Thread: Looking for a New Hunting rifle

my best advice is to buy second hand if you can and spend more money on a scope, vx3hd would be a fantastic choice and is very future proof

What model of Bergara do you have?

Originally Posted by STC

I do not know a single person who is not happy with their tikka...

You do now.

I have the Bergara Forester I think it's called. Wood and blue (or whatever the blue/black finnish is on a Bergara)
Came with open sights as well.
I am a bit of a sucker for wood stocks but the Bergaras are Remington 700 based so I can swap stocks easy enough if I wanted.

Sabatti make very good reasonably priced rifles that would be worth considering. Calibre is personal choice but general purpose readily available ammunition especially if you don't reload should be a prime consideration.

I have the extreme hunter in 6.5crd.
Beautiful rifle, carries well, love the trigger. With a vx5 3-15 on it wallabies out to 500m no drama, and I'm no crack shot. No real kick.

Biggest thing I'd say is have a play with different rounds, for me American whitetail shoots about 0.6moa, while eldx is more 0.3

Originally Posted by 16Tontovarish

I have the extreme hunter in 6.5crd.
Beautiful rifle, carries well, love the trigger. With a vx5 3-15 on it wallabies out to 500m no drama, and I'm no crack shot. No real kick.

Biggest thing I'd say is have a play with different rounds, for me American whitetail shoots about 0.6moa, while eldx is more 0.3

Do you have the fluted bolt and barrel model?

I have a tikka M695 in 270 winchester and a T3 in 7mm rem mag. Love them both for what they are. Certainly not top of the line, but well made and they do what they are built to do well.

Something to keep in mind for your first rifle is that you want something that allows you to learn. The aftermarket support out there for tikkas or rem 700 style actions (bergara) is huge. You can develop the rifle as you learn over time easily. When I got my m695 I wanted a lighter stock, but really struggled to find aftermarket options for it, unlike the T3 which I have had for a year now.

Also consider a cartridge that will allow you to hunt in multiple situations an 'all rounder' if you will (270win, 308, etc.). This will allow you to hunt in more situations while you build your rifle up or think about procuring a new one if or when you find your preferred hunting style.

Originally Posted by KimMcLeod

Do you have the fluted bolt and barrel model?

Yep.

Originally Posted by SmokeyJason

You do now.

yahh someone else not sucked in to buy a Tikka - lots of nice second hand out there

I recently got a tikka T3x in 7mm-08 then put a vx3hd on it an I’m glad I did. Really happy with it so far but it is yet to take an animal.

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

yahh someone else not sucked in to buy a Tikka - lots of nice second hand out there

When you buy a tikka your not sucked in.
You are generally very good looking with a high IQ!

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Originally Posted by 16Tontovarish

Yep.

Did you do anything to the rifle, such as bedding it?

Originally Posted by andyanimal31

When you buy a tikka your not sucked in.
You are generally very good looking with a high IQ!

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now dont get me wrong I would buy a TIkka but one of the older models not one of the new ones 595 695 or the older LA 55

Originally Posted by KimMcLeod

Did you do anything to the rifle, such as bedding it?

Nah. Thought about it, but honestly I'm happy enough with it factory, and pretty lazy to boot.

I think there's a guy selling one in the buy sell section here if you're interested in second hand.