Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles My brother has decided to buy a new rifle

Have to agree with this.

Factory Nosler 150gr Ballistic Tips easily shoot sub moa @ 100yds out of my 308 T3X


Factory Hornady 130gr & 140gr ELD-M's easily shoot sub moa @ 100yds out of my 6.5 Creed T3X

They work just fine on WT Deer and pigs.


Easy button. grab a gun out of the box and a box of ammo off the shelf and go kill stuff.

In the $500 range I'll be suggesting he take a look at a Savage Axis something and a Ruger American something.

In the $500 - $1,000 range I'll be suggesting a Mauser M18 Savanna just because I've shot one a few times. Don't yet know what else to suggest.

I'm not gonna get into the trials and tribulations of convincing him that something smaller than .308 will put down an elk just fine. If anything, he probably thinks he should go larger than .30-06. I know he'll be fine with a .308 Win.

Scope, rings and bases he already has. He's not gonna put any more coin into that combo.

Still pondering what to suggest in the $1,000 - $1,500 range.

6.5 cm great for targets, not impressed on game. Pass the 308 win.

No Tikka? Afraid he's going to outshoot you with it?

Damn right!

I'll sideways mention a Tikka, and if he absolutely goes ga-ga over it, THEN I'll mention "uh, you MIGHT need to buy bases for that..."

Just thought a guy who kept a 721 for 50 years might want a traditional walnut and metal rifle.

1000-1500: M70 FWT if it doesn't have to be synthetic. If it does, M70 EW.

Not much thinking needs done for a once a year shooter.

Take whatever cash he wants to spend and go hold some rifles.

Pick out whatever he likes that's in budget

The Howa 1500 in walnut is a solid option if he likes wood. If he likes plastic, well whatever feels best I guess. I know these cheap plastic stocked guns are practical, but.......

I have a Howa and a TC Dimension in 6.5. They both shoot really well with factory ammo.

I'm about to order another one of these after my range session this afternoon. Really liked the reticle, especially dialing the power up and down but keeping the same hold on steel since it's FFP.

Bushnell Engage 4-14 FFP

Nothing wrong with a 308. Yes, a Browning X-Bolt is a fine option.

Recoil ? in a frkn 308 Win ?

WTF is the matter with you weenies ?

Tikka is the easy button. Nothing wrong with 308, it is my go-to cartridge. But if I were just getting into shooting the 6.5CM does everything a little better and at this point factory ammo for either is equally available and comparably priced.

IMHO Tikka in 6.5 CM is the easy button. Made the suggestion to a friend of mine a couple of years ago, suggested he buy three different brands of ammo. All shoot .75 -1” at 100 yards for 3 shoots. This was his first centrefire rifle other than a .223 semi auto, he was hitting the 400 yard gongs very quickly.

I ruled out suggesting an M70. Sounds like the guy is a push feed relic. CRF and 3 Pos wing safety would be waaaaay out of his league.

OK, good call.


Okie John

I agree with this. There are no flies on the .308 and ammo is a plenty.

I'm assumiong youre x military. Can get it alot cheaper if you register with Bushnell as a vet and buy direct.

Once a year shooter....just fix up the tried and true Rem 721

Something in .460 Weatherby Magnum perhaps.