which rifle should i lean towards?


Guest aaronchase

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Guest aaronchase

i have a rather tough decision on my hands. Since christmas was just here i have some money kicken around and since this year was my first time deer hunting(i hunted with a borrowed rifle) I need a rifle so i have a few choices. Im goin to pick between three rifles. the remington 700 sps 7mm, savage model 111 7mm or a tikka t3 lite 7mm. for the remington and savage i would be able to put some good glass on it with the money left but with the tikka i would have to wait for summer to roll around for a job. im just wondering what you would do. and as you can see im set on getting a 7mm just not sure on what brand of rifle.

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Re: which rifle should i lean towards?

I have 2 Tikka's and they are great! I have had Remington's and Savage's and will take the Tikka any day of the week over either of them!

I would also go with a 30-06 before I would go with a 7 Mag!

Save up this summer for a good scope and you won't be sorry! You will have time to get it sighted in before hunting season!

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

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Re: which rifle should i lean towards?

Think I would take a .308 or a 30-06 over a 7 mm if it were me for the availability of ammo and selection. Never personally shot a tikka but heard great things about them. Have a remington model 700 I have been hunting with since 1995 and the gun for me just feels right. The wife shoots a savage model 10, and it is a very accurate little rifle, dont really think you could go wrong with any of those choices.

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Re: which rifle should i lean towards?

Aaron you do have a tough choice & I've been in the same situation. All 3 rifles are great & the 7mm calibur is fine, especially with you being up in Canada.

I bought a my first .270 back in 2001 & I waited 2 years before I saved up & bought some really nice glass for it. That's what I would do if you get the Tikka. But on the other hand nothing at all is wrong with a Rem 700. Its a GREAT rifle, very accurate out of the box with factory ammunition & with a little routine maintence I've never had any problems with them. If you put a Zeiss conquest 3.5-10x50 on it you would be set!!!!

My choices would be the Tikka or Rem 700 both are great & both will get the job done. Its like picking between a Vette & a Porsche.

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Guest aaronchase

Re: which rifle should i lean towards?

heres what im gonna do ... i figured out if i buy the tikka in 30-06 i should still be able to afford a reasonable scope such as a nikon buckmasters or leupold ... all right tikka here i come lol grin.gif

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Guest aaronchase

Re: which rifle should i lean towards?

[ QUOTE ]

All 3 rifles are great & the 7mm calibur is fine, especially with you being up in Canada.

[/ QUOTE ]

what was that supposed to mean? wink.gif

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Re: which rifle should i lean towards?

The '06 will do anything that the 7 Mag will do!

Good choice in the Tikka and 30-06! You won't regret that combination!

You might look at a Burris Fullfield II for a scope! I have 2 of them and they have done the job without any problem!

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Re: which rifle should i lean towards?

[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

All 3 rifles are great & the 7mm calibur is fine, especially with you being up in Canada.

[/ QUOTE ]

what was that supposed to mean? wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Well the 7 shoots a little flatter than the 06 & I figured if you happen to take longer shots the 7 is a good gun for it.

Don't get me wrong, the 06 is my favorite calibur I was just commenting nothing was wrong with a 7mm.

About the scopes. If you are going to spend the money on a Leupold VariX II or III you will be much better off getting a Burris, Nikon or Zeiss conquest for the same amount of $$$. Zeiss has a 3-9x40 starts at 399. They are great for hunting in the wanning hours of legal shooting time.

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Guest aaronchase

Re: which rifle should i lean towards?

i have thought alot more about it since this morning and i changed my mind im gonna get the same tikka except in 7mm because of some family has '06, 308. and so on. Scope wise i was thinking about the zeiss conquest but also looking at the nikon buckmasters because i have a few friends that have them and love them and all in all they dont cost all that much.

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Re: which rifle should i lean towards?

[ QUOTE ]

Scope wise i was thinking about the zeiss conquest but also looking at the nikon buckmasters

[/ QUOTE ]

WOW! A big delta right there. Not that the Buckmaster is not a decent scope, but its no where near the Zeiss Conquest. One thing to consider is how many places sell refurbished Nikon scopes? SWFA Sample List or the Midsouth Shooter's Supply or Natchez and it tells you something. I have a few Noikon scopes and some of them are the refurbished ones. Just something to keep in mind.

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Re: which rifle should i lean towards?

I have a buckmaster on my .270 and it's a decent scope but it's not as clear and bright as the zeiss conquest.

This is just my opinion but if you're going to buy a nice rifle then don't skimp on the scope.I should have bought the conquest instead of settling on a cheaper scope and knowing I would upgrade later.

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Re: which rifle should i lean towards?

Good choice. I am a big fan of 7mm calibers and while I own several Remingtons and do not own a Tikka - I know they are real good guns. You wouldn't go wrong with either. For your area you might want to consider stainless if you haven';t already. I shoot mostly Leupold and Nikon and for my money right now it is either Nikon - Monarch preferred or the Zeiss Conquest

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Re: which rifle should i lean towards?

Haven't been online for a while so I just saw this post, and I also have 2 cents to contribute.

In November I hunted for the first time with my Tikka T3 Lite in 7mm Rem Mag. It has a Nikon Monarch UCC 3x9x40 on it, and I love this gun more every time I shoot it. It's the first new deer rifle I've ever owned and was my 50th birthday present from my wife.

I sighted it in over the summer with 150 grain Federal Premium Sierra Gamekings BTSP, and took a 3.5 year old 9 point at 120 yards on the rifle opener at last light. It was a heart shot that left an impressive golf ball size exit hole - no meat wasted. The buck still ran 40 yards dead on its feet - what a tough animal.

Anyway, I chose the 7mm after a lot of research because I believe it hits as hard as the 30.06 and shoots as flat as a .270. It has the same velocity and energy at 500 yards that my 30-30 has at 100 yards!! (Don't get me wrong - Nobody can argue with the choice of a 30.06 or .270 as those are both proven calibers) The 7mm recoil is comparable to the 30.06 according to Chuck Hawks charts. The Tikka itself is made by Sako in Finland, and anyone that knows Michigan's UP appreciates that connection. The bolt is smooth, the trigger is crisp, and the gun just feels good as you bring it to your shoulder.

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it. In addition to Michigan whitetails every fall, I plan to use my Tikka to hunt caribou in Quebec with my brother this fall, and then hope to pursue moose in Ontario and elk out west with it before I'm too old to tramp around the great outdoors. Good luck with your new rifle!

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