Newbie setup Q/A

[GreenOne]

Let’s start with background. In my opinion ,which probably isn’t worth much, I qualify as an avid hunter I would have to sit down and pencil it out to figure out how many animals I have harvested or been a part of. I have been reloading for a few years but would consider myself introductory. I read enough forums and magazines to know what everybody is talking about but don’t have the experience to put it into practice. My current “ long range setup” is a Remington 700 in 7rem mag in a grayboe terrain with a vortex razor LH 2x10 shooting 168 Berger classic hunters at 2950 2” high at 100yards. This gives me a solid hold on hair out to 400 but after that I am uncomfortable. Now that you have a little background:
I have signed up for my first long range class coming up this spring. I am looking for a solid setup for the class that won’t break the budget but I am willing to put up the money for a rig that doesn’t need upgrading for a few years.
My current thought process is a factory rifle in 6.5 creed in the $2k range and a NF NX8. If you were getting into it for the first time what would you buy. I am not opposed to building a rifle I just don’t have the knowledge or smith to do it.


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[Rob5589]

You want to get a new rifle just for the class? What's wrong with the 700 you have currently?

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Pick up a Tikka T3X in 6.5 CM (ignore the venom spewed by many WKR) and top it with your NX8. The remaining $1200 (excluding tax) of your rifle-only budget should be applied to getting hand-loads developed and buying as much of that ammo as you can (and potentially components). Worst case is to buy some commercial ammo, find what it likes, and then buy as much as you can from the same lot (still need to validate your ballistics).

This will work well for practicing shooting at distance and despite what many WKR profess, it can successfully be used for hunting animals larger than a pack rat.

Also, once you take the class you may want to consider addressing some "gaps" in your 7's current state to be better suited for taking game at extended distances.

 

[GreenOne]

You want to get a new rifle just for the class? What's wrong with the 700 you have currently?

Not just for the class. Yes I will bring it to the class but I would like to get into long range shooting in general, maybe culminating in a PRS match or two if I can shoot for shit. The problem with my current 7 is the 9.5 twist rate leaving me in the 160 class of bullets and the scope isn’t really meant for dialing. Don’t get me wrong. Excellent scope I have three on different rifles just not the right tool for the job.


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[GreenOne]

Pick up a Tikka T3X in 6.5 CM (ignore the venom spewed by many WKR) and top it with your NX8. The remaining $1200 (excluding tax) of your rifle-only budget should be applied to getting hand-loads developed and buying as much of that ammo as you can (and potentially components). Worst case is to buy some commercial ammo, find what it likes, and then buy as much as you can from the same lot (still need to validate your ballistics).

This will work well for practicing shooting at distance and despite what many WKR profess, it can successfully be used for hunting animals larger than a pack rat.

Also, once you take the class you may want to consider addressing some "gaps" in your 7's current state to be better suited for taking game at extended distances.

I have though about tikka. I really like the after market support. Would you replace the stock out of the gate or shoot as is. I’m not sure I want a chassis but it seems the world is moving that direction. Thoughts on the tikka TAC?


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[AZ_Hunter_2000]

I have though about tikka. I really like the after market support. Would you replace the stock out of the gate or shoot as is. I’m not sure I want a chassis but it seems the world is moving that direction. Thoughts on the tikka TAC?


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I have had zero need nor reason to replace the stocks on any of my Tikkas (300 WM, 6.6 CM, 17 HMR). Some folks do replace the stock but the bulk do it because the want to and not because they need to. Shot the rifle as is and then see if you need to make any adjustments.

I would not worry about what the "world" is moving to. Gun companies, ammo companies, and the associated gun media have to keep churning out stuff to keep folks buying stuff. Go with what works best for you.

No experience nor thoughts with the TAC.

 

[TX_Diver]

You want to get a new rifle just for the class? What's wrong with the 700 you have currently?

Most of those classes that I’m aware of tend to be 2-400 rounds in a weekend. That sounds pretty miserable with a magnum (too me at least). Ammo cost is probably higher too?

Idk much about the tikka tac but I’m guessing the results of this thread will lean heavily towards a tikka in a krg bravo and an swfa scope!

 

[Rob5589]

Not just for the class. Yes I will bring it to the class but I would like to get into long range shooting in general, maybe culminating in a PRS match or two if I can shoot for shit. The problem with my current 7 is the 9.5 twist rate leaving me in the 160 class of bullets and the scope isn’t really meant for dialing. Don’t get me wrong. Excellent scope I have three on different rifles just not the right tool for the job.


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Makes sense. Having personally participated, I'd try to go to a match and talk to guys and see what they are shooting.

 

[Macintosh]

Edit: Personally " long range shooting in general" means a whole pile of different things to different people, and it's hard to give much good feedback without more specific goals. This means PRS matches and positional shooting at steel in a competitive format to some people, it means a lightweight hunting rifle that can hold little groups a long way out to the next person, and it means a f-class rig to another guy, and something totally different to someone else. This is why below I suggested you might think about not changing too much at the beginning. Just as an example, if "long range hunting" is your goal you may very well want a light weight stock, carbon barrel, etc to wind up with a backpackable rifle you can still shoot reasonably well out to 1000 yards...or if PRS is your goal you're going to want a 15-20-ish pound beast of a rifle, probably in a pipsqueak caliber, designed from the ground up for the attachments, weights, bag riders, shooting on barriers, clamps, etc that are standard in that game. Figure out where you want to take the rifle and what that'll take before you create a rifle that is too specialized to be versatile-enough to TRY the different facets of it.


You could do a lot worse than a tikka ctr in 6.5mb. At the budget you might have a hard time doing better, and you could certainly do worse.
Its acceptable out of the box for a heavier hunting rifle.
Its acceptable out of the box to shoot a prs match including magazines.
It's generally more than accurate-enough out of the box that the rifle will not be the wink link.
There is decent aftermarket parts support and good demand for used accessories…throw any brake on it, and if you must, for an extra $400 put it in a bravo that you can adjust, add weight, rails, bags, etc. Or just screw an arca rail on the factory tikka foreend and be done. After you use it a bunch and figure out what you really want and what you'll use it for, you can unload the parts you dont want and have your pick of stocks, barrels, etc that drop-in fit allowing you to reconfigure as needed to be a more specialized tool for whatever it is you decide you want to do with it….if it ends up being a match rifle, a chassis with gobs of additional weight and an MTU barrel in the latest boutique prs cartridge is an off the shelf purchase. Same with a hunting stock, carbon or steel sporter barrel, etc if it ends up being a hunting rifle.

For PRS matches you will definitely want a FFP scope with a milling reticle of some sort. Almost everyone at matches will be shooting a 4 or 5x-25 or 30x scope with a tree reticle, and most will use mils so it will be far easier to "speak the same langauge" if you get a mil scope as opposed to a MOA scope. Most folks I know do most of the their shooting in matches at 12-18x for better spotting of shots and faster target acquisition, and just zoom-in for smaller targets and when it makes sense, so especially as a crossover gun you would not be crazy out-gunned with a scope that tops out at 18 or 20x and has some sort of a reticle that allows for wind holds and holdovers across the xzoom-range. IMO you do not want a 2fp scope for shooting PRS-type matches though. The NF scope you mentioned would be a good option for this as long as its in FFP. At least for my eyes a lower-powered hunting scope (say 12x or less on the top end) would not provide me enough magnification for many PRS targets--not that you cant hit them, but zooming in to differentiate the shot-up steel target agsint the similar-colors rocks its agsint, and see small bullet splash in the dirt or vegetation I need a little more magnification, and that's also where the brake comes in handy even on a low-recoiling gun. Also, dont worry about being competitive, it's a game and just because you can shoot you'll still have a steep learning curve--just get some decent dope and then shoot some local matches if there are any close-ish.

 

[Macintosh]

Tac a1 is simply a ctr in a chassis and with a 2-stage trigger. Personally I would not go that route unless you have tried that chassis and like it—I think you are better off, esp for a crossover hunting/steel gun, modding a ctr as you get a feel for what you want.
Tac is a new model I havent personally used, but with 5-6 round mags (quick look on website) you’ll have a hard time in a prs match—you want ability to use 10 round ctr mags or aics mags for matches. You can add an aftermarket bottom metal to any tikka to get this, but ctr has it out of the box.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I would ether buy a tikka action and a proof prefit, or a bighorn action and proof prefit.
Have it bedded in the stock of your choice and put an swfa 6x on it for now, then upgrade to the nightforce as money allows.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I have though about tikka. I really like the after market support. Would you replace the stock out of the gate or shoot as is. I’m not sure I want a chassis but it seems the world is moving that direction. Thoughts on the tikka TAC?


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I’d replace the stock immediately. The tikka stock is fine but an aftermarket like an AG composite hunter is night and day different for me personally. If you’ve only shot a tikka with a factory stock, you don’t know what you’re missing.

 

[svivian]

I would either do a Tikka dropped in an KGB Bravo/stock of your choice or look at a Springfield waypoint 2020 and be done with it.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

I’d replace the stock immediately. The tikka stock is fine but an aftermarket like an AG composite hunter is night and day different for me personally. If you’ve only shot a tikka with a factory stock, you don’t know what you’re missing.

I'll bite.

I have two T3X (6.5 CM and 300 WM with hand-loads) that shoot bug-hole groups. What exactly am I missing with keeping things stock? Will the bug-holes become a single hole? What benefits will the aftermarket stocks provide my current rifles?

 

[Antares]

I'll bite.

I have two T3X (6.5 CM and 300 WM with hand-loads) that shoot bug-hole groups. What exactly am I missing with keeping things stock? Will the bug-holes become a single hole? What benefits will the aftermarket stocks provide my current rifles?

The progression goes like this:

Factory stock = “bugholes”
Aftermarket stock = “lights out”
Aftermarket chassis = “1/2 MOA all day if I do my part”

You just have to decide where you want to end up.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I'll bite.

I have two T3X (6.5 CM and 300 WM with hand-loads) that shoot bug-hole groups. What exactly am I missing with keeping things stock? Will the bug-holes become a single hole? What benefits will the aftermarket stocks provide my current rifles?

It’s not my job to enlighten you, or change your mind. Based off of the way you replied you obviously made up your mind that your set up is the best. Like I said in my post for me personally, it made a big difference.

 

[Lawnboi]

A tikka ctr in a bravo with an Nx8 on top would be my personal choice.

Getting good takes rounds fired. If you like matches put heavier barrel on it after next year.

Best to buy all the h4350 you can if you plan on doing a creedmoor

Edit. The above setup is what I’d do on a budget. If you want to build a match rifle the sky is the limit but the above rifle will not be ideal for prs. Iv been down the tikka hole for both heavy match rifles and light hunting guns. It’s a great action but the barrel isn’t a top tier barrel chambered by a good smith, and the stock needs to be replaced imo. If shooting matches is your aim I can tell you what Iv done and what I would have done different…. Just know that building a rifle for prs means you only really have a rifle that’s good for prs…

 

[Harvey_NW]

I’d replace the stock immediately. The tikka stock is fine but an aftermarket like an AG composite hunter is night and day different for me personally. If you’ve only shot a tikka with a factory stock, you don’t know what you’re missing.

I have both, just swapping to the vertical grip makes a huge difference to me on the factory stock. I actually prefer the Tikka stock for that certain rifle because a little spray paint made it look like an AG but I won't be mad if it gets scratched up. And it shoots Buglights 1/16 MOA for the first 6 min of light if I'm only kind of trying.