Rifle suggestions - Gift to my son.

[MEP]

Cooper would be my choice, less expensive would be a kimber 8400 and if synthetic, seekins.

On side note, sounds like a tough kid and great parents to get through this and have a degree as well. I can't imagine how tough to see your kids in that pain and not be able to help. Great to hear he is improving.

Having a child who is ill just sucks the life out of you. That said, we always thanked god it wasn't worse. We would have to go down to children's hospital at least once every 90 days for treatments. I vividly remember the day this cute little girl, guessing she was 7 or 8, was riding around the hospital floor in a big wheel. No hair and a gown. It was great to see a smile on a little girl's face you know was having horrible issues but, saddening to know what she was going through. For those parents who must endure that, I think is a fate worse than death. How can you ever get over that?

 

[kkp005]

Seekins ph-2 or maybe a Tikka Ember
Put a nightforce or trijicon tenmile / credo on it

 

[MEP]

Bring it up in conversation and get his thought on things.

For the money look into building a custom gun that will always be "his gun" and ditch the brake for a suppressor. The suppressor will help with recoil and noise which it sounds like he could be sensitive too.

Congratulations to your son on getting through everything he's gone through so far.

The suppressor intrigues me. Yes sound was a trigger for his migraines so it makes sense. I didn't think they reduced recoil though. Also worried about the additional cost (how spendy are they?) and how it would work while hunting thick stuff like the cedars here in AZ with the extra 6plus inches hanging off the end.

 

[MEP]

Proof elevation or you could build one with him. I haven't done it, but I've watched enough videos to see that it isn't too involved. I think building one with my son would be special and an heirloom.

I do like the lines of the elevation LWH and didn't know they built rifles very intrigued. I also liked the way the Sako wood stocks look, I used to build presentation cases with my dad (he was president of Freedom Arms for awhile back in the 80s) and there is nothing finer that a great firearm wrapped in finely figured walnut. I also looked at Weatherby but they have few offerings in the 7 Rem Mag. I do know the boy is a traditionalists so the modern rifles are not going to make it for him.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Suppressors so help with recoil, just not as much as a brake. You can also cut the barrel down short so the hardiness is not compromised with the can. A really good can (cgs) costs about 1200 and takes ~9 months to go through atfs process to get to you

All things considered, I'm not sure a 7 mag is really the best chambering for your son to use. It's going to be higher recoil and louder than a lot of other options - not a great combo for a sensitive head.

You might be surprised by the effectiveness of some smaller cartridges with fragmenting bullets. Burning less powder and shooting an aerodynamic, destructive bullet makes things more fun for everyone, and can still provide you with 600+ yards of usable range. 6 creed, 6.5 creed, 6.5 prc are all pretty mild and can get to at least 600 yards from a short, suppressed barrel.

To me, the ultimate heirloom rifle is the one you love to shoot, first out of the safe every time. A big part of that equation is minimizing the recoil and noise.

.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.

DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ 176 PAGES? HERE'S THE CHEAT SHEET. “Bullets matter more than headstamps.” “Spent primers offer the supreme tutorial”. I’ve read it here and elsewhere online. It got my attention. I started digging and asking questions and listened. The 77gr TMK delivered by a .223...

rokslide.com

6mm/6.5

I didn't want to derail another thread. So I started this one. Who has shot/witnessed a big game animal past 500 yards with a 6mm or 6.5? Many members here love to tell you their opinion about it, but I am figuring out that damn few have done it. So if you have, please tell me the chambering...

rokslide.com

 

[MillenialHunter]

My grandpa gifted me his Remington 700 the day I graduated high school. It’s a 1962 so I believe first year 7 Rem mag and first year Remington 700 and he says he bought it when he was stationed in Okinawa. One of two that came in.

Everyone has different sentiments to heirlooms like this but speaking from experience I wouldn’t trade this for any custom rifle that could be built.

That being said I recommend a more traditional rifle like a model 70 or 700. Can always get a new barrel if she’s not accurate, but can’t ever replace a gift from his father.

 

[Maverick1]

Hope he is better. You’ve been around awhile. You know the answer is tikka. Always tikka. LOL.

 

[madcalfe]

I was thinking custom, I did want it before he graduated but that is not going to happen. May just give him a box with a scope and a blank check (with limits) to fill in what goes underneath it. That way he gets what he wants and not what I think he wants. Problem with that is he is very frugal with money and even more so with our money. I will have to goad him to get him to use it.

when does he graduate? and you can honestly build a custom in a month.
just source all the parts yourself online.
pretty easy to find all the parts if you look hard enough.

 

[keystone112]

If you do consider other cartridges, the 280 AI would be a great option.

 

[SC HUNTER]

I've thought on this more since I posted (it's dangerous when I am thinking and giving my opinion, my wife says I'm an idiot regularly) and I've come up with this.

I know you said he's set on the 7mm mag but how set is he? If I had a history of terrible migranes and all I wouldn't want to shoot a gun a whole lot with that much recoil. Occasionally at the range yes but not for a box or 2 at a time. Unless of course it is suppressed or with a brake but that brings the report which you said he was sensitive too. With a suppressor it makes a magnum barrel too long. Folks here have short barreled magnums and suppressors and love them.

What does he hunt mostly? Did I miss that in the first post? I'm not a bandwagon jumper but I bought a 6.5 creedmoor and truly enjoy shooting it. My other rifles don't get shot near as much anymore. My 9 year old is very recoil sensitive and wouldn't shoot the 6.5 more than once or twice without the suppressor but he'll shoot all day with the suppressor if I let him. My bergara and aac cyclone that I've had for years are heavy but have almost zero recoil. I have 300 win mag, 7mag, 270 wsm, 308, 6.5 and 7mm08 and have owned 300 wsm's, 7mm wsm, a 325 wsm, numerous 30-06 rifles. As I get older (33 old years now) I truly enjoy lower recoil and knowing I'm going to hit exactly where I aim. I've shot deer over 300 yards with my 6.5 and never felt under gunned.

You also said he's frugal with your money as well as his. I'd never spend my parents money on a 3k dollar rifle but I have spent my own so you're going to have to take him to a gun store somewhere and let him hold a bunch or just build him a custom and chamber it in whatever you want and if he doesn't like it he can change the barrel. Make it known he can always change the barrel and caliber and it won't hurt your feelings. Don't think to deeply into things and know that whatever you get him he'll be happy with it.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Remington M700 CDL with a Leupold scope.

 

[idahodave]

Building could be a fun option and will be $3-4k for the rifle alone if done right. Sounds like he already has a shooter so may not see better accuracy out of a new build. I would spend less on the rifle (there are so many accurate options these days) and more on the additional components that will make the technical aspects of shooting more enjoyable.

I would consider a Seekins PH2 + better glass + suppressor. If anything is left in the budget, spend it on ammo

This….exactly.

 

[Harvey_NW]

Cooper, Seekins, or Alamo Precision are good options to hit the easy button. Or what I would recommend at that budget is find a good gunsmith and make it a full custom. Pierce Engineering long action, Hawkins Oberndorf BDL, the stock and barrel of a flavor that suits his style, chambered in 7 PRC or Rem mag if he's absolutely stuck on it (I'm a 7mm guy so I can relate) finished at 20-22", and looking at lightweight hunting suppressors in the 6-7" x 1.5"+ dimensions. The suppressor will take you over your budget, but because of the ridiculous hoops you have to jump through it won't show up for a while anyway, and you could either have him do all the paperwork later, or you do it secretly and surprise him later and add him to a trust.

Congrats to him on graduation, that's quite an accomplishment for anyone, let alone someone who had to overcome that much struggle. Hopefully he continues to get better or be issue free!

 

[MEP]

I am leaning on just getting him a scope and a note: Find your new rifle to mount the scope to! Me, I am liking the Sako85 and the Alamo Precision rifles. He likes the traditional style setup and those seem to be very good options. Waiting for him to come down from school to drop it on him.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I have a christensen ridgeline FFT in 280AI and really like it. Throw a nightforce on it and he will have an awesome lightweight rifle for the rest of his life.

 

[MEP]

I too have a Christensen but in a Traverse in 280AI taking it out for the first time Thursday. He did not care for the Traverse, or at least that was my impression, the Ridgeline FFT was also in the running for me. I know it is cosmetic but I have a gut feeling he is not going to like the options as far as stock colors. He definitely did not like the finish of the Traverse (I do, nice surface to grip with gloves).

 

[Rebelfan22]

Sliders,

I have been lurking for a bit here and enjoy the great amount of expertise. I am looking to buy my son a graduation present, he is finally graduating from college. I say finally because it has been a long hard journey for the lad. I apologize for the long post below but want to put this into perspective and how important this is to my wife and I.

He has been hunting with me since 10. He was athletic, he was heavily involved in karate and has won 4 national titles and one world title in his competitions in his age group and level. He was never an archery guy (I love it) and really focused on firearms. About the age of 13, things went south for him in a serious way. He developed chronic migraines. He was in constant pain for almost 9 years because of it. He had a total of less than 60 days in that 9 years with no pain (we religiously tracked it). The greatest span was 45 days after his initial botox injections about the age of 15. We thought he was over the hump then but he suddenly nose dived again. His pain levels, 10 being the worst, looked like this. 10-8 - about 9 days a month, 6&7 - 16 days a month, 3 to 5 about 5 days a month. We enjoyed the 3-5 days as we had our son back for those brief windows. The rest of the time he would lay in his bed, pillow over his head, no lights, no sound, no eating and forced to drink water for days at a time.

Obviously this impacted his hunting. His last deer hunt was excruciating for him. A couple days it was all we could do to get him out of camp. Hikes to classing points were extremally limited and on two evening trips, limited to very easy hikes of less than a half mile. Last day of the hunt he just couldn't do it. We drove out to a place to try and within about 10 minutes of driving, he just couldn't do it and told me to turn around. Packed up camp and on the way out spotted a nice buck, 4x6, that he was able to take with a well placed shot from his 243. We found a cure for migraines that day but by evening he severely crashed again. Happy, but not in good shape. Also hated the fact that it was seen from the road but, even my brother chastised him for thinking that. As hard as he had hunted that year, and previous years, he had earned his stripes.

He never finished high school, we took him out of school his sophomore year in March. By that time he had missed 117 days of school. His teachers were very disappointed as they all commented on how good a kid he was, well liked by just about everyone, worked hard and was very smart but just could not keep up. To show you how bad it was, he did not even want to get his learner's permit for driving; when was the last time you heard a young man say that?

Shortly there after he got his GED and started attending community college. We had him take a class a semester and slowly built upon that. Did not want him trying to make it in the world with just a GED and his condition, it was a grind but finally, at the age of 22, he had a breakthrough. Suddenly the migraines abated. They were not totally gone but dropped to a few days a month (still always in pain though) until the last year or so. He is now 25 and has only three migraines in the last year and the pain is no longer ever present, so he is having 20 to 25 days a month without a headache!

He graduates from NAU with a degree in electrical engineering this spring. He has had it tough and missed a lot of what a growing young man should experience. Everyone who has worked with him or been around him for any time comments on what a good kid he is. Now, we want to reward him for his hard work.

So, the boy is a 7mm Rem Mag fan. There is NO moving him from that caliber. He currently has one in Savage. His current 243 Savage is a shooter! I will never allow him to sell that rifle. 3 shot 100YD groups easily at 0.2" all day long and with factory ammo. He also loves his Mini 14 for varmints so the lower end of the spectrum is out. I want to replace the Savage with a high quality rifle with VG optics. We are looking at about $3k to 4k for the rifle and think I have settled on the Vortex Diamondback 3-15 HD LTE scope for him.

I was seriously considering a Fierce Rage. Problem: They never return calls or emails. I have reached out multiple times over the last month and a half and nothing. I don't care how "good" a rifle it is at this point, If they won't help you when you want to buy something, why would they bother dealing with a warranty issue?

I recently purchased a Christensen Traverse in 280AI finally going out to shoot it the first time next week. He did not like the look of the rifle or its heft. (I am a bit recoil shy in my tender old age but wanted something with some umph). Specifically he was not enamored with the black stock on it, I think it is more the coloration and the fore end than anything else.

He is definitely in the very traditional rifle camp. He does not like the burnt colors on actions. Stainless or black only. A muzzle brake that does not deflect gasses downward is a big deal, don't want him chocking on dust and rocks when shooting prone but do want a brake on it.. I think we are set on the Vortex Razor HD LHT 3-15 for him. So, we are around the $3k area for just the rifle, give or take.

So not that you are tired of reading this very verbose post, what do you folks think? I am not opposed to waiting for a rifle to be delivered but want it to be something he will never want to let go of.

Alamo precision can build him a custom for approx $3200. I’d look strongly into this for that money. Glad he’s better!

 

[ID_Snow]

The new Weatherby 307 looks pretty sweet. Might not be shipping yet though. He’s not open to 7prc?

 

[hicountry1]

I bought my son a Christiansen Arms mesa in 7mag last year .

Thing is a shooter, usually half moa.

No complaints.

 

[Deleted member 8-15-23]

Tikka tx3, 6.5 prc, tricked out