Hello all, I'm looking to pick up my first precision rifle. My only experience with a bolt action is from around 10 years of deer hunting with a marlin .270 and almost all of that was done within 150 yards. However, after "building" I don't know how many ar15's I'm looking into something new. Through reading on here and a few other places I have narrowed my choice down to a tikka t3x ctr and a howa 1500 in a krg bravo chassis. I plan on using this rifle out to the 600 yards that I currently have access to but, I am working on getting a membership at a range that has a 1000 yard line. That will be the furthest I can shoot for the foreseeable future. My budget for the rifle is around $1000 but I can move that up a little if there is something worlds better for only a few hundred more. I plan on this rifle pulling some deer rifle duty in the fall but weight isn't a huge concern since I'm not stalk hunting. Anyways, thanks in advance for any suggestions and the plethora of knowledge on this site.
New to precision rifles
- Thread starter Three0h8
- Start date
Tikka's are always a nice entryway into precision rifles, and I've heard great things about them. I believe a 70 degree bolt through so you've got a little text wiggle room near the scope and should be an absolute hammer. Now have you thought about what cartridge you might want to run, safe bet would 6.5creed it will pull double duty like a champ.
I was looking at .308 or 6.5 creedmoor since I don't currently reload. I'm looking at buying my first house early next year and then plan on getting into that.
I'm a whore for Sako's & Tikka's lol. I own several TRG's, T3/T3Xs and a 595 Master Sporter, they're all far more accurate than I am. Everyone of them has a slick action and excellent trigger right out of the box. For the $$ I think the Tikka's are hard to beat.
That being said, Howa is no slouch either. I think either setup will get you where you want to go.
As far as 6.5CM vs .308 goes, I have both and they'll both get you to 1000yds. I'd suggest reading up on both and decide which one suits you best.
That being said, Howa is no slouch either. I think either setup will get you where you want to go.
As far as 6.5CM vs .308 goes, I have both and they'll both get you to 1000yds. I'd suggest reading up on both and decide which one suits you best.
Last edited:
That price doesn't include the optic. I know that's equally important. It'll be purchased after the rifle
I'll agree that 308 will make you better shooter since it's less forgiving with wind calls, but quality ammo for both is pretty much the same price. Now if you're talking about price in respect to barrel life, the 308 has an advantage.
Both actually. You can reload 308 with solids or flatlines and get 6.5 performance. But here’s the thing, you can always buy a 308 and rebarrel it when your ready. Of course the 6.5 is superior but personally I think learning on a 308 has much more long term benefits.
Last edited:
I have a Howa 1500 in 6.5 creedmoor and it is absolutely a hammer and very accurate. Tikkas are known to be pretty slow so just a heads up on that, although I don't think that matters much. Both will be great so go with whatever you decide on. I have a Howa so I will recommend that, it's been an amazing rifle out of the box and performs flawlessly. Good luck!
Having had multiple iterations of both Howa/Tikkas, I can tell you can’t really go wrong with either.
Head to a local guns store and try to get a feel for both. See what you think about them before you buy.
I would recommend getting the one that’s the lowest amount of money, and use the remaining budget towards your scope purchase. Not sure what your budget is for that, but that’s the part you wanna try and get the absolute best you can.
Head to a local guns store and try to get a feel for both. See what you think about them before you buy.
I would recommend getting the one that’s the lowest amount of money, and use the remaining budget towards your scope purchase. Not sure what your budget is for that, but that’s the part you wanna try and get the absolute best you can.
I can get the Howa and put it in a chassis for around what I can get a ctr right? Would that be a better setup than a factory ctr? I'm going to go with .308 to learn to call wind better since I've read that 6.5 does better with wind. I haven't decided on the budget for the optic yet but it will probably be around $1000 as well.
Both barreled actions will work flawlessly, if you can get the Howa with a chassis for what a ctr costs, I think you'll be ahead already that way. You'll have a good barreled action plus the ergonomics and adjustability of a chassis system. You'll probably be able to make that chassis fit you more than you would with the CTR stock!
I ended up going with a Tikka T3x Ctr in 6.5 with the 20" barrel as my first bolt gun. I forced myself to get into reloading with all the crappy ammo laws in California. I ended up getting a Desert Tech SRS A1 recently with a 308 conversion kit. Big jump in rifle but I want to eventually want to get into 338lm when I become more proficient shooter.
As a preface, I'm a die hard 308 Winchester fan.
You are right when you say that the 6.5C does better in the wind. The question is how much better? I'm not going to pull up a bunch of dope to get all mathematical here, that's not the point of this.
The point is that the wind drift difference between the two isn't so great that it will make up for a lack of wind reading ability nor is it so great that it will slow down or hinder your ability to learn to dope the wind.
Where the 6.5 Creedmoor has a noticeable advantage over the 308 is in recoil, all else being equal. Less recoil = less fatigue, easier to spot your impacts, easier to learn to shoot well.
I'll liken the above to my experience competing in NRA/CMP Service rifle. There you have three cartridge choices: 30-06 (which virtually no one uses), 308 (which maybe 2% use), and 223 which is used by everyone else. Why? First, the recoil advantage of the 223 in a heavy AR-15 is enormous. Second, the wind drift differences between heavy 223 match loads and 308 match loads are insignificant inside 600 yards.
Bravo. Its cheap and its good. MDT oryx is a second place cheap yet good option however between the two I like the bravo stylings more.
I support the bravo, it's a no nonsense chassis that has pretty much everything you need and nothing you dont. Plus the modularity of the stuff from krg is awesome.
