I thought I needed a new “big game” hunting rifle

[awpk03s]

I have long harbored this thought that I needed a light weight, high caliber mountain rifle, to someday haul out west for big hunts, elk, bear and the like in the future.

I live in Ohio and hunt white tails with my Mathews in the fall, and flintlock or straight wall cartridges in the winter.

Years ago I took a donor T3 rifle and attempted to make a light/short hunting rifle out of it. Installed a 17” Carbon Six prefit in 6.5CM, KRG X Ray, and a Steiner P4xi 4-16x56 (that I got for $750).

It shoots less than MOA with 140/143 Hornadys and 130 TGKs. It’s not super fast. I haven’t shot it a ton yet to be honest because I normally shoot my Tikka Tac A1. KRG is a tad awkward for me coming from traditional stocks and other chassis stocks, but it’s nice.

Anyway, like said I’ve always thought I needed to get another Tikka, maybe a Roughtech in a big caliber 30-06 or 7mm REM or 300 WM and putting a Credo on it for this mythical future hunting trip (after my kids get a little older!). But the more I’ve read here and seen, I’m feeling like more and more that shot placement trumps everything and if I’m comfortable with the accuracy of my rifle and dope, that’s better than a 3K+ ft lbs cartridge….

Am I on the right track, is my existing rifle sufficient? Is this just hard to accept for me because I secretly just want another rifle in the safe that I don’t need?

Sorry for the ramble. Appreciate any wisdom of similar experiences. Pic attached.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Your rifle will serve you just fine, but everyone needs a couple more.

 

[Piddling]

No, not “NEEDS” a couple more - “WANTS” a couple more!!!!

 

[huntsman22]

what is a 'high caliber' rifle? you been watching too much news.....

 

[nobody]

Need is the wrong word. That 6.5 loaded properly will kill anything you would hunt in North America to well beyond any distance most guys have any business shooting. But a different optic, like that Trijicon, is a great idea to swap onto this rig. Put a Maven RS1.2 or a Trijicon Tenmile and kill everything from contact to 1k with a 140 ELDM and live your life.

Need is a bad word, but I see nothing wrong with wanting a good companion rifle. If you do a companion rifle, go down in chambering, not up. Build a Tikka in 223 to go with your 6.5 and live happily ever after.

 

[Stickmark]

that is a coues whitetail rig right there

 

[TheGDog]

Need is the wrong word. That 6.5 loaded properly will kill anything you would hunt in North America to well beyond any distance most guys have any business shooting. But a different optic, like that Trijicon, is a great idea to swap onto this rig. Put a Maven RS1.2 or a Trijicon Tenmile and kill everything from contact to 1k with a 140 ELDM and live your life.

Need is a bad word, but I see nothing wrong with wanting a good companion rifle. If you do a companion rifle, go down in chambering, not up. Build a Tikka in 223 to go with your 6.5 and live happily ever after.

For SoCal? Yeah.. totally.. those two cartridges 223 Rem & 6.5cm, then like .17 HMR and various 12ga loads. And you've pretty much got everything covered out here, hunting wise. And for carry? Something like a slim P365 should handle backup needs just fine out here, especially if loaded w something like LeHigh Xtreme Penetrators.

 

[awpk03s]

Thanks guys…. I think I’ll stay the course with what I’ve got and maybe tweak optimize as I need to, and stick with that.

I do have a Ruger Scout in .308 if I felt the need for short and light with .30 cal holes I guess too.

 

[Slick8]

That little creed is a fine looking bang stick but I'll never try to talk anyone out of buying another.

Have fun with which ever direction you go.

 

[sierracharlie338]

Thanks guys…. I think I’ll stay the course with what I’ve got and maybe tweak optimize as I need to, and stick with that.

I do have a Ruger Scout in .308 if I felt the need for short and light with .30 cal holes I guess too.

The more important thing is that you need to understand the limits of your platform and ammo. Contrary to popular gun shop talk the mystical CM doesn’t make you a 1000 yard killer for elk or T-rex or whatever. It is a very capable cartridge within its limits and that applies to all calibers. I would spend the money on a shit ton of ammo and start REALLY learning that platform. I have a big 30 I built for that “one day” hunt but it’s just sitting in the safe.

That said I don’t ever tell someone they don’t need a new project!

 

[Dave0317]

A little off topic, but advice to the OP:
Quit talking about it as a mythical maybe possible future trip. Pick a year, state, season, and go for it! I’ve ran into too many guys in their upper 60s or 70s seeing these hunts and saying “I wish I could do that”.
Having kids always makes it harder, but even then, I just make sure we’ve done a good family trip, lots of weekend activities with the kids, and then taking off out west is not as big of deal.
My perspective on that could be different though, my family has been with me through multiple deployments, so leaving for a week or two is not the crazy proposition it would be for some families.

 

[Boltgun]

A little off topic, but advice to the OP:
Quit talking about it as a mythical maybe possible future trip. Pick a year, state, season, and go for it! I’ve ran into too many guys in their upper 60s or 70s seeing these hunts and saying “I wish I could do that”.
Having kids always makes it harder, but even then, I just make sure we’ve done a good family trip, lots of weekend activities with the kids, and then taking off out west is not as big of deal.
My perspective on that could be different though, my family has been with me through multiple deployments, so leaving for a week or two is not the crazy proposition it would be for some families.

This is so true. Once you start doing it, you realize:

1. I should have started much sooner.
2. Anything is possible. Set a date and backwards plan from then.
3. The gear you have is sufficient. Go kill with your 6.5 and when it lets you down, (it won’t) THEN consider other options.

Way too often we let new gear, rifles, etc. prevent us from focusing on actually shooting and hunting!

 

[LeftyWilbury]

but also buy another rifle. or two. those kids are gonna need something to shoot and prices aren't going to come down as the years go by!

 

[TreeDog]

If you want to spend some money, look at upgrading the scope and getting a can. Best things I've done for my rifle.

 

[wind gypsy]

Seems like that existing rifle isn't a need. I'd spend more money shootin what ya got.

If you buy something now for a trip that might happen 5-10 years from now, fair chance you'll want something different when that 5-10 years comes.

 

[MikeDeltaFoxtrot]

If you want another rifle buy one. No need to justify it to anyone but yourself. Unlike the cool kids on rokslide, I am a big believer in always having enough gun, which to me means enough overkill that if conditions are not perfect, and I make less than perfect shot, I can still make an ethical kill. I have dropped many white tails with 300 Win Mag or 7mm Wby.

In terms of versatility and ammo availability, if you want a do it all hunting rifle the 300 WM is hard to beat. I am a hand loader, so I like my 300 Wby better these days, and my new rifle this year is a Gunwerks in 28 Nosler.

Buy what you want and shoot it well.

 

[EastHumboldt]

Shoot somebody else’s 300 WM or 7mm RMag before you buy one. Shoot a whole box through it in an hour. I don’t bruise easily, but a box of either caliber will usually leave me with some marks. Some people seem immune to the heavy recoil, but everybody shoots better with a lighter kicking rifle. Those cartridges kick pretty hard, especially so in a light mountain rifle. This is a fact, not an opinion.

This is coming from a guy who learned to shoot with a 30-06, hunted with it for 30 years, and just recently (and with great delight) moved “down-caliber” to a 7mm-08.

 

[Marbles]

You current rifle is larger in bore diameter than mine, and mine will be used for mt. goat, moose, black bear, brown bear, and everything else I can legally hunt in Alaska. I would consider dropping in bore diameter to 6mm personally (I'm shooting a 243, once the barrel is burned out it will likely become a 6 creed). I'm sure my 223 will get the same jobs done as I have about 1000 TMKs on hand, and it will see hunting us, but having once thought a 375 H&H was a good place to start for an AK deer gun, I guess I still like the larger cartridges.

A muffler is worth a lot, that is were I would start with spending money. I would personally drop the Steiner scope a few times and see if it holds zero, if it does, then you are good, if it does not, then I would get a new scope. A RokStok is also pretty sweat on a Tikka (I'm will be buying a few more once I have the expendable funds).

A 223 Tikka and thousands of rounds is a great investment and did a lot for my shooting. Honestly, after good scopes, I would have a very hard time picking between a 223 Tikka or a muffler as more valuable, though I'm leaning towards the 223.

A stainless T3x lite gives you everything you could want, have it cut and threaded to your specifications, keep an eye out and you can probably find one for a good price. The fancy Tikkas are an expensive paint job and threads at the wrong length in my opinion.

 

[Vern400]

If you get the opportunity, speak to a couple of elk guides, or moose guides or whatever. I think you'll find they want you to shoot as much gun as you can shoot well. Middle of the road cartridges. And there are a bunch of them.

I wouldn't be surprised if you found out the guide is concerned about people shooting too much gun because they have something to prove.

In like manner, professional guides maybe concerned about people hunting without enough gun... Much for the same reason just on the other end of the spectrum.

I like the idea, and you might also, on taking advice from guys who have shot and guided others to shoot potentially hundreds of large animals. They're pretty unbiased. They just want to get the job done and go home. And given the choice, they'd like to plant the animal right where it was hit first. Sure they have the skill to track, but a lot of the tracking they have to do is a substitute for a well-placed, punchy first shot.

I guess my question to them would be, " would 6.5 creedmoor be in your top five calibers you like to see a client bring?" Of course that would be for whatever game you planned to hunt.

 

[Hnthrdr]

No, not “NEEDS” a couple more - “WANTS” a couple more!!!!

Did he stutter? Needs means NEEDS!