Looking for a rifle to recommend to my father

[nksmfamjp]

He is solidly in the camp of no custom stuff. He likes his Tikka 270 WSM, but looking for a lighter recoiling rifle.

We're thinking 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x55, 7-08…

He would buy a Tikka….cheapest Tikka he could find, but I'm trying to get him to think about options in the $1000-$1500 range to give him a more complete rifle….but I have to admit the $600-$800 Tikka option doesn't look bad.

What else should we be looking at?

 

[Calvin45]

Is he opposed to a bit heavier gun? I have a weatherby vanguard in .257 wby. Would recommend! Well within price range. Kicks less than my plain old .270.

.25-06 or .257 bee get my vote

 

[HSmithTX]

What is he going to do with it?

 

[Mike Matteson]

25/06 for deer size and down will work just fine. Rem 700 with serial number ending A,B,C. I would go to a smith store, and not a pawn shops. It it doesn't shot straight you should be able to return it. Case for it can be 25/06, 270, 7mm, 30/06 for sure, if you hand load. Easy to get get a triggerteck of it. 270 is another good rifle without to much recoil.

 

[birddog 68]

If he likes the Tikka, I would just go with a Tikka in a 7-08. In your price range I like the Browning Xbolt.

 

[Orange Dust]

He is solidly in the camp of no custom stuff. He likes his Tikka 270 WSM, but looking for a lighter recoiling rifle.

We're thinking 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x55, 7-08…

He would buy a Tikka….cheapest Tikka he could find, but I'm trying to get him to think about options in the $1000-$1500 range to give him a more complete rifle….but I have to admit the $600-$800 Tikka option doesn't look bad.

What else should we be looking at?

Of the three I would get the 7-08 and shoot 139gr SST's. Absolute poision on whitetails to about 400

 

[FEENIX]

Does the rifle have a muzzle brake?

 

[BillLarson]

270

 

[Calvin45]

One more quarter bore IF YOU HANDLOAD…there is something timelessly COOL about the .257 Roberts….

 

[zerosprk]

Tikka's have a butter-smooth action. My son has a Weatherby Vanguard that shoots lights out. A Savage 110 with the Accu-trigger and Accu-stock might be another option. My grandson has one of those and it also shoots great. 7-08, .308, 6.5-whatever all kills stuff dead without kicking the snot out of you. After deciding on the platform and caliber, take all of your extra money and buy the best scope you can afford. Take it from a 4x grandpa, "dad eyes appreciate good glass and really good glass even more."

 

[Of001]

I've got a tikka in 308 and it kicks like a mule. It's worse than my 300wm honestly.
Going back I would have gotten a... Tikka with laminate stock.

If the gun is still good and you reload try a furniture change and lighter loads.
Otherwise, I like the 65x55

 

[unclecroc]

25-06 or 257 weatherby magnum. Hard to beat on deer bear and even elk.

 

[Aloeus]

Does he have a limbsaver on his tikka? The tikka factory recoil pad is atrocious. I can use my tikka 270wsm without a brake, but I understand the desire for less recoil. I think something like a 7-08 or 6.5cm tikka with a limbsaver would feel very different (actually I know it would, my dad has a 7-08 tikka). Tikka's also have a nice selection of aftermarket stocks. A 6.5cm tikka with an aftermarket stock (for a total cost of 1100-1200) would be very difficult to beat. Unless that counts as custom stuff.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

Recoil is a factor when target shooting, but who feels recoil when shooting the one shot at a nice deer, elk, hog, yote???
Just put a good Pachmayer recoil pad on whatever he is shooting. Have the rifle dialed in and let him take the one shot at his trophy.