The Firefighters Association I am a member of is getting ready to do a rifle raffle. At this point I am thinking a Tikka in .308 or 6.5 Creed. What would be your manufacture and caliber of choice??

Either one of those would be great.

Does your membership value pretty or functional?

Tikka in either caliber you mentioned would be my choice.

X3

This will be to raffle off and raise money for our local Firefighters Association so we want quality rifle that people would want to buy a ticket for

Some of the prettier Weatherby Vanguards are very appealing; they're also good rifles.

Get FiremanJG to do a rifle/ammo/range package

The Creedmoor has become a bit of a fad caliber, and for that reason, might attract more attention from those who already have one of the more traditional calibers. It's only been around since 2007.

Weatherby or Browning in .270, 30-06 or .308. Name will sell tickets

I'd suggest getting something in 20" or shorter, threaded barrel and something like a heavier profile with even simple straight flutes will instantly make it feel more unique.
Where someone may or may not want some muzzle device, I think uniqueness and/or coolness should be considered. But definitely some short action caliber.

Browning Hells Canyon might be a good one. They have em I 6.5 Creedmoor. 7mm-08 would be a nice caliber but I’m not sure they make em in the hells canyon line.

I’d raffle something other than a Tikka. Many people have never heard of Tikka, but know Browning, Winchester, Remington, Weatherby. A Henry lever gun would also be a good one.

I think for selling more tickets reason the caliber would be 6.5 creed

Tikka CTR or Hells Canyon but remember whatever you spend up front is less you make on the back end

I second something like a Henry Lever gun. Before I retired, I would say I hunted more than most members of my department and I would be more likely to buy a ticket for something like that than another typical bolt action. Those of us that Deer hunt and know what a Tikka and 6.5 Creed is will already have a primary Deer rifle of our own choosing. Most of your ticket buyers probably don't hunt deer, don't hunt at all, or hunt very little. You want something interesting and unique and that looks really nice hanging on the wall. That "cool looking, I really want one, but would never buy one", kind of gun both hunters and non hunters would want. Those brass framed guns look really nice and are American made. Then too, there are a lot more people that shoot shotguns than Deer rifles. There are some CZ over unders that are very affordable, shoot well, and look really nice that would be good too. About the only time I was talked into buying squares on a football pot at the firehouse, it was for a commemorative Winchester at half and another at final. Both rifles I would love to own, but would never have bought for myself. I still own them BTW.

This is also true

Thanks for all the input guys.

The raffles I’ve seen around here are all selling Ruger Americans in the winners choice of several chamberings. I’ve bought tickets but wouldn’t have been especially excited about winning one.

If you want it be a mid priced, higher quality rifle then I’d go Browning Xbolt or possibly Weatherby VG for widespread brand recognition.

or just go Tikka and not worry if every bubba out there has heard of it. Who doesn’t have the internet anymore, and it only takes a few minutes of browsing to see why people are so interested in these Finnish made “budget Sakos”

Nothing wrong with a nice Lever gun or maybe a nice 10-22 either if you can’t make up your mind on a bolt gun. I don’t care for the gold plated Henry’s but I bought my son a plain one in 22lr for his first gun. Another plus is lever guns are more lefty friendly than a RH bolt gun

But I’ve never run a raffle or been in retail gun sales so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Good luck with whatever y’all choose

I would not buy a Ruger American ticket or 10-22 unless the ticket was real cheap. Like $5

If it was a nice $1000 rifle I would give up to $20 a ticket

True, I would definitely pay more for a ticket to win a nice bolt gun than for a cheapy or a rim fire.

I think the tickets I bought for the Ruger American were $5. I suppose they were going for high volume sales.

I think I’d go with a nicer rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor. Most everyone has heard of it by now, and lots of guys want one.

How about a nice Ruger RSI blue/wood in 250 Savage?

Good luck on your rifle raffle. 6.5 creedmore is the Caliber that is making the rifle manufacturers buzz right now and the one I would raffle off. Prior to my post, most everyone has stuck to rifles. I apologize in advance for my next suggestion. I think it would sell more tickets though and I hope your FD raises as much $ as possible. A colt 1911 in .45acp can be had for close to the same money as a tikka. No scope, base or rings to buy for the winner either. It may garner interest from a larger segment of the population than just hunters and riflemen, which will be your main raffle participants for a Tikka rifle.