Best cartridge rifle? Make? Model? Caliber?

[Marplot]

My Meuller is the 1/8moa target dot

Send yer 10/22 trigger to Brimstone or get a Kidd drop in unit, put a decent scope with AO on it and you should be rockin

Thanks again for your help and advice. Can you recommend a scope like the Mueller but has a red dot? I like hunting, probably tree rats as well as Targets. Mostly targets, but it seems like the first Mueller recommend does not have a red dot. What else can you recommend?

 

[bronko220002]

Way too many options. You'd have to be very soecific about your needs. Target only, hunting?
If you're really aerious about a long range target rifle your $1500 budget is waaaaay too low.
If I were to have only one rifle for north american big game excluding the big bears I would get a Tikka T3 in the good old 30-06 and top it with a good scope. The rifle will cost you about $900 and you can get a really decent scope for $600.
But that's me. Some cartridges shoot flatter, hit harder etc. But this is my opinion based on 55+ years hunting most of the CONUS and sections of Canada.

 

[anonymouscowherd]

Thanks again for your help and advice. Can you recommend a scope like the Mueller but has a red dot? I like hunting, probably tree rats as well as Targets. Mostly targets, but it seems like the first Mueller recommend does not have a red dot. What else can you recommend?

Different scopes for different purposes

For hunting I like a 2-7 or 3-10 at most variable, again with ao or side focus or fiddled with to change the fixed focus distance to 40 yards or so

Target I want as much magnification with finest reticle as I can handle for the shooting style, the 8-32 works for that for me. I know others who prefer lower too ...

 

[anonymouscowherd]

One more one-more-thing - scopes have near zero resale bonus when attached to a rifle, so try to buy a scope you will keep. I still have and use a scope that has been on 6 or 7 rifles that got sold off, usually to buy the next one the scope would go on. Ive also bought rifles, removed and kept the scope or sights and resold the rifle for about what I had in it hust to get the scope/sights

 

[Marplot]

Different scopes for different purposes

For hunting I like a 2-7 or 3-10 at most variable, again with ao or side focus or fiddled with to change the fixed focus distance to 40 yards or so

Target I want as much magnification with finest reticle as I can handle for the shooting style, the 8-32 works for that for me. I know others who prefer lower too ...

I like the scope that you first mentioned. But would like a scope like that with a red dot in the crosshairs. The fine crosshairs kinda blend in with the black target.

 

[ENCORE50A]

............... The fine crosshairs kinda blend in with the black target.

Lighted reticle fixes that issue

 

[GM54-120]

Bergara B14 rifles are a lot of bang for the buck and use a Rem700 foot print for action screw spacing(stocks)/trigger??/scope bases. The "Premier line" are even nicer. The 6.5mm PRC or even 6mm PRC looks great to me. Great target rounds and hunting.

https://www.bergara.online/us/rifles/b14/

https://www.bergara.online/us/rifles/premier/
https://www.eurooptic.com/Bergara-HMR-PRO-Rifles.aspx

 

[Marplot]

Lighted reticle fixes that issue

Somehow I am missing the point. anonymouscowherd said for me to get a "Mueller 8-32 scope on it w/ target dot or mildot" I asked what scope like this could I find with a red dot in the crosshairs, or lighted reticle?

Please spell it out so I can go to Amazon and order one. Name? Model? Specs? It would be helpful to spell this out

 

[bronko220002]

Bergara B14 rifles are a lot of bang for the buck and use a Rem700 foot print for action screw spacing(stocks)/trigger??/scope bases. The "Premier line" are even nicer. The 6.5mm PRC or even 6mm PRC looks great to me. Great target rounds and hunting.

https://www.bergara.online/us/rifles/b14/

https://www.bergara.online/us/rifles/premier/
https://www.eurooptic.com/Bergara-HMR-PRO-Rifles.aspx

GM you're right about the Bergara B-14s. I even have one myself in 6.5CM only because I'm a lefty. I wish they would have made the 6.5 PRC in a LH model. But The Bergara and the Tikka are two fine rifles. The Tikka has the slickest bolt action I've ever owned. The first time I cycled it at the range I had to double check to see if it picked up a round from the magazine! Slicker than snot on a door knob!!!

 

[ElDiablo]

Somehow I am missing the point. anonymouscowherd said for me to get a "Mueller 8-32 scope on it w/ target dot or mildot" I asked what scope like this could I find with a red dot in the crosshairs, or lighted reticle?

Please spell it out so I can go to Amazon and order one. Name? Model? Specs? It would be helpful to spell this out

If it were me, I’d do some of my own research. There are lots of good illuminated reticle scopes out there. And, rarely is a Amazon the best place to buy one…

 

[ENCORE50A]

Somehow I am missing the point. anonymouscowherd said for me to get a "Mueller 8-32 scope on it w/ target dot or mildot" I asked what scope like this could I find with a red dot in the crosshairs, or lighted reticle?

Please spell it out so I can go to Amazon and order one. Name? Model? Specs? It would be helpful to spell this out

I use a second focal plane scopes with a small reticle. On a black target, I can just push the side of the parallax button and my reticle lights, allowing me to see it on a black target.
One of my scopes the whole reticle lights. The other, just the center. I have a Leupold VX6 on my 17HMR that has a very fine dot centered in the reticle which will light up. Most of these scopes with lighted reticles auto turn off and auto turn on. In other words, if you activate the light and set the rifle down and its still, the light goes off. Once you move the rifle, it auto turns back on.

I'm not positive and probably wrong, but I think............ that Mueller was based in Michigan at one time and I think Johannesburg.

Any quality scope manufacturer makes lighted reticles.

 

[Wilyote1]

Just remembered a local friend teaches sniper school. Call him and see what he wants to sell. Already finished.

It would be interesting to see what he suggests.

 

[LBAhunter]

Just remembered a local friend teaches sniper school. Call him and see what he wants to sell. Already finished.

I would "pick" his brain just when I talked to him.
Didn't see your post, Wilyote1

 

[Marplot]

Way too many options. You'd have to be very soecific about your needs. Target only, hunting?
If you're really aerious about a long range target rifle your $1500 budget is waaaaay too low.
If I were to have only one rifle for north american big game excluding the big bears I would get a Tikka T3 in the good old 30-06 and top it with a good scope. The rifle will cost you about $900 and you can get a really decent scope for $600.
But that's me. Some cartridges shoot flatter, hit harder etc. But this is my opinion based on 55+ years hunting most of the CONUS and sections of Canada.

I think you agree. I think that I begin with learning to shoot. My 10/22 Ruger is a good place to learn. How to hold. Take time and run a lot of .22 LR target shooting. Right now. Put in some range time and decide on my next rifle.

Aslo my buddy lives about 50 miles from me and does teach sniper school. He gets sent all over the world, he is that good. Maybe he wants to sell one of his extras? At least he will let me shoot some of his.

If hunting big game, I have a good Waffen Krauser - Munchen O/U with 9.3x74R. The front trigger is a set for the lower barrel. It has a top end Khales, older model, but good enough. Also have a combo with 7x65R with 16ga, also with a Kahles. Took it out to the range and was in the black at 100 yds. First time I have shot a centerfire rifle in 40 years. I am re-newing myself. Basically a newbie, but I learn fast!

Some info about Kahles. "In many parts of Europe, Kahles is considered the premium scope to have while Swarovski is rated as more of a working man's optic."

https://www.chuckhawks.com/kahles_riflescopes.htm

I have enough guns, just need to use them!

 

[Marplot]

I REALLY thank you, ALL for your help! This is all going into my decision-making process.

 

[Pathfinder60]

Yes, but with a little work it will be a little better. Maybe a lot better.

About 45 years ago I bought a Remington 788 in a 308 Winchester. I bought it from a Western Auto store in town. I had no one to help with my selection and was starting from scratch. As time goes on I couldn't hit a barn unless I was inside and figured that's the way it was. I just couldn't shoot. Later I missed a very nice Michigan Buck as a guest on a dairy farm in Stanton Michigan. The host was not happy with me and he took the gun and he couldn't hit anything either. As time went on I bought a 243 Winchester in a Ruger 77. Suddenly I was hitting my targets. I bought the book above and went through the Remington step by step. When done it would shoot as good as a gun can get. I learned a lot about guns and go through all my rifles before I even shoot them. Trigger jobs, floating, bedding, lapping, polishing to name a few skills learned.

I did a Remington 788 in 22-250 for a buddy of mine 30 years ago. He could never get it to shoot. After pillar and glass bedding the action, free floating the barrel, tuning the trigger and putting together some hand loads for it, it was a sub MOA rifle. He was beyond thrilled and amazed at the transformation. It is after all, possible to make a silk purse out of a sows ear!

 

[Mnt monkey]

I agree with GM - 120 on the quality of Tikka rifles, as for the bore 6.5, 7 mm, 30 cal have all proven to be very consistent bore choices we are in a time where we can buy very accurate ammo off the shelf, was not that way 20 years ago, not that there were not some accurate factory loads ,but not near as good as what is available now. I'm a big fan of the Remington 700 but only the rifles built in the sixties and seventies that came out of the factory and again I'm not saying someone doesn't have a newer 700 that will not shoot especially if it's been blueprinted ,but the quality of both the 700 and a lot of other factory actions is not what it used to be. I purchased a model 70 pre-64 Winchester and 30-06 yesterday in immaculate condition, cannot wait to get behind the trigger, I'm a big fan as I get older of older standard cartridges I shy away from the new Super Mag got over all that as a Young Man I tend to look for cartridges that stay in that 2,700 to 2900 ft per second category, I will give the seven mag the credit it's due but having spent a lot of time again as a young man behind seven stws and 300 Win mags Etc other than the seven I have no use for anything else,, the new PRC series are a great case design but if you really get to looking at how many rounds you're going to get out of those cases before you burn out your bore it's something to be considered especially with the 6.5 now if all you're ever going to do is hunt I guess maybe that will be okay but being a fanatic shooter and shooting a lot you're not going to have a barrel very long. My two favorite bores are 6.5 and 30,, for me they are inherently accurate bores just as the 45 is in a muzzleloader.

 

[Marplot]

Bergara B14 rifles are a lot of bang for the buck and use a Rem700 foot print for action screw spacing(stocks)/trigger??/scope bases. The "Premier line" are even nicer. The 6.5mm PRC or even 6mm PRC looks great to me. Great target rounds and hunting.

https://www.bergara.online/us/rifles/b14/

https://www.bergara.online/us/rifles/premier/
https://www.eurooptic.com/Bergara-HMR-PRO-Rifles.aspx

These are wonderful rifles! Never heard of them before. Last time I shot rifles was in the 1970s. Bolt rifles were, S&W, Remington, Colt and the top of the line was Weatherby.

Mentioning my BF and I went to a gun shop and he asked for a rifle that would "kill anything." For his first rifle. The clerk sold him a .458 Winchester Magnum and a box of shells. He and I went to the range to "sight it in."

He triggered it off and it knocked him down. Scared the crap out of us both! He asked if I wanted to shoot it? Hell no! He took it back to the gun shop and since it had been shot, no refund, but they took it on consignment. He gave up shooting.

I got a S&W 1500 30 06 and did some shooting and reloading. After a while, I was bored and sold it. This is not a lonely hobby when your BF would never touch a rifle again.

15 years later I got an AR15 .223. My new best friend loved hunting he was crazy about . Our first outing was the first day of turkey hunting. We knew zero about turkeys.

It was a really cold day, frozen. But we tried calling witha squwak box all day long. It was the coldest and most boring time I could remember.

Nothing. So we went home and called a friend who was an avid turkey hunter. Told him about our venture. He laughed and said when the weather was that cold we could not have found a tom. His quote was, "No hen would drop her drawers this cold weather!'

 

[Va Hunter]

I have a Ruger American that shoots pretty good out of the box.Topped it with a Burris 4.4x14. Here’s the first 3 shot group of the first load I worked up for it. It’s a .308

 

[Black Locust]

With the correct ammo, they shoot very well.

Even better with tailored loads.