I had two, sold one but not because I didn't like it I just upgraded to an NXS. Still have one on the AR and it's great. The NXS has a parallax adjustment which I need for my eyes.
Which magnum rifle
- Thread starter Dfou
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spdrman
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When I read the title of this thread, I thought you were about to burn the entire forum down 
I’ve got a 12 and 14 year old, and I’m still going back and forth on what I think is best for them. Between the two of them, they’ve killed over 25 big game animals in the last five years, using calibers ranging from .22-250, .260, and 6.5 PRC to .300 WSM and .300 PRC (couple archery kills as well)
You’d think I would’ve started them small and worked up as they got bigger but I did the opposite. My older boy’s first year hunting, he killed everything with a .300 WSM. My younger boy’s first year, he killed everything with a .300 PRC. They both started hunting at 10.
Everything I own, with the exception of the .300 PRC is a Tikka in an XLR chassis (the .300 PRC is a full custom in an XLR). I even bought them a Tikka T1x .22 LR and dropped it into an XLR, and they shoot the piss out of that thing. All summer they shoot the .22 LR, .22-250s, and .260, and then we’d send 1–3 rounds downrange with the bigger guns each range session just to keep their confidence up.
Two years ago I decided to try a 6.5 PRC, and I haven’t touched any of my .30 cals since. The boys love it and will shoot it all day long, suppressed, with ports on the end to help reduce recoil.
This past year I’ve been feeling my older boy out on what he’d want for his first “own” big game rifle. Every time, he says .300 WSM because that’s what he started with and he thinks it’s cool. I hope it doesn’t break his heart when he opens a new Tikka 6.5 PRC on Christmas morning in a couple weeks, but I just couldn’t bring myself to buy him a .300. If he really wants to take a .30 cal on an elk or bear hunt, he can grab one of mine but I know he’ll enjoy the 6.5 a lot more during range sessions.
As far as optics go, we’ve run a lot of glass over the last few years. The NX8 eyebox wasn’t very forgiving, and they struggled with it in field shooting positions. My older boy would probably be fine now, but after his first season I sold the three I had and switched to NXS scopes with a much more forgiving eyebox.
We’ve also had Zeiss V4s and Vortex LHTs. I had trust issues with the V4s, so I sold them. I had a VX-5 as well, but after the drop test on here, that one went too. The LHT was the 4-22 FFP, and the boys didn’t care for FFP at low power when calling coyotes.
Their two favorite scopes right now are the 5.5-22×56 NXS and the 3-18 Trijicon Tenmile. They’re still on the fence about the FFP Tenmile for low-power predator hunting. For low-light and bear hunting, my older boy prefers the NXS, where only the center of the reticle illuminates instead of the entire thing.
He also helped me dial in a load for a buddy’s 6.5 PRC this summer that had a Trijicon Credo 4-16×50 on it. He really liked that scope as an SFP option but was worried it might not have enough top-end magnification. Both boys prefer the NXS turrets, hard to argue with the solid clicks on a Nightforce.
I’d try to get your son behind as many scopes as possible. If you post what optics you’re considering and your location, I’m sure there are guys on here who would meet up for a range session and let your son look through their setups. Looking through scopes in a store just isn’t the same as using them in the field.
I bought him the rifle, but I want him to have some ownership in it, so I’m going to have him pay for half of whatever scope he chooses. I’m really curious to see what he picks and I’d bet it’ll take him a month or two because he really thinks things through.
Same deal with the stock. If he wants an XLR, I’ll split the cost with him. If he wants to try a HNT26, Rokstock, or something else, I’ll split that too. When they first started, I pulled the folders off the XLRs to shorten the LOP and ran the heavier TR-2 buttstock to help manage recoil.
I’ve got a 12 and 14 year old, and I’m still going back and forth on what I think is best for them. Between the two of them, they’ve killed over 25 big game animals in the last five years, using calibers ranging from .22-250, .260, and 6.5 PRC to .300 WSM and .300 PRC (couple archery kills as well)
You’d think I would’ve started them small and worked up as they got bigger but I did the opposite. My older boy’s first year hunting, he killed everything with a .300 WSM. My younger boy’s first year, he killed everything with a .300 PRC. They both started hunting at 10.
Everything I own, with the exception of the .300 PRC is a Tikka in an XLR chassis (the .300 PRC is a full custom in an XLR). I even bought them a Tikka T1x .22 LR and dropped it into an XLR, and they shoot the piss out of that thing. All summer they shoot the .22 LR, .22-250s, and .260, and then we’d send 1–3 rounds downrange with the bigger guns each range session just to keep their confidence up.
Two years ago I decided to try a 6.5 PRC, and I haven’t touched any of my .30 cals since. The boys love it and will shoot it all day long, suppressed, with ports on the end to help reduce recoil.
This past year I’ve been feeling my older boy out on what he’d want for his first “own” big game rifle. Every time, he says .300 WSM because that’s what he started with and he thinks it’s cool. I hope it doesn’t break his heart when he opens a new Tikka 6.5 PRC on Christmas morning in a couple weeks, but I just couldn’t bring myself to buy him a .300. If he really wants to take a .30 cal on an elk or bear hunt, he can grab one of mine but I know he’ll enjoy the 6.5 a lot more during range sessions.
As far as optics go, we’ve run a lot of glass over the last few years. The NX8 eyebox wasn’t very forgiving, and they struggled with it in field shooting positions. My older boy would probably be fine now, but after his first season I sold the three I had and switched to NXS scopes with a much more forgiving eyebox.
We’ve also had Zeiss V4s and Vortex LHTs. I had trust issues with the V4s, so I sold them. I had a VX-5 as well, but after the drop test on here, that one went too. The LHT was the 4-22 FFP, and the boys didn’t care for FFP at low power when calling coyotes.
Their two favorite scopes right now are the 5.5-22×56 NXS and the 3-18 Trijicon Tenmile. They’re still on the fence about the FFP Tenmile for low-power predator hunting. For low-light and bear hunting, my older boy prefers the NXS, where only the center of the reticle illuminates instead of the entire thing.
He also helped me dial in a load for a buddy’s 6.5 PRC this summer that had a Trijicon Credo 4-16×50 on it. He really liked that scope as an SFP option but was worried it might not have enough top-end magnification. Both boys prefer the NXS turrets, hard to argue with the solid clicks on a Nightforce.
I’d try to get your son behind as many scopes as possible. If you post what optics you’re considering and your location, I’m sure there are guys on here who would meet up for a range session and let your son look through their setups. Looking through scopes in a store just isn’t the same as using them in the field.
I bought him the rifle, but I want him to have some ownership in it, so I’m going to have him pay for half of whatever scope he chooses. I’m really curious to see what he picks and I’d bet it’ll take him a month or two because he really thinks things through.
Same deal with the stock. If he wants an XLR, I’ll split the cost with him. If he wants to try a HNT26, Rokstock, or something else, I’ll split that too. When they first started, I pulled the folders off the XLRs to shorten the LOP and ran the heavier TR-2 buttstock to help manage recoil.
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I just can’t get behind any of the suggestions of a teenager shooting a braked magnum. I have tinnitus in my 40’s from doing dumb things like that. I have taught my boys to protect their hearing like it’s gold, b/c it is. They have seen what hearing loss does first hand to me.
Sorry, but no…
Get him a suppressor for his 7-08 and get the barrel threaded. Cans are “cool” and he will like it so much he will forget about wanting a 300… then you will get a can too. His on target performance will go up, enjoyment will go up and overall he will be stoked. Spending the money on that is my suggestion.
Sorry, but no…
Get him a suppressor for his 7-08 and get the barrel threaded. Cans are “cool” and he will like it so much he will forget about wanting a 300… then you will get a can too. His on target performance will go up, enjoyment will go up and overall he will be stoked. Spending the money on that is my suggestion.
This sounds similar to how I did it with my boys except they only shot the .22 and .17 and .223 at the range. First time they shot their 7-08’s were at deer. After they each shot their first deer I let them shoot their 7-08’s as much as they wanted at the range. They’ve never had any issues with recoil that I’ve noticed. They were very comfortable shooting from the range time with the .22 .17 .223When I read the title of this thread, I thought you were about to burn the entire forum down
I’ve got a 12 and 14 year old, and I’m still going back and forth on what I think is best for them. Between the two of them, they’ve killed over 25 big game animals in the last five years, using calibers ranging from .22-250, .260, and 6.5 PRC to .300 WSM and .300 PRC (couple archery kills as well)
You’d think I would’ve started them small and worked up as they got bigger but I did the opposite. My older boy’s first year hunting, he killed everything with a .300 WSM. My younger boy’s first year, he killed everything with a .300 PRC. They both started hunting at 10.
Everything I own, with the exception of the .300 PRC is a Tikka in an XLR chassis (the .300 PRC is a full custom in an XLR). I even bought them a Tikka T1x .22 LR and dropped it into an XLR, and they shoot the piss out of that thing. All summer they shoot the .22 LR, .22-250s, and .260, and then we’d send 1–3 rounds downrange with the bigger guns each range session just to keep their confidence up.
Two years ago I decided to try a 6.5 PRC, and I haven’t touched any of my .30 cals since. The boys love it and will shoot it all day long, suppressed, with ports on the end to help reduce recoil.
This past year I’ve been feeling my older boy out on what he’d want for his first “own” big game rifle. Every time, he says .300 WSM because that’s what he started with and he thinks it’s cool. I hope it doesn’t break his heart when he opens a new Tikka 6.5 PRC on Christmas morning in a couple weeks, but I just couldn’t bring myself to buy him a .300. If he really wants to take a .30 cal on an elk or bear hunt, he can grab one of mine but I know he’ll enjoy the 6.5 a lot more during range sessions.
As far as optics go, we’ve run a lot of glass over the last few years. The NX8 eyebox wasn’t very forgiving, and they struggled with it in field shooting positions. My older boy would probably be fine now, but after his first season I sold the three I had and switched to NXS scopes with a much more forgiving eyebox.
We’ve also had Zeiss V4s and Vortex LHTs. I had trust issues with the V4s, so I sold them. I had a VX-5 as well, but after the drop test on here, that one went too. The LHT was the 4-22 FFP, and the boys didn’t care for FFP at low power when calling coyotes.
Their two favorite scopes right now are the 5.5-22×56 NXS and the 3-18 Trijicon Tenmile. They’re still on the fence about the FFP Tenmile for low-power predator hunting. For low-light and bear hunting, my older boy prefers the NXS, where only the center of the reticle illuminates instead of the entire thing.
He also helped me dial in a load for a buddy’s 6.5 PRC this summer that had a Trijicon Credo 4-16×50 on it. He really liked that scope as an SFP option but was worried it might not have enough top-end magnification. Both boys prefer the NXS turrets, hard to argue with the solid clicks on a Nightforce.
I’d try to get your son behind as many scopes as possible. If you post what optics you’re considering and your location, I’m sure there are guys on here who would meet up for a range session and let your son look through their setups. Looking through scopes in a store just isn’t the same as using them in the field.
I bought him the rifle, but I want him to have some ownership in it, so I’m going to have him pay for half of whatever scope he chooses. I’m really curious to see what he picks and I’d bet it’ll take him a month or two because he really thinks things through.
Same deal with the stock. If he wants an XLR, I’ll split the cost with him. If he wants to try a HNT26, Rokstock, or something else, I’ll split that too. When they first started, I pulled the folders off the XLRs to shorten the LOP and ran the heavier TR-2 buttstock to help manage recoil.
I thought I read that the Zeiss did descent in the drop test? I’m stuck between Zeiss V4/V6, NF SHV, Burris Veracity and Trijicon Huron or Credo. I’ve never had a scope with higher than 16x so I’m not sure how important a higher zoom is although I’m pretty convinced i should get him something with higher zoom
spdrman
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- 488
Zoom range is also another thing that’s changed a lot as they’ve became more experienced and grown the last few years, their first year I had some 6-24 and that was too much on the low end hunting and finding animals but they loved it on the higher end at the range and once they’ve found animals.
Now that they are bigger and easier for them to get behind the gun they don’t struggle at all finding animals on the low end with high power scopes. With them advancing shooting the confidence is still there with the top end maxing out at 16x
Zero experience with Burris but they are on the list of scopes I’d like to try.
4-14x50 SHV F1 was one of my favorite scopes I’ve owned over the years but they really struggled seeing that reticle on low power in the sage yote hunting early on. I haven’t shopped in awhile, I avoid the classifieds in here because it gets me in trouble with my wife but most my NXS’s I’ve picked up used on here for about the cost of a new SHV.
I felt I had to tweak the zero slightly with that V4 on my 300wsm often, go to the range and I was always wondering if I had a bad day or if it did move, I put a 2-10x42 nxs on it 3 years ago and haven’t had to touch the zero once on it since
I’ve really liked the credo and tenmile scopes I’ve used. I’ve been checking these daily hoping they go off sale so I quit being tempted to buy a couple for my boys 22-250’s but they are still on sale https://palmettostatearmory.com/tri...ed-moa-center-dot-sfp-riflescope-2900001.html
Chris in TN
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I have a Zeiss V6.
In theory the V6 has better turrets (German/Wetzler, not Japanese) than the V4. My example (3-18x) got dropped hard once, I was carrying the rifle in both hands in front of me and tripped over a low fence wire and went face-first to the ground, the rifle sandwiched between the ground and my face and gave me a nice turret-shaped gash on my forehead, and didn't budge. But, no, they didn't do so great in the drop tests here. I'm not getting rid of this one - it's great glass and has tracked great for me - but I wouldn't likely buy another as Zeiss seems to be going through some changes and not for the better.
ETA: I have looked for a long time at the Burris Veracity 3-15x but am a bit distrustful of anything they make. They tend to not drop-test well, but people who have used the Veracity in normal field use tend to report good service from them.
I have a NF SHV and it's great if you can stand the reticle. I'm not a fan of the reticle at all. I'd happily buy any Trijicon, but, again, the reticles kinda stink.
Reality is, scopes that pass the drops tests here *AND* have sensibly designed, useable reticles, are few and far between.
Chris in TN
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I've never actually used the forceplex reticle but looking at the specs I'd think it would be much more functional in low light than the MOAR reticles. Much less precise for wind holds, but honestly I'd rather have the low-light functionality. YMMV.
So, yes, I'd be willing to try one of those.
So, yes, I'd be willing to try one of those.
Quandary
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What's wrong with the 257BEE? Re-barrel with a longer throat and 1/7.5 twist for the 135 to 145 bullets now available. You're good to go.
I going to amend this. Get him a 7PRC. Then you're all set for a re-barrel to to a 257BEE!
I going to amend this. Get him a 7PRC. Then you're all set for a re-barrel to to a 257BEE!
TaperPin
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Bergara rifles do ok.
R
roadrunner
Guest
@Dfou, so essentially only take advice from a very select group defined as "we" and you can't go wrong...
My kids run a 25 Saum. They need nothing else to kill anything. Low recoil great habits created for the shooter. When a 7 year old can tell you his point of impact that’s more important than shooting a boomer.
HuntingGriff907
FNG
I have the SHV 3-10 with this reticle on my wife's Remington Model 7 Youth 7mm-08.We have dialed it out to 500 yards, and the scope has been solid on multiple hunts. The only feature I wish it had is a Zero Stop. The scope has always held zero, and returned to zero accurately after dialing.
MThuntrrr
Lil-Rokslider
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Haven’t read the entire thread. I did the same thing at his age over 20 years ago. First rifle was a Remington 700 270 win (similar ballistics and recoil to his 7-08). I took many deer, elk, and antelope cleanly with the 270. I then somehow convinced myself I needed a 338 win mag as an “elk gun.” I used a braked 338 win mag for about ten more years and killed several elk and deer while elk hunting. The 338 got less and less fun (and more expensive) to shoot . I sold the 338 and am back to shooting a suppressed 270 win for everything with excellent results. I won’t go back to magnums. If possible, get him out shooting both in field conditions. I’ll bet money he won’t make the same mistake I did
Unfortunately there’s not much taking him out of it. But I wasn’t gonna be talked out of the same thing at his age either. I also think going through that phase makes you appreciate the smaller lower recoiling rounds later in life. Sometimes you just gotta do the “been there done that” thing. I think the 6.5 prc will be a good compromise and he will be happy with it. New rifle should be here this week or early next week
Choupique
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You must have forgotten your teenage years
I doubt there are many people here who didnt hunt with some flavor of bigass rifle at some point in their lives. Hell I've been educated and Im still doing it. At 15 years old if my old man would have tried to talk me into a smaller rifle id have considered it an insult to my "manhood" and gotten the biggest loudest hardest kicking thing on the rack.
Chris in TN
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<-guilty of same.You must have forgotten your teenage years
I doubt there are many people here who didnt hunt with some flavor of bigass rifle at some point in their lives. Hell I've been educated and Im still doing it. At 15 years old if my old man would have tried to talk me into a smaller rifle id have considered it an insult to my "manhood" and gotten the biggest loudest hardest kicking thing on the rack.
mxgsfmdpx
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What would his plan be for wind with this reticle?
We don’t have alotta wind here. Flat land. But I’d guess he would just have to estimate a hold over for wind. The dots are only accurate one a certain power for SFP scopes anyway, correct? What do people normally do for wind with SFP scopes?
Facts. We duck hunted a lot when I was a kid. I went from a 410 straight to an Ithaca 12 gauge feather lite. It stomped my ass but at that age I wouldn’t have had it any other wayYou must have forgotten your teenage years
I doubt there are many people here who didnt hunt with some flavor of bigass rifle at some point in their lives. Hell I've been educated and Im still doing it. At 15 years old if my old man would have tried to talk me into a smaller rifle id have considered it an insult to my "manhood" and gotten the biggest loudest hardest kicking thing on the rack.
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