new rifle...did I do good?!?

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kmrcstintn

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I opted to go with .223 Remington for my light caliber rifle (good ballistics, readily available ammo, relatively inexpensive surplus stuff from time to time); the platform I chose is a Tikka T3 Lite (blued, medium heavy sporter barrel, synthetic stock) and mounted a BSA Huntsman 6 - 24 x 40 scope; trigger seems good & crisp without being nearly as heavy as a Remington 700 SPS that I considered; rifling is 1 in 8" twist...told to use heavier stuff (55 grains +);

sssooooo...how did I do?!?
 
$529 - $200 trade-in for used revolver; scope was carried over from another rifle ($129 when bought new a few weeks ago); scope mounting and boresighting was free with purchase; an extra mag was quoted @ $55 (way too high for a bunch of plastic, so I'm holding off for now) :fire:

I agree a Sako would be the cat's meow, but I needed to keep this purchase relatively inexpensive since I've been doing a lot of horse trading lately; my pet project was setting up a .270 deer rifle (Winchester M70 Black Shadow; Sightron SII 3 - 12 x 42 scope; Bell & Carlson Carbelite thumbhole stock; labor for floating and bedding); total cost @$1100...:eek::what:
 
(good ballistics, readily available ammo, relatively inexpensive surplus stuff from time to time)
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Well, actually for the time being it isn't cheap, but that doesn't matter because you are not supposed to shoot 5.56 out of a 223.
 
Not to sound mean, but I'd lose the BSA scope and put a more fitting scope on a good rifle. Say a Nikon Buckmaster 4.5x14 side focus mil dot. The action on those Tikka's are the kat's meow.
 
I have a real liking to the Leupold Vari-X III it is a really great scope.I have about 6 of them..The long range 6.5 x20 by 50 mil dot is one of my favorite.
The vari-x III 4.5 x14x50 in fine duplex I have on a few hunting rifles...I know cost is a factor...I have A Nikon Buckmaster also...it is ok but just not a Leupold.This is not to say what you have want work!I will add it is fun to shoot and you know your scope is accurate and doesn't alter after shooting...
HK23Beach
 
scope replacement is an option to be addressed later on if need be; the group of guys that I'll be hunting with have BSA's and are doing fine with them; surplus ammo is neck and neck with domestic .223 fmj, so I can still shoot inexpensively with the longer necked casings of the .223;

I must get out and shoot it this week...got bombed out this weekend due to being rainy :(
 
I disagree about the scope replacement. I have taken as-many deer, boar, ram and varmints with inexpensive Tascos, Bushnells and BSAs scopes-as I have with expensive Leupold Vari-X IIIs and Redfields.

The sole difference I have noted with all of the scopes that I have owned, is the dawn and dusk factor. Most hunting takes place well past dawn and well before dusk. My favorite scope is actually the Tasco, the straight 4X Pronghorn! A few years back I had $700.00 to put into a rifled package, I put $599.00 into the rifle (Weatherby Mark V STS/synthetic) chambered in .270 Win. Then I went to WalMart and bought a Tasco 4X Pronghorn scope on it. I installed the scope with a set of Leupold "Dual dovetailed" bases and rings, mounted with industrial grade LockTite. I used that package for about 3 years. Several friends and I hunted here in Michigan and out in Texas, taking several whitetails, several Russian boar and a whole lot of varmints. I never any issues with the scope.

Over the course of several years and too many hundreds of dollars wasted on scopes, I have come to see that most scopes are highly over-rated. Like jewelry, there is lot of namesake pricing happens.

Doc2005
 
I got a Tikka T3 in .30-06. I put a Nikon Monarch 4-12x40 AO (BDC reticle) on it. The BDC reticle is so much simpler than mil-dot - I highly recommend it. I agree, though, BSA is about the crappiest scope you could put on that fine rifle.

My gun was $509 at Jensen Arms in Loveland, CO.

Check out www.elkhuntersports.com for the best deals on Nikon scopes.
 
aubie515 said:
Not to sound mean, but I'd lose the BSA scope and put a more fitting scope on a good rifle. Say a Nikon Buckmaster 4.5x14 side focus mil dot. The action on those Tikka's are the kat's meow.
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+1 on Aubie's scope recommendation. I have that exact same scope and I'd recommend it to anyone. Image clarity of a Leuplod VX-II for less than the price of a VX-I. Once you learn to use the mildot it works well as a decent rangefinder.
 
I hear y'all on the scope concerns, but I am not in a financial pinch right now; just had 3 cavities filled today and 3 more next week; I'm overdo on 30K car maintenance by 4.5K miles...gotta prioritize the funding right now; I am even considering liquidating a .44 mag revolver that is getting very little use...my handgun favorites are .38 spl and .357 mag;

back on track...BSA stays until it don't work & I might change it later on when I have fundage again...thank you for your recommendations
 
My T3 lite is in..........

22-250 and it's supurbe. I also own a few Sakos, so I'm a bit fussy. They don't have the look of a finely stocked Sako, However they are not much of a slouch in the accuracy dept. Gives a great return for hard earned dollars. Essex
 
Scopes are like guns or most cars. They will do there intended purpose as long as you take care of them but there are some pretty cheap scopes out there that remind me of Yugos, the fit and finish is poor and they won't last long.
The higher ended Tasco, Bushnell, BSA, and Simmons are good scopes that will last a long time and can be had for a reasonable cost.
The Leupold, Burris, Zeiss, Nightforce, etc. have better glass, better fit and finish, and a good warranty. There is some marketing involved in their products but optically they will outperform the lower cost scopes.
 
I have a BSA 6x24x40, and probably won't be getting another. However, the only problems I really had were at high magnification. I just keep mine at 16-18x max, and it performs alright. At 6-14x or so, I don't really have any complaints.

Better is always good, but I think you'll do fine with the whole package.
RT
 
All scopes will have some paralax issues unless they are designed with an adjustment to correct for it. To say one brand of scope will have more problems than another is like saying a Ford is better than a Chevy.
The only scopes that will have "less paralax" are scopes with adjustable objective lenses, or Paralax adjustment knobs along the barrel.
Comparing the light Transmission is another matter entirely. The middle market Scopes with the Best Light Transmission are Nikon, Leupold and Bushnell. In no particular order. Start with these three brands and then add the Adjustable Objective Lens to correct for paralax and you will have a fine scope.
I am less than fond of BSA for light transmission IMHO a low end Bushnell Scope is the best of the less than 100 dollar scopes.
 
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