Caliber recommendations

[fwafwow]

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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Thanks. I don't see, at least on ammoseek, any Gold Dot or Fusions, or any factory offerings in 62gr. There are 60 and 64 choices.

 

[Chris_in_Idaho]

Tikka has both 1:14 and 1:8 22-250s.

 

[TaperPin]

Tikka has both 1:14 and 1:8 22-250s.

Yes - there’s a 1:8 22-250 Tikka at the local Scheels as we speak.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Tikka has both 1:14 and 1:8 22-250s.

You are correct. I missed those when I originally looked.

(2) Varmint models with wood stocks and (1) Super Varmint model.

That opens up a lot more ammo options.


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[Chris_in_Idaho]

Not just the Varmint models but the regular lite stainless as well.

JRTXB314 is 1:14
JRTXB314R8 is 1:8

I no longer see it on the Tikka site but Europtic has it here: https://www.eurooptic.com/Tikka-T3x-Lite-Stainless-22-250-Rem-224-1-8-Rifle-JRTXB314R8.aspx

 

[Chris_in_Idaho]

OP,

I just recently went through a similar decision process. The 223 thread has convinced me of its effectiveness with the TMK at 1800fps or above, but I would prefer a round that would keep that 1800fps to a longer range than 400-450. If Tikka offered a 6mm Creedmoor I would have bought that.

I considered the 1:8 twist 243 or 22-250, but I decided against them for two reasons. First, all factory ammo for 243 or 22-250 is intended for the traditional slower twist rifles, so no heavy long high BC bullets factory loaded. So to get any effective range improvement over the 223 I would need to handload 100%. That's not a deal breaker by itself. The other issue is I want to shoot this rifle a LOT. A 22-250 or 243 will be dead in short order when used as a training rifle.

So I ordered the 223. I plan to shoot the absolute snot out of it, including whitetails. Once I have developed the skills to make legitimate long range ethical shots, then I will purchase or assemble a dedicated hunting rifle in 6cm, 6um, 25-284, 22cm, 22um, or some whiz bang long range barrel burner. Once zeroed and verified, this rifle will be used only for shots on animals while I continue to shoot the snot out of the 223.

 

[BearGuy]

OP,

I just recently went through a similar decision process. The 223 thread has convinced me of its effectiveness with the TMK at 1800fps or above, but I would prefer a round that would keep that 1800fps to a longer range than 400-450. If Tikka offered a 6mm Creedmoor I would have bought that.

I considered the 1:8 twist 243 or 22-250, but I decided against them for two reasons. First, all factory ammo for 243 or 22-250 is intended for the traditional slower twist rifles, so no heavy long high BC bullets factory loaded. So to get any effective range improvement over the 223 I would need to handload 100%. That's not a deal breaker by itself. The other issue is I want to shoot this rifle a LOT. A 22-250 or 243 will be dead in short order when used as a training rifle.

So I ordered the 223. I plan to shoot the absolute snot out of it, including whitetails. Once I have developed the skills to make legitimate long range ethical shots, then I will purchase or assemble a dedicated hunting rifle in 6cm, 6um, 25-284, 22cm, 22um, or some whiz bang long range barrel burner. Once zeroed and verified, this rifle will be used only for shots on animals while I continue to shoot the snot out of the 223.

Did you order the tikka or a different rifle?

 

[Mike D Texas]

Not just the Varmint models but the regular lite stainless as well.

JRTXB314 is 1:14
JRTXB314R8 is 1:8

I no longer see it on the Tikka site but Europtic has it here: https://www.eurooptic.com/Tikka-T3x-Lite-Stainless-22-250-Rem-224-1-8-Rifle-JRTXB314R8.aspx

Yeah I was looking on the Tikka site.


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[Chris_in_Idaho]

Did you order the tikka or a different rifle?

I was pretty tempted by the Ruger gen2 but ended up ordering the Tikka.

 

[Old Dog]

Picked up a Tikka compact in 223 today. I ended up selling my 6.5 CM as I seldom shoot it and I have a custom 6mm CM and a couple 7x57s if I suddenly feel I need a larger caliber. With the Tikka and my ARs sharing ammo I'm pretty set to do a lot of shooting and hopefully get my skills back where they used to be.

 

[BearGuy]

For those of you shooting the .223 out of a tikka what ammo are you shooting for practice and what ranges are you poking to?

 

[Pharmseller]

For those of you shooting the .223 out of a tikka what ammo are you shooting for practice and what ranges are you poking to?

Stainless Tikka Varmint .223 for me. Can’t help you with factory ammo because I reload but the 75 ELDM load is lethal much farther than a new hunter will shoot.

And you can practice with just about anything you can find, and save the Black Hills 77 TMK for hunting.

I wish my dad had started me on a .223. He didn’t know any better.




P

 

[khuber84]

6cm, tons of cheap factory ammo, usually very accurate.

 

[Felix40]

All the recommendations for .223 really blow my mind. A .243 or 6mm beats it ballistically in every way and is legal to hunt basically all common big game animals. The recoil is still almost nonexistent. Ammo might actually be easier to find during a political meltdown too.

 

[timfresh]

Yes I can use a .223 for taking big game. I have read lots of the proof of how a .223 is plenty for taking all game in North America. Im not completely against it but I was wondering what other people were shooting instead of the .223. The 6mm Creedmoor is tempting as well. Need to do more research on seeing the comparison of the 6mm vs .223

Why? Just why? If you go on a guided hunt, they will make you bring a suitable gun.

 

[fwafwow]

Why? Just why? If you go on a guided hunt, they will make you bring a suitable gun.

I don't think the OP mentioned a guided hunt, and he has a 7mm in any event. Welcome to RS! Maybe do a bit more reading and I think you will find plenty of answers as to how, and under what circumstances (distances) both of those calibers are suitable, at least in states where permitted.

 

[eric1115]

Why? Just why? If you go on a guided hunt, they will make you bring a suitable gun.

What is it about a .223 shooting 77 grain TMK bullets that is not suitable? Suitable for what?

For the short version of "why", it puts a very "suitable" wound channel into any game animal (seriously go read the thread and look at the photos. I was a skeptic but not anymore, especially after using it and seeing it first hand). It does it with the easiest and most affordable practice setup there is, and is the easiest thing to shoot well. If you decide you want more range than the .223/77TMK provides, you need to be shooting many hundreds (preferably thousands) of rounds per year minimum to maintain that level of proficiency, so the .223 remains as important or more important to have in the fleet.