Training Rifle Questions

[myhuntingjournal]

So I don't currently have a training rifle other than a pretty sporter weight 6.5 creedmoor, most of my rifles are tikkas. I have been wanting a 5.56 or .223 for a while now. My LGS has a savage trail hunter lite on clearance for 450 chambered in 5.56. My question is twofold:

First: Would a Savage in 5.56 still be an effective training tool and translate well enough to still help me get better at hunting efficacy? Or would I be better served getting a tikka .223 (even if it costs a lot more) to translate ergonomics and rifle nuance better?

and Second: Is the Savage trail hunter lite accurate/reliable enough to be worth the purchase?

 

[mtnbound]

So I don't currently have a training rifle other than a pretty sporter weight 6.5 creedmoor, most of my rifles are tikkas. I have been wanting a 5.56 or .223 for a while now. My LGS has a savage trail hunter lite on clearance for 450 chambered in 5.56. My question is twofold:

First: Would a Savage in 5.56 still be an effective training tool and translate well enough to still help me get better at hunting efficacy? Or would I be better served getting a tikka .223 (even if it costs a lot more) to translate ergonomics and rifle nuance better?

and Second: Is the Savage trail hunter lite accurate/reliable enough to be worth the purchase?

I think it’s best to have my trainer match my other systems but in the big picture it’s more about having a rifle that is affordable to shoot and has minimal recoil so you can shoot more.
I have not had that Savage model but others ones I have had were accurate enough but were not smooth to cycle and caused me to break position more than my Tikkas.

 

[Matt5266]

Since your already a Tikka shooter, id spend the little extra for the tikka.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Between the two, I would buy the Tikka. I think it is worth a bit more to have a trainer that matches my primary rifle as closely as possible.