Pre-purchase hunting rifle research--suggestions?

thai · May 1, 2014

Great choice in rifles!
I have had my Weatherby Mark V 30-06 for 19 years. I hand load for it and it is a solid .75 to 1 moa rifle. I can at times get a phenomenal .25" five shot grouping if all conditions are right and lay off the caffeine prior to shooting. But it is a real solid rifle and it has an adjustable trigger.

I also have a Sako 75 in .300 Weatherby Magnum. This is a beautiful rifle with beautiful wood. A bit heavy but is built as sturdy as they come. A really classy rifle and high quality. My handloads are able to also group .75 to 1 moa. Depending on the bullet. Sakos I find is really accurate when loaded at near max loads. I have on few occasions able to do a 3 shot group that can measure around .20" from a cold clean barrel.

These two choices are as good as you are gonna get for a working mans rifle. Fine quality and really nice to hold and look at.

duckslayer56 · May 1, 2014

Be wary with the Kimbers. You've got a good chance at getting a lemon with them. I know several people that had to take out of the box Kimber's into a gunsmith to get them to shoot accurately. You pay $1000+ for a rifle that will give you 2" groups at 100. I've seen this first hand. Turns out Kimber does not have very good customer service either.

Personally I'd go with a Tikka T3. Put a 3x9 leupold and some Talley lightweights on it and you will still be under $1000. I got mine in 270 I took it out and shot sub MOA at 100 yrds with factory ammo right out of the box. It does even better with handloads. They also have an adjustable trigger so you can set it where you like it. They weigh in right around 6 pounds so they aren't heavy either.

You may want to look at the 6.5 Swedish for your hunting needs. There have been a lot of elk killed with the 6.5 as well as smaller game. Not much recoil to them, and an abosolute joy to shoot.

Another option is the 257 weatherby. Both weatherby and Remington offer rifles in this chambering. Not much out there that shoots flatter than the 257. Personally I think it may be a little on the light side for elk, but if you focus more on shot placement than the size of the hole, you should be fine.

armed ferret · May 2, 2014

i've seen lots of people bitch on forums about how their POS kimber wouldn't shoot. then they sold it. then the guy who bought it posted about how happy he was with the accuracy of the kimber he picked up secondhand.

it's the gun's fault exponentially less often than many 'net dwellers would assume.

lightweight rigs can be tricky. they're intended for folks who know what they're doing....which certainly doesn't apply to every forum monkey on the planet.

comikemike · May 2, 2014

Thanks to everyone for all of the excellent advice--your responses are exactly why I decided to pose the question.

WRT the caliber preference and sub-MOA requirement...I'm hoping to wind up with a gun that will handle everything from Eastern Colorado pronghorns to the aforementioned Yukon moose. Shots beyond 200 yds out on the high plains are the norm, and with the proper set-up, shooter and conditions, it's not unreasonable to stretch it out to 600 or a little more; I want to take that longer shot, but I won't if I'm not extremely confident that my rifle is capable of the accuracy and my round still retains enough energy to lay down the thump for a quick and humane kill. And on the other (Yukon) end of the spectrum, well crap, is .300 even enough?! :confused:

Chevyman85 · May 2, 2014

.22 Cricket. It's small lightweight and well under $1500. You'll just need to stalk a bit closer and be extremely particular with shot placement :innocent0

Oh and ammo is kind of a pain to find at the moment....

armed ferret · May 2, 2014

comikemike said:
And on the other (Yukon) end of the spectrum, well crap, is .300 even enough?!

pards in AK down moose and elk annually with .25-06 and .270; those are actually better for the average shooter. most folks, magnums just cause recoil flinching and worse shots, TBH.

Traveler · May 2, 2014

No need to overcompensate or have a rifle caliber that lets you brag. Range time, time with a trainer, practice, practice, practice. As the Chuck Hawks article said, shot placement first.

Kolholznik · May 2, 2014

Russ D said:
On that budget , Sako or Tikka.

I would also consider a CZ 550 in .300 Mag

http://cz-usa.com/product/cz-550-ultimate-hunting-rifle/

Russ D · May 2, 2014

armed ferret said:
pards in AK down moose and elk annually with .25-06 and .270; those are actually better for the average shooter. most folks, magnums just cause recoil flinching and worse shots, TBH.

Yep. I'm a pretty experienced shooter and I definitely shoot non-magnums better than light magnum rifles. I like the idea of the 6.5 Swede or 25-06. I have both and with good hand loads in a Tikka or Sako you will be shooting sub MOA if you do your part. On the other hand a heavyweight rifle in .300 Win Mag can be a puppy to shoot. There's always a trade-off.

armed ferret · May 2, 2014

definitely with ya on the trade-off. stand or blind hunting, a heavy rifle ain't no thang. i've taken my pig of a .308 down to texas simply because it's all blinds on feed routes. nothing too tough about sitting and waiting.

if i'm humpin it, such as the rockies for elk, make mine a lightweight non-magnum any day of the week.

Jerry M · May 2, 2014

I recommend a Remington 700 in BORING .30-06 with a fiberglass stock of your choice. Order it separately, to get what you want.

While I have not killed an elk, I have used 30-06 with Nosler Partitons on Diker, Baboon, Spring Buck, Impalla, 3 warthogs, gemsbuk, Kudu, Wildebeest and Zebra. All one shot kills with 180 grain Nosler Partitions.

Good luck

Jerry

Overboost44 · May 2, 2014

I am posting in advance of having the pertinent info, but I wanted to track the thread this way. My friend has a Cooper 7-08 that he was thinking of selling. I will post when I have the details. Back to your regularly scheduled program.

ETA: It is a Cooper Model 54 Jackson Game Rifle with a custom LOP of 14.5" (long arms) but the price is $2300 without glass. $2800 with a Trijicon Accupoint 1x4

comikemike · May 3, 2014

Overboost44 said:
I am posting in advance of having the pertinent info, but I wanted to track the thread this way. My friend has a Cooper 7-08 that he was thinking of selling. I will post when I have the details. Back to your regularly scheduled program.

ETA: It is a Cooper Model 54 Jackson Game Rifle with a custom LOP of 14.5" (long arms) but the price is $2300 without glass. $2800 with a Trijicon Accupoint 1x4

Man, those Coopers sound sweet--never personally handled or shot one, but I've heard nothing but good things about them. Makes me start to think I should sell and/or save more to bump up into that range. Of course, then I'd have to consider the GA Precision Non Typical too...

armed ferret · May 3, 2014

comikemike said:
Man, those Coopers sound sweet--never personally handled or shot one, but I've heard nothing but good things about them. Makes me start to think I should sell and/or save more to bump up into that range. Of course, then I'd have to consider the GA Precision Non Typical too...

two TOTALLY different worlds.

if someone were offering me one or the other, my choice, no-brainer. cooper all. day. long.

Russ D · May 3, 2014

Interesting read about Tikka rifles.
http://www.sincityprecision.com/?p=2274

Overboost44 · May 3, 2014

comikemike said:
Man, those Coopers sound sweet--never personally handled or shot one, but I've heard nothing but good things about them. Makes me start to think I should sell and/or save more to bump up into that range. Of course, then I'd have to consider the GA Precision Non Typical too...

He said he has "some other options" on it too, but didn't elaborate. I told him it was more than you wanted to spend, but that I would put it out there. I think he said they put 3 rounds through it at the factory and then he has put less than a box through it. To my understanding, they are as sweet as they come. If you miss, it's your fault, not the gun

Augie · May 4, 2014

comikemike said:
Man, those Coopers sound sweet--never personally handled or shot one, but I've heard nothing but good things about them. Makes me start to think I should sell and/or save more to bump up into that range. Of course, then I'd have to consider the GA Precision Non Typical too...

I did save a few more bucks and bought a Cooper when I was looking for a high end 22 rimfire and I am glad I did. Very well made rifles with an accuracy guarantee and an excellent warranty. Equaled the factory 1 hole test target the second time out,almost boringly accurate.
In the big game rifles they are available with an all weather stock and just about any caliber including several wildcats that you could want. Hendershots in Hagerstown is a Cooper dealer and had 30 to 50 in stock the last time I was in. They can also special order one for you but depending on how you want it built it can take up to a year. The all weather stocked ones are not to far above your budget.The wood stocked ones can be quite expensive depending on model and grade of wood and options. The used one Overboost44 mentioned could be a hell of a deal.

armed ferret · May 4, 2014

oh and

dlharsh · May 4, 2014

I've picked up a number of the Vanguard sub-moas the past couple of years in various calibers and all shoot well. Mine are all the older version. I replace the triggers with Timneys for about $100. I've picked up several new ones in the $500 range. You get a decent Bell and Carlson stock and the load they shot sub moa with. The new model has a better trigger from the start but you have to go the the range certified model to get the equivalent of the old Sub Moa model.

quickdraw17 · May 5, 2014

I think a Tikka would fit your specs pretty well. Almost every one I've seen has been a great shooter right out of the box.

In terms of caliber, that's secondary to shot placement in my book. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with magnums, so long as you practice and are proficient with it. Carry the caliber that gives you the performance you need and that you are comfortable shooting. I own a 300 WSM, and I am currently having a 300 Win Mag being built for me. I like the performance of these rounds, particularly at longer ranges. What works for someone else might not be what works for you.

Pre-purchase hunting rifle research--suggestions?

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