New to rifle hunting where to start?

I am a paper puncher started with handguns 9mm, wanted to get into rifle so got a CZ american in 22lr. Been working on bench and off hand shooting 25-50 yards some time a bit further. I also got a 300 black out sbr that i just got the stamp back a couple of weeks ago with an aimpoint pro (waiting for stamp for sandman L). I have an opportunity through work to go to a large guided hunt in the Brady area for a weekend in November. 90% of my shooting will be paper 200 yards max. Hopefully in the future my hunting time will grow. I have 2 boys 7 and 4 that I would love to get out and experience the outdoors.

I have been looking on and off for awhile calibers/rifles but the past week since I found out about the hunt I have spent all my free time researching. I have some money saved up was planning on getting into reloading then into a rifle, but that got flip flopped.

I know 300 blackout can take a deer with a scope added, I would feel funy carrying around an SBR AR while every one else carries around a traditional hunting style rifle. Also I know its about accuracy but I would prefer a larger caliber in case I am a bit off. I would hate to wound and not kill a deer.

Is there any reason not to get a 6.5 Creedmoor besides price of round/rifle. I do not want to have to tinker too much after I buy it so I was looking at Tikka T3x CTR in 6.5 Creedmoor, or Tikka T3 in a smaller caliber maybe .270. I am not set on Tikka just seems to get good reviews.

I am open to any suggestions on other guns. I will need an optic and rings as well. My price max would be 2,500 but anything I save will go for ammo and saving for reloading!!!

Thanks for reading

I don't think you could go wrong with a Tikka.

I shoot a 270 for my deer hunting and love it but bc of BC I can't really go past about 600 yds. With the 6.5mm Creedmoor you could have both of best worlds. Knockdown power and long range capable gun. There are a few on here who know way more then me about the 6.5 creed but from what I've read its a great round.

If your max is $2,500 (with optics) you have a whole world in front you. You can go semi-custom, Sako, or any number of fine production bolt action rifles. The oldage, spend as much more on the scope as you did the gun - should hold true.

Also, any caliber from the 243 up to the 30 caliber mags will work for Texas hunting.

get the tikka ctr in 6.5 creedmoor and put a $1500 scope on it -- should keep you close to your max budget.

Agree on the Tikka in 6.5 but there's really no need to spend $1500 on a scope for deer hunting. There are plenty of quality optics for deer hunting for 1/3 that and you can spend the rest on ammo or even get started on your reloading. You could also visit JG for his class and Chad for the ammo and be way ahead of the game. P_102

If your hunt is in November, you need to move pretty quick. A semi custom probably won't make it in time. There are a ton of good deals in the classifieds on here right now. I've bought several guns off of this sight and all have been stand up deals. I'm also a fan of the 6.5 caliber and I've got a new .260 Rem that I may drag out this year. Its a long range rifle and super heavy, but I'll most likely be shooting from a stand, not going on some two mile stalk.

As a owner of the 6.5CM, I can attest to it's great performance. It has quickly proven itself and is my go-to rifle. If you are considering a Tikka, the best prices I have found on them is at www.grabagun.com I have made several purchases from them and they are top notch in every way. The Tikka is a fine rifle. As for the scope, P-102 gave you good advice. Unless you are talking NV, a great scope can be had for $500 or less.

Any centerfire from a .243 up will do just fine.

If you go to JGFiremans class you are gonna come away wishing you had a Burris xtr ii or a NF Shv F1 or a SWFA SS 5-20. I cuss him every time I see him.

I picked up my NF NXS 5.5-22x56 for $750. Nanner nanner.

243, 6.5 CM or 260 are more than adequate for deer. 308 is like an old pickup truck, no flash, but very reliable. Shot placement trumps power. 7-08 is a good choice. The 270 is a step up in recoil, but a classic choice for a reason. 243, 270 and 308 ammo will be on the shelf most anywhere if you need ammo in a pinch.

Tikkas shoot well, but they feel cheaply made to me. If you like CZ, they make some nice rifles. Montana Rifle Company is a very good design, essentially an improved copy of the pre-64 Win M70 and usually with good accuracy. The Mauser 12 really provides a lot of value for the price.

The SWFA SS fixed 6x is a good value choice for $300. It is unusually good quality, well beyond the price point. Beyond that, I would recommend looking for a used Nightforce NXS 2.5-10x42. They can be found for $1300, sometimes less, on ebay, amazon and hunting forums. The illuminated reticle is a very helpful tool, especially for pigs in low light. The SHV's do not have illuminated reticles.

Tikka t3 lite in .270. Deadly accurate. Tikka is made by sako. They get good reviews for a reason. I looked at many rifles and tikka was they way to go for me. No regrets.

There is no reason to not get a 6.5 Creedmoor.

Tikka are my favorite mass produced rifle.

I've got bolt action .223, .22-250, 6.5 Creedmoor, 7-08, 7 Rem Mag. And AR in .223 and .308. If I had to pick only one cartridge to "do-it-all" I would have to flip a coin between the 6.5 Creedmoor and 7-08. If you're not a hand-loader, 6.5 Creedmoor is absolutely the way to go!

Is Tikka importing the Creedmoor yet? Last time I looked they were not.

One of my rifles is a Tikka in 25-06. Tikka is a quality rifle and yes, it get great reviews. I'm sure you can't go wrong with a Tikka in the 6.5 Creedmore if it is available. Take a look at the ballistic for the 25-06.

As fas as scopes, one of my favorites is a Vortex HS-T 6x24 which sells for a little less than $600.00. I very happy with the Vortex brand and is a good value for the money.

How's the recoil on the 6.5CM? Since he has a couple of young boys I know that might play a role though I don't know much about the CM myself.

If you're just deer hunting, I'm a big proponent to fixed power scopes and lighter weight rifles when possible. Depends where you're hunting really, but I like to be in close to them. Plus, I can't shoot past 400 yards very well with the shakiness of my hands anyways.

Wow thanks for all the information so quickly. Really thinking about 6.5 Tikka, I wouldn't mind buying used just don't know what to look for buying used.


What about a good scope from my understanding it will be a stand. But if it matters I don't want something that will lose zero by being hauled around a field or in a truck. I have a Leupold VX-2 Ultralight Rimfire EFR Rifle Scope 3-9x on my .22 I really like it for paper haven't had a chance to hunt with it. I think I would like a little more magnification with a higher power rifle. Special since I will be punching paper more then deer/hogs.



Again thanks for all the positive feedback!!!
http://www.eurooptic.com/tikka-t3x-rifle...p;i=18&d=18

If it's a stand a good variable will work. You can get them in higher magnifications without losing the low end, just check your eye relief (especially if you use glasses).

Number 1 thing for me is getting my gun setup to where I don't need to adjust so much when I shoulder it. I hate having to crane my neck forward on some guns when the magnification is cranked up on lower end scopes.

JG will happily customize his class to your wants/needs. It's nice to have a top of the line scope to reach out to 800 but not mandatory, The Vortex PST in second focal plane does a fine job and is known to hold zero and get back to zero very well when dialing. I agree on more magnification if you're going to do more target shooting than hunting, something in a 4-16x50 would be a good compromise. Also, and hopefully not adding confusion, pay attention to the reticle...a good MOA or MIL reticle is extremely helpful. If you and the boys want to get more serious about the target shooting you will eventually want to move to a first focal plane scope, a few hundred $ more but well worth it. P_102

Im not a caliber guru but can u buy the 6.5 creedmor ammo at most stores? dont think i have ever seen a box of that ammo anywere.

You must not be looking. Academy and Cabela's in Lubbock both stock several brands and bullet weights.

Maybe they are slacking off in east tx.

Ammo availability in small towns are the regular. 3030, 270, 3006, 308, 7 mag. Just in case you do forget or run out. Have had it happen to me, I'm sure it has happen to others also.

Well the model I was really wanted just came back into stock today so I pulled the trigger Tikka t3x CTR

I looked around and called some places in town and its all out of stock and unknown wait times.

Sorry tried to search but where can I find info on the JG class? I am looking into 4-16x50 scopes now.

Thanks for all the help.

If your not planning on long range hunting or shooting (I believe you said 200 yard max) there are a bunch of much less expensive scope options that will fill the bill. You could complete your set up (rifle and scope) for approximately $1000 and use the other $1500 to get a nice reloading set up.

Need to build a new thread. Feel free to send me a PM.

Good advice.

^^^

Everybody repeat after me...


Not everyone needs a 6.5 creedmoor. Inside 200 yards there is almost no differences in calibers
Not everyone needs to take firemans class...

If you want a 6.5 great. But other caliber are out there

308- much longer barrel life and an abuddence of ammo
30-06- a single caliber if you had aspirations of taken bigger game
270- a venerable caliber that's been around forever
7mm-08 a good balance of all things

Amen to this! JG has cost me a small fortune in swapping out nearly every scope I own!!!

Agree 100%


This is also America, and a grown man can do as he pleases with this project.

While I agree, I disagree at the same time. My first rifle was a 270, in hind sight I wouldn't buy it again and wont buy another in the future. Sure there is nothing wrong with a 270 but there are just too many calibers will do whatever a 270 does within its limits equally as well and will do other things better.

Agreed on all counts. I'm turning into a 7-08 slut myself, after shooting predominately 7mags for 35 years.

I know I didn't need a the 6.5 Creedmoor I tried to talk myself out of it and save money. But I would love to make a step into longer range target shooting in the near future. So I figured I would go all in on one gun set up that can do that as well now rather then maybe replacing a rifle in a year or so.

I ordered the gun around lunch from Euro Optic and they had it it shipped that day should be at my FFL Wednesday. I was surprised it was shipped the same day. I ordered ammo from ChadTRG42 also going to pick up a couple of other boxes to try out. Going to try to lock down my scope and ring set up this week and be able to scope it in and put a few rounds by next weekend.

Thanks for sharing yalls knowledge with a new rifle shooter. I know I will have a lot to learn once I start getting out to the range with it.

If your plan is to shoot up to about 200 yards, I would go with one of the moderately priced bolt actions... Savage, Tikka.... there are many to choose from. I got my grandson a Savage with the Accu-Trigger and put a 3-9 scope on it. For the budget conscious... I like the Nikon products and would get something with a 50mm objective .... As for caliber... I recommend the 308 round because of accessibility. My concern is that when ammo starts to become hard to get, the last two calibers that are likely to be produced, in my opinion, are the 223 and the 308.... just trying to think ahead... Be blessed

akared....since you're in the mood to spend, go ahead and pick up a Harris Bipod, the swivel model. Not only will you use it quite a bit, it's danged handy when installing scopes, cleaning, etc. P_102

Well I have been travelling more then home lately but finally got it put together and got out to the range last week.

Tikka T3x CTR 6.5 Creedmoor
Nightforce SHV F1 Rifle Scope 30mm Tube 4-14x
Nightforce 30mm Ultralite Picatinny Medium
Harris Bipod
Butler Creek flip up scope cover (not in picture)
Sling (not in picture)
different types of ammo.



I shot 20 rounds Hornady Match Ammunition 6.5 Creedmoor 140 Grain ELD, and 20 rounds of Custom Reloads of Dallas 140 HORNADY ELD-M (MATCH). I shot of bibod at a range with 25 and 100 in same lane. Got it sighted in and had some pretty good groups. I honestly could not tell the difference when shooting them. Next time I will start at 100 and give the 200 yard range a shot. I will also try off sled to see if I can get a smaller grouping for a few rounds.

Thanks for all the info and help on purchase. Hunt got set for December 16-18 I will post in hunting forum the outcome. Going to try to get to the range at least once more before trip.

Man that is a sweet looking rig!!!

Well put together rig.

Leave the sled out of it, they are evil.

You have rifle hunting in TX covered and most things in the states too.

Second FiremanJG sled comment.

Oh my ! That's a beauty !

LMAO. I'm so sick of hearing about the creedmoor. The creedmoor did not invent shooting a 140 grain 6.5 bullet at 2700 fps. The 6.5x55 has been doing it for a 100 years. It's the most overrated cartridge since the blackout. I'm so sick of the creedmoor fan boys. Sorry, it's been building up. End of rant.

Can't dispute the history.

The 6.5X 55 has been doing it a long time, and doing it well.

Then the 260 Rem reduced ES, and maintained the velocity.

Then the 6.5 Creedmoor reduced ES further, and maintained velocity. And there is a very affordable brand of ammo that will probably out shoot any other mass produced ammo for the 6.5X55, and the .260 Rem. Oh, and it will run in an AR-10 just fine.

There in, is the love for the 6.5 Creedmoor.

I get it somewhat. Maybe it annoys me because I have 2 6.5x55s for several years. I feel better saying it. It's therapeutic. I'm about to leave this morning for a mule deer hunt in the Davis Mountains. Hopefully I'll be back Sunday with one. I'll be using that new soulless Tikka CTR 308.