Best hunting rifles.?

Question

Is Sako worth the money or should i just go with a tikka T3 Hunter for $1000 less, Or should i go for a Browning A-Bolt Medallion.

What is everyones opinion on short mags. I was thinking of getting a 270. wsm, 300. wsm in one of the models above. Most people tell me to stick with a regular 270.

Answer 1

I like the A-bolt Browning.  I've no experience with the new short mags but have the two original short magnums, the .350 Remington Magnum and the 6.5 Remington Mag.  Both are good shooters but I've not had the opportunity to try them out on game yet.  I just had both fitted with Burris Short Magnum scopes.

The concept of the short magnum is a good one.  Remington first came up with it around 1962.  A shell wider at the base and shorter overall in length will burn it's powder more efficiently than an extremely long shell.  It can be chambered in a more compact rifle because the action doesn't have to take up so much length.  This can make for a longer barrel (which also burns powder more completely than a short barrel) because the action itself is compact.

I expect that the new short mags like the .270 WSM and the .300 WSM are terrific.  The .270 is a stellar deer caliber anyhow, and with a new more efficient casing it should be even better.

H

Answer 2

I hunted with a Remington 700 for years, and can't see spending huge cash on a basic rifle. The 270 is a fine caliber. It puts a light bullet out at high speed. Its nitch is deer sized game beyond 300 yards.

It is not as versatile as a 30-06. The ought 6 can shoot a 150 grain bullet fast enough to kill deer, and any other North American game, just as far as a.270. It can also kill moose, and black bear.  Brown bear is best left to the likes of the big bore guns no smaller than 338 win mag.

If you really think you are gonna shoot beyond 100 yards, then you are an exception to the rule.

Get a Remington 700 30-06, mount a Leupold 3x10 scope, and put meat, all kinds of meat, on the table.

The high power short mags are expensive, and dont kill any better.

The money you save on ammo alone will give you more range time, promoting ol fashion marksmanship

Happy hunting!!!

Answer 3

If you like good wood with a European oil finish well-fitted to real blued steel, Sako is worth the extra money. It won't function better than Tikka, but it certainly is beautiful. Think of a production Sako as a semi-custom gun. I've never bought an A-bolt simply because I don't like their looks. Personal preference.

I like the idea of the short magnums, because I like short rifles with short actions in the kind of hunting I do most often. I don't have much need for the magnum performance, though. In a standard rifle, there isn't enough difference to spit at, and a standard cartridge in a standard rifle is sensible. An extra couple of hundred fps doesn't mean diddly, and neither does the action length.

Answer 4

Tikka? Please..................  Browning??  ummmmm ---- Get a Savage chambered in .270... Forget the short mag, sideways mag, super mag or any other "cartridge of the month" cartridge.... Only buy cartridges that are available on every sport shop shelf in North America.....

http://www.savagearms.com/14AmerClassic....

http://www.chuckhawks.com/270family.htm

Answer 5

At the risk of sounding like a bandwagon developing here, I too think I'd advise spending your money on a Remington 700 and put as much money into your optics, like middle-grade Nikon scopes. Also, the Savage is a fine choice.

While fine rifles, I have seen nothing in the Sako that is worth the cash and Tikka and Browning may look nicer but they don't perform better than the 700.

I generally advise against the magnums. While they do have their place for experienced hunters in specific situations, for MOST hunters, especially if the prey is deer, there is just no need to justify the cost, the cost and availability of ammo and the downsides of recoil management. .30-06, .308 and .270 Win are just fine and ammo is plentiful and affordable.

What makes a successful deer hunt is a good hunter that's well practiced and comfortable with his rifle, knowing when and where he can place that critical round. More PRACTICE is preferable to a bit more power or range in the rifle (and I'm dubious that most of the short magnums really offer anything at all better than the old .30-06). Don't buy into the hype that new is better, they are just trying to sell you something more expensive.

Answer 6

i would go for a a-bolt

Answer 7

The best choice is a Remington or Savage in 30-06.*

Answer 8

Sako and Tikka are both quality rifles. A Browning is also a fine choice...You need to remember that you'll probably want to put a good scope on the rifle too...There is no sense in buying a $600 or $700 rilfe and then putting a $50 scope on it. For the price of a Sako you could get a Remington 700 and put a very nice scope (leupold, burris...etc) on it.

The short mags are good concepts but not really needed in my opinion. How much do you want to spend on a box of ammo anyway? The good old .270 or 30-06 can do anything those mags can do without as much recoil. Plus you can get ammo anywhere for them.....

Answer 9

I hunted with .270 for years and had the reloading down to a science. everything from 110 gr v-max to 180 gr soft points.

But I agree with DJ, spend less money on the rifle-- and more on the optics. I prefer Savage, but remington makes fine rifles. both are way less cash than the Sako and the Tikka..

then you spend a little more on the scope, like a Nikon or maybe a Schmidt & Bender.

I also agree stick with a caliber you can pick up anywhere. .308, 30-06, .270. and stay away from the short mags, I'm sure there fine but pricey and not all gun shops carry them.

I know gas stations in Montana you can pick up the typical shells.

Answer 10

REM. 270 or 06  best choice.

Answer 11

The "most people" telling you to stick with a regular 270 are right. It is probably the best all-around gun for North American game, short of the big bears. Only someone wanting to go after mountain goats, shooting across windy canyons, needs any kind of magnum for anything short of big Brown bears. People selling new magnum rifles want everyone to believe they need a magnum rifle for every direction! The 150 grain 270 load is just fine for the biggest elk. And the 130 grain load is overkill for deer to such a degree that meat hunters will download it for woods use, where ranges are less than 120 yards of visibility. This distance is also standing offhand scoped handgun range, if you want a challenge! Regards, Larry.

Answer 12

i would defenatly consider getting a bolt action rifle becaus its more acurate

Answer 13

any of those rifles are fine choices. as for the short mags the are exellent if you have a chance to go moose or elk hunting as well. but  they will work on deer if you can shoot them well. just rember the increased recoil is most likley going to make you shoot less during the off season  and as in anything practise makes perfect .

Answer 14

Go with the Tikka or the Browning, a deer will never know the difference when shot with one- I understand that the .270 wsm is being called the best deer caliber ever made- I have to assume they are exaggerating a bit, but I'm sure it is a fine caliber.

Answer 15

The Sako is definately a better gun, but I don't think it is a thousand dollars better.  I'd say Browning A bolt.

short mags.  The short mags are designed to duplicate magnum performance in a shorter fatter case.  This allows the use of shorter bolt actions, which some people believe they can work the bolt faster.  However, the fatter cases generally reduce the magazine capacity by one...and remember, most regular magnums already have one less round than a standard chambering.

The 300 WSM basically duplicates the 300 winchester magnum.

But there isn't really any 270 magnum for the 270 short magnum to duplicate, except maybe the 270 weatherby magnum.

So comparing the 270 WSM to the 270 winchester is comparing apples to oranges...just because they both are 270 isn't a good reason for comparing them.

If you were thinking about getting  270 weatherby, then yea, think about getting a 270 WSM instead.

If you were thinking about getting a 270 winchester, but want a shorter action, then 7mm-08 is a more direct comparison.

I think for the best all around rifle, the 270 winchester or the 7mm-08 is going to give you the best balance of power, longevity, managable recoil, managable noise levels, ease of shooting, plenty of power for everything shy of grizzly bears (and it will work okay on them in a pinch, it just isn't optimal) and the ammo is cheaper and more readily avaialble.