Need a lighter, longer range deer rifle - Update @ No. 74

[Mackay Sagebrush]

Man I bet an old ought six shooter would tear you up.

??

 

[fightthenoise]

It is strange (for example) a group of people can be given information on how to build a chair and one or two end up building a box or kindling. Grin.

How anyone would interpret a person the post I wrote a being "vehemently opposed to a rifle cartridge" makes me shake my head. Even more so when I mention the fact that I own one, and show the cartridge with other 6.5s I have been shooting for years.

Then I further state it is very easy to shoot well, in terms of recoil (having that advantage over the .308).

I then went on to recommend the 6.5 CM as a second rifle (you know, the cartridge I vehemently oppose, even though I own/shoot one).

The point which was obviously missed was that if you want to get good at longer range shooting, it is advisable to shoot a lot, and 6mms and 6.5mms have a rather short barrel life. The barrel life on a good .308 barrel like a good T3 barrel, is significantly longer. The OP mentioned that he wanted to become a proficient shooter, so it made sense to recommend a cartridge that would allow him to do that.

BTW, a pic of a long loaded Berger VLD 140 in a T3 long action mag, to get an idea what can be done with the action.

6.5 Manbun with the topknot untied.. Grin.

The guy asked what time it was and you told him how to build a watch.

 

[Mackay Sagebrush]

Pardon me for taking the time to explain why, instead of the usual "Name a cartridge/product that is best at X", with absolutely no information why this choice might be appropriate.

If my response and info was too long, skip over it, and others who might be interested as to the "why" can read it.

People tend to simply say X is best, with no information, no background, zip.

I personally would rather have too much info and glean through it, than too little.

In fact, that tends to be one of the reasons I read this forum. Guys give reasons or data/evidence as to why X bullet, cartridge, load, whatever, performs better or worse, what failed, what did not, etc.

 

[Megalodon]

Pardon me for taking the time to explain why, instead of the usual "Name a cartridge/product that is best at X", with absolutely no information why this choice might be appropriate.

If my response and info was too long, skip over it, and others who might be interested as to the "why" can read it.

People tend to simply say X is best, with no information, no background, zip.

I personally would rather have too much info and glean through it, than too little.

In fact, that tends to be one of the reasons I read this forum. Guys give reasons or data/evidence as to why X bullet, cartridge, load, whatever, performs better or worse, what failed, what did not, etc.

I like reading this forum for the wealth of info. You come off as pompous and self aggrandizing. You’re use of ”man bun” etc as a means to mock a group of people is childish and unnecessary.

Grin.

It‘s funny you promote the Tikka so hard. It has a blind cult like following similar to the 6.5CM, but you have no problem jumping on that bandwagon.

The only thing worse in my mind than people who say the 6.5CM is gods gift to the shooting world are people who act like everyone who shoots one is a hipster rube. Strangely there seems to be way more of the later for some reason.


Grin.

 

[Kimber7man]

Just my $0.02, I’ve read a lot of forum posts and wouldn’t think that calling the Creed a manbun is an insult or mocking. OP has already said he’s buying one.

 

[Marbles]

@Mackay Sagebrush it appears some took offence at the words you chose to use rather than the content of what you said. Unfortunately some people are just that way. Sometimes attempts at humor and self mockery end up making our words less palatable.

You do not come across as pompous nor self aggrandizing to me.

Anyway, I personally cannot see any vehement opposition to the 6.5 cm in your post that started this. Your points on barrel life, cost, and recoil for a one rifle solution are objectively accurate. Plus, on this forum it is pretty common for people to suggest alternatives.

 

[ckeehn]

I have 3 bergara rifles. 2 b14s and 1 wilderness ridge. All shoot awesome but i did have to go through some factory loads to find what they like to eat. They cover mostly everything i hunt from southwestern Wisconsin to out west every year.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I like the EWSS better than the featherweight, The stock dosent bother me at all, in fact I like it a lot.

 

[J Dubaya]

My vote would be for the Browning Hells Canyon or if the budget is there, the CA Ridgeline.

 

[Mackay Sagebrush]

@Mackay Sagebrush it appears some took offence at the words you chose to use rather than the content of what you said. Unfortunately some people are just that way. Sometimes attempts at humor and self mockery end up making our words less palatable.

You do not come across as pompous nor self aggrandizing to me.

Anyway, I personally cannot see any vehement opposition to the 6.5 cm in your post that started this. Your points on barrel life, cost, and recoil for a one rifle solution are objectively accurate. Plus, on this forum it is pretty common for people to suggest alternatives.

Marbles,

Thanks for the comments.

My dad (who is pushing 80) is going to switch this year from his standard .300 win T3 to a 6.5 CM for elk, which I think is a smart move. He simply shoots it better. Last month we were up in the high country looking for a buck for him to shoot, and while we did not see anything for him to punch a tag, I did see about 50 elk (our elk hunt is next month).

He has lost a lot of upper body mass (and weight in general since he hit his 70s) and the 6.5 makes sense for him. I don't know how many seasons he has left in him, so if a lighter recoiling rifle will help, then why not. Of the 3 6.5 CMs he has (a Savage, a Kimber, and a Tikka) , the T3 is by far the standout accuracy wise.

A real problem for him is that he can't hear, and has become the loudest guy in the mountains, along with the onset of dementia (which he does not even see), he talks in a louder than normal conversational voice that can be heard hundreds of yards away, and has a hard time seeing animals in general now.

Hoping to get him on one last elk this year, and with a light kicking rifle, have him drop one with relative ease!

Last month about 10K feet up, close to our cabin in ID:

After killing elk for 50 years, I would like to have him have one last successful season. We will see!

 

[atod9]

+1 for a tikka. T3x lite ss. Pick a caliber that will let you practice a lot without breaking the bank. Don't skimp on the optic.

Lots of other good options, but that's a good gang for the buck that's a solid setup

 

[Lawnboi]

??

No worries, just busting your chops comparing cartridges.

I have a creedmoor and don’t wear skinny jeans. So there’s that. Maybe I should start a thread to let everyone know.

Good hunting

 

[Mackay Sagebrush]

Its all good.

It's hard to tell sarcasm online, as well as dry humor (Which I apparently am not too good at) While I have a couple 30-06s I tend to skip them and go straight to a 300 wm that is one of my primary guns for late season hunts when the elk are down low and the shots can get long.

Pretty basic T3 in a McMillan Sako pattern with a fixed 10 Mil/Mil.

That said, I have often wondered if I would have been smarter if a few decades ago I would have built a pair of custom 30-06s and just called it good, instead of trying numerous cartridges over the years. I can't think of any animals that I could not have taken with a properly tailored -06 load.

 

[Lawnboi]

Its all good.

It's hard to tell sarcasm online, as well as dry humor (Which I apparently am not too good at) While I have a couple 30-06s I tend to skip them and go straight to a 300 wm that is one of my primary guns for late season hunts when the elk are down low and the shots can get long.

Pretty basic T3 in a McMillan Sako pattern with a fixed 10 Mil/Mil.

That said, I have often wondered if I would have been smarter if a few decades ago I would have built a pair of custom 30-06s and just called it good, instead of trying numerous cartridges over the years. I can't think of any animals that I could not have taken with a properly tailored -06 load.

Off topic, but funny you say that I’m in the process of building my first custom and it’s going to be a 3006 throated for 180-200 grain bullets. Hoping it will do me well for a long time.

 

[Mike Islander]

Fieldcraft? Lights out accurate. Just over 5 lbs. Weatherproof. Custom quality in a production rifle, if you can find one. A little expensive, but no waiting.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Interesting jump from an AK to a nice creedmoor.

curious how people feel about the creed as a killer over say 500 yards. At 800-1000 yards I think you have 600-700 ft pds of energy vs over 1000 for a magnum. Probably enough for deer. Maybe less than some would like for Elk. what does the crew think.

FWIW I am a big fan of the creed. Have only taken one deer with mine but it managed to stagger all of 5 feet before it dropped.

 

[Marbles]

Fieldcraft? Lights out accurate. Just over 5 lbs. Weatherproof. Custom quality in a production rifle, if you can find one. A little expensive, but no waiting.

Production of Fieldcrafts is on indefinite hold. So unlikely to find one.

 

[Mike Islander]

Production of Fieldcrafts is on indefinite hold. So unlikely to find one.

I've seen a few for sale over the past few months, including one on Rokslide.

UPDATE: What a difference a few weeks makes. Selling for $2500 on GunBroker! Glad I got mine early. They are excellent rifles.

 

[J Dubaya]

@Mackay Sagebrush - just curious but have you thought of using g the walker game ears for him? My dad is also starting to become one of the loudest things in the woods and I have been wondering if that might help him "hear" a little better...

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[Mackay Sagebrush]

The Game Ears is an excellent idea. He has great hearing aids, but hates to wear them due to the wind noise, so he often takes them out, The primary problem is his mental state. He absolutely does not see this but he gets caught up/fixated in minutia. along with doing all manner of things that he does not recognize.

Last time we hunted together I spotted a big herd of elk out on an open sagebrush flat where as luck would have it, we could drive within shooting distance. We walked back back down to the truck and I told him that we would slowly drive as close as possible. I told him to get ready and we would drive up and he could hop out. I would use my laser range finder, get a reading and he could then shoot. I was not even going to shoot one. I just wanted to make sure he did.

We drove up, I hopped out, put my LRF on the elk, got a reading and said something like 275. I heard him muttering. I assumed he was getting ready to shoot. I then waited,as the elk were now moving away. I gave another reading. 350. I heard him pulling on the seat belt, fiddling with it. I took another reading 400 yards.

He stood there outside the truck and informed me that the seat belt on the passenger side of my pickup truck was not retracting right, and it should be adjusted.. The elk were now over 600 yards away. I put my range finder away. The opportunity was over.


He gets caught up in small details and loses focus on the big picture. He absolutely does not see it though and you can't tell him that he is slipping.

Tough deal, as he is extremely well educated and has been an exceptional hunter throughout his life. This has just started coming on in the last couple of years. Tough to watch and deal with.

The other thing is his reloading. He has been reloading for more than 50 years and I cannot get him to stop. I have suggested that he just buy ammo for his new 6,5 Creedmoor, as nothing he is loading is going to be as accurate as the factory loads that Hornady is putting out. The real truth is that I am afraid that he is going to make a mistake and there is going to be an accident. My plan was to buy him a bunch of boxes of factory ammo for Christmas, but it is not readily available at the moment. Hopefully I can gather enough components and develop a load that shoots in both his rifle and mine, and load for both of us. Maybe that will eliminate that one problem...

Again, I am just hoping to have him get at least one more elk this season.