Just starting out what calibers/rifle recommendations
- Thread starter JMinter
- Start date
Take a trip into Edinburgh Rifles – Edinburgh Rifles and Sporting Goods and see what 6.5 Creedmoors he has available.
Regards
JCS
Regards
JCS
maximus otter
Well-Known Member
Tikka T3.
6.5 X 55mm Swedish Mauser.
A decent scope of about 6X to 8X power, or a zoom that includes those powers.
120- (roe) to 140-grain (red) ammo to suit.
maximus otter
6.5 X 55mm Swedish Mauser.
A decent scope of about 6X to 8X power, or a zoom that includes those powers.
120- (roe) to 140-grain (red) ammo to suit.
maximus otter
JMinter
Active Member
Amazing
I'll have a look, thanks for the grain recommendation as well!
May God forbid but a few people I know have advised me if there's ever any crisis that causes a shortage of ammunition the one round suitable for deer that will be most available to the general public will be the .308
It's nearly harder to find a modern rifle that isn't accurate than finding one that is and you should be able to pick a well cared for secondhand Howa, Savage, Bergara or CZ for handy money.
It's nearly harder to find a modern rifle that isn't accurate than finding one that is and you should be able to pick a well cared for secondhand Howa, Savage, Bergara or CZ for handy money.
^ as above, we’ve already seen ammunition & component manufacturers reducing availability due to Ukraine etc.
Age old advice has always been to stick to 308W, 223Rem & 22LR & I’d say there’s no reason to change that advice right now, especially if you’re going to be wanting to buy factory ammo of a given brand & bullet weight on an ‘as & when needed’ basis. Different perhaps if you’re going to reload or have sufficient allowance on your FAC to hold sufficient of your chosen cartridge(s) for supply not to be an issue.
Age old advice has always been to stick to 308W, 223Rem & 22LR & I’d say there’s no reason to change that advice right now, especially if you’re going to be wanting to buy factory ammo of a given brand & bullet weight on an ‘as & when needed’ basis. Different perhaps if you’re going to reload or have sufficient allowance on your FAC to hold sufficient of your chosen cartridge(s) for supply not to be an issue.
Just seen the follow up questions… regarding which rifle to get I would look at, the safe standby is a Tikka T3 as they pretty much always shoot well. Saying that have a look at the secondhand racks and on here as there are some really lovely rifles sold at great prices. Some places like Ivythorne Sporting will allow you to try before you buy. Personally I would avoid Bergara as I’m hearing too many horror stories recently.
If possible, as per @Selous, try as many different rifles as you can before you buy, using them off a set of sticks and a bipod would be even better, then having decided on which rifle ‘fits’ you best explore the calibre and chambering. If a rifle is comfortable you will always perform better with it than one that does not fit you well.
All deer legal calibres are deer legal for a reason.
Also consider your potential stalking, if you’re likely to be trudging miles across the moors you would be better if with a lighter rifle, conversely if mostly working from high seats/ static locations a rifles weight is not so much of a factor. Will the rifle also be used for target shooting?
I would suggest on going out on a few stalks first to get a taste of what’s involved, this way you will not only get a feel for stalking but get to try a range of rifles in various calibres/chamberings.
All deer legal calibres are deer legal for a reason.
Also consider your potential stalking, if you’re likely to be trudging miles across the moors you would be better if with a lighter rifle, conversely if mostly working from high seats/ static locations a rifles weight is not so much of a factor. Will the rifle also be used for target shooting?
I would suggest on going out on a few stalks first to get a taste of what’s involved, this way you will not only get a feel for stalking but get to try a range of rifles in various calibres/chamberings.
Grannysmith
Well-Known Member
Just get a 270 win
Easy to find ammo
Easy to reload
And good all round rifle for all our species
Easy to find ammo
Easy to reload
And good all round rifle for all our species
timbrayford
Well-Known Member
270 perfect for all UK species including boar
I was reading a bit about Bergara recently and the feedback from owners really impressed me. I saw nothing but positives from guys that test them and write about rifles too but I'm always that bit more wary of those reviews as I think someone that bought and paid for one is more impartial. Can you expand on the horror stories you've heard about them?
I have a Savage .308 (10 FCP H&S stock, heavy barrel) and a Howa .270 for deer and foxes and am very happy with both of them but I was thinking of getting a lighter .308 because the Savage is probably better suited to shooting longer distance than I need.
I started looking at a Sako, a Tikka T3 lite, a Howa Alpine 1500 and then a Bergara B14 and the more I read about the Bergara the more impressed I was. There seems to be very little used Howa Alpine's about for sale which leads me to think whoever owns one is happy with it.
The only real life experience I had with a Bergara was when I had a friend visit me here for a mornings hunt and he had just bought a brand new one, he told me he had it sighted in perfectly but he missed a stag from max 150 yards and that immediately put them way down in my estimation. When I say he missed, the stag didn't even realise a shot had been fired in his direction and just meandered up the field and down into a dip without a care in the world. In hindsight there could have been a lot of different reasons he missed.
I only shoot deer when I or someone I know wants venison so the Savage and Howa should easily do me for the rest of my life but I'm thinking of treating myself to a lighter .308 next year. If you have any links to read I'd be delighted to learn a bit more.
At a recent meeting I was approached by a nice fella who was having issues with his rifle, a brand new .308 Bergara. He couldn’t get it to group well at all (2 inch plus groups) with virtually any ammunition other than one type. He had checked all was tight and the scope / mounts were ok leaving the rifle as the culprit. He hadn’t shot it without a moderator which was suggested. As the accuracy was poor I suggested returning it to the dealer as not fit for purpose. He told me that this was the second Bergara rifle and that the first one had also been returned under warranty (after a bit of an argument) due to a thread being cut off centre. Add to this comments from a well regarded gunsmith (who will remain nameless) regarding the quality of steel used - “they are made of cheese” and all in all they don’t seem very appealing to me. I’m sure if you get a good one they will be fine but the track record is not good enough for me to recommend them. Tikka on the other hand invariably turn out as shooters so are a much better bet as far as I can see.
CBH Australia
Well-Known Member
Uh, @JMinter said don’t break the budget.
I would like a Rigby but it’s hardly budget and it’s out of most budgets.
@JMinter the .275 is essentially a 7x57 but .275rigby is the same thing with pedigree where the 7x57 was basically a military cartridge but has been around the world as an excellent hunting cartridge with the appropriate hunting projectiles.
If Red deer are in the equation look at what the legal minimum is for the UK because I don’t know anything about of your rules.
The .270 is a legal minimum in some states of Australia for Red deer and larger.
The .308 is a great all around choice and easy to handle with 150gn projectiles. I have owned a few and still use one but I also say “it’s common as muck” but it does the job everyday on every continent.
European chambering are not common in Australia, some are like the 6.5x55 but 7x57 is not common in new production rifles on the Australian market. The ballistic twin the 7mm-08 is available but still rare and overshadowed by the .308 presence.
The .270 is popular here but 7x57 or even the 7x64 have a little more of a classic appeal to me.
I own a 7mm-08 and 7x64 and I like the 7mm calibre.
I’m not going to bash the 6.5creedmoor. If you buy that ensure that you buy hunting ammo with the appropriate projectiles for hunting purposes. That goes for all cartridges. There are factory .308 loads for target use readily available too.
I like Tikka. Howa are great rifles in a lower price point but slightly heavier.
A lot of factory rifles are hunting accurate from new. Howa, Tikka and Remington have various accessories and upgrades if you want to customise them.
If Tikka suits your budget it’s the easy button.
Consider allowing reasonable budget for optics. Probably from 300quid. Not sure on the exchange rate but £500 is pretty decent and £1000 might get you into some really nice glass territory but don’t be fooled a £200 scope should be serviceable and reliable for hunting.
Make sure you buy good glass for the rifle.
Cartridge wise one of the 6.5s, a .308 or .270 will sort you out no problem and have good ammo availability. Out of those I think I’d go .270, but if you don’t mind slightly worse ammo availability then .25-06 is a sweet cartridge. Hits like a .270 but kicks like a .243 and seems to be innately accurate.
Rifle wise the usual suspects like Tikka, Sako, Blaser etc will be a gun for life if you look after them and lots of options depending on your budget. If you want something a bit different then I’d highly recommend Schultz and Larsen.
Cartridge wise one of the 6.5s, a .308 or .270 will sort you out no problem and have good ammo availability. Out of those I think I’d go .270, but if you don’t mind slightly worse ammo availability then .25-06 is a sweet cartridge. Hits like a .270 but kicks like a .243 and seems to be innately accurate.
Rifle wise the usual suspects like Tikka, Sako, Blaser etc will be a gun for life if you look after them and lots of options depending on your budget. If you want something a bit different then I’d highly recommend Schultz and Larsen.
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