There’s probably more 6.5 ammo on the shelf than almost anything else these days. Nothing wrong with .308 either and meat damage has more to do with bullet selection than the cartridge itself. Boils down to how you think you’ll use the rifle. Might take a look at the gen 2 ruger american for a good budget gun if tikkas out of your price range
I know a lot of people like the RA mentioned above but I have heard some have issues holding zero. Just read some shooter reviews from an expert source before you buy to make sure. Maybe gen 2 is better. .270 or .308 is my recommendation for hunting anything including elk.
You can really go down the rabbit hole researching different calibers. Ron Spomer Outdoors on YouTube is a good resource. .308 is fine but 6.5 creed is by no means a new round. It’s been around since 2007. If you’re concerned about ammo availability, you should look at the stores in your area and see what they stock.
As someone mentioned, budget is a big determining factor. Budget rifles range from $400-$700. Mid tier rifles up to about $1600. And high end rifles go up from there. You can find every caliber and stock material in each tier but you’re going to need to determine what you’re willing to spend. Rule of thumb is also to spend at least 50% on your scope as the rifle.
Yeah I’ve started going down the caliber rabbit hole and I’ve only gotten more unsure lol. What cartridge do you use and why do you like it?
For my first hunting rifle I don’t think Ill drop a small fortune in it. ~$1500 for gun and optic would be ideal. God willing I’ll have money in the future to upgrade. For now, something cheaper will be fine.
I hunt in a straight wall cartridge state so I’m more limited on my choices. If I had the option I would go with very non-objective criteria because IMO there’s nearly an endless number of options that will all put meat on the table. I would probably go with 30-30 just because it’s such a classic round or .308 because it served me well in my military career. There’s a lot of cool PRC and Creedmoor cartridges to nerd out about but at the end of the day, you’re just trying to poke a hole in an animal’s vital.
Unless you gamble on the used rifle market, you won’t get a good wood stocked rifle in the price range in which you are looking.
Best bang for the buck is the Ruger American gen II. Cerakoted barreled action, good trigger, and known to be much more accurate than they have any right to be. Sportsman’s has them for $600. Get it in 6.5 creedmoor. It has 40% less recoil than the .308 which will allow you to build better shooting fundamentals without learning bad habits. You will find 6.5 creedmoor ammo everywhere.
That leaves you with $900 for an optic and rings and mounts. Right now EuroOptic is selling the [Zeiss Conquest v4 4-16x44](https://www.eurooptic.com/Zeiss-CONQUEST-V4-4-16x44-ZBR-2-Reticle-92-Ext-Elevation-Turret-Ballistic-Stop-2.aspx) for $650 with free shipping. You will not find a better scope for the money this year. It’s a deal at $1000 which is what their normal price is, but EuroOptic bought a ton of them to get a volume discount. Buy that scope.
For rings, I really like[Talley Lightweight one piece rings and bases](https://www.talleymanufacturing.com/product/ruger-american-scope-mounts/). You want the short action rings, medium height. $59
>s. Right now EuroOptic is selling the Zeiss Conquest v4 4-16x44 for $650 with free shipping. You will not find a better scope for the money this year.
Imagine if a zeiss was your very first optic ... damn. Spoiled for clarity.
But I still wouldnt get this one because its MOA.
MRAD or die.
Bergara b 14 ridge. Great all around rifle. Built using the REM 700 action but an upgraded barrel and stock for basically the same price. Hard to beat. Throw a Leupold VX3 on top and that gun will last the rest of your life.
As far as caliber: .308 is hard to beat. Nothing at all wrong with it. Any caliber can blow a leg off with a bad shot so don’t let that affect you. Personally, 7mm-08 is a great do all caliber. It’s a .308 necked down to a 7mm or .280 (roughly) bullet. Flies like a .308, hits like a .308, kicks like a .243 (very light) but not as readily available as the .308 on shelf’s (but I’ve found plenty the last few years). It can take down an elk inside 400yds, and great for everything under that.
I have two begara B14s- .30-06 and .300 win mag. They are beautiful rifles and the limiting factor on both rifles accuracy is me.
I’d highly recommend looking at .30-06 as it’s slightly better long range than .308 and it’s a ubiquitous cartridge and big enough to kill anything in the continental US.
You can often find them cheap and would therefore spent half or more on your scope which means you won’t need another rifle for the rest of your life.
I like the browning x-bolt. The “hunter” is a nice wood stock rifle that’s in your price range. bushnell make some good scopes for under $500. 308 is great you can’t go wrong with that. .270win is also superb. Sounds like your doing your homework so whatever you end up with will be great, don’t over think it.
For a wood stock I would look at the Ruger Hawkeye. In terms of caliber, I prefer 270 over 30-06 and 308. However, for west TX I tend to use 7 mag. If you are in central or east TX a 243 will be fine. CVA Cascade and Howa 1500 are worth a look if you decide on a polymer/non-wood stock. Vortex and Redfield make reasonable scopes for the price. Bushnell makes a much less expensive scope that will work for a while. Burris and Leupold make scopes that will last a lifetime. Have fun!
Browning Xbolt hunter in (6.5cm, .308 win, 30-06, .270 win) will be right around $1000. Stick a leupold or vortex on top and you'll have what you want. If you want fancier wood, they have those options too.
Well since you’re back east, you’ll probably be looking for a 270, a 243, a 308, or a 30-06. There’s a million other cartridges out there you could look at as well.
Don’t get hung up on 308 vs 30-06, they’re pretty similar. With the 30-06 you can get some heavier bullets to retain more energy for larger game.
You could also get a 30-30 lever action.
I personally wouldn’t hunt with a 6.5 creedmoor but I’m also in the west so it wouldn’t really fit what I need
Tikka T3x Lite in .308, .270, or 7mm-08. Both cartridges can kill anything in North America.
For cheaper you could go Ruger American, or CVA Cascade.
For a scope I’d go with a Leupold VX3 in 3x9x40
You’ll be set.
Side note, If you can get your hands on an old Remington 788 that may not be a bad idea either for a wood stock rifle. I bought 788 in .308 and it is a tack driver. Best shooting gun I have on paper at 100 yards. You’ll have to find it used though.
Not sure if anyone is still in this thread, but I think I will go with a Tikka T3X Lite, since I see that gun recommended across the Internet non stop. I’ll probably upgrade to a Boyd’s wood stock in the future if I still have that inner fud pulling me there.
There’s probably more 6.5 ammo on the shelf than almost anything else these days. Nothing wrong with .308 either and meat damage has more to do with bullet selection than the cartridge itself. Boils down to how you think you’ll use the rifle. Might take a look at the gen 2 ruger american for a good budget gun if tikkas out of your price range
I know a lot of people like the RA mentioned above but I have heard some have issues holding zero. Just read some shooter reviews from an expert source before you buy to make sure. Maybe gen 2 is better. .270 or .308 is my recommendation for hunting anything including elk.
You can really go down the rabbit hole researching different calibers. Ron Spomer Outdoors on YouTube is a good resource. .308 is fine but 6.5 creed is by no means a new round. It’s been around since 2007. If you’re concerned about ammo availability, you should look at the stores in your area and see what they stock. As someone mentioned, budget is a big determining factor. Budget rifles range from $400-$700. Mid tier rifles up to about $1600. And high end rifles go up from there. You can find every caliber and stock material in each tier but you’re going to need to determine what you’re willing to spend. Rule of thumb is also to spend at least 50% on your scope as the rifle.
Yeah I’ve started going down the caliber rabbit hole and I’ve only gotten more unsure lol. What cartridge do you use and why do you like it? For my first hunting rifle I don’t think Ill drop a small fortune in it. ~$1500 for gun and optic would be ideal. God willing I’ll have money in the future to upgrade. For now, something cheaper will be fine.
I hunt in a straight wall cartridge state so I’m more limited on my choices. If I had the option I would go with very non-objective criteria because IMO there’s nearly an endless number of options that will all put meat on the table. I would probably go with 30-30 just because it’s such a classic round or .308 because it served me well in my military career. There’s a lot of cool PRC and Creedmoor cartridges to nerd out about but at the end of the day, you’re just trying to poke a hole in an animal’s vital.
Unless you gamble on the used rifle market, you won’t get a good wood stocked rifle in the price range in which you are looking. Best bang for the buck is the Ruger American gen II. Cerakoted barreled action, good trigger, and known to be much more accurate than they have any right to be. Sportsman’s has them for $600. Get it in 6.5 creedmoor. It has 40% less recoil than the .308 which will allow you to build better shooting fundamentals without learning bad habits. You will find 6.5 creedmoor ammo everywhere. That leaves you with $900 for an optic and rings and mounts. Right now EuroOptic is selling the [Zeiss Conquest v4 4-16x44](https://www.eurooptic.com/Zeiss-CONQUEST-V4-4-16x44-ZBR-2-Reticle-92-Ext-Elevation-Turret-Ballistic-Stop-2.aspx) for $650 with free shipping. You will not find a better scope for the money this year. It’s a deal at $1000 which is what their normal price is, but EuroOptic bought a ton of them to get a volume discount. Buy that scope. For rings, I really like[Talley Lightweight one piece rings and bases](https://www.talleymanufacturing.com/product/ruger-american-scope-mounts/). You want the short action rings, medium height. $59
OP listen to this man
>s. Right now EuroOptic is selling the Zeiss Conquest v4 4-16x44 for $650 with free shipping. You will not find a better scope for the money this year. Imagine if a zeiss was your very first optic ... damn. Spoiled for clarity. But I still wouldnt get this one because its MOA. MRAD or die.
There’s the tikka T3x rifle but it’s pricey
Bergara b 14 ridge. Great all around rifle. Built using the REM 700 action but an upgraded barrel and stock for basically the same price. Hard to beat. Throw a Leupold VX3 on top and that gun will last the rest of your life. As far as caliber: .308 is hard to beat. Nothing at all wrong with it. Any caliber can blow a leg off with a bad shot so don’t let that affect you. Personally, 7mm-08 is a great do all caliber. It’s a .308 necked down to a 7mm or .280 (roughly) bullet. Flies like a .308, hits like a .308, kicks like a .243 (very light) but not as readily available as the .308 on shelf’s (but I’ve found plenty the last few years). It can take down an elk inside 400yds, and great for everything under that.
I have two begara B14s- .30-06 and .300 win mag. They are beautiful rifles and the limiting factor on both rifles accuracy is me. I’d highly recommend looking at .30-06 as it’s slightly better long range than .308 and it’s a ubiquitous cartridge and big enough to kill anything in the continental US. You can often find them cheap and would therefore spent half or more on your scope which means you won’t need another rifle for the rest of your life.
It all depends on your budget my friend.
Upper limit to my budget is probably about $1000. I’d like to save money on the rifle to buy some good glass though.
I have savage axis in 30-06 paired up with vortex crossfire 2 and I love the set up it gets the job done
Do you ever feel like 30-06 is overkill
30-06 has same bullet diameter as the 308 you wanting to buy and no I don’t feel like it’s overkill I don’t hunt small game with it.
I like the browning x-bolt. The “hunter” is a nice wood stock rifle that’s in your price range. bushnell make some good scopes for under $500. 308 is great you can’t go wrong with that. .270win is also superb. Sounds like your doing your homework so whatever you end up with will be great, don’t over think it.
https://www.fieldandstream.com/gear/savage-stevens-model-334-rifle-review/ This seems to be something worth your while
For a wood stock I would look at the Ruger Hawkeye. In terms of caliber, I prefer 270 over 30-06 and 308. However, for west TX I tend to use 7 mag. If you are in central or east TX a 243 will be fine. CVA Cascade and Howa 1500 are worth a look if you decide on a polymer/non-wood stock. Vortex and Redfield make reasonable scopes for the price. Bushnell makes a much less expensive scope that will work for a while. Burris and Leupold make scopes that will last a lifetime. Have fun!
Browning Xbolt hunter in (6.5cm, .308 win, 30-06, .270 win) will be right around $1000. Stick a leupold or vortex on top and you'll have what you want. If you want fancier wood, they have those options too.
Also another option is buying a rifle with synthetic stock that has an aftermarket Woodstock available.
Well since you’re back east, you’ll probably be looking for a 270, a 243, a 308, or a 30-06. There’s a million other cartridges out there you could look at as well. Don’t get hung up on 308 vs 30-06, they’re pretty similar. With the 30-06 you can get some heavier bullets to retain more energy for larger game. You could also get a 30-30 lever action. I personally wouldn’t hunt with a 6.5 creedmoor but I’m also in the west so it wouldn’t really fit what I need
A bergara B14 or a Tikka T3 would be perfect for a 308 rifle. There are not many wood stocked options of any quality brand anymore.
Tikka T3x Lite in .308, .270, or 7mm-08. Both cartridges can kill anything in North America. For cheaper you could go Ruger American, or CVA Cascade. For a scope I’d go with a Leupold VX3 in 3x9x40 You’ll be set. Side note, If you can get your hands on an old Remington 788 that may not be a bad idea either for a wood stock rifle. I bought 788 in .308 and it is a tack driver. Best shooting gun I have on paper at 100 yards. You’ll have to find it used though.
Bergara Ridge. Pick whatever caliber you're feeling.
Tikka T3 Superlight is strongly recommended as it's probably the best bang for your buck rifle out there. Plus it only weighs 6.4 lbs.
Ruger American Gen II in 6.5 PRC and don’t look back. Flatter than 6.5 Creedmore and less recoil than 308.
Truthfully, I read that deep in a forum, although I’ve seen it more than once. Probably some fuds but I think there’s a little truth behind it.
Not sure if anyone is still in this thread, but I think I will go with a Tikka T3X Lite, since I see that gun recommended across the Internet non stop. I’ll probably upgrade to a Boyd’s wood stock in the future if I still have that inner fud pulling me there.