If you had $1500 to spend on a new rifle, what would it be?

[rclouse79]

Tikka with a suppressor.

 

[MThuntr]

I got one of the discount Tikka from EuroOptic in 6.5 PRC back in October. With the rebate, it was too good of a deal to ignore. Snagged a KRG Echo to not have to buy more mags and I'll just send it to a Kampfeld for a chop and thread. Currently a 3-15 SWFA is mounted but may swap it for my Maven RS1.2

Still fighting the urge to buy a 6UM or 6PRC barrel from the group buy..gotta make the call today though

 

[elsb0048]

Moa at 400 yards and in, if I can do my part
.
I think realistic shots are somewhere between 3-400.

I’ve never been hunting in the mountains but from what I’ve heard, every pound counts.

I may go suppressed, but I wouldn’t factor that in as that’s part of this decision.

$1500 isn’t necessarily a hard limit. I have an uncle who owns a gun shop. We are fairly close and I’ve worked for him a lot back in high school in the shop. He gives me dealer cost, if he can get it. So that really takes a $1800 retail gun and turns it into about $1500 out of my pocket.

I’m a tinkerer so doesn’t necessarily have to be turn key. I was thinking $1500 for the gun, plus accessories added later.

I had actually deleted my comment just because I feel a little unequipped to truly guide you here. but since you've responded I'll jump back in. Lets qualify all of the below with the fact that I am a novice shooter currently learning and developing a lot:
- going from a sight-in my '06 the weekend before season opener, re-zero with a 2.5MOA 3 round group and not touch again for a year
- to trying to shoot on at least a monthly basis year round to develop the skillset to shoot beyond 250yds

inside of 400 yds from everything I've read modern magnums like 6.5 / 7 PRC provide very little improvement over traditional cartridges. Just about anything will do the job terminally from .243 win to 30 nosler. With that being your target distance I think you should consider stepping down in recoil unless you're very experienced and comfortable/happy with managing it. I say this as someone trying to get rid of a flinch developed by shooting an 8# 30-06 as my only gun for a lot of years. Now shoot a 9.5# suppressed .243 quite a bit instead.

While pack weight certainly matters I think it can be a little over-blown as it relates to your weapon. You still need to hit what you're aiming at and rifle weight and shootability seem to be competing characteristics. 400yds definitely seems like a distance that I personally have a harder time being consistent with a lighter gun. If you end up with say a kimber in 300 win mag at 7.5# all in that feels like a recipe for very bad flinching and not hitting what you aim at. I personally am happy aiming to keep the rifle nearer 10# all-in to improve my ability to shoot.

re-suppressed: I would decide and then allow that factor in to this decision.
Shorter (and already threaded barrels) really are a huge benefit for carry-ability once you get a can on there and in my experience so far a suppressor has been a BIG benefit to shooting better and reducing my flinch. If you don't need the velocity for terminal performance you're much better buying a gun that already has an 18" or 20" barrel rather than slapping a can on the end of a 24" barrel.

Re: tinkering. If you like to tinker I'd recommend picking something with lots of aftermarket support (tikka, 700 clone).
It feels like a good tinkerer's proposition would be to buy a tikka, buy a rockstock, buy an 18" 6 creed barrel and then put it all together. Or if you felt like trying out different stocks or barrels later that tikka action would be a benefit.
If you're more of a turn-key guy maybe something like a browning x-bolt (which has a suppressor ready version) could be good.

 

[Speaks]

Tikka 243, SWFA 3-9 UM rings, vertical grip, scope bumper caps. Should all come in right on budget.

 

[JLH3]

Weatherby Live Wild in 6.5CM or 7PRC.

 

[Matt5266]

Since you said roughly 1500 on a rifle and you can just add scope and parts later.

2 Tikkas gets my vote

.223 and a 243 both with a 1:8 twist