Just want one rifle....

[Yogi619]

I may have posted on this website a few times, but for the most part I’ve been reading threads on here forever.

i haven’t had a ton of time to get into precision shooting until recently (I’m a steel shop foreman, and steel is booming right now), but my girlfriend is pushing to get out in the field and start figuring out long range shooting/hunting. 95% of my shooting at this point in my life has been pistol.

She currently has a Christensen 7mag that she uses for work (wildlife biologist and hunting guide) but she’s itching for a 223 for coyote shooting, which is simple enough.

Now, I need to get myself a rifle, and I would like some input. Here’s my perceived needs....

Id like long barrel life. I have the opportunity and time to shoot maybe 300-500 rounds a month right now.

I’d like to be able to shoot coyote and keep pelts. Which may be a function of just using match rounds that don’t expand.

I’m also planning on some international hunts in the next few years, and I’d like to take this rifle with me. Which means, large enough caliber to kill a nice sized warthog or impala, and ammo should be available should I lose some in transit.

I’m also getting into precision reloading, so a caliber that’ll allow me to learn.

I live in Utah, west of SLC, so my range is infinite. But I doubt I’d go beyond 1000. 600-800 is probably more realistic.

Lastly, I’ve been staring at Tac Ops rifles for like 15 years. So I’d like a caliber that they offer, since I’m finally in a position to buy one.

Does 308 hit it all? 6.5? 243? Am I being unrealistic?

 

[Bkultra]

308 checks all your boxes, barrel life being it's big strong point.

Edit: just noticed you wanted to save the pelts, in that case 308 will make a hell of a mess.

 

[Nik H]

Shooting yotes with a 308??

The 308 checks every box on your list other than coyote. Most of my buds that shoot yotes in a serious way are using a dedicated 22-250. Very little damage to the pelt.

 

[Cayenne6]

Another vote for 308.

 

[IowaGeologist]

If you’re going through 300-500 rounds a month the cost of a new barrel shouldn’t even cross your mind. Go 6.5 Creed and don’t look back.

 

[Steel head]

If you’re going through 300-500 rounds a month the cost of a new barrel shouldn’t even cross your mind. Go 6.5 Creed and don’t look back.

This.

 

[hlee]

Impala? Warthog? Lost ammo in transit? What calibers are popular in Africa?

 

[peteryeu]

Long barrel life go 308w.

 

[Yogi619]

The cool thing about having two incomes and no kids means I can shoot as much as I want, financially. But time is a much bigger factor.

As far as rounds popular in Africa, I just mean that wildcats are out of the question. I’d like to have a 6 Creedmoor, or something more off color like a 22BR, but I’m not going to find those overseas. So I’m trying to stick to relatively popular calibers. 308, 243, 22-250, etc.

Keeping pelts is one factor of many, but not any more important than any other consideration. It may just be where I do the spotting and let my girlfriend do all of the actual coyote shooting (I’m sure she wouldn’t mind).

a 6.5 creed is really the only other option that I think somewhat fits the bill. I understand the sentiment of “if you can afford to shoot that much, you can afford a new barrel”, but it’s not like the stuff grows on trees. I have no desire to compete, so I just don’t know if the added ballistics really trump the added barrel life. But that’s why I’m asking you guys =)

 

[Nik H]

Get an AI AX with 6.5 CM barrel AND 338 lapua barrel.

Hunt anything in the world, and swap barrels once you wear out the CM.

And never worry about missing because your gun are shit.

You mean an AXMC not an AX

 

[Goathead1096]

Desert Tech A1's can be had relatively cheap right now. Get yourself a 223 conversion, and something else with a little more authority.

 

[JC0352]

Get a Bighorn with a .308 barrel and a .22-250 barrel

while you’re at it, get the 6.8 bolt head and a .224 Valk barrel

 

[Crews]

First of all, congrats on hitting the girlfriend jackpot.

 

[W54/XM-388]

Lastly, I’ve been staring at Tac Ops rifles for like 15 years. So I’d like a caliber that they offer, since I’m finally in a position to buy one.
Does 308 hit it all? 6.5? 243? Am I being unrealistic?

Long barrel life pretty much means .308 or .223
There is a Tac Ops .308 rifle with DBM for sale right now at an excellent price

https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/tac-ops-x-ray-51-5200.6970815/

Go to that thread and grab that rifle, it's an amazing deal and will hit all your boxes.
I'd be very much on it if I wasn't saving for one of the new super rifles that @THEIS and his Hoplite Arms company are coming out with
(The ones I'm looking at won't be on the really long barrel life HA!)

 

[Milf Dots]

6.5 CM, because the 308 will damage the pelts you want to keep.

 

[wade2big]

6.5 CM, because the 308 will damage the pelts you want to keep.

No worse than 6.5 creed. . I have shot lots with both. It would come down more to the bullet used.

 

[XTREM HTR16]

First of all, congrats on hitting the girlfriend jackpot.

amen, a girlfriend who is a hunting guide? Damn

 

[goatboy]

Impala? Warthog? Lost ammo in transit? What calibers are popular in Africa?

375 HH in a bolt gun

416 up to 470 NE in a double rifle.


7mm is also super versatile

 

[FALex]

You might even consider a .223AI. You can push the heavier bullets faster but you can also purchase factory .223 ammo in a pinch or when you're feeling lazy. Though the same could be said for the Valkyrie as well.

I'm just not sure Tac Ops offers those chamberings.

If you truly are shooting 3-500 rounds a month, a .308 wouldn't be too bad, either.

 

[Yogi619]

I totally know that I hit the girlfriend jackpot. She has guided a handful of hunts in Tajikistan, and unfortunately we had to postpone her own hunt for an Ibex this year (it was a choice between an Ibex or new floors. We chose hardwood).

As badly as I want that Tac Ops rifle right now, the fact that there’s a waiting list is helpful. I’ll be ordering later this year, using the money I save from selling my motorcycle, and pick it up whenever it gets finished.

I’ve given some consideration to a TL3 action. Still weighing that decision.

The plan, as of right now, is to buy a R700 (Maybe 5r?), drop it into a KRG Bravo, figure out load development with it (while also load developing the girlfriends 223 and 7mm), and shooting the shit out of it while I wait for a Tac Ops. I honestly just need a ton of trigger time.

 

[Milf Dots]

I totally know that I hit the girlfriend jackpot. She has guided a handful of hunts in Tajikistan, and unfortunately we had to postpone her own hunt for an Ibex this year (it was a choice between an Ibex or new floors. We chose hardwood).

As badly as I want that Tac Ops rifle right now, the fact that there’s a waiting list is helpful. I’ll be ordering later this year, using the money I save from selling my motorcycle, and pick it up whenever it gets finished.

I’ve given some consideration to a TL3 action. Still weighing that decision.

The plan, as of right now, is to buy a R700 (Maybe 5r?), drop it into a KRG Bravo, figure out load development with it (while also load developing the girlfriends 223 and 7mm), and shooting the shit out of it while I wait for a Tac Ops. I honestly just need a ton of trigger time.

One of the things I've read quite oten here on SH and other forums- Tikka actions are usually true enough outta the box, but Remmies always seem to need truing. You may have already factored that into the equation.

 

[Milf Dots]

Have you considered 7mm-08? Better barrel life than 6.5cm, and some say slighter flatter shooting than 308. There's a 7mm-08 thread here on SH that mentions Bryan Litz and his use of a 7mm-08 to kick some butt in competitions.

 

[Yogi619]

I haven’t considered 7-08 actually. I’ll look more into it.

I know that 308 hits all the buttons, but for some reason 243 or 22-250 keeps gnawing on me. I just know that barrel life is going to eat me alive, and I really don’t want to go through a new barrel every 4-6 months.

Since I’m selling the bike, shooting is really my only hobby. I’ve since left the 1911 world and bought a Glock, and now I really plan on delving into long range plinking at a hobbyist level.

 

[Luvman]

I’m not sure where rifle weight hits on your list of priorities. If you’re ok with a rifle on the heavier side you might look into an AI AT, AX308, or even the Desert Tech. With the ability to switch barrels easily you can have a .308 barrel or 3 and have a dedicated coyote barrel in 22-250.

At 300-500rds a month a .308 barrel could last a couple years. And the 22-250 barrel could be swapped before a hunt so it’s round count would be considerably less.

 

[Yogi619]

Weight isn’t a concern. I don’t plan on doing much stalking, and I work in a steel shop ?

 

[Luvman]

Weight isn’t a concern. I don’t plan on doing much stalking, and I work in a steel shop ?

Sounds like an AI would work perfect. Only problem with owning an AI is when you miss you can’t blame the rifle.

 

[RTH1800]

Get a 6 CM. When you go to Africa use a loner rifle. AI is very good but quite a load to carry.

 

[Bender]

Yotes and long barrel life? .224 Valkyrie.

Done.

 

[Yogi619]

i Honestly don’t think that I could go wrong with either 223 or 308. I don’t plan on hunting the Big 5 in Africa, but warthogs and baboons are on the list. I’ll leave the kudu and such to my better half.

223ai could definitely be in my future. It would be kinda cool to have a stupid accurate 223, but I just think 308 is a lot more versatile if I were to choose between the two.

 

[ditter]

6.5 CM and have no worries

 

[aprocast]

With that sort of budget get two Tikkas, a223 for totes and practice and a 300 WSM for serious stuff

 

[aprocast]

With that sort of budget get two Tikkas, a223 for yotes and practice and a 300 WSM for serious stuff

 

[steve123]

With the advent of inexpensive, or even higher quality, "prefit" barrels you don't have to pay $800 to have a barrel chambered, etc, by a gunsmith. Pretty decent sized list of actions that take prefits nowadays.

So barrel life isn't near the concern it used to be, like in my case. Heck I paid less than $400 shipped for my 6mmBR prefit barrel that is stupid accurate.

Buy a few tools, like a go and no-go gauge, and you can swap barrels in minutes.

Understand that both 223 and 308 factory ammo blows quite a bit more in the wind than say 6.5 Creed does. This becomes a factor at longer distances. Don't make me tell you all my sad stories...

Trying to attempt the one cartridge does all thing never goes well.

There's also the weight thing, unless you are big, in shape, and work out, carrying a heavy rifle all day can suck!

So since you have money right now you can configure a fine custom rifle with different stocks and barrels for varied purposes.

Bighorn TL3 custom action has a quick change bolt head so you can use different sized case heads for the other cartridge head families and is a fine action. Also at some point you might even buy another TL3 action enabling two rifles specific to different purposes.

 

[pmclaine]

This is fiction.........




You need to be poor in another hobby.

 

[z7.jled]

Be careful with the girlfriend
Where does she fall on the hot/crazy scale?

Sounds like you need an AI or DT with multiple barrels, but a tripod for hunting

 

[perttime]

Get a Tikka and put it in a stock or chassis that you love.

308 has the barrel life and it will reach the distances that you mention. For keeping the pelts, pick a bullet that stays together. It has enough bullet for the warthogs. It is available just about anywhere.

 

[346ci]

i Honestly don’t think that I could go wrong with either 223 or 308. I don’t plan on hunting the Big 5 in Africa, but warthogs and baboons are on the list. I’ll leave the kudu and such to my better half.

Tikka Varmint in .223 and the CTR in 6.5cm would be your best bet. Don't even bother with a 700..

 

[AverageGrunt]

6.5 cm, hornady makes varmit at 95gr for coyotes, I am doing what you’re trying to do with a impact action, mpa hybrid folder, only difference is I went proof barrel because I don’t shoot as much as you do and love the weight of it. Thing shoots lights out. Just my two cents

 

[nickw]

With the advent of inexpensive, or even higher quality, "prefit" barrels you don't have to pay $800 to have a barrel chambered, etc, by a gunsmith. Pretty decent sized list of actions that take prefits nowadays.

So barrel life isn't near the concern it used to be, like in my case. Heck I paid less than $400 shipped for my 6mmBR prefit barrel that is stupid accurate.

Buy a few tools, like a go and no-go gauge, and you can swap barrels in minutes.

Understand that both 223 and 308 factory ammo blows quite a bit more in the wind than say 6.5 Creed does. This becomes a factor at longer distances. Don't make me tell you all my sad stories...

Trying to attempt the one cartridge does all thing never goes well.

There's also the weight thing, unless you are big, in shape, and work out, carrying a heavy rifle all day can suck!

So since you have money right now you can configure a fine custom rifle with different stocks and barrels for varied purposes.

Bighorn TL3 custom action has a quick change bolt head so you can use different sized case heads for the other cartridge head families and is a fine action. Also at some point you might even buy another TL3 action enabling two rifles specific to different purposes.

100% agree. You can’t do everything with one rifle. .223 or 22-250 will be great for yotes, but not for larger game. A .223 will also give you a great practice rifle. I’m a .264 fan, so 260 or 6.5 creed is where I’d lean for second caliber. You’ll appreciate the better ballistics of the .264 over .308 at longer ranges and there are a bunch of quality .264 hunting bullets. I would do one of two things. Purchase two rifles, one for yotes and a second in a larger caliber with good bbl life. Second option is to buy a switch barrel rifle. AI, DT and Bighorn have been mentioned. I’d add Impact Precision to the list. Switching barrels is crazy easy. All you need is a barrel vise and an action wrench or an Allen wrench depending on platform. You can also change the bolt or the bolthead as needed for caliber changes. Good luck.

 

[CaptNemo]

Tikka Varmint in .223 and the CTR in 6.5cm would be your best bet. Don't even bother with a 700..

This.
After you order the rifles, order two replacement barrels and the tools to change them. By the time the replacements get there, you’re be ready to swap barrels. Once you get the OEM barrels off, a barrel swap is a piece of cake.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Accuracy International AX with a bunch of barrels. Barnes LRX bullets for not blowing up pelts.

Get a dedicated rifle for Africa when/if you go. Hard to go wrong with a good ole M70 Safari in 375H&H.

 

[kthomas]

I'm also another advocate for two rifles in your case. Two many competing goals which will cause you to make some serious compromises.

Get a fun .22BR or .25 creedmoor rifle for your uses in NA, and get a .375 H&H for Africa. If barrel life is truly a concern, then a .224 Valkyrie is not a horrible choice as someone else pointed out.

 

[LongRangeJunky]

Desert Tech A1's can be had relatively cheap right now. Get yourself a 223 conversion, and something else with a little more authority.

I know a guy selling his A1 kit at a smoking deal. 6.5 cm and 7 Saum barrels.

 

[BrentlyWhite]

There is a TAC Ops 51 in .308 listed in the PX.

 

[Yogi619]

I think two rifles is in my future. Damn yous guys for making sense.

223 is going to likely be a trainer and coyote rifle only. Easy to get spun up on while I get my reloading room and technique dialed in. Get the best glass I care to afford (ATACR is on my wish list), and get as much trigger time as possible.

For a second rifle, which isn’t going to come quickly (probably put down a down payment a year from now), I really just “want” a Tac Ops rifle. Ive listed after one for a long time, and as far as I know I’ve only ever seen them in 308, 260, and 300wm. Since im not going to be worried about coyote with a second rifle, it opens up my caliber choice.

 

[Just Macca]

Here’s another approach that I’m undertaking myself.

Have a look at the Blaser R8 Professional Success. Switch barrel from 22LR - 223 - 308 - Winmags - 338 Lap Mags - 500 Jeffery. And everything of interest in between.

They’re dead accurate, the quickest there is to swap calibers, faster cycling than any turn bolt, hold zero perfect due to the scope mounting to the barrel, and J Sipp and sons now do custom barrels.

The only draw back when compared to custom rifles is magazine capacity, as it can’t be extended.

There’s plenty of other benefits, but I’ll leave that to you. I reckon it’s the perfect solution for you.

 

[perttime]

Here’s another approach that I’m undertaking myself.

Have a look at the Blaser R8 Professional Success. Switch barrel from 22LR - 223 - 308 - Winmags - 338 Lap Mags - 500 Jeffery. And everything of interest in between.

They’re dead accurate, the quickest there is to swap calibers, faster cycling than any turn bolt, hold zero perfect due to the scope mounting to the barrel, and J Sipp and sons now do custom barrels.

The only draw back when compared to custom rifles is magazine capacity, as it can’t be extended.

There’s plenty of other benefits, but I’ll leave that to you. I reckon it’s the perfect solution for you.

The Success (thumbhole) stock worries me a bit, in combination with the Blaser cocking lever. Looks as if access isn't quite as easy as most safety levers.

 

[goatboy]

So, let’s invert the discussion. This is all about retaining modularity and optionality at this time.

Whatever the rifle costs, it’s the next $2-4k for the scope which is the limiter. Think of this as “one scope” instead of one rifle and get an action that lets you switch barrels. If you are going to shoot 200-300 rounds/ month, that’s $1,200-3,000 a year. A $500-1,000 prefit shouldn’t be a concern. And if you are switching up the barrel and aren’t doing it in the field, the barrel life measured in time will be longer.

So, focus on the scope- reticle, turrets, glass. Since you aren’t concerned about weight and have some budget, buy a ZCO 420. 527 if you want a big boy. Nothing wrong with ATACR, just more right with ZCO. The Christmas tree reticle is clean and the optics are stunning. When you switch barrels, you will have a record of prior zero and can dial back to it, confirm in a short zeroing group and are GTG. It’s gonna really be about the scope because it and the ergonomics of the stock and trigger are your common factors.

Then focus on over all weight- break it into 3 sets. Sub 8# scoped for a lightweight field gun, 12# plus for a heavy bench rest / “I don’t intend to carry it” gun, and the 8-12# group as your sweet spot.

In this sweet spot, consider your options to go both ways weight wise, eg use a proof carbon prefit to highly fluted barrel to tilt to the lighter side for a gun more easily carried and a heavy contour barrel plus weights to the stock for the static setup.

Note, I haven’t even mentioned caliber yet because it doesn’t really matter because you can just changer barrel and bolt head.

So for me, you’re talking about a chassis gun with a remage / switch block action. AI is beautiful, but so is going with a KRG X-ray or Whisky 3 or anyone of the new chassis options. I don’t know the answer, but i’d look for the lightest one that I can weight heavier that has a folding stock. The folding might not matter much, would love to know others thoughts.

So here’s the best damn thing about this. This set up can pretty much do anything and, having learned from using it, when you decide you want the newest and coolest scope, take the scope you bought for this first build and build a purpose specific gun around it.

Boom, done.

Caliber. Cheap to shoot .223 ammo with more expensive 69gr plus pellets is a great approach. If you want to play longer range, the 224 valkerie is probably great but in that distance range I’d do a 6.5 grendel because it has more energy and is a great varmint/ small medium game round that is softer shooting than other 6.5s. Still, the 223 is always going to be softer shooting and cheaper, hard to beat. For a heavier round, the venerable 308 is venerable for a reason, but I believe the 6.5creedmore and PRC have better functional ballistics, albeit at the cost of barrel life.

And, dont think the larger cartridge needs the heavier set up. 308 is great in a short 16” barrel which married with the light chassis construct makes an excellent field gun for pretty much anything in North America.

Have fun, let us know what you do. But seriously, put your cash into the scope. You won’t regret it.

 

[goosed]

The OP's responses so far give some indications like lack of interest in a switch barrel setup. Just like barrel life is important, which I truly don't understand why as a Tac Ops on the radar usually means budget is not really the limiting factor. Yet there are still too many parameters left undefined, imo...

From the OP "match bullets" randomly picked and saving pelts don't really go together. You might get lucky, but bullets matter more than caliber for saving pelts, do your due diligence on them.

223, 223AI, 22-250 are all great calibers for Yotes, but we know nothing about your hunting style/setup which should be the driving factor. If you can/want to night hunt that's a completely different rifle and gear setup vs a day time setup. In addition Utah offers some very diverse terrain in which densely wooded terrain dictates a different setup than wide open rolling hills, which is different yet from mountainous terrain.

There is no question Accuracy International, Desert Tech and Tac Ops are all fantastic rifles for consistently banging steel from 600yds to well beyond 1000. If you really want a new Tac Ops, if rumors hold true, you may want to order sooner rather than later as retirement is on his horizon. They certainly can pull double as hunting rifles as well, but keep in mind that a 13lb+ rifles/scopes are clearly less versatile for hunting and can quickly become a burden to use rather than beneficial depending on the hunting situation.

For international hunts, just traveling/flying with a rifle can be a burden in itself. If going outfit/guided using "house rifles" when available, in my experience, can be the real ticket to role specific tools that are setup exactly for the style of guided hunt that outfit likes to provide and feels has the best chance of success. It truly makes for head ache and worry free international hunting.

You can certainly start at the top of the mountain with the best available if that's what you want now even though it may not actually fit your needs in the long run, but until you can paint that clear picture, which it doesn't seem you've formed yet, something simple like a Tikka T3x lite/CTR (upgraded as you go or left stock) can be a great way to get some experience for a smaller cash outlay. If the Tikka(s) can't do everything you want come back here with the experience gained and more defined requirements to find something that will truly fulfill your needs.

All this put in simple terms, is to say the more clearly you define your use scenarios and desires the more the knowledge base here can be focused and ultimately will be more helpful to finding you the "RIGHT" rifle setup rather than just high quality rifles.