Bowhunter needs rifle help

[Desk Jockey]

a lot of good advice in this thread ...... AND ....... a lot of bullshit

Amen to that.

Btw - I gotta eat crow on the Wally World not carrying 6.5 creed moor comment I made a while back. In addition to the pic someone posted above my local hill Billy, small town Pennsylvania Walmart now carries not one but two flavors of 6.5 creed ammo.

 

[ATX762]

I'd think we would all like to hear how "a 7mm RM has the edge than a 30.06 for western hunting" (and let's not confuse "hunting" with "long range shooting", let's look at ballistics and bullets) .... Sure, there's been an ongoing debate, mostly campfire based, on which is "better" for ANY game since around 1962, (before that it was the 264 WM) but for hunters and shooters "in the know" that one's been put to bed - As far as the 6.5 CM is concerned I'll openly wager that the numbers of elk in the pile on the 6.5 CM's side of the fire ring build with unusually common occurrence from this year forward - I've already dissected 2 CM kills for the spent bullet via it's path and terminal resting place in adult ELK and now see no reason to expect other than a clean kill from a WELL PLACED, APPROPRIATE bullet launched from a reasonable distance

A) This is all just campfire talk...period. All of these rounds will do, for the most part, the same job, which is to put a little piece of metal through a medium sized mammal.
B) Past 400 yds, the 7mag gets a little less drop and little less drift.
C) I think we would all love to hear why you would openly wager that the 6.5 CM will kill tons more elk...other than the fact that it's the uber fashionable round of the moment. I will wager it will continue to kill more elk because it's very fashionable and more hunters will carry it.

 

[GKPrice]

A) This is all just campfire talk...period. All of these rounds will do, for the most part, the same job, which is to put a little piece of metal through a medium sized mammal.
B) Past 400 yds, the 7mag gets a little less drop and little less drift.
C) I think we would all love to hear why you would openly wager that the 6.5 CM will kill tons more elk...other than the fact that it's the uber fashionable round of the moment. I will wager it will continue to kill more elk because it's very fashionable and more hunters will carry it.

re: "C" - thank you for making my point ..... more hunter use means more dead critters done in by a very capable round (and with good loads, a little less drop and a little less drift)

I recall back in '62 how the 7mm Rem Mag was overnight "very fashionable" and I jumped on the wagon, stayed there for many seasons BUT our world of bullets and components has changed drastically as has our understanding of what a GAME bullet does when it hits any mammal in the proper place - I just hate to see a first time or "new" rifle hunter get saddled with cartridge because of "opinion" when there are many others that will do the same job with less recoil, muzzle blast, rifle weight and expense with the upside being that "new" rifle gets shot a lot more (which is never a "bad" thing, would you agree ? My grandson killed his first elk, fairchase at 135 yards, (130 grain Accubond did what it's designed to do BTW) and a less than ideal rest, he pulled it off like a pro, in part because he's not "scared" of the gun but also because he's shot it a ton and feels proficient when shooting it - Would I have allowed him to shoot 200 yards ? ONLY if the rest had been rock solid - any further ? NO - I'm shooting a CM also and I'll shoot to my self imposed limit of 500 yds in a heartbeat with no misgivings at all, excited to get the opportunity actually -

 

[Idaho Lefty]

HEY,.. I'm gonna "GET OUT" of, this "debate" as,.. there is,.. NO real,.. Winner ! BUY, what ever Caliber,.. you WANT,...
EXCEPT, I MUST mention,.. One of the most Famous and SUCCESSFUL, "Long Range", Group of Hunters, the "GUNWERKS Guys",.. CHOSE, the Rem. Model 700 and the Rem 7mm Magnum Cartridge,.. FOR a,.. REASON !!
It'll KILL ELK,.. WAY, way,..out there, and is fairly easy,.. to Shoot !!
GOODBYE,.. I'm ,.. DONE !!

 

[howl]

.308 capacity cartridges are about the upper limit for recoil for most people when using lighter rifles. 6.5CM and .308 Win are about the same cost for good quality target ammo. Run of the mill .30/06 and 7mm mag ammo are more but about the same cost between the two. Seeing how the 7mm mag bucks wind better than the /06, I'd take the /06 off the list. Is twenty cents per round for perhaps not as good ammo worth the reduction in wind drift?

So, for a light rifle its the 6.5CM or .308 with the .308 having an advantage on ammo if your targets are bigger and closer. For a standard weight rifle 7mm mag IF you know you'll never want to sell it. (The reason I've never really entertained a 7mm mag is I require my bolt handles on the correct side. Worst resale values ever!)

This is how I came to suggest a Tikka CTR in .308. You can run it at 300 yards on a 12" gong with cheap ammo. Easy. Practical. And with a 2-10x quality scope in a hell for stout mount it is an utterly reliable do-it-all.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

.308 capacity cartridges are about the upper limit for recoil for most people when using lighter rifles. 6.5CM and .308 Win are about the same cost for good quality target ammo. Run of the mill .30/06 and 7mm mag ammo are more but about the same cost between the two. Seeing how the 7mm mag bucks wind better than the /06, I'd take the /06 off the list. Is twenty cents per round for perhaps not as good ammo worth the reduction in wind drift?

So, for a light rifle its the 6.5CM or .308 with the .308 having an advantage on ammo if your targets are bigger and closer. For a standard weight rifle 7mm mag IF you know you'll never want to sell it. (The reason I've never really entertained a 7mm mag is I require my bolt handles on the correct side. Worst resale values ever!)

This is how I came to suggest a Tikka CTR in .308. You can run it at 300 yards on a 12" gong with cheap ammo. Easy. Practical. And with a 2-10x quality scope in a hell for stout mount it is an utterly reliable do-it-all.

Sure, for Target practice, and "CHEAP Ammo" I agree ! I thought the OP wanted, a "HUNTING Rifle" ! For SERIOUS Hunting,.. I like,.. WHAT, I got and recommended THAT, to him!! I hunt Utah, Wyo, Ariz and Idaho, I walk Miles and Miles,.. WHEN I get a "shot" I don't want,.. to miss or, chase "cripples" all over, the Country side !
Ammo cost, is NOT an "issue" for, a Hand loader and we can "taylor" our Ammo, to hit a 8" Gong at,.. 700 Yards ( prone ).
I'm 70 yrs old and can easily shoot, 20-30 rounds with, NO problem as, for Recoil !
The Rem model 700 7 Mag. has, a Long action and allows me, to seat my Bullets out, close to the "Lands" and still, fit in the Magazine for, EXTREME accuracy ! ( 1.25 inches or, better, group at 200 )
I have 2 Left Handed model 700's ( one's, a .22-250 sporter Bbl. ) and both are very accurate with, fact. Bbls , Glass Bedded, free floated and Trigger work ! There's nothing wrong with, the 6.5 CM or,..308 Win. the 7mm Mag. just Kills Elk about 300 Yards,.. farther out IF, necessary ! I'm an Elk Hunter, my son and I have 3 Freezers full, of Elk and Moose meat ! We Hardly ever, BUY beef ! The cost of, Ammo is NOTHING compared to, what a Hunt costs ! I have never seen an issue, selling a Left Handed, Rem Rifle if, that's what you're talking about as far as "resale" ? BUT,.. who'd ever, want to ??? Good Luck on the Tikka as they are pretty good rifles, from what I've heard ! Just remember Target/ Plinking,.. AIN'T the same as,..Huntin' !

 

[Idaho Lefty]

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?

Howl,..
I believe THIS, was the OP's,.. "post" !! Please, read, the 3RD line ! HUNT,..Deer / Elk, Antelope ! kinda sounds like,.. possibly, LONG Range Antelope Mole Deer and maybe, some Bigger "stuff", Elk, to me ! And with a limit of, 10 Pounds, my Rifle, sling, Bipod, Scope and ALL, weigh 9 lbs ! That's ALL, I was saying ! and I AGREED with, the ATK Guy, Thought he WAS,.."Bang ON", EVERYTHING, he said was,..correct, IMO !!
I got no "Dog in this Fight" and certainly,.. NO skin off, my Nose !! I'm done !

 

[CLICKBANGBANG]

I'm a big fan of the 6.5 Creedmoor. But I'll be using a 7mm Rem Mag this year to hunt. The area I'll be in this year, I'm expecting a shot that will push the edge of what I'd want to do with the 6.5 CM. So I've decided to take the 7mm RM. It gets out there where I need it with more "umph" (official scientific term). The $400 Win M70 in 7mm I'm taking is shooting sub MOA with factory Barnes 140 grain TTSX (it does not like a lot of ammo, but it loves this Barnes!). I just bedded the action, floated it, and gave it a new trigger. I'm pretty happy with this 7mm RM and how it's shooting.

To shoot antelope, deer, pig, yotes, or something fun to shoot at the range, the 6.5 is my favorite. But this year it's getting benched. The 7mm is warming up to go in.

 

[tommy]

i currently have over thirty centerfire rifles and the one i use for just about everything is a rem 700 in 6.5x55sweade its mild recoiling and hits plenty hard if i was strictly going for elk/moose/bears than my rem700 .300winmag gets the nod ishoot 129gr hor.sst in the sweade at about 2970fps and nos. 200gr accubonds in the .300winmag at about the same velocity the 6.5 creedmore will kill any thing on the planet [wdm bell used a 6.5x54m.s. to kill elphants]but preferred the 7x57 mauser aka the.275 rigby i dont own a creedmore but it would work for what you want just fine

 

[howl]

Idaho, I'm not picking your post in particular. OP clarified in later post to this thread that the rig will be used for practice a lot and ammo cost is a concern.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Idaho, I'm not picking your post in particular. OP clarified in later post to this thread that the rig will be used for practice a lot and ammo cost is a concern.

@ Howl,..
OK, no harm done,.. I haven't read all, the posts or, everyone's opinions, NOR, did I see, the OP's change of, mind on caliber or ammo cost ! and,.. Yup the .308 win can be, a cheap Target/ Big Game round and will get,.. the "Job" done and so, will the 6.5 CM ! Good Luck this, Season and,..shoot straight !