get started. Either in .308 or .223.
"...What is there to accuracy with a cartridge..." The bullet and meticulous loading techniques.
Where you are matters too.
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Thanks for the advice! This really helps.

Can you recommend me a model for my limited budget?
 
Hi. Have a look at the Savage rifles. Mind you, buying used isn't a terribly idea. It's not like buying a used car. Takes a lot of abuse to damage a modern commercial rifle.
Add your location to your profile.
 
sunray said:
Hi. Have a look at the Savage rifles. Mind you, buying used isn't a terribly idea. It's not like buying a used car. Takes a lot of abuse to damage a modern commercial rifle.
Add your location to your profile.
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Alright, I fixed that. Sorry about that.

Savage? Do they sell affordable target rifles? I'll take a look into this. . . .

Again, thanks for the advice. This is very helpful.
 
I'd like to thank all of you who commented in this thread (and everyone else in the forum who imparted their knowledge to the rest of us). In the end, I'll just hold on a little longer till this fall. You have all given me useful input, and for that, I thank you. Once late fall comes about, my budget will be unlimited. I'll wait a lot longer and do some research in the meantime. I was going to grab that rifle because I thought I was going to head up north, but those plans have changed.

I am amazed at how much I learned while I was on this forum. Everyone here is so knowledgeable and smart.
 
Definitely look at Savage/Stevens line.Something of a varmint/target barrel so you can shoot a bit more between cool downs.

The old rule of thumb is the rifle and scope should be of approx equal value.$500 rifle/$500 scope would get you a fine package.

You would very soon find limitations in a $150.00 scope,especially target shooting.

There are many 4.5 - 14 or 6.5 -20 out there that will keep you occupied and challenging yourself and not break the bank.Just gotta look at some of the major optics suppliers and compare.

As for caliber, that is simply a formality, the comfort of the rifle is most important.But don't let your two caliber choices limit you on rifle choices.There are MANY choices suitable for your needs/wants.(Personally I'd go 7mm-08 :p)

Biggest thing is practice and have fun.
 
The Tikka is a beautiful rifle, especially with the wood. I found it shot better than the Remington 700 SPS and Ruger M77, and about the same as my friends Browning A Bolt. This was firing from a bench, almost any 'hunting rifle' you find on the market has a the accuracy and trigger to bring home dinner. (Thats just my personal opinion, I don't think the rifle NEEDS to be able to shoot half inch groups to take down game, as long as its within two inches at a hundred yards you should be fine)
Most importantly, BUY GOOD MOUNTS.
I've seen people look at the seven hundred dollar scope in their hand, wince at the price tag, and buy cheap mounts to make up for it. Not a good idea at all.
If I was you I would get whichever rifle feels right. That in itself will help your shooting more than factory accuracy.
Just my $0.2, I'm not claiming to be an expert in any way.
Good luck looking for a rifle, and happy shooting!
 
Find a Rem. 700 that you like and buy it, it has more aftermarket parts then all others put together, and you can make changes later re: triggers, bolts, firing pins, barrels, stocks, etc. When used right, 700s are one of the most accurate factory rifles esp. in .308 win.
 
ben hunchak said:
Find a Rem. 700 that you like and buy it, it has more aftermarket parts then all others put together, and you can make changes later re: triggers, bolts, firing pins, barrels, stocks, etc. When used right, 700s are one of the most accurate factory rifles esp. in .308 win.
Click to expand...
+1 If you can find a nice used one or don't mind spending a few bucks to fix a lemon 700 SPS.
 
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