Another deer rifle question....

[txgolfer45]

This will be my first deer/hog rifle. I live in Texas. So, the whitetails don't get that big here. But, the hogs do! lol

Considering the following:

Caliber: .270, 30-06, .308

Rifles:

1. Remington 700 ADL
2. CZ 550 American
3. Tikka T3

Optics:

Leopold VX-I 3X9X40

Suggestions or recommendations??? Reasons for your recommendation???

Thanks,
Scott

 

[litman252]

For the record, I am not much of a great rifle scholar.

Pick a good bolt, and 30-06. if it is in N. A. you can hunt it unless it is hunting you.
Consider a 2-7 scope unless your shooting a lot at 150+ yards. much better up close.
My average shot is ~80 yards and above combo works great, different part of country and all...................
Tony

 

[rugerfreak]

The Tikka T3 is simply a superior rifle than the others listed-----at any cost------the best part is the T3 will cost less than them---unless you're going with stainless.

.270 or .30-06---either would be good----.270 would be my personal choice------well one of my T3's is a .270-----also have T3's in .223 and .243-----my buddy has a T3 in .300 Win--------all of these rifles are flat out tack-driving shooters.

The Leupold is a solid optic choice for a first and only deer rifle.

 

[jeopardy4100]

I currently have the CZ550 and Tikka T3. I had a Remington 700 and have divested myself of it.

I have the CZ in .308 and find it to be an accurate attractive rifle to 200 plus yards.

The Tikka T3 is an updated and cost effective Tikka Whitetail. Again accurate to 200 plus yards, though it lacks the artistic touches of the CZ.

The trigger on both is quite good, but the CZ gives you a set trigger that Tikka does not offer in the U.S.

Get the .270 and buy either one from the dealer that you trust the most. You will in short order be telling all of us that you picked the right one because neither will disappoint.

 

[Art Eatman]

Tikkas have an excellent rep. If you're not a handloader, a .308 might be preferable. It will do anything the other cartridges will do, and practice ammo is a lot cheaper.

WalMart sells that Leupold scope; it's listed in their catalog. Around $180 or $190. I've mostly used Weaver-style mounts and rings for a pretty good while...

Art

 

[Jaywalker]

I hunted deer for 30 years with the .270, some in Texas and some elsewhere. I'm usually pretty particular about the shots I take, and I've been lucky, but with a .270 in the vitals, none of my deer have moved from their hoofprints. With any of your choices, you're good up to elk. With big feral hogs I think I'd want to be off the ground in a stand.

If you're on a budget, consider the practice you can get with cheaper surplus .308 ammo.

Any of the rifles you mentioned would be fine. Some of their stocks are longer than others. See which one fits you best and buy that one, avoiding the cost of having a gunsmith alter it. The Remington fits me best, while the CZ is much too long for me.

I don't think much of the Leupold VX-I, though. I know having a Leupold is like a religion, but if you're on a budget, you can do better - let someone else pay for the full-page ads. I've had the same Leupold 2-7 variable for 30 years and it's okay, but I'd probably buy something else next time. Find something with click adjustments and "fully multi-coated" lenses, or as close as you can get to it in your budget. Personally, I just bought a Weaver K-4 fixed power for my new Winchester M70 300 Winchester Mag.

Jaywalker

 

[Pumpkinheaver]

Buy what ever rifle you like the best in any of the cartridges you mentioned and you'll be fine.

 

[MeekandMild]

Disjointed thoughts on your choices:

Of the three I'd choose Tikka, but of the universe of choices I'd choose a Savage or an old style Ruger 77 or maybe a Ruger 1 or a Marlin levergun. Somehow I'd be less worried about dropping a Marlin on the rocks than a Tikka. First scratch on a Tikka would be like the first dent in a new car. OUCH!

Of your three choices I'd choose the .270 and shoot 130 or 150 gr soft point at deer. (30-06 was WW-I choice for shooting through sandbags to kill German snipers wearing steel helmets and not for deer IMHO.)

In a universe of choices there are also 7mm08, .243, .25-06, 257 Roberts, 30/30, .35 Rem. and a whole lot of others which have been endlessly argued. In the universe of all deer rifles I prefer .270, .243, and .35 Rem in descending order of karmic correctness.

As for the scope, I've got a cheap 40mm scope on my swamp hog hunting rifle, figuring it is easier to replace a $40 scope than a $300 scope, but for my deer rifles I have Leupold 50mm scopes. That extra 10 mm and the bright Leupold optics makes a real difference in the 10 minutes after dawn and the 10 minutes before dusk.

Splitting the difference between costs one could look at a Bushnell 50mm. I hunted for 20 years with a Bushnell before I could afford a Leupold. Didn't shoot much but I hunted.

BTW yellow or red lense coatings seem to work better than blue ones in hazy light conditions. Don't ask me why. May be a matter of karma again.

 

[dakotasin]

remington in 308, talley base/ring to mount your leupold, and you are good to go.

i don't have any firsthand experience w/ the cz. i haven't spent much time w/ tikkas, though i really dislike the mag system (plastic), and don't trust the rifle.

good luck, and enjoy.

 

[txgolfer45]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the input. I'm leaning towards the Remington 700 ADL in .270 or 30-06. Still not sure about the scope. Bass Pro Shops had a combo 700 ADL with a Redhead scope. I could barely see through the dang thing. Doesn't accept much light. The Zeiss Conquest scope was awesome, but at around $400, that is a little steep for me.

I need to keep looking at scope options.

Scott