Thought I had settled on a good "first rifle + glass" combo, less sure now

[BAC]

I'm not sure where you are in the process of picking your build components, but they do tend to add up quickly. (I made the mistake of creating a spreadsheet - after the fact - for my Rokslide Special. I went overboard on some stuff you probably don't need.) As @PNWGATOR mentioned, you are well served to make careful decisions, for all of the biggest three components - rifle, scope and rings. (I'm assuming you won't cut the barrel - at least yet.)

I too had originally been set on an illuminated scope, but after having purchased a few SWFAs, and just shot the 6x, I don't think I need illumination. And my eyes also suck - especially my right one that I use for the scope.

The planning stage. I've done enough dumb in the past to want to avoid doing more dumb if it can be avoided. I'm happy to learn what I don't know. Ref illumination, see below.

Why is an illuminated reticle a requirement for you for big game hunting? Just curious.

Truthfully I don't know that it is regardless of what is being hunted. It's more hedging bets based on my experience with red dots on rifles and pistols and low/crappy light shooting. I have neither the circumstance or availability of the scenarios or scopes to be able to say from first-hand experience what I need, what would be nice to have but isn't a need, what should be avoided, etc. regarding a hunting scope. I've got an old 20x swfa I'll be screwing around with to see how well or not I retain the reticle.

 

[hereinaz]

Great... They had a 6 ARC in-stock with a scope, rings, bases, a sling, and a stock for $68 more than Brownell's wants for just a barreled action. Guess I don't have to continue to wait on an Email from Brownell's to get my new build started! Now to order a 22 ARC barrel...

Jay

I am here for you all day! If I can’t spend my own money, I’ll spend yours. Glad to be of service with my Google-Fu skills.

 

[hereinaz]

Buds really want to sell me one of those rifles, lol, they keep track of me and send me emails.

 

[Formidilosus]

I've got an old 20x swfa I'll be screwing around with to see how well or not I retain the reticle.

The 20x SWFA is a poor scope- as all fixed 20x42mm scopes are. It won’t show you anything but frustration.


The SWFA 6x scope with MQ reticle has no equal for this situation.

 

[NSI]

The 20x SWFA is a poor scope- as all fixed 20x42mm scopes are. It won’t show you anything but frustration.


The SWFA 6x scope with MQ reticle has no equal for this situation.

I’m currently drinking tequila and considering welding half a pic rail to the ass end of a tikka or howa and trying out a 5x mil holdover reticle primary arms micro prism. 9 ounces …

-J

 

[texag10]

I’m currently drinking tequila and considering welding half a pic rail to the ass end of a tikka or howa and trying out a 5x mil holdover reticle primary arms micro prism. 9 ounces …

-J

Drop test it when you sober up!

 

[Ecampbell25]

My daughter and son both started hunting (@10 year old) with Howa Mini Action 6.5 Grendel rifles. They can be gotten for around $550 with a scope and a threaded barrel. That round is adequate for deer and hog and short range (under 300 yards) elk. It isn't the perfect solution for everyone but you could get a scoped Howa Mini Action in 223 and one in 6.5 Grendel for the price of 1 Tikka when you add rings, a scope, and threading for brake/can and have a very light recoiling rifle for practice and kids yet still have a rifle for hunting that can cleanly take larger game in areas that restrict 22 caliber and 243 caliber cartridges from hunting big game.

My daughter shot her Grendel for 2 season and then we switched her to a 243. She hated the recoil impulse of the 243 even with light for caliber bullets so back to the Grendel she went. She now @ 15 year old shoots a Tikka in 6.5CM and does great with it but when she wants to have fun or needs a conference boost she shoots a box of ammo through the Grendel.

5 shots at 100 yards through her Howa Mini Action in 6.5 Grendel when she was 11. She was mad because she though she was missing the target.
View attachment 619739

This is the buck she shot that fall. One shot through the lungs with a 120 grain NBT.
View attachment 619740

Good luck with what ever you decide to purchase and take your kids out as much as possible.

Jay

That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Ecampbell25]

Pick up your kids a .22 and stick with the 7mm-08 it’s a great versatile round and will do the trick on most of the game you want to hunt. Good luck on your endeavors!

 

[BAC]

Knowing that the general opinion is to go the Tikka T3x route, would a sub-$700 CVA Cascade SB not also be worthy of consideration? As I understand, CVA Cascades are regarded well and they certainly have the right price for features (18" barrel, already threaded muzzle, etc). The Tikka route goes from $50-100 more for the rifle alone, plus whatever it'll cost to thread the muzzle and chop the barrel (and possibly get the compact stock). Is the Tikka route worth the few bill premium?

 

[hereinaz]

My sample size is one, but I shot a Cascade in 6.5 cm that ran nice and shot well. It was factory threaded and ceracoted.

Manufacturing is such that making quality stuff is easier if QC is there.

 

[BAC]

Ah, I think I found the Achilles heel of that option: the 1 in 9 twist rate of CVA's barrel. That might struggle on the 77grainers. Maybe.

 

[NSI]

Ah, I think I found the Achilles heel of that option: the 1 in 9 twist rate of CVA's barrel. That might struggle on the 77grainers. Maybe.

And it’s a r700 so make sure you’re comfortable with that trigger from a safety/reliability standpoint.

-J

 

[BAC]

Is the Cascade r700 clone? I thought that was just Bergaras. I need to find more reviews, mostly to satisfy my own curiosity, but it looks like the smarter path is just accepting the extra cost of the Tikka. Or step down to a Savage 110.

 

[Marbles]

Is the Cascade r700 clone? I thought that was just Bergaras. I need to find more reviews, mostly to satisfy my own curiosity, but it looks like the smarter path is just accepting the extra cost of the Tikka. Or step down to a Savage 110.

Having fought against getting a Tikka, and gone through several rifles in the process (R700, R7600, Sako 85, Kimber Montana) my advice would be just get a Tikka and be done with it.

All my complaints with the Tikka still stand, but they just don't matter, or are actually a positive.

Ugly: no stainless and synthetic rifle is really pretty, and I have rust issues even with stainless hunting costal salt water. Pretty is a luxury I have no time for.

Coin slot ejection port: turns out this helps with reliability in crappy weather and while I still don't like it aestheticly, function trumps aesthetics.

Only available in long action: Yeah shaving a little length and weight from the action and bolt would be nice, but matters a whole lot less than I made it out to in my head. As I am now reloading, I can exceed COAL if desired with simply needed a different magazine.

Plastic bottom metal and mag: who cares, it is light and works.

Single stack mag: higher capacity in a flush mount would be nice, but is not really needed. Only magazine design I like better is the Sako 85.

Push feed: I think the advantages of CRF are overblown. Plus, the external extractor is more prone to clogging with snow and ice.

If Sako had better aftermarket support, I would take them over a Tikka. As they don't, and the Tikka is half the price, Tikka wins.

 

[The Guide]

Is the Cascade r700 clone? I thought that was just Bergaras. I need to find more reviews, mostly to satisfy my own curiosity, but it looks like the smarter path is just accepting the extra cost of the Tikka. Or step down to a Savage 110.

The CVA Cascade is not a true R700 clone. It uses many similar parts but I know for sure the scope mounts are Savage mounts 2 piece or proprietary one piece rail and that the bottom metal/magazine is proprietary. It is a nice little package and I would have bought that same model you discovered if it had a 7 or 8 twist barrel. With a 7 twist on that 18" barrel and threaded, you could have done everything from 55 grain varmint/target bullets to heavy hunting and subsonic bullets.

Jay

 

[hereinaz]

The CVA Cascade is not a true R700 clone. It uses many similar parts but I know for sure the scope mounts are Savage mounts 2 piece or proprietary one piece rail and that the bottom metal/magazine is proprietary. It is a nice little package and I would have bought that same model you discovered if it had a 7 or 8 twist barrel. With a 7 twist on that 18" barrel and threaded, you could have done everything from 55 grain varmint/target bullets to heavy hunting and subsonic bullets.

Jay

It is a Rem 700 on the bottom half, so stocks and triggers. The bolt is a three lug. All that is per info cause I was curious. I didn’t think it was a Rem 700 clone at all shooting one this weekend.

 

[leomort]

New to the forum. What about Vortex or Tract optics as possible options?

 

[Brontosaurus]

Rifle Scope Field Evaluations

rokslide.com

 

[BigStick]

Both are an easy pass...............

 

[leomort]

Hey, Big Stick! I remember several years ago Leupold were all the rage on the other forum we hung out at, lol!