Bowhunter needs rifle help

[MTBOWHUNTER542]

Help a bowhunter out....
Im teaching myself to hunt, yes I'm a late onset adult hunter, who is trying to learn how to hunt Antelope, Whitetail & Mule dear, Elk, and maybe even the occasional Bear.
I'm looking at picking up a rifle to aid in my meat gathering ability, since I can't kill anything with a bow.
I'm trying to keep the total package (gun & scope) to 10lbs max. Been looking at lots of rifles, Tikas, Bergara, Sako, Remington, Christensen Arms. Think I've got it down to the Tikka T3x CTR or the Christensen Ridgeline. Is the Ridgeline $1000 better than the Tikka? Should I be looking elsewhere?

 

[elkduds]

$1K buys a lot of optics and ammo. I'll start the caliber debate: 7-08, unless you'll mostly hunt elk/moose/big bears, or shoot @ game beyond about 300 yards.

 

[MTBOWHUNTER542]

Calibers I'm debating are the 7mm-08, everyone's favorite 6.5 cm, and the old time 308. Would like to keep the cost of a box of decent quality ammo no greater than $35. I would actually like to shoot alot! I know , strange.....
My personal max is about 400 at game under perfect conditions.
Would love to take a long range class one day. I hear a lot about 1000 yards!

 

[Idaho Sandman]

30-06. You're going to get a ton of suggestions on caliber.

 

[ID_Matt]

If you are dead set on the Tikka CTR then I believe 7mm-08 and 30-06 are out of the question. Picking between 308 and 6.5 is a tough one, can't go wrong with either. Under 400 yards my choice is a 308, but that might stir a pot. I am wondering how you narrowed it down to a Tikka CTR or Christensen Arms Ridgeline? Quite a big difference in the 2. I think between Sako, Tikka, Bergara and Christensen you can't go wrong with any of them. Just depends on how much you want to spend. The Christensen Arms Mesa is a steal of a gun for around $1,300. Or if you want to stay under $1K the Tikka T3 SL or Bergara are going to be very tough to beat and all of them are a good hunting weight.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Lots of opinions on this topic. I am noodling on this myself and not far ahead of you in the hunting game. I have been shooting a while and have guns covering some very popular calibers now. Here are my thoughts but there are far more experienced voices here that I defer to.

30-30 - too slow for beyond 200 yards
308 - good but maybe not enough for some really big game in the US
300 win mag - powerful but expensive and less pleasant to shoot. Can be more rifle than needed on smaller game.

I have been eyeing a 6.5 creedmor as a soft shooting deer gun.

If I were asked today what one hunting rifle I would want to own I think it would be a tikka light in 30-06. From what I gather it is a platform that strike the balance of performance and cost in a caliber that can punch up to moose and bear without destroying smaller deer, etc.

 

[MTBOWHUNTER542]

I landed on the Tikka due to its reputation of quality and accuracy with commercially available ammo. I love a heavier barrel rifle. Those skinny barrels just don't look right.....
This will be my only bolt action for awhile, so it will need to do double duty as a range gun as well. Gotta practice, practice, practice!

 

[robtattoo]

As has been posted at some point on every single hunting forum: .30-06 I'd never the wrong answer. The exact same can be said for .308.
Both are excellent, widely available, easy to reload & dirt cheap to shoot.

Were I you, I'd be looking really hard at a T3x in .30-06, topped with a Leopold 3-9x40.

There is literally nothing in the U.S. You can't legitimately hunt with that setup & you'll still be well under a grand.

 

[6mm Remington]

30-06 or or .280 Remington or .280 AI.

Winchester Model 70 EWSS

Montana Rifle Company X2

 

[Trogon]

As has been posted at some point on every single hunting forum: .30-06 I'd never the wrong answer. The exact same can be said for .308.
Both are excellent, widely available, easy to reload & dirt cheap to shoot.

Were I you, I'd be looking really hard at a T3x in .30-06, topped with a Leopold 3-9x40.

There is literally nothing in the U.S. You can't legitimately hunt with that setup & you'll still be well under a grand.

Also, you'll be well under 10lbs, probably just about 7.5lbs. A mentor of mine steered me towards a combo nearly identical to this when I got in the game about 7 years ago. It was a great setup. If I could go back and give the old me a bit of advice I say "Spend the least possible on the rifle and spend the most possible on time and ammo shooting in real world situations".

 

[Desk Jockey]

Amending my post to say if you can't buy ammo for it at your local Walmart then think twice about owning it as your only gun. That will preclude 6.5 creedmoor as of my last trip to Wally World.

 

[CLICKBANGBANG]

The 6.5 Creedmoor has been my go to since I bought my first. I have long action and mag calibers, but use the 6.5 CM more than anything. I set up a second 6.5 and dumped an antelope last year. I'll be using it for pigs in the spring, and deer in the future.

You don't shoot enough ammo through a hunting bolt gun to ever worry about running out. Most of what Walmart carries is crap. If you need some green box Remington 30-06, Walmart will be there. There are four shops that cary a dozen different loads for 6.5 CM within 45 min drive. When you start looking for 6.5 CM, it's almost everywhere. But I've been using Copper Creek Ammo for a bit and am having great success.

 

[robtattoo]

If you prefer a heavier barrel, you'd be really, really hard pressed to beat a Savage Hog Hunter in .308.
Not the prettiest gun in the world, but out of the box, the most accurate rifle I've ever owned. Super tough & durable, not ultralight but still only 8½lb loaded & scoped. The stock isn't great, but you'll never break it & it's a blind mag, so you don't have to worry about dropping that, or your floorplate dropping.Slap a good $200 scope on, toss the iron sights (or don't...) & for $700 you're rocking. Again, a great 300yd gun & caliber that will surprise the hell out of you at the range. My 3rd 5 shot group of dirt cheap Federal 150gn went into 3" at 700yds

 

[Formidilosus]

I landed on the Tikka due to its reputation of quality and accuracy with commercially available ammo. I love a heavier barrel rifle. Those skinny barrels just don't look right.....
This will be my only bolt action for awhile, so it will need to do double duty as a range gun as well. Gotta practice, practice, practice!

You seem seem to be focused on shooting.... That's good. Listen to the shooters. 30/06, 308, and any magnum have too much recoil, cost too much, and offer no advantage to the 6.5 Creedmoor. A Tikka T3 in 6.5C with a scope designed for shooting is about the most solid, easy, best performing setup you can get out of the box.

Amending my post to say if you can't buy ammo for it at your local Walmart then think twice about owning it as your only gun. That will preclude 6.5 creedmoor as of my last trip to Wally World.

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[MTBOWHUNTER542]

Shooting is the main focus. I don't want something that gets shot only during rifle season. I'm willing to make a small investment, this being my only scoped rifle for hunting and recreational shooting.

 

[MTBOWHUNTER542]

Suprised there isn't much being said regarding Christensens Ridgeline rifle? Is that particular rifle not a good option for what I'm trying to accomplish?

 

[luke moffat]

I really like my Tikka CTR in 6.5. Thus far it's killed 13 critters in the 9 months I have had it. Just wish I paid the $770 or so its for sale now for on Whittakers than the $1100 I gave for it in January.

 

[targetpanic]

Along the lines of the Hog Hunter mentioned earlier, you could also look at the Ruger American Predator in 6.5CM. I have one as a range gun but may bring it out for a few hunts some day. My next choice would be a 7mm-08 or 308...really just a toss up IMO

 

[MTBOWHUNTER542]

I really like my Tikka CTR in 6.5. Thus far it's killed 13 critters in the 9 months I have had it. Just wish I paid the $770 or so its for sale now for on Whittakers than the $1100 I gave for it in January.

How do you like the stock?

 

[luke moffat]

How do you like the stock?

It's ok. Used it with factory stock for a few months and a couple even had some friends shoot a couple caribou with that stock. However ultimately I got the rifle to put a chassis stock on it so that's how it's setup now. IMO hard to go wrong with that rifle even at the price I bought it, but now that it's sub $800 shipped for the next week or so it makes it a no brainer.