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

 

[Reece123]

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

what model tikka seems to be the most popular? t3x lite?

 

[Matt5266]

Any T3X is fine. The twist of each chambering matters more. Im partial to the stainless lite, and have a super lite as well. I personally wouldn't spend the extra on the more " premium" versions.

 

[Dave0317]

$1500 for the rifle or for the whole setup would make a difference in some choices. If it’s for the rifle only, I’d get a Tikka and Rokstok.

If it’s for the whole set up then probably a Tikka, KRG Bravo, and SWFA 6x.

6CM if that comes out soon, otherwise .243 win or 6.5CM.

 

[FrankieP1988]

Get an impact action and start piecing together a nice custom build

 

[Time2fish]

Tikka t3x in 6.5 or 308, vertical grip, SWFA 3x9. Shoot as much as you can. Save up for a suppressor.
Or get in on a group barrel buy from @hereinaz and find a tikka action. You could get anything from 6.5prc to 22creed

 

[PC356]

Sauer 100 in 6.5 Creed for 430$ at Europtic rt now…
Or spend 40$ more for the PRC, but not necessary.
Slap on a SWFA 3-9 or 3-15
AB A10 30 cal can

 

[EastHumboldt]

Echoing what elsb008 said about recoil. I learned to shoot with a 30-06 in 1988. Did not shoot much maybe a box or two of shells every year. Developed a nice flinch. Killed a lot of deer inside of 200 yards despite the flinch. Lucky to put 6 out of 10 shots on a paper plate at 300 yards.

I’ve since switched to a 7-08 REM to hunt with and a .243 for practice. I’ve nearly eliminated my flinch and consistently shooting 1” groups with the .243 and slightly bigger with the 7-08.

7PRC can kick harder than a 30-06, and neither is an easy caliber to shoot well. Go for less recoil. Tikkas are great rifles. I have 3.

I’m being a stickler here. I keep seeing the phrase “MOA inside of x yards” on here. MOA is a measurement of angle, specifically 1/60 of one degree. It’s the same slice of an angle at 100 yards or 1200. So if your rifle shoots 1 moa at 100 yards, it is most likely shooting 1 moa at 1200 yards. Not figuring in wind. Maybe I’m missing something, but what is the phrase intended to mean?

 

[Luked]

Tikka T3X Roughtech

 

[Hnthrdr]

...which might become a factory option relatively soon.

That would solve so many issues haha

 

[Hnthrdr]

Any T3X is fine. The twist of each chambering matters more. Im partial to the stainless lite, and have a super lite as well. I personally wouldn't spend the extra on the more " premium" versions.

I agree with a lot of this, but The super lite roughtech at 999 from Eurooptic seems like a solid buy. You get a stainless model, plus shorter/ barrel, plus thread, plus cerakote for a reasonable price from the manufacturer

 

[slm9s]

Buy one of the Tikka/Sauer $500 deals at Eurooptic in the cartridge of your choice. Sell your Viper and put the money from that plus the leftover $1000 and get a great scope and mount.

 

[Reece123]

Buy one of the Tikka/Sauer $500 deals at Eurooptic in the cartridge of your choice. Sell your Viper and put the money from that plus the leftover $1000 and get a great scope and mount.

That sauer looks to be a solid buy, I just haven’t heard much about them. How are they?