Looking to buy my first bolt action rifle

[Jagger2307]

I'd be rethinking chambering if I were in your shoes. If this is a first/only bolt gun, you'll be way more deadly way further with a 6CM or 6.5CM and a big pile of ammo you burn through every year vs a 7PRC and a smaller pile of ammo (budget and recoil means we all shoot little stuff more and better).

If you don't shoot many hundreds, preferably multiple thousand rounds a year, none of us has any business shooting game at the kind of ranges where 7PRC gives an advantage over a CM sized case.

Stainless Tikka
6CM prefit barrel (especially since Canada and no suppressors)
Rokstok when it becomes available to you.

Wouldn’t be shooting moose elk or bear with a 6cm

 

[Jagger2307]

Does that budget include the scope? If so, what scope do you have in mind? And if not, what is the scope budget?

No scope not included looking at either the Burris veracity ph2 or a arken ep5 or maybe a zero tech trace hoping to be 2000kmax for scope so 5k usd total package I shoot gas gun targets at around 650 (for now have the space to shoot up to about 1400ish yards if I can even hit it) and hunt a lot of big game moose is open season for me in my zone and so is elk so they’re common and black bear is 2 tags a year open season

This is a lot like a first girlfriend - no matter what your first choice, tastes will change and you’ll see greener grass elsewhere, so there’s no need to over think it. In fact it might be better to buy a used rifle, shoot it for a summer until the newness wears off, sell it for the purchase price, then buy the gun you want. As long as you’re paying no more than market price for a used gun, it’s free to shoot as long as you want. Free. Literally free.

 

[JohnJohnson]

No scope not included looking at either the Burris veracity ph2 or a arken ep5 or maybe a zero tech trace hoping to be 2000kmax for scope so 5k usd total package

Honestly not sure any of those mentioned scopes are what you should be looking at. As a side thing I'd personally flip the budget and do $3,000 on optic and $2,000 on the rifle but that's just my opinion.

 

[eric1115]

Wouldn’t be shooting moose elk or bear with a 6cm

I used to feel the same way. Now I'm 6mm for everything.

Check out the .223 and 6mm threads, those photos are a real eye opener.

 

[Lando]

First rifle I'd get this in 6.5 CM or 6.5 PRC if you want a bit more speed:

Sako S20 Hunter 6.5 PRC 24" Bbl 1:8" Rifle JRS20H319

Sako S20 Hunter 6.5 PRC 24" Bbl 1:8" Rifle JRS20H319 For Sale

www.eurooptic.com

Think of it as an upgraded Tikka, better stock, better trigger.

 

[_S_R_]

If you’re only going to use a rifle a few times a year, pretty much any decent one around $1000 will do the trick and last forever. I’m really liking the new Tikka Drover.

But if you’re gonna use it all year for everything from mouse to moose, you might want to spend a little more. The Seekins PH2 is perfect for that. Just don’t go for a magnum like I did – not really needed.

If you want something flashy and top-notch, go for it!

Just get what you can afford now, make sure it’s good quality, and easy to feed for both practice and hunting.

Good luck!

 

[JohnJohnson]

Wouldn’t be shooting moose elk or bear with a 6cm

The first part of your research in this should be looking into how bullets kill things.

2:40 - 7:40 in the below video is an alright 5 minute summary of the basics of it. I promise you I don't like react content or clickbait titles either but his explanation is pretty succinct.

 

[LostWapiti]

First rifle I'd get this in 6.5 CM or 6.5 PRC if you want a bit more speed:

Sako S20 Hunter 6.5 PRC 24" Bbl 1:8" Rifle JRS20H319

Sako S20 Hunter 6.5 PRC 24" Bbl 1:8" Rifle JRS20H319 For Sale

www.eurooptic.com

Think of it as an upgraded Tikka, better stock, better trigger.

These are really nice but unfortunately really heavy for hunting and it’s all proprietary so no aftermarket support.

 

[Mojave]

Here is my $3000 out the door shopping list.
Savage Impulse Hog hunter $1000
Springfield Waypoint base model $1800

Plus Zeiss precision target rings $200
Nighforce SHV 5-20 $1200
Nightforce NX* $1800


Here is my $3000 rifle shopping list. Some really good options out there.
Savage Impulse KLYM 7mm PRC $2800
Springfield 2020 Waypoint Carbon Barrel and Adjustable Stock $2800

Here is my build it $3000 shopping list.
Proof pre-fit in steel $500
Bell and Carlson (long range stock) GreyBull Precision designed one. $500. (Fits the budget). My first choice would be a GRS stock like the Beserk.
Bighorn Origin Action $1000. Or AmericanRifle Company action $1000
Bottom metal $200
Trigger $200 I would do a 2 stage from BixNAndy, so $400.
Scope rings $200
$2800-3200.

I don't know what things cost in Canada (they cost more).

 

[Lando]

These are really nice but unfortunately really heavy for hunting and it’s all proprietary so no aftermarket support.

8.3 pounds is “really heavy for hunting”?

 

[LostWapiti]

8.3 pounds is “really heavy for hunting”?

Depends on your taste I suppose. I don’t like ultralight guns but I like to be able to run a little heavier scope and a suppressor and come out between 8 and 9 pounds. I am typing this from camp right now and I have a 12 pound rifle with me because I have an heavy recoiling rifle, expect long shots, and will be solo so want all the help I can get to spot my impacts so I am using a heavier stock and heavy bipod.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

the x bolt 2 looks promising if you wanted a ready to shoot 7prc. or a seekins. stainless tikka 7 mag swaped with a 7prc prefit and dropped in stock chassis of your choice wouldnt be bad idea either. but maybe a little more trickier being in canada.

I’d avoid the Seekins. Seems like there are so many failures popping up, including my own. I wish I’d never bought my havak element.

 

[LostWapiti]

I’d avoid the Seekins. Seems like there are so many failures popping up, including my own. I wish I’d never bought my havak element.

What issue have you had? I’m sad to hear as I’ve always heard seekins to be great.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

What issue have you had? I’m sad to hear as I’ve always heard seekins to be great.

The bolt stop gouged out the raceway of the aluminum bolt so now by bolt just pulls out of the gun any time I chamber a round. I never even ran it hard, maybe put a few hundred rounds through it.

Not sure how they can fix it unless they replace the bolt, even if they do that, I doubt it will be cheap and even then, I’ll never be able to trust it again.

I could have gotten 3 tikkas for what I paid for this pile of scrap metal.

 

[wind gypsy]

Just get a steel actioned havak if you go seekins.

 

[Drewdog10]

Seekins all day everyday


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[thinhorn_AK]

Seekins all day everyday


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Seekins is the vortex of rifles. Great warranty….that you have a good shot at using. With all the stories here on RS of rifles having to go back to be fixed, cracked receivers, now my wrecked bolt, I’m going to put the new parts they send in mine and sell it or trade it here on the classifieds. This is the o my rifle that’s ever “broken” on me and I’ve had a dozen kimbers lol.

 

[Drewdog10]

Seekins is the vortex of rifles. Great warranty….that you have a good shot at using. With all the stories here on RS of rifles having to go back to be fixed, cracked receivers, now my wrecked bolt, I’m going to put the new parts they send in mine and sell it or trade it here on the classifieds. This is the o my rifle that’s ever “broken” on me and I’ve had a dozen kimbers lol.

I personally don’t use my seekins very often only for shooting at the range. For hunting I use my sako a7 and that’s a gun I love


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[thinhorn_AK]

I personally don’t use my seekins very often only for shooting at the range. For hunting I use my sako a7 and that’s a gun I love


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I definetly have rifles that I like better for hunting. I wanted to use the Seekins for some longer range hunting stuff but I just can’t trust it now. Once it’s fixed, it’s gone.

 

[Mtank79]

I definetly have rifles that I like better for hunting. I wanted to use the Seekins for some longer range hunting stuff but I just can’t trust it now. Once it’s fixed, it’s gone.

That sucks,I have been eyeballing the ph2s for over a year. You’re the second person in less than 2 weeks say they had to send an element back. Guess I’ll stick with ridgelines