Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 25-06 or 7mm-08? Or??

Tikka - hands down.

The Howa Ranchland with the thin 20" barrel will not feel as balanced when it has a scope on it. The Tikka with the slightly longer barrel, and slightly heavier, barrel will have a better balance with a scope on it.

Another consideration, while Howa's group ok I have never seen an out of the box Howa group as well as out of the box Tikka.

drover

Drover, what do you think about the regular Howa 1500? Notwithstanding your thoughts on the Tikka's grouping. FWIW I am leaning toward the Tikka. Very clean lines. Everything seems to work well. Only thing that rubs me funny is the removable magazine. Seems like a problem waiting to happen. Maybe I'm wrong though.

The Howa is a heavy rifle, no way around it - there is a lot of weight in their receivers, add in a standard contour barrel and the weight jumps quickly. I cannot remember the exact weight but I had a Howa 1500 with the synthetic stock and with a Leupold 3-9 on it and if I recall correctly it was over 8 lbs. A Tikka set up the same way is nearer 7 lbs and much better balanced.

As far as the removable magazine I have never had a problem and cannot recall reading about any problems with them on here except for the occasional complaint about the 223 mags being a bit short with the heavy for caliber bullets .

Something else to think about - Howa rifles seem to fall into the category of "good hunting accuracy" which is not a bad thing, but take a look at the groups posted on the 'fire that Tikka's shoot.

drover

Drover, I'm with you. The Tikka certainly seemed like a bit more refined rifle. And for a couple of hundred dollars over the life of the rifle, seems worth it in spades.

I expect that you will be happy with a Tikka.

As far as caliber - my recommendation would be the 7/08. I bought one when it was first introduced in the 80's and have never found a reason to have any second thoughts about the decision. I have shot a few 25-06 rifles but have never warmed up to them, they seemed to have more recoil and muzzle blast than I like and IMO are not as versatile as the 7/08.

If you have a Sportsmans Warehouse near you they have had the original T-3's on sale, if you have a FFL that will receive for you Whittaker Guns has excellent service and has been having a sale on them also. Europtics has them on sale too but I have never dealt with them but their prices look good.


drover

You can get a brand spanking new Tikka T3X Lite Stainless from Whittakers for $620 minus shipping. Absolutely can't be beat and you will not deal with better folks.

7mm08 with the 20" and Id go Tikka or a model 7.



You saving pelts ?? Cheapo PPU kills em just as dead if ya arent. No need for a varmit round

Nope I don't save them, just want a good all round rifle. I kind of like the shorter package the 7-08 finnlight is....

Then I wouldnt worry about finding varmit rounds in either caliber. PPU is my "off season" ammo because its cheap and Im not saving pelts either so large exit wounds dont bother me. Cant tell ya how many varmits ive taken using it. Kills em just as dead as the higher cost varmit rounds.

Barnes, Federal, Hornady and Nosler all load a 120g factory load that should be awesome on varmints.

120 BT in a stainless T3





Same load in a Superlite. Had a good group going until I pulled the one on the right.








P

The 7-08 is the absolute perfect cartridge for deer. The Tikka is great but a minor gripe is that it doesn't have a true short action.

In the wake of easily duplicated ballistics from many other offerings, these statements of perfection above all others, are amusing and not to be taken seriously.

The 7/08 is nothing more than a picket in a fence of cartridge performance. That's all.

You hit the nail on the head. You've probably built more picket fences than you care to admit too Bob...

bsa: Yes I have....which is why I find damned little "perfection" in anything.

People get delusional about rifle cartridges.

High country mule deer = Creed Kimber Montana

Somebody had to say it. (grin)

I know I'm the semi-new (was on the fire a few years ago but couldn't even remember my name user name on here...lol), but as I enjoy reading all the replies on threads like these, I can't help but say that Mr. Bob is dead on. Pieces of paper with great groups are pleasing to the eye. Ballistic charts are interesting to look at. Most of us have our favorite rifle based on many different things. But the "perfect" caliber exists only in the mind of each of us. If it was an objective choice, every deer hunter who pursued the perfect caliber/rifle combination would use the same caliber in "X" rifle. In the end, most of us go by experience and personal likes and dislikes.

Nevertheless, it is dead solid perfect in the middle of that picket fence regardless of what any snarky Yankee might say about it.

Not bad for elk, either.

I hear the gripe about short action and it puzzles me. What's the difference? Half an inch? Who cares?




P

Bet I was using a 7/08 before you were in diapers......I know I was using one before you developed an IQ......

So where precisely does it sit in the lineup? Would that be the lineup of SA standard cartridges, short fat belted cartridge, standard cartridges? belted small bore magnum cartridges?

What would be to the right and left of it in that picket fence?

What a joke. You guys sure do get all wound up over brass bottles that hold powder don't you?

Like I said....people get delusional. And emotional LOL!

Especially [bleep] from the South.Would that be Tex- ass? Huh?

Notice how you immediately attacked me personally because i think your favorite cartridge is absolutely nothing to get excited about? That burns your ass because you know Im right doesn't it?

I suspect you don't have enough experience with anything to comment.... but if you do suppose you tell us the difference between the 7/08 and the 280, 284, 270, 7x57. 6.5x55,6.5 Creed, 7 Rem Mag and a few others in terms of ow they kill animals?

C'mon ....tell me? I'm all ears.

You can't and you know it. What a joke.