Help me spend somebody else's money.

[XP1K]

A guy I work with is looking at going on his first hunting trip (whitetail) and has asked me for advice on his first rifle purchase.


He wants something he can afford to shoot on a regular basis not just hunting so he automatically leaned towards 308 for some reason. I like a 7-08 myself.

My mind went straight to bergara and I know tikka is a popular one here so I thought of that as well but then I thought about a sig cross.

He's not set on a 308 so caliber choices are open and while the manbun makes sense for a new shooter with ammo selection, availability and being relatively easy to shoot, you just won't catch me recommending it.

He's in his early twenties, started his industrial career as a specialty welder so he's got plenty money.

So let's spend his money. What are you guys recommending?

 

[hafejd30]

Tikka T3X veil or alpine in 308

Beautiful rifle, lightweight, weather resistant and accurate

 

[Bryan W M]

Tikka veil in 6.5. Great hunting and match ammo

 

[bluegrasspicker]

Ask him his budget. Make recommendations based on two to three times that amount.

Spending other people's money is a fine art. Start too strong, he'll spend too little. Start too weak, he'll spend too little.

It's all about finesse...

But remember, you're doing him a favor and saving him money in the long run.

 

[kenny1773]

Does he have a man bun? We need to know before recommending caliber

 

[XP1K]

Does he have a man bun? We need to know before recommending caliber

He's not the manbun type. And I don't want to see him turn into one.

 

[XP1K]

Tikka T3X veil or alpine in 308

Beautiful rifle, lightweight, weather resistant and accurate

Never really looked at the tikkas myself. I'll check them out.

 

[TheHorta]

Barrett M107A1 with MK211 “Whitetail” Rounds.

 

[davsco]

tikka t3x lite is the opposite of sexy. but it's a great rifle. light, accurate, smooth bolt and feeding, nice trigger (you can buy a cheap spring to make it even better). if he wants to upgrade it one day, swap in a proof carbon barrel and aftermarket stock like mesa precision.

 

[fdkay]

I'm a huge 7mm fan, but there is a dearth of good ammo for it, plenty of "hunting" ammo, but few rounds that one would consider for target or recreational shooting.
This is where the 6.5 and .308 shine. Both have excellent, accurate hunting ammo and both have excellent match ammo.
The 6mm CM is an option, but barrel life is short.
My vote is .308, unless he handloads, then 7-08

 

[Thumper580]

308..... One and done.

 

[Maggot]

308..... One and done.

This. You can get a Remington 700 with a Magpul stock in 308 for around $1000-1100 new. Comes with a magazine and extra butt extensions. I have it in 6.5 CM and it shoots a 5 shot ragged hole at 100 yds....if I do my part Plenty of ammo choices it will take him to 1000 yds if he wants to go LR and take down larger animals than a whitetail.

 

[Greasly]

First? Win. 94 30-30

 

[fdkay]

If money is no issue, Zermatt Origin, chambered in .308.
Pre fit barrel, trigger tech trigger
Stock of Chassis of choice.
Done.
Good rifle, reasonable cost taht he can upgrade/change calibers on. Maybe even build it on a medium action so he can run the short action magnums with room for the bullets.

 

[hollowoutadime]

What state is he hunting in?
Terrain, scope, suppressor, budget.

 

[Pharmseller]

I’m a 7mm-08 homer but ammo can be tough to find.

So .308 Win, in a stainless Tikka.

 

[nagantguy]

First? Win. 94 30-30

Yep- lever gun in 30/30- or a single shot in a straight walled cartridge for sure - he said interested in hunting not rifle porn- sit still and quiet or get closer to the game quietly and use the wind . 94 in 30/30 is still the perfect deer rifle/cartridge combo.

 

[308pirate]

He's not the manbun type. And I don't want to see him turn into one.

Model 70 Extreme Weather SS | Bolt-Action Rifle | Winchester

Exception bolt-action hunting rifle for adverse weather, Bell and Carlson stock, aluminum bedding block, matte stainless action and fluted barrel, M.O.A. trigger system, Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad.

www.winchesterguns.com

Model 70 Featherweight | Bolt-Action Rifle | Winchester

Light weight bolt-action hunting rifle with classic looks. Checkered satin finish stock with Schnabel forearm, lighter Featherweight barrel profile, controlled round feed, Pachmayr pad.

www.winchesterguns.com

 

[Dot3]

Has he thought about 6.5 PRC? Just to stay out of manbun territory and get a little more umph than a .308. It looks like hornady either 143s or 147s are readily available at $2.00/round. Bergara makes the HMR in that caliber for a little over a grand.

 

[XP1K]

What state is he hunting in?
Terrain, scope, suppressor, budget.

We're in Texas. Said he's going somewhere around Fredericksburg sometime in November.

Haven't talked glass yet. I know which direction I'd go but I don't want to overwhelm him. He's totally new to this stuff.

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

You can do a whole lot with good old. 308

If you're a one gun guy, I'd definitely go with .308. I guess an RPR is not an option? 6.5cm is a fantastic round, manbun or not, it's pretty hard to beat for an all around cartridge

 

[Taylorbok]

I'm not a fan just because of the obsession but 6.5 CM is the easy button, especially for a first rifle and factory ammo availability
6.5 PRC is a great round but ammo and components are super hard to find right now.
Bergara or Tikka are good starter rifles.

 

[XP1K]

You can do a whole lot with good old. 308

If you're a one gun guy, I'd definitely go with .308. I guess an RPR is not an option? 6.5cm is a fantastic round, manbun or not, it's pretty hard to beat for an all around cartridge

Myself I bought into the 308 years ago because the ammo availability. Not knocking the 6.5 creeds capabilities it's just the majority of the crowd that follows it that kills it for me. Kind of like the houston Texans.

I actually test fired a friend's 6.5creed ar10 build for him a few weeks ago. I'll admit, even for a novice lr shooter like myself, it was too easy to walk it out to distance. And in the ar platform the cartridge makes total sense. But I'm still not buying one lol.

 

[LeftyJason]

If money is no issue, Zermatt Origin, chambered in .308.
Pre fit barrel, trigger tech trigger
Stock of Chassis of choice.
Done.
Good rifle, reasonable cost taht he can upgrade/change calibers on. Maybe even build it on a medium action so he can run the short action magnums with room for the bullets.

If money is no issue I thought the answer was something from @MikeRTacOps ?

 

[XP1K]

Been cruising tikkas website and I see what y'all are always ranting and raving about. That coyote brown tactA1 is sexy as hell. Got me thinking about which one of my 700's is gonna go so I can buy one.

 

[fdkay]

MPA BA PMR Pro Rifle II - MasterPiece Arms, Inc.

Masterpiece Arms builds World Class Rifles. We start with our industry leading Chassis System, utilize the Best Actions and Triggers produced, and a 416R SS Handlapped Barrels provide some the best shooting, most accurate rifles in existence. Designed, Built and Enhanced by Long Range Shooters...

masterpiecearms.com

 

[fdkay]

If money is no issue I thought the answer was something from @MikeRTacOps ?

true, I should have said, within certain limits!!

 

[powdahound76]

Tikka CTR in .308 or the Origin build idea.
6.5 manbun as a second place

Upgrade as ya like.

Origin is a one and done and better long term option IMO.

I have both rifles in both calibers.

 

[XP1K]

If money is no issue I thought the answer was something from @MikeRTacOps ?

I was just talking to him and I'm on a 2k budget so money isn't the issue but time is. Trip is planned for sometime in November.

 

[LeftyJason]

Been cruising tikkas website and I see what y'all are always ranting and raving about. That coyote brown tactA1 is sexy as hell. Got me thinking about which one of my 700's is gonna go so I can buy one.

Make sure you are looking at the /en-us or /usa site. Also look more at the JRT part numbers rather than the TF ones. The JRT's are more likely imported.

For a quick primer on tikkas I put this together awhile ago. I try to keep it somewhat updated.
Tikka buying guide T3 thread #3273 on page 66. https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/tikka-t3-thread.6252615/post-7301418

 

[XP1K]

Model 70 Extreme Weather SS | Bolt-Action Rifle | Winchester

Exception bolt-action hunting rifle for adverse weather, Bell and Carlson stock, aluminum bedding block, matte stainless action and fluted barrel, M.O.A. trigger system, Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad.

www.winchesterguns.com

Model 70 Featherweight | Bolt-Action Rifle | Winchester

Light weight bolt-action hunting rifle with classic looks. Checkered satin finish stock with Schnabel forearm, lighter Featherweight barrel profile, controlled round feed, Pachmayr pad.

www.winchesterguns.com

I like the extreme weather rifle. But it's only available in 243 and 338 winmag. 243 wouldn't be that bad though.

 

[XP1K]

Make sure you are looking at the /en-us or /usa site. Also look more at the JRT part numbers rather than the TF ones. The JRT's are more likely imported.

For a quick primer on tikkas I put this together awhile ago. I try to keep it somewhat updated.
Tikka buying guide T3 thread #3273 on page 66. https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/tikka-t3-thread.6252615/post-7301418

Go figure. The one I want is a TF.

 

[fdkay]

Within budget, upgrades from the standard HMR.
Add scope, done.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/57117/bergara+prem.+hmr+pro+.308+win

 

[SouthFLShootin]

Tikka in 6.5CM.

Man bun or not, it works and works well. Ammo is available, it doesn't sacrifice a whole lot to the 308 up close for hunting and performs a good bit better past 600-700 yards for shooting targets.

Tikka also has a 70* bolt throw, which I prefer over a 90* and allows for pre fit barrels, plenty of aftermarket stock options for the future, and a half way decent trigger with a spring swap.

 

[Scott037]

Tikka CTR in .308 or the Origin build idea.
6.5 manbun as a second place

Upgrade as ya like.

Origin is a one and done and better long term option IMO.

I have both rifles in both calibers.

I love my tikka ctr. It a 6.5cm version, it dropped two texas spike white tails in 45 second one was 200 yard, the second one was 375 it took 2 shot because of a bad range call due to fog. Also, put hits on 4 pig running I mean running at around 900 to 1100 yards the day prior. big hogs are tough and only had 5 rounds on me.

 

[346ci]

Tikka CTR, Varmint, Super Varmint or one of the light weight camo versions, in 6.5. The last 2 will be ready for any weather.

I dumped .308 for the recoil, 6.5 man bun kills deer fine.

 

[XP1K]

First? Win. 94 30-30

Oddly enough he did bring this up. I mean if it came down to the 30-30 or a slingshot, I guess I'd take the 30-30

I had an old, probably first or second edition Speer load manual that belonged to my grandfather. Lost it to hurricane Harvey. I rember reading the brief write up on the 30-30 in that book. It said the 30-30 had probably taken more deer than any other cartridge in history. And it had probably accounted for more deer wounded and lost than any other cartridge in history.

I don't think it's entirely the cartridges fault though. I think due to the "brush gun" nature of most rifles in 30-30 a lot of bad shots get made leading to a lot of wounded animals.

 

[308pirate]

I like the extreme weather rifle. But it's only available in 243 and 338 winmag. 243 wouldn't be that bad though.

The Featherweight is chambered in almost any cartridge worth having for a deer/boar/elk rifle.

Plus it looks sexy as fuck.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

If it's his money, he needs a Rigby.

Nothing else will do. He probably should order two. After all, two is one... one is none.

The London Best - John Rigby & Co.

www.johnrigbyandco.com

Sirhr

 

[XP1K]

Alright so we all seem to be in agreement with either tikka or bergara. Leaning tikka myself, what about optics. Do we start him straight down the road of ffp's and Christmas trees or do we go with something more simple? Burris veracity comes to mind on the simple end.

Nightforce shv, xtr3, pst gen2, strike eagle ?

Another friend of mine put the ffp 4-20x veracity on a bergara ridge in 300winmag. Reticle isn't too busy. Likes it pretty well.

Ffp for me on a hunting gun has to have illumination. Low light I lose the reticle at low power. I have one leupold that can hold about 11x right up to dark with no illumination.

 

[Skunk]

I’ve got a Sako 85 that I love. Looks nice, feels nice, shoots great.

I’m in west Texas where we have tons of space and distance. I shoot .308 for the most part. It works. The Creedmoor’s are good cartridges, too.

 

[XP1K]

The Featherweight is chambered in almost any cartridge worth having for a deer/boar/elk rifle.

Plus it looks sexy as fuck.

I've shot a featherweight in 270win. I really liked it.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Alright so we all seem to be in agreement with either tikka or bergara. Leaning tikka myself, what about optics. Do we start him straight down the road of ffp's and Christmas trees or do we go with something more simple? Burris veracity comes to mind on the simple end.

Nightforce shv, xtr3, pst gen2, strike eagle ?

Another friend of mine put the ffp 4-20x veracity on a bergara ridge in 300winmag. Reticle isn't too busy. Likes it pretty well.

Ffp for me on a hunting gun has to have illumination. Low light I lose the reticle at low power. I have one leupold that can hold about 11x right up to dark with no illumination.

Wait, I thought we were in agreement that only a Rigby would do? Or a pair? I mean... it's not your money! ;-)

Sirhr

 

[XP1K]

Wait, I thought we were in agreement that only a Rigby would do? Or a pair? I mean... it's not your money! ;-)

Sirhr

That London best is a beautiful rifle. But at close to three months salary I doubt he'll go for it. I'll run it by him though.

 

[M4orturnate]

While i believe every red blooded American should own a 308 6.5cm is the best thing to get someone hooked on long range. First time he hits 1k yards its over for his wallet. If hunting wasn't in the equation id say 223. Set him up for easy success and he'll be a dhooter for life.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

That London best is a beautiful rifle. But at close to three months salary I doubt he'll go for it. I'll run it by him though.

Three months... Damn, he is rich! He'd probably give some chick a diamond worth a lot more than that and end up poor.

He needs to buy three!

Sirhr

 

[M4orturnate]

Alright so we all seem to be in agreement with either tikka or bergara. Leaning tikka myself, what about optics. Do we start him straight down the road of ffp's and Christmas trees or do we go with something more simple? Burris veracity comes to mind on the simple end.

Nightforce shv, xtr3, pst gen2, strike eagle ?

Another friend of mine put the ffp 4-20x veracity on a bergara ridge in 300winmag. Reticle isn't too busy. Likes it pretty well.

Ffp for me on a hunting gun has to have illumination. Low light I lose the reticle at low power. I have one leupold that can hold about 11x right up to dark with no illumination.

Get him to spend a few dollars extra and grab a burris xtr3 with the scr mil reticle. Its a excellent scope for the money. Punches above its class

 

[kthomas]

While I love .308, I would vote for something like the 6.5 PRC for a new time shooter. .30 cal's have a tendency to be pretty efficient at exploiting our fundamental flaws. The 6.5 PRC can tackle pretty much all NA game, without being punishing at all to shoot.

For rifle, I vote Tikka. I've never used this company, but OM Rifles has some pretty neat looking upgrade packages for the Tikka that may be worth checking out.

 

[hollowoutadime]

I'd budget a .308 can for it. (will work well on a 6.5 too) TBac 7" comes to mind.

 

[XP1K]

While i believe every red blooded American should own a 308 6.5cm is the best thing to get someone hooked on long range. First time he hits 1k yards its over for his wallet. If hunting wasn't in the equation id say 223. Set him up for easy success and he'll be a dhooter for life.

This is true. I remember the first time I connected at 600, which was as far as my gun club went.

I had been shooting the club gong at 350 with my 700LTR in 308 with a 6-18x40 nikon buckmaster on top of it.(still have that rifle but that scope is gone)Another member had set a gong out at 600 and after he got back and the range was hot again he told me to shoot it. I told him I didn't want to be the first one to knock the paint of his new target and besides, I'd never sent a bullet that far in my life and didn't even know where to start.

He asked what I was shooting and after I told him he said to come up 15 minutes and send it. I said, 15 what?

Scope had a sfp mil dot with 1/8" adjustments. Think I held third mil dot center of target and let one go. Saw the splash at the base of the target so I measured in the reticle, corrected and set another one loose. Pinwheeled it. And I was hooked.

The rest is history. And a long list of rifles, scopes reloading gear, now a lathe, and on and on and on. Yeah.