First Hunting Rifle Question, asking for a friend.....truly.

deltadukman

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 16, 2021
Messages
247
.270 ammo is getting better but at times can be hard to find. I would offer the .308 option as far as calibers. Tikka or Bergera for rifles. On the Bergera, I second whoever said get one that is cerakoted on the barrel and action. The bluing sucks.
 
Joined
Jun 7, 2018
Messages
420
Location
South Carolina
I do not own a Tikka but know they get a lot of love.
I have a Browning X-bolt in .308 that I love topped with a Leupold (Can't remember which model but has CDS dial).
.270 I have in Remington 700, just a bit heavy. Killed a lot of deer with that gun. Still prefer the .308

Could also have him consider the 6.8 Western in a Winchester XPR (cheaper) or Browning X-Bolt if he ever has plans for going out west. It's a .270 that shoots heavier grain loads. Probably will be my next rifle purchase.
 
Joined
May 10, 2015
Messages
2,050
Location
Timberline
Sounds like he's a casual hunter, a "casual" rifle with decent optics would be the route take.

Steer him toward a $400 rifle with $300 scope.

Have a Rugar American in 6.8mm-06 among other brands and calibers. It's a tack driver of a rifle and comfortable to shoot.
 
Joined
Nov 19, 2020
Messages
386
Location
NW Illinois
Tikka, Bergara, Howa, or Ruger. All will be accurate enough for giving the deer hell a few times a year.

Like someone else mentioned, .270 ammo is starting to show up on shelves but isn't widely available yet, nor is there a variety to be had.

I'd go with .308. It's always on the shelf and there is a plethora of different brands/types to choose from.
 

jayhawk

WKR
Joined
Apr 2, 2022
Messages
444
A lot of love for Tikka on here. They are hard to beat.

Winchester 70, Remington 700, Browning X-bolt, etc. It's hard to go wrong with any of those. He should go to the local gun store and handle and shoulder a few to see which one fits better, the action, trigger, etc.

.270 is a great round. Absolutely nothing wrong with that one.
 

MJB

WKR
Joined
Jun 18, 2020
Messages
398
Location
San Diego
X bolt hells canyon, I have LR Mod and it's close to a good custom build.
270 or 6.8 western, stay away from the 308 the 270 beats it all day long with 130gr bullet. 30-06 is a good winner too.
 

Yarak

WKR
Joined
May 24, 2020
Messages
425
If I was going to buy rather than build I’d buy a Savage
Price is good
Rifle is ugly
Rifle is extremely accurate
 
Joined
Oct 2, 2016
Messages
2,651
Location
West Virginia
Hey gang,
I got an interesting question from a friend and thought I'd toss it out to the wider collective knowledge base.

A good friend of mine texted me yesterday and said he was looking at hunting rifles and wanted to know what he needed to be considering. My first reply was, 'What is your price point?" His reply? "I'm not really sure." Turns out, he had received a call from his grandfather-in-law, who told him to pick out a hunting rifle and to consider it his Christmas gift.

Context: My friend hunts turkey and deer maybe two or three times a year on his GFIL's (grandfather-in-law) property and uses one of the rifles they keep there (a .270, the round he wishes to stick with). Unless something drastically changes, he's not a gear guy and doesn't really go down the rabbit hole on anything, unlike most of us on here. His reply to why he's shooting a specific brand of ammo will most likely be, "Because it was what they had at the store down the road." So...not obsessive about his gear. Having said that, he does understand and appreciate quality and wants to get something a step up from the "intro" lines that most companies make. His GFIL has money and is generous with it, so $1k to $1500 for a rifle would be a drop in the bucket, but my friend wants to be conscious about not trying to take advantage of his GFIL's generosity (as other family members have done in the past).

I throw this out to y'all because between 2 two year old, a job change, and another kid about to arrive, I've spent the last two years just cruising with what I have (Rem 700 in 30-06) and haven't been plugged into the wider hunting rifle world, so to speak, and don't want to give him outdated info limited by just my experience.

So any suggestions on rifle manufacturers that have served y'all well will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, folks!
Winchester model 70. Buy the grade that fits, get it bedded, put a leupold on it and call it done
 

z987k

WKR
Joined
Sep 9, 2020
Messages
1,424
Location
AK
Sounds like he's a casual hunter, a "casual" rifle with decent optics would be the route take.

Steer him toward a $400 rifle with $300 scope.

Have a Rugar American in 6.8mm-06 among other brands and calibers. It's a tack driver of a rifle and comfortable to shoot.
6.8-06!
 

leclairk

FNG
Joined
Oct 15, 2022
Messages
77
Tikka stainless T3X. They just flat shoot. I have literally never heard someone say they had a Tikka that wouldn’t shoot. My T3x with a proof barrel is a 1/2” gun all day.
 
Joined
Mar 30, 2022
Messages
19
Bergara ridge series or whatever you prefer from them, Browning X-Bolt, Tikka T3x, Weatherby Vanguard, those would be my few choices to look into.
2nd Bergara. I’ve been a tikka and Sako fanatic for last 7 years but my first Bergara is more rifle for the money than my tikkas or sakos.
 
Joined
Jul 30, 2019
Messages
820
I would recommend your friend give the GFIL several options. Then it’s a) easier for the GFIL to locate a rifle as he has many options to choose from, b) and at different price points your friend won’t have to feel like he is taking advantage of his GFIL.

Tikka T3x
Weatherby Vanguard or pricier Mark V
Browning X-bolt
Sako
 
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