Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles New Tikka Rifle

You are right that the .223 is a deadly round and I do have an AR15 to spare. We are still working on gun safety indoctrination and I've had to remind her more than once about keeping her finger off the trigger. I honestly believe she is slightly attention deficit despite being extremely smart. The AR could be loaded with 1 or 2 rounds and a spare magazine on hand for safety sake. I would not like to see the woods sprayed down with rifle fire and I think a lot negligent discharges happen after a good shot is taken and a safety gets left off and a finger gets left on the trigger. I've successfully shot numerous hogs with the .223 and a Hornady 62 grain HPBT hunting bullet or a 62 Barnes.

We may go ahead and make the season with what we have but a .243 is legal in most states and as it has become with my 29 year old daughter it can be a lifetime rifle. I appreciate the input.

Shake up a warm can of Coke and shoot it with a .22 from 10 feet away. Have her take a good look at the little .22 cartridge and the now-destroyed can.

It makes gun safety a little more real.




P

I have done something similar for years with kids. I shoot a milk jug full of water with a high powered rifle and tell them that's what happens to the inside of a body shot with a rifle. It is impressive.

Just for fun I bought an extra pumpkin for Halloween several years ago. My boy hollowed it out and I filled it full of water, put the lid on, and put it on a stump in the front yard.

Centerpunched it with a 200 grain Silvertip from a model 71 .348. The biggest piece we found was about the size of my thumb.

My boy was suitably impressed.

Went out to shoot the Tikka I picked up. Had to wait on screws for the Talley rings I purchased because someone took them out of the packaging. I had loaded up some 150 grain Hornaday fmjbt and although I wasn't shooting for accuracy it shot great even though I had 9 to 11 mph winds quartering towards me.

A stainless lightweight Tikka in .30-06 would easily do a person for a one gun does it all.

Yep.
Add Sportsmatch rings and an SWFA 3-9. Out the door for under $1500.

Or 6.5, 7/08, 270 …

That was my thinking and @Pharmaseller helped me make that happen. It’s the only rifle I have now. I never feel under- or over-gunned.

I have one of those yet I own many more rifles. Must be a consequence of coming to this stupid site.

How’s she treating you?

She hits what I aim for if I do my part. I am getting 0.56" groups with Federal Fusion 150gr factory ammo and under 1" with 2 other factory loads. Everything else I have fed it has been 1" to 2+", but all still minute of deer. The sub-MOA loads are the Fusion 150gr, Barnes TTSX Vor-TX 168gr, and Hornady SST Reduced Recoil 125gr. If I can't do it with those selections, then pretty sure it ain't dying to a 30-06 anyway. Interestingly enough, while the Federal Fusion 150gr shoots the best, the Federal Fusion in 165gr and 180gr both shoot the worst.

So, other than not having enough ammo to make consistent range trips, she is doing really well. Shot a 10-point buck with her last season. Haven't seen anything I just "needed" to shoot this year so far. It's still early though.

After action report. She killed her first deer with the Weatherby Van2 in .223. A decent 8 point weighed 188.6 with the guts in. She insisted on the .223 instead of the down loaded .308 so I guess we will look for a left hand .223 Tikka stainless.

Congrats to you and your grand daughter on the 8 point. Thats awesome. My grand daughter is nine, she is shooting a 22 learning gun safety. Hopefully next year she will be able to take her first deer. I cant wait. I hope to be as lucky as you were with a decent Buck for her.

Bullet?
Distance?
Placement?