Caliber recommendations

[PNWGATOR]

I think the Tikka is a great rifle, but nothing special. These are the first two groups after zeroing the howa mini using factory ammo:

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Good start!

Any 10 round group pics?

 

[BearGuy]

I think the Tikka is a great rifle, but nothing special. These are the first two groups after zeroing the howa mini using factory ammo:

View attachment 659980View attachment 659981

That’s great. I would echo what pnw said and ask if you have done bigger groups. I like the price point better on the Howa but I love the tikka and the tikkas are hard to beat.

 

[kickemall]

Wife, daughter, practice = .223

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Good start!

Any 10 round group pics?

I knew some dbag would ask this question…it just had to be you didn’t it?

i shot those two groups then took her out to 500 then 750. Honestly, I will likely never shoot a 10 shot group at 100 yards in any of my rifles. I don’t enjoy that. Once they are zeroed I rarely shoot groups at 100. I also don’t enjoy handloading - its torture and I get zero satisfaction from it.

 

[PNWGATOR]

I knew some dbag would ask this question…it just had to be you didn’t it?

Some things are important.

Some things are also more important than others.

In all seriousness, this isn’t a hard nut to crack. It’s honestly simple!

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Some things are important.

Some things are also more important than others.

In all seriousness, this isn’t a hard nut to crack. It’s honestly simple!

A 10 shot group at 100 will never be important to me. Just like owning a Tikka in 223 shooting 77gr tmks will never be important to me. I’ll never own one, I dont think they are cool even though you push the shit out of them.

 

[Matt5266]

I've been really tempted to buy a Howa barreled action from Brownells in 6 ARC....

 

[BearGuy]

I knew some dbag would ask this question…it just had to be you didn’t it?

i shot those two groups then took her out to 500 then 750. Honestly, I will likely never shoot a 10 shot group at 100 yards in any of my rifles. I don’t enjoy that. Once they are zeroed I rarely shoot groups at 100. I also don’t enjoy handloading - its torture and I get zero satisfaction from it.

How’d it do at those ranges? Pinging steel?

 

[BearGuy]

I've been really tempted to buy a Howa barreled action from Brownells in 6 ARC....

What gun do you currently have?

 

[Macintosh]

If you dont reload, and a 6.5cm is more gun than you want, then a 7mm-08 should not be on the table—factory 7-08 is harder to find than 6.5, almost exclusively limited to heavier bullets and/or higher velocity, and without custom down-loaded ammo is going to recoil noticeably more in a lightish rifle.

Based on your criteria a 243 or 223 seem like the obvious choices. Personally, given the choice and with low recoil and factory-loaded practice ammo being primary considerations, 223 looks like the winner from where I sit.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Why isn’t the 22-250 a consideration?


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[clperry]

Why isn’t the 22-250 a consideration?


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Factory ammo I would suspect.


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[TaperPin]

There’s probably a million adults who had a 243 as a first deer rifle. Literally a million - they just work, even for adults, so it’s a cartridge that won’t be outgrown.

My loaner gun has taken a pile of deer, antelope, even a cow elk. Next time you’re at a sporting goods store just scan over the ammo section and you’ll see a huge pile of 243 options and one box of 6mm Creedmoor.

 

[fwafwow]

Why isn’t the 22-250 a consideration?


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A cousin just got one (Ruger M77) and he was excited because I had mentioned the heavy-for-caliber bullet concept. Then he was disappointed to find out his twist is 1:14 and there are not many factory loaded options, at least with heavier bullets

 

[JGRaider]

"I don't reload........." points directly to the 6.5CM. Staggering variety of good factory ammo out there.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

There’s probably a million adults who had a 243 as a first deer rifle. Literally a million - they just work, even for adults, so it’s a cartridge that won’t be outgrown.

My loaner gun has taken a pile of deer, antelope, even a cow elk. Next time you’re at a sporting goods store just scan over the ammo section and you’ll see a huge pile of 243 options and one box of 6mm Creedmoor.

I got a 243 for the kids but find it fun to bang steel with and grabbed it myself for a doe deer meat hunt, works just fine.

 

[Matt5266]

What gun do you currently have?

I have several firearms but no Howas and no 6 ARC. They just seem appealing at that price point. Read reviews that seem a little hit or miss but mostly positive.

 

[greenomics]

If you dont reload, and a 6.5cm is more gun than you want, then a 7mm-08 should not be on the table—factory 7-08 is harder to find than 6.5, almost exclusively limited to heavier bullets and/or higher velocity, and without custom down-loaded ammo is going to recoil noticeably more in a lightish rifle.

Based on your criteria a 243 or 223 seem like the obvious choices. Personally, given the choice and with low recoil and factory-loaded practice ammo being primary considerations, 223 looks like the winner from where I sit.

Agree with 7mm-08 being hard to find. Was in two stores last week. Saw zero boxes of 7mm-08 on shelves. Plenty of 6.5 creedmoor and 223 to choose from.

 

[Old Dog]

Factory ammo, for practice and hunting points to 223. You could shoot factory 77MK or just about any other 223, which you can find for a lot less than any 243 or 6.5 CM and save enough to buy another rifle later on if you're not comfortable with the 223. If you do want to hunt with the 223 you can always zero it for 77TMK a month or so before season.

 

[Mike D Texas]

A cousin just got one (Ruger M77) and he was excited because I had mentioned the heavy-for-caliber bullet concept. Then he was disappointed to find out his twist is 1:14 and there are not many factory loaded options, at least with heavier bullets

What twist does the Tikka offer in 22-250?

EDIT: 1:14.

I’ve been able to shoot 62 grain Gold Dots/Fusions in a 14 twist 220 Swift and they are very deadly on whitetail and pigs to 250’ish yards. Also 60 grain Nosler Partitions.


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