I need a hunting rifle

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IBen

IBen

WKR
Joined
May 15, 2021
Messages
353
Just get another ott six. Makes a lot of sense. I can't think of anything it can't do.
We’ll I’d like to shoot cheaper ammo, and spot my own shots without a brake. If I intended to hunt grizzly I would go through the effort of switching scopes off the rifle I am intending to build.
 
OP
IBen

IBen

WKR
Joined
May 15, 2021
Messages
353
The new tikka 243s are 1-8 twist so you can shoot heavier than 100 grain bullets if you decided to reload.
Good I like to reload and will eventually go that route. Even as a novice reloader i was able to outperform noslers best offering in 6.5-284 so I am a believer in reloading
 

Wildhorse

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 29, 2023
Messages
179
My 243 with 90 accubonds or the 100 partitions are a dead on combo and great for elk that combo has killed a whole lot of elk deer antelope and the like for a very long time.
 

Vern400

WKR
Joined
Aug 22, 2021
Messages
495
Your constraints didn't leave a lot of wiggle room.
A lightweight rifle that is Fun to shoot, reasonably competent with not so expensive ammunition is probably 6.5 or 7-08.

Depending on which one of your constraints is flexible a more competent caliber under harsh conditions would be 280 AI. It's every bit the quick knockdown of your 30-06 with a little less recoil. With hand loads and a slow burning powder you can get it up within a hundred feet per second of a 7mag. It probably wouldn't be a whole lot of fun to shoot in a light rifle, and until you started reloading I suspect that ammunition would cost a little more. But it is the new 30-06.
It would be pretty easy to run a 140 and a reduced charge just like the 7-08. But you'd have the OPTION to load it beyond factory capability and have an American badass. With one rifle.

Several of my friends and I have done extensive hand loading of reduced charges for our kids even to the point of letting them hunt with full size calibers. They became pretty good little deer busters with the thumper cartridges that we came out with. Just offering a different perspective on ideas for you.

Good luck.
 

Alaska92

FNG
Joined
Oct 14, 2023
Messages
96
A Tikka of some fashion would certainly be your best option of rifle make for multiple reasons. Model would be subjective although another T3x Superlite is tough to argue with. You mentioned you would like to be legal to hunt any NA species, which would preclude the 5.56 caliber in some states for some species. Subjectively, inexpensive ammo seems to be a thing of the past, nonetheless 6.5 Creedmor would probably qualify. Also, it’s generally easy to find in a multitude of flavors.
 
OP
IBen

IBen

WKR
Joined
May 15, 2021
Messages
353
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Thanks to everyone who responded to the thread. I narrowed it down to .243 and 6.5 cm. Then decided .243 because the superlite has 22 inch barrel vs the 24. Then I researched ammo prices compared to .223 and decided that after 1000 rounds of .223 vs .243 I would have saved about enough to buy a new rifle in the future so I went with the RSS to practice and hunt where it is allowed.
 
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