JRT
NES Member
Perfect high shoulder shot. When you land them like that the caliber becomes far less important.
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Best bolt gun for western hunting?
- Thread starter 45Badger
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Btw. You also NEED a spotting scope and a rangefinder. I would highly recommend this one. Nothing worse then spotting a group of bucks way off in the distance and spending a couple hours getting to them only to find out there was nothing worth shooting in the first place. Or your eastern eyes shooting at a buck you think is 200 yards away that’s really 600 yards away. Good luck! I’ll be chasing speed goats and mulies myself in gods country come this November. Start a thread and keep us posted.
groundscrapers
NES Member
for the pronghorn get it cleaned and on ice quick. I would also recommend getting it processed into sausage because its a stinky bastard. Jalapeno and cheddar summer sausage is going to be tasty.
he claims there diamondback tactical to be better than primary arms 3-18, i disagree with that. PA 3-18 are very good.
there is a cheaper very light - 14.6oz - diamondback 4-12x40 that is surprisingly clear and big FOV - could be great for hunting rifle, but, with an intent to shoot at 300+ yds - not sure how a 12x would be good there.
if i would be choosing - it would be some of extra light swarovski or leopolds. z5(i) swarovskis are 15-17oz.
if you know those t3x models - the hunter is 3kg, the hunter varmint is 3.7kg in a same caliber - what is the practical difference between them?
their site really sucks to explain any actual details.
JRT
NES Member
The best rifle is a very light one, pay the money for a light rifle. Swarovski glass is very light and when you look through one your life will change. When you've humped the mountains for two or three days every ounce you're carrying will be felt. I will never forget my guides advice on my first mule deer hunt, ounces equal pounds and pounds equal pain.
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JRT
NES Member
Sako and Tikka have horrible websites, it must be a company policy. The Varmint has a heavy barrel and the raised stock, the Hunter has standard barrel and their modular stock.
JRT
NES Member
Not the way a modern website will show you a comparison of specs. If you look at their actual catalog for almost every model their is a short blurb that explains the difference from the standard T3x Hunter. It was say something like fluted bolt, that is the model you are looking at and what's different from the T3x Hunter. Its infuriating.
JRT
NES Member
I have a T3x Superlight in 308, its a very nice rifle. I wish I had bought in 6mmCM or 6.5CM since I've kind of transitioned to those for hunting, mostly 6mmCM really.
i was just thinking of that.
my only concern about 6CM was that barrel will not last too long. so i was thinking of 6 dasher or 6GT/BR - i keep forgetting which one got 30deg shell angle for better feeding.
from other perspective 6CM is way more practical for everything else other than punching paper. and my current 6.5CM rigs, both in AR and Bergara are not carriable, way too heavy.
i want something precise but very light.
the prospect you posted btw shows not a single model in 6CM, or in any 6mm at all, it seems. or may be i missed it.
a retarded catalog anyway. no clear chart with comparisons. for the hunter model they have stainless fluted barrel in all calibers. in superlight visually looks like a same barrel - but half of calibers is not listed. wtf... then a polyfade - that seems to have same weight as superlight - sports same fluted barrel, and some calibers are back, including 6.5CM.
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JRT
NES Member
I only use my 6CM guns for hunting so I'm not too worried about barrel burn. This year I killed two deer with two shots and fired it three times to make sure it was sighted in lol. I'm still very new in PRS but I went with 6GT. I started with 6.5CM on a Ruger PRS and then a Tikka T3x Tact and this year I'm shooting a Seekins Havak Hit in 6GT. I went with GT because I got in with a group shooting PRS and we became friends, they had a lot of knowledge and a ton of loads worked up. I think there are advantages and disadvantages to all the 6CM loads but I like where I landed with 6GT for PRS.
Pronghorns are much smaller. Similar to the size of white tail. Maybe slightly smaller. 167 yards is not considered far far away out West. 200-300 yards is fairly normal for Pronghorn hunting out there.
JRT
NES Member
I guess that makes me feel better, I couldn’t have bought it in 6CM! I do have a Tikka in 243, that’s as close as you can get.
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Go Jack Oconnor style. Pre "64 winchester model 70 chambered in .270.
bergara added a 6CM to the HMR-Pro, but it is also heavy as hell.
Premier HMR Pro - Bergara USA
Do you crave handmade craftsmanship? Do you want a rifle built specifically for you, built for your needs, and with a level of quality that is evident the moment it touches your hands? Are you the type who hones your skills until your confidence is unwavering and your actions are second nature...
www.bergara.online
Premier Competition - Bergara USA
Do you crave handmade craftsmanship? Do you want a rifle built specifically for you, built for your needs, and with a level of quality that is evident the moment it touches your hands? Are you the type who hones your skills until your confidence is unwavering and your actions are second nature...
www.bergara.online
JRT
NES Member
bergara added a 6CM to the HMR-Pro, but it is also heavy as hell.
and here:Premier HMR Pro - Bergara USA
Do you crave handmade craftsmanship? Do you want a rifle built specifically for you, built for your needs, and with a level of quality that is evident the moment it touches your hands? Are you the type who hones your skills until your confidence is unwavering and your actions are second nature...
i do not think they have added it to any of their lighter hunting lineups.Premier Competition - Bergara USA
Do you crave handmade craftsmanship? Do you want a rifle built specifically for you, built for your needs, and with a level of quality that is evident the moment it touches your hands? Are you the type who hones your skills until your confidence is unwavering and your actions are second nature...
I don't own this but I'm interested, I hate that its Springfield but its a nice weight. I don't need it but I have a thing for this rifle
Model 2020 Waypoint 6mm Creedmoor Rifle w/ Carbon Fiber Barrel - Evergreen - Springfield Armory
www.springfield-armory.com
This is what I hunt with now, the Cooper Excalibur Model 54 in 6CM, I love it an it will stay my primary rifle.
Excalibur
Features Available in Model 51, & 54 1/2 MOA accuracy guarantee for centerfire cartridges Hand-laid synthetic stock, reinforced with Kevlar 24" fluted 4140 (blued) for M51 and M54 Hand laid synthetic stock, reinforce with Kevlar Detachable magazine, M51 Four (4) round magazine, M54 Three (3)...
cooperfirearms.com
This year on my hunting trip American lost my Cooper rifle and I had to buy a new rifle on arrival. Its how I learned about Seekins, it was the only 6mm in stock I could find in Nebraska. The Seekins is 5.5 pounds in 6mm and I may love it more than my Cooper. If you are in the market for a 6mm its worth a look. EuroOptic stocks them and they will ship anywhere.
Havak Element
<p>Seekins Precision’s next phase of Unrivaled Innovation--the HAVAK ELEMENT. Drawing on years of precision AR rifle experience and the unparalleled success of our HAVAK line, Seekins Precision has created the hybrid, ultra-light-weight hunting rifl
seekinsprecision.com
StevieP
NES Member
that one indeed looks amazing. and a 5.5lbs. amazing.Havak Element
<p>Seekins Precision’s next phase of Unrivaled Innovation--the HAVAK ELEMENT. Drawing on years of precision AR rifle experience and the unparalleled success of our HAVAK line, Seekins Precision has created the hybrid, ultra-light-weight hunting rifl
12 power is plenty for deer sized game. At 400 yards, 12 power is like shooting a deer at 33 yards without any magnification. Prairie dogs and other small varmints would be a call for more magnification. But if someone is capable of lining up a 33 yard shot at the vitals without magnification, 12X is more than enough for 300-400 yards. The difficult part is keeping the gun steady on the target at that distance.
well, i got now and tried them all - 12x, 18x, 25x, 32x top magnification, for hunting in my opinion the 18x is still the best. i do not say the 12x would not get it done, but if you get quite further than 300yds, at 500 or up - with said 6CM you can reach quite a bit - the 18x will help. the 25x+ would probably be just a dead weight to carry.
specifically, again, this swarovski 5z(i). i think it is the lightest one with such specs and optical clarity.
Z5 3.5-18x44 P L - SWAROVSKI OPTIK
www.swarovskioptik.com
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peterk123
NES Member
well, i got now and tried them all - 12x, 18x, 25x, 32x top magnification, for hunting in my opinion the 18x is still the best. i do not say the 12x would not get it done, but if you get quite further than 300yds, at 500 or up - with said 6CM you can reach quite a bit - the 18x will help. the 25x+ would probably be just a dead weight to carry.
specifically, again, this swarovski 5z(i). i think it is the lightest one with such specs and optical clarity.
Z5 3.5-18x44 P L - SWAROVSKI OPTIK
There are benefits to having a higher power scope, for sure. Different shooters have different preferences. For me, higher magnifications mean less of a field of view, less forgiving eye relief, your crosshairs appear to be moving around much more, etc. My highest magnification scope is a 4-16 that I use to shoot targets out to 600 yards. I'm probably mostly between 10 and 14 power when I shoot it.
Knowing my capabilities and limitations, I would not be comfortable taking a shot greater than 400 yards on an animal that is moving around, with wind, etc., so I would take something like a 2 to 12 power for the longest distance that I would shoot a deer sized animal at, given that 12X at 400 yards appears like 33 yards with no magnification. And 33 yards its right in the wheelhouse for a non magnified optic/iron sights.
groundscrapers
NES Member
I ran a 4-32 NX8 nightforce and the glass quality was good. If you can setup a blind and wait for them to saunter into the fields to graze you can just pick them off. I shot both mine prone off a bipod.
