Which magnum rifle

[eric1115]

Solid advice. Part of this and why he has been shooting my 257 wby is because his 7-08 isn't extremely accurate (very short crack barrel). So I think a new rifle he likes and is an upgrade will further his interest in hunting and shooting.

Gotcha. An inaccurate rifle (or one that's just generally not enjoyable to shoot) is not going to be conducive to good, focused, productive practice.

I would for sure avoid brakes. My first set of hearing aids just arrived, due in large part as far as I can tell to shooting brakes rifles. Not many (but not zero) shots without ear pro while hunting, and also many for sure with just earbuds or the three row rubber around-the-neck plugs. Mostly good muffs and often doubled up though. It really doesn't take much exposure to them to cause damage. Mild loss in my right ear, upper end of moderate loss in the left. I'm 43 years old.

Shooting steel and watching impacts through the scope is so much more fun (and instant feedback for productive practice). Paper is very useful, but you're probably not going to be watching the holes appear in paper (and even if you are it doesn't tickle the lizard part of the brain in the same way). Adding steel at distance is something that will drive the enthusiasm for practice.

 

[The Guide]

I've read several "problem" threads with Bergara rifles which concerns me. The issues your friends had were accuracy related? or other issues with the rifles?

Accuracy issues. I'm a fairly competent gun plumber (former machinist and millwright) and checked the standard points of issue when rifles won't shoot. Changed to a known good scope on one rifle (300 PRC) and still couldn't get acceptable accuracy. The 7mm PRC rifle we didn't even fuss with. The owner paid a gunsmith a bunch of money to have a ready to go system and he didn't want me to do anything to as it was going back to the gunsmith to get returned. Both guns had factory muzzle brakes.

I let one guy use my 6.5CM and the other use my 223. Both shot better and further with those rifles than they did with the big guns. When you are going 5 for 5 on a 12 steel at 500 yards with a $500 rifle chambered in 223, you start rethinking your choices in life. The guy that used my 6.5 Creedmoor hunted with me every day so I left my suppressor on it for him to use since he can't own one in the state he lives in. We shot coyotes and rocks in the middle of the day and he never quit smiling and raving about how fun it was to shoot this $500 suppressed 6.5 Creedmoor shooting $1.00 per round ammo. (Howa 1500 Carbon Stalker 6.5CM that was on sale at Sportsmans Warehouse for $498 shooting 140gr AAC Sabre Blade Black Tips) Although he didn't fill any tags, my buddy had a great time even with his rifle system going down on him on day one.

My buddy that borrowed the 223 filled his deer tag and never felt under gunned when coming from a 300 PRC due to our practicing at 300 and 500 yards with it. He went home and bought himself a 223 bolt action to be able to shoot more. He sent me a video of himself going 6 for 10 with his 223 on a 10" steel at 750 yards last year. His practice is showing and will only get better.

My son (15) has a 223, a 6.5 Grendel, and a 7mm-08 that are "his" with access to lots of bigger cartridges (6.5 PRC, 280AI, 7mm PRC, 7mm Backcountry, 300WM, 338WM) . When we go hunting or to ahoot steel, he chooses to take his 223 with 77gr TMK's around 7 out 10 times. If we are going for elk he wants to borrow my 6.5 PRC or takes his 7mm-08. His 6.5 Grendel gets lots of target use and a few deer hunts but the 223 sees the most use. Sometimes bigger isn't better.

Jay

 

[Smithb9841]

Solid advice. Part of this and why he has been shooting my 257 wby is because his 7-08 isn't extremely accurate (very short crack barrel). So I think a new rifle he likes and is an upgrade will further his interest in hunting and shooting.

I know it’s a different option than you originally asked but would he be open to a 257wby like yours? It’s a magnum as well obviously smaller than a 7prc. But then if you decide to get into reloading makes it easier to reload for multiple guns that are the same cartridge. Just a thought. Not trying to talk you out of anything just another option to consider. I’ve always thought the 257wby was a cool cartridge.

 

[solarshooter]

if you want your kid to grow in his skillset as a rifleman under field conditions, recoil isn't your friend, and somewhere around maybe the 6.5PRC level of recoil, the extra power a teenager might think he wants, starts to get counterproductive, and I would place large wagers on your kid, a year from now with a 7PRC or .300PRC level of new rifle, being outshot by some other kid with a moderately fast 6mm or 6.5mm

This 100%.

Since teenagers want to be badass, show him some of the pictures from the 223 or 6mm kill threads, maybe then he'll think a 223, 243, or 6.5CM is cool.

Or, borrow someone's unbraked magnum and have him shoot a 40+rd course of fire with it. Call it the "smoke the whole pack" strategy haha.

 

[Dfou]

My kids and I do a lot of 0-500 shooting in the last few months with a rifle that's a hair too small for me (it's a youth model and I'm 6') and is probably a 1.250-1.5moa shooter. But the light recoil allows all 4 of us to shoot the same rifle.

Would I want a rifle that was capable of better than 2moa mechanical accuracy? Yes. I'll freely concede that. As for fitment, I've found that too long a stock is a hindrance to my kids but too short (by perhaps an inch?) isn't a serious hindrance to me, at least with a lower recoiling rifle.

My overall stance here isn't necessarily that a new rifle is bad - everyone likes new toys and you know what you can afford better than we do and you know the limits of his existing stuff - my point is just that buying a magnum rifle might be fun in a sense, and there's merit in that, I've had my share of recoil fun over the years and grew up with a .378 Weatherby and .416 Rigby at my disposal for a lot of years - but if you want your kid to grow in his skillset as a rifleman under field conditions, recoil isn't your friend, and somewhere around maybe the 6.5PRC level of recoil, the extra power a teenager might think he wants, starts to get counterproductive, and I would place large wagers on your kid, a year from now with a 7PRC or .300PRC level of new rifle, being outshot by some other kid with a moderately fast 6mm or 6.5mm.

Let your son read this thread. Then give him a few days to think it over. Then do what he wants. Buying him too much recoil won't likely ruin his life. I've certainly made worse mistakes and life will go on.

I can 100% agree with everything you said here and is the kind of real world experience and advice I was looking for. Not sure why we had to go over the hills and through the woods to get there lol. One of my favorite rifles to shoot is a Tikka 7-08 compact even though its "too small" for me. He shoots it well but doesn't like the feel of the rifle so his younger brother shoots it. He's 5'11" with long arms and legs even though he is just turning 15.

It's like people are forgetting this is the beginning of his hunting/shooting. This is likely not his last rifle. He's probably not gonna choose the most practical and absolute best rifle/round. He's 15. I have no issue with his choice as long as it's not gonna hurt him. I did the exact same thing around his age. I'm just not familiar with the 7 PRC in real world applications. We talked again last night and I think he's on board with the 6.5 PRC. Just gotta decide if the HMR is a descent choice for the rifle.

 

[The Guide]

I can 100% agree with everything you said here and is the kind of real world experience and advice I was looking for. Not sure why we had to go over the hills and through the woods to get there lol. One of my favorite rifles to shoot is a Tikka 7-08 compact even though its "too small" for me. He shoots it well but doesn't like the feel of the rifle so his younger brother shoots it. He's 5'11" with long arms and legs even though he is just turning 15.

It's like people are forgetting this is the beginning of his hunting/shooting. This is likely not his last rifle. He's probably not gonna choose the most practical and absolute best rifle/round. He's 15. I have no issue with his choice as long as it's not gonna hurt him. I did the exact same thing around his age. I'm just not familiar with the 7 PRC in real world applications. We talked again last night and I think he's on board with the 6.5 PRC. Just gotta decide if the HMR is a descent choice for the rifle.

I would 100% go with a 6.5 PRC in a Tikka T3x. If he likes the chassis look/feel of HMR, you can drop the Tikka into a KRG Bravo Chassis which has the same/similar feel to the HMR. You could do the Bravo Chassis as a birthday or other present if he shoots the rifle with the standard stock and decides he wants something different. The price difference between the Tikka and a extra stock and the base Bergara HMR is negligible.

Jay

https://www.eurooptic.com/tikka-t3x-lite-synthetic-65-prc-22bbl-1-8-5-8in-x-24tpi-synthetic-blued-jrtxe31922mt

 

[Dfou]

I know it’s a different option than you originally asked but would he be open to a 257wby like yours? It’s a magnum as well obviously smaller than a 7prc. But then if you decide to get into reloading makes it easier to reload for multiple guns that are the same cartridge. Just a thought. Not trying to talk you out of anything just another option to consider. I’ve always thought the 257wby was a cool cartridge.

He probably would but he really likes the Bergara HMR rifle. My Weatherby doesn't have a factory stock on it. I think he's ok with a 6.5 PRC at this point and I will likely get a suppressor for it. Just worried the HMR may not be the best choice after reading some of the reviews. I wonder what percentage of the HMR's sold have issues

 

[Chris in TN]

I would 100% go with a 6.5 PRC in a Tikka T3x. If he likes the chassis look/feel of HMR, you can drop the Tikka into a KRG Bravo Chassis which has the same/similar feel to the HMR. You could do the Bravo Chassis as a birthday or other present if he shoots the rifle with the standard stock and decides he wants something different. The price difference between the Tikka and a extra stock and the base Bergara HMR is negligible.

Jay

https://www.eurooptic.com/tikka-t3x-lite-synthetic-65-prc-22bbl-1-8-5-8in-x-24tpi-synthetic-blued-jrtxe31922mt

That's a reasonable compromise, and I can appreciate the point that he isn't stuck with this as his last rifle ever.

I'd also look at the stocky's basic vertical grip stock as a light but good option for a stock upgrade if you think it would help. I will freely admit that the basic Tikka stock is ugly and less than ideal even with the vertical grip, but I darned sure can't point to impacts on steel and make a case for swapping it.

Also, there's the rokstock. I've never touched one but absolutely think the negative comb would do as intended to help mitigate the effects of recoil.

 

[solarshooter]

It's like people are forgetting this is the beginning of his hunting/shooting. This is likely not his last rifle. He's probably not gonna choose the most practical and absolute best rifle/round. He's 15. I have no issue with his choice as long as it's not gonna hurt him.

Exactly. This is the WORST time to get him shooting a hard recoiling magnum. He will develop bad habits now faster than any time in his shooting career, and they will take the longest to train back out. Even 6.5PRC is pushing it IMO, but a suppressor will make it tolerable.

Tikka for sure, no match for reliability, action, and trigger quality even up to 2 or more times the cost. Barrels are pretty good, some extremely accurate some just ok, but more than adequate for hunting. I like the factory stock with the barrel channel dremeled out, flat forend, vertical grip, adjustable cheek piece, limbsaver recoil pad. Should be sub 1k with all this. Then UM Tikka rings and level, and a known reliable FFP MIL scope like a SWFA. A friend just built this exact package in 243 Win for his dad for an xmas present to replace his 40 year old 7RM.

Or, the Sauer 100 is super on sale on euro right now, and is well regarded.