6.5 PRC or 270 for first deer rifle?

[Q_Sertorius]

easy to change grip out for vertical? Would investing in say a swarovski scope be good with t3x lite?

I would happily buy a Swarovski telescope, but not a rifle scope.

If you want to dial for elevation, a SWFA fixed 6x, 3-9x40, or 3-15x40 will solve all your problems for $350-600-750.

If you don’t want to dial, the Trijicon Accupoint 3-9x40 is another excellent option at around $600.

There’s zero reason to spend more than $1000 on a scope for deer hunting. Especially if you are part of the vast majority of hunters who have no business taking at shot over 300 yards. Assuming you practice a lot, a 6x scope will easily work for you at 600 yards.

 

[Deere_Man]

A Tikka 270 Win and a Trijicon Accupoint
3-9x40mm solves a lot of problems and checks almost all the boxes.

 

[North of 60]

Whatever brand/cartridge you get, consider a suppressor and a quality optic.

We are fortunate to live in an age of easily accessible lightweight suppressors for shooting/hunting.

 

[Mountainrancher]

6.5 prc is honestly a hindrance for what you want. It has to much recoil and to expensive of ammo to be a rifle that many want to shoot much. 6.5 Creedmoor will do everything you want to do. If you want a simple easy button package buy these.

Tikka T3x Lite 6.5 Creedmoor Synthetic JRTXE382 For Sale - EuroOptic

Tikka T3x Lite 6.5 Creedmoor Synthetic JRTXE382 For Sale

www.eurooptic.com

https://www.eurooptic.com/nightforce-shv-3-10x42mm-250-moa-illuminated-forceplex-c611

UM Tikka Rings - Unknown Munitions

UM Tikka rings are not recommended for cartridges larger than 7mm PRC Tikka level sold separately HERE These rings attach directly to the Tikka Dovetail on the top of every Tikka T3 and T3X action, no need for a rail (scope base)! Each package comes with: 2 Scope Rings, 9/64″ Driver Bit, Blue...

www.unknownmunitions.com

 

[AntelopeEater]

Do you know how much your friend's rifle that you shot weighs?

I ask because if you shot a .270 and the recoil didn't bother you, that is great, but if it didn't bother you out of, say, a 9 pound rifle, it might bother you a lot out of a lighter weight rifle like a Tikka T3x lite.

If you don't mind the recoil from a lightweight rifle, look at Europtic's website, they have some close out Tikka's at great prices.

There is a brand new Tikka T3x lite in 6.5prc for only $569 right now:

Tikka T3x Lite 6.5 PRC 24" 1:8" Bbl Synthetic/Blued Rifle JRTXE319 For Sale - EuroOptic

Tikka T3x Lite 6.5 PRC 24" 1:8" Bbl Synthetic/Blued Rifle JRTXE319 For Sale

www.eurooptic.com

Or, if your friend's rifle in .270 that you liked shooting was a heavier rifle than a lightweight Tikka, I'd recommend you try to find a Ruger African in .270, that is a solid, beefy, classic hunting rifle that just also looks classy with its classic wood stock and styling.

Though personally my two favorite rifles are chambered in .308, cheaper ammo for practicing with but still capable of 500 yards, though at this point I don't think I should take shots at living animals beyond about 300 yards, no matter what caliber/gun I'm using, lol.

You'll find at 300 yards or less with a quality .270 or 6.5PRC and ammo you can just zero your scope at 200 yards, and then you won't have to dial up or down or do much holdover to shoot "minute of deer" out to about 300 yards, and up to 300 yards unless the winds are unusually strong you probably won't need to worry about windage to get a bullet in the zone of the vitals.

But much farther than that, especially at 500 yards, now you will have to holdover or dial...and wind starts to become a much bigger issue, no matter which caliber/cartridge you are using.

So consider a .308 as well, cheaper ammo and as anew hunter you probably want to start off limiting your shots to 200 - 300 yards for awhile anyways.

 

[mrdeadheadr]

I would happily buy a Swarovski telescope, but not a rifle scope.

If you want to dial for elevation, a SWFA fixed 6x, 3-9x40, or 3-15x40 will solve all your problems for $350-600-750.

If you don’t want to dial, the Trijicon Accupoint 3-9x40 is another excellent option at around $600.

There’s zero reason to spend more than $1000 on a scope for deer hunting. Especially if you are part of the vast majority of hunters who have no business taking at shot over 300 yards. Assuming you practice a lot, a 6x scope will easily work for you at 600 yards.

I'm assuming dialing in for distance.. hows the accupoint differ from swfa for dialing?

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I'm assuming dialing in for distance.. hows the accupoint differ from swfa for dialing?

The AccuPoint doesn’t have exposed turrets. It tracks and repeats very reliably.

 

[CJ_BG]

Between the two I'd go prc, basically just a better 270 win other than finding cheap ammo. Both are absolute hell on deer though, meat damage is way more than I like when you use a bullet that actually takes advantage of that energy.

That said if I had started off with a good 8 twist 223 and good bullets I would have killed more deer faster with less wounds and misses. If you're really going to shoot past 400yds at game often then go 22 creed or 6 creed.

For half of that 3k you can get the 223 in a tikka with a swfa or find a trijicon on sale and get so much practice in you can run circles around your buddies.

 

[coyotekilla]

Bought a tikka ace game in 6.5 prc, she's a tackdriver. A little overkill for whitetail, the creedmore kills them cheaper and just as dead. Creed is cheaper to feed, but if you want a prc, get 1. Prc might be slightly harder to get ammo for compared to 270 & creed, but it's becoming g a pretty popular round. Past 250 yards to have to start holding over for everything, past 400 consistency and bc matter more than speed. I've shot steel at 1k with my creed, haven't taken the prc to the long line yet. Very happy with the creed at 1k.

 

[TaperPin]

A 270 or 6.5 PRC would be a great addition to a 243 you already have. A 270/PRC just arn’t a lot of fun to plink with, so you’ll shoot them less. They are great hunting cartridges, but you’ll shoot a 243 10x as much if they are sitting side by side ready to go.

My first hunting rifle was a 270 and it should have been a 243 for a few years, then a larger cartridge.

If you only want a single rifle I can’t believe I’m suggesting this, but a 6.5 Creedmoor is a better choice.

 

[77TMK]

Not understanding why first hunting rifle for so many comes with a requirement to shoot game at 500 yards and with an overkill caliber.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Not understanding why first hunting rifle for so many comes with a requirement to shoot game at 500 yards and with an overkill caliber.

Because that’s what the hunting industry and media tells them they need. It is hard to market the “differences” between cartridges, rifles, bullets, etc., if you compare performance at 60-150 yards.

There’s a formula to hunting magazine articles, shows, and other media. It all comes down to what sells. They are either selling a product, a story (i.e., the speaker is the product), or both.

No one in the rifle or cartridge industry wants to sell you grandpa’s old .30-30 or .30-06. The bullet industry desperately wants to upsell you the new Flex-Tip bullet that will make “Old Reliable” more reliable. Or whatever flavor of the month is out there.

At what point does a Sako become “more lethal” than a Tikka? At what point does a 7mm RM become “more lethal” than a 7mm08? At what point is a .264 140-grain ELDM “more lethal” than any other .264 140-grain cup-and-core bullet without a fancy name? Further out than matters to most deer hunters, that’s for sure.

 

[Ringbill27]

If it were me with that price in mind I’d probably buy a threaded tikka in 270win for ammo availability. Pick up the OG suppressor and spend the rest on good glass.

 

[180ls1]

6.5 PRC is the modern day .270 - roughly speaking.

My PRC replaced my 270. I love em both but would get the 6.5 because you might as well take advantage of the advancements unless your whole family reloads .270 or something.

 

[bnewt3]

Ill throw in my $.02

There are ALOT of really great cartridges out there.
I would encourage you to be open to basically anything in the med-big game realm.


As for rifles, you absolutely do not need to spend $3000 to get a really great rifle for 500 yards. Im not saying go get a cheap Savage Axis, although they will get the job done, but you can get ALOT of rifle for under $1000.

Also, alot of people feel obligated to spend $3000 on an optic for their $3000 rifle. Thats $6000 before you pull the trigger. Completely unnecessary for deer.

$2000 all in can get you a superb setup and leaves $4000 for ammo, destination/guided hunts, etc.

 

[davsco]

esp for deer hunting (and perhaps your first hunting rifle), the 270 win and 6.5 (cm or prc) are "close enough." get a tikka that comes with a threaded barrel so you can spin on a brake and that baby will have no felt recoil at all. frankly i'd look around your sporting goods stores and see what caliber(s) they stock and let that guide your decision. and yeah don't cheap out on the scope, $1k to $1.5k should buy you something relatively nice.

if you have any aspirations of a truly big game hunt down the road (elk etc), i would get the 6.5 creedmoor for deer now and than you can later get something like 7prc and have something meaningfully different without too much overlap.