New Highland Calibre - What to go For

It is less about the calibre and more about the rifle.

There are lots of used Swedish hunting rifles available here and I am convinced that what you are looking for is on the used market.

I bought a Voere Titan II in .30-06 and one in 6.5x55 mm. Both were very affordable and both are sub MOA shooters. If you can find a good used Voere Titan II, just buy it. These rifles are superb in every way and they are bargains on the used gun market.

I also bought several Tikka M-65 and LSA-65 rifles all in .30-06. These are magnificent rifles and they are better made than any of the new Tikka or Sako rifles. The old Tikka rifles are shooting's best kept secret. I have a 20.5" Tikka M-65 battue in .30-06 that shoots the 165 grain Sierra bullet at 2800 fps when fuelled by 57 grains of H-4350. That rifle is lightweight, handy and deadly.

I also have a .30-06 Carl Gustaf 3000 which is the Swedish version of the Sauer Model 80. Again it shoots like a dream.

Back in the 1980s, Parker Hale made a beautiful lightweight rifle with a lovely walnut stock. It also had a schnabel fore end tip with rosewood accents. The piece is in .270 and it is a joy to carry. It also shoots tight groups with 130 grain bullets and 59 grains on H-4831.

All of the rifles mentioned above are real rifles. They are all made of steel and walnut and they all are chambered for proper cartridges.

Below is a typical 100 metre group with my Tikka M-65 in .30-06.

The three rifles from left to right: Tikka M-65 battue, Tikka LSA-65 and 1979 vintage Sako. All in .30-06



IMG_20260604_192115.webpIMG_20260604_192626.webp
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20260604_193951.webp
    IMG_20260604_193951.webp
    145.1 KB · Views: 4
Last edited:
.416 Rigby, .465 Holland and Holland Magnum
Or go proper old school, .400 belted nitro express

Anything else is just a bit crass really
 
Basically if you don’t have a tikka wooden stocked with a Schmidt and bender fixed mag scope and a Harris bipod in 270 calibre you’ll get a slagging from all highlands ghillies. So buy what you like and accept the slagging coming ur way anyway :)
 
Basically if you don’t have a tikka wooden stocked with a Schmidt and bender fixed mag scope and a Harris bipod in 270 calibre you’ll get a slagging from all highlands ghillies. So buy what you like and accept the slagging coming ur way anyway :)
Highland Ghillies? Aren’t they all working checkouts and home deliveries for Tesco now
 
Same here in all honesty, considering I came from a strictly target shooting background and I despise fuddery in all its forms, Ive been very impressed with my .270 and its performance, would highly recommended to newbies to stalking, although not necessarily to complete shooting newbies.
What is 'fuddery'?
 
Whenever I hear the word, "fudd", I know what to expect. The pony tailed guys who use that word, wear nail polish and pee sitting down
 
Its essentially a concept that some shooters who are more traditional dont like change and worse, dont support the legal use of certain guns
I like shooting all firearms. In fact I'm off to the range in a few minutes to shoot handguns.

I get called a "fudd" by know-it-all young fools who hate walnut and steel. And I resent it.

Bonus picture of walnut and steel. Just to upset the young know-it-alls
IMG_20260414_151208950.webp
 
Last edited:
I like shooting all firearms. In fact I'm off to the range in a few minutes to shoot handguns.

I get called a "fudd" by know-it-all young fools who hate walnut and steel. And I resent it.
Thats fair enough, by my standards it doesnt sound like your a fudd then, just prefer older designs. And that S&W is very slick, got the chance to shoot one in WA a few years ago and it was some of the best fun I ever had.
 
Thanks for that definition of a term new to me.

In the context of this thread what are the “certain guns”?
In the context of the thread it hasnt really got much to do with highland calibres, just that fudds are more likely to suggest and mandate a .270 when realistically much better options exist in terms of performance. Thats what I was getting at in my original post.
With fudds against certain guns its pretty simple that fudds basically dont care if guns they dont use get banned e.g. AR15 style rifles in the UK when a certain notable game/clay shooter made comments years back about CSR and straight pull rifles being "unacceptable"
Imo its because of c**** like him that the laws are in such a bad state here just as much as our government detesting firearms ownership
 
Here is a perfect highland hunting rifle and it is in .270. There are no better options because here is exactly what he needs. This quality rifle is made of walnut and steel and not from recycled sex toys.

There are other rifles that are as good in other calibres. But this one is an awesome hunting weapon.

At 500 yards, a 130 grain Nosler bullet will arrive with the same kinetic energy that a .44 Magnum has at the muzzle. Ballistics like that never go out of style.

Granted a 500 yard shot is one that is way too long. But the .270 delivers great power with a flat trajectory and low felt recoil.

(At 200 yards, you're looking at a ton of kinetic energy)

.270 ammo is available everywhere and to handload the cartridge just load the 130 grain Nosler expansion tip with 59 grains of H-4831. That load kills like the Hammer of ThorIMG-20260607-WA0038.webp
 
Back
Top