hunting/long range ish question.

[Cruiser]

Ok, so I'm looking at rifles, been quite some time since Ive had a good hunting rifle mainly due to never having the time to actually hunt. Haven't had a hunting license since 88-89? been a little while. I'm looking at a tactical type rifle, in 308, 762 maybe 300 win mag. I wanted a 700sps varmint but should have picked one up a few years back when they could be had for under 500. Now it seams they are $$. Im hoping to get out for deer, elk possibly and boar in the next year or so that why 300-308. was looking at the moss berg scout 762/308 and also a savage 10/110. I plan on actually shooting this also not just hunt. I shot competition in high school and been a few years. I don't plan on anything competitive but I like to shoot distance. I don't expect to do 700+ yards as its not easy to find ranges over 300 that are reasonable cost to use. I don't belong to any ranges currently but may join if I start regularly getting out. Any advise is welcome, suggestions on different cal, rifles etc. welcome. I'm in Jim Thorpe pa and have a few local 300-500 yard places I can go.
Thanks,

[R L Suehr]

Budget?

Might help with suggestions. Personally, if I were buying another hunting rifle it would probably be from Tikka or Bergara. I have a savage model 11 (similar to the 10/110) and they're not a bad choice either for a little less money.

The Mossberg bolt guns I've handled just felt really cheap and didn't have very smooth actions. Same for the savage axis line IMHO. If you're going budget look at the Ruger American line. I have one in the ranch configuration and I like it a lot for a budget bolt guns.

[Walleye Hunter]

I am neither a hunter nor an expert on rifles but...I have a Winchester Model 70 that I got from my father and have been working on my skills with it. The model has been around for a long time and went through a major change around 1964 and there are arguments that pre '64 are better than post '64 but either should shoot fine and the owners of those pre '64s are mighty proud of them. Remington makes a model 700, which looks very similar to the Winchester model 70 but I don't know much about them. .308 is a formidable round but the 300 WINMAG seems to be popular amongst the crowd that you are looking to join. I only shoot military .308 and don't notice what's available in hunting ammo for them. My rifle is a .338 and in my searches for ammo and components, I do see a fairly good supply of 300 WINMAG ammo out there. My understanding is that it is illegal to use FMJ to hunt with but not being a hunter, I am not positive on that. It does sound reasonable. 300 WINMAG will not be found in FMJ so there is no chance of accidentally having that in your chamber when meeting up with a game warden. OTOH, .308 FMJ is not hard to find and would be cheaper to practice with. 57hand and qrtborecrazy are two elk hunters and they should have some good information.

[akley88]

budget is going to be a big decider, also dont cheap out on optics. i have bolt guns from mossberg, savage, Remington. the mossberg is because i wanted a 375 ruger. its a good gun for the price but the Savage 110 Long Range is much smoother and higher quality. 308 will do everything your looking to do. you could also look at 6.5 creedmoor. the 300 win mag will take any game in the country but can be pricey to shoot and depending on the gun/ammo the recoil can be a little tough for some.

[aubie515]

There is a huge difference between a hunting rig and a "tactical" rifle. The biggest one being the weight. Don't kid yourself and say that weight is not an issue as ounces equals pounds. For the critters that you mentioned, if this was me, I'd go for 6.5 Grendel. Much lighter than 6.5CM and will get the job done on this animals that you listed.

I recall taking a member on this forum hunting with me and he also wanted to kill a deer with his heavy "tactical" rifle and I told him the same thing. His rifle was so heavy that it was a PITA to hold up and he wasn't prepared to hunt as he was new to hunting.

Figure out what you really want the rifle to do and buy a rifle based on those needs. Don't cheap out and thing you can buy one rifle for everything. That is just flawed logic.

[Corey G]

Sounds like you actually plan to shoot this riffle, don't know if you looked at ammo prices in the last few years but they gone up quite a bit, and about tripped for a non standard caliper. If I was you I look at .308 or 6.5 Creed, either should get the meat you mention with the right load, and easier and more affordable to shoot. I Hunt distance up to 500 yards on Deer and used to use a Rem 700 in 308, I switched a few years ago to a 6.5 Cree-flatter shooting less recoil if follow up shots are needed, less drop. I Shoot 1000yrd match's recreationally now, and again either will get it done with the right load. Remington is a far cry from the company it was, if budget is a concern I would suggest a Savage 10/110, if you have more like a 1K Budget I go with Bergara, a used Pro if you can fine one, really good barrels on these. And if your more like buy once cry once a Christain Arms, or I build up a Tikka they way you wanted-trigger stock.

[scoutjoe]

The Mossberg bolt guns I've handled just felt really cheap and didn't have very smooth actions.

As an owner of a Mossberg Patriot in .450 Bushmaster I can attest that it's not a buttery smooth bolt. The gun functions fine for me for it's 100 yard max range.

I will also echo Aubie's post of weight. In my case the Ruger American with a 16" barrel would of been a much better choice than the Patriot with a 20" barrel. It's not a huge difference yet at the end of the day you notice it.

[Cruiser]

Thanks for the responses so far, I do plan to shoot more than hunt. I keep going back to 308 due to lots of ammo choices and I have a neighbor that reloads, she doesn't have a 308 currently but she can reload them. My budget is probably in the 1K range give or take not including the scope. I have my eye on a 30-30 lever also as a brush gun. I really wish I picked up a Remington before they closed. Ive shot the 700sps Remington and really like it. Best part of a rem 700 there is almost more upgrades available for that than a Harley. Weight isn't too much of an issue as I'm used to walking with weight. I often have to walk long distances toting a bag of hand tools to service equipment that seams to often go down the farthest spot possible from a road.
did a search on the tikka, they seam to be rather nice and $ seams to range 750-1250 for a 308.

[glocknurse]

I'd say the best in that price range would be the Bergara HMR, check them out. I have one and love it. I don't shoot a lot of long range but it was recommended to me by some friends who shoot PRS and I trust them (their rifles cost as much as some cars).

[RockIsland]

This is my next purchase in .308. To me it's the perfect definition of Tactifudd. If you shop around you can find one for just under a grand.

Bergara B-14 Wilderness Terrain

by MARK KAYSER
posted on August 18, 2020




Even if you haven*t experienced the culture of Spain firsthand, you've likely held and shot a product from the Bergara barrel-production facility in Spain. Many of the most respected rifle companies, American and European, purchase Bergara barrels to mate with their actions to garner top accuracy.

Nondisclosure agreements won*t allow a list, but it*s lengthy, so consider yourself cultured without the risk of picking up the COVID-19 bug.


In October 2012, Bergara took the leap from barrel maker to rifle manufacturer with the help of a unique team of former service members from the U.S. Marine Corps, including the former production chief and chief instructor for the precision weapons section. That move gave Bergara a solid jump-start in producing accurate rifles that could handle the ruggedness of any theater of battle or hunt. The B-14 Wilderness Terrain, one of Bergara's new Wilderness series offerings for 2020, reflects the exacting demands these professionals command in a precision rifle.

As you inspect the Wilderness Terrain you will quickly determine the rifle is a Stanley hammer, not a Perazzi shotgun, in nature. With the reality you*re handling a rifle ready for work, your next focus will be on Bergara*s distinguished trademark: the barrel.


Barrels are inspected for straightness to meet a deviation of less than .004 inch. From there the barrel is drilled with a four-spindle, deep-hole process. To increase accuracy the barrel then receives attention from three distinct, diamond-tipped honing spindles to smooth away nearly every tooling mark from prior processes. Rifling is carried out via a carbide rifling button. For the 300 PRC tested, a 1:9-inch twist rate was cut with a groove deviation of less than .002 inch through the No. 5.5, 26-inch barrel, perfect for ideal velocity.

Before assembly, a tech takes one last look through the bore with a scope. If any blemishes are noticed they are smoothed by hand. It*s this time-consuming and complex manufacturing process that makes Bergara barrels a sought-after commodity by other firearm manufacturers. A blessing for you and me with the firing of a larger caliber is the addition of a multi-ported muzzle brake. Its seamless addition is barely noticeable, but the omnidirectional release of gas reduces felt recoil by up to 35 percent, according to Bergara. According to my shoulder, it was noticeable when compared to shooting my non-braked rifles in .300 Win. Mag.

If you decide to suppress your rifle, the *-24-inch threaded brake allows for an easy swap. To complete the barrel, Bergara wraps it in Sniper Grey Cerakote for armor-like protection from weather extremes.

Bergara*s B-14 action is your next hardware focus. With a few strokes the smoothness is evident in a design that summons the finesse of the Remington 700 action. One difference though: It*s beefed up throughout, including a solid bolt stop. The beefiness of the B-14 action continues to the two-lug arrangement teamed with a sliding plate extractor. A coned bolt nose and breech feed the chamber, and eject with forceful exactness. Stroke the bolt with authority and it will continue to feed until it empties the AICS-style, detachable magazine. All calibers include magazines that hold five cartridges, except for the 6.5 PRC, which holds three. I*m a big fan of detachable magazines. They allow you to empty a rifle quickly for safety, plus you can carry a second or third magazine to feed your rifle if the prairie dogs are thick.



You can detach the Magpulmagazine easily by pushing forward on the paddle to release. Slam another into the well and it locks soundly. And in ongoing Remington influence, the Terrain is drilled and tapped for Remington 700-style rings and bases. To complete its rugged appeal, the entire action is coated in Sniper Grey Cerakote to extend protection from bore to bolt.

Over the years I*ve become frustrated with factory triggers, but again, Bergara delivers in two ways. First, the Performance trigger is adjustable from 2.8 pounds to 4.4 pounds. Bergara advises you to have the factory or a qualified gunsmith do the adjustment, but it does allow you to set it light for tapping steel or select an appropriate setting for hunting. According to Bergara, that appropriate setting is a factory-set 3.7 pounds.

Second, the curved, hunting-style trigger breaks clean with no hint of creep. It gives you enough element of surprise to avoid the dreaded flinch or jerking of the trigger, especially when stoking cartridges through a whopper like the 300 PRC.

Functional describes the molded stock that complements the Terrain. Hidden within it is a robust aluminum chassis that*s molded into the proprietary composite stock. This, teamed with a free-floated barrel, adds to the other Terrain elements for consistent accuracy. The stock includes an adjustable cheek rest that allows you precise aiming alignment. The stock is hand-painted with webbing added for extra grip when the Cerakote is called upon. Two QD flush cups are located fore and aft for quick detachment of the sling of your choosing.



If you decide upon this rifle for backcountry hunting, you may consider its weight of 10.1 pounds in 300 PRC a tad intimidating. The smaller 6.5 Creedmoor weighs 9.3 pounds. I tested the Terrain with a SIG Sauer Sierra3BDX riflescope in 6.5X-20x-52mm. The setup weighed 11.7 pounds without ammunition, a bipod or sling. The rifle fed smoothly even during speedy cycling.

I chose the more powerful 300 PRC to accommodate a future elk hunt. My DIY, public-land hunts typically find me solo in punishing, steep canyons. When I target a bull, I want him to drop as close to on-the-spot as possible. The sub-MOA Terrainteamed with a Hornady ELD-X bullet is as close as it comes to me for elk-caliber perfection.



Technical Specifications
* Type: bolt-action centerfire rifle
* Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win., 6.5 PRC, 7mm Rem. Mag., 28 Nosler, .300 Win. Mag., 300 PRC (tested)
* Barrel: 26", No. 5.5 contour, 4140 chrome-moly steel, button rifling 1:9" RH twist; *-24" threaded muzzle with Omni muzzle brake
* Magazine: AICS-pattern detachable box; 5-rnd. capacity
* Trigger: single-stage; 3.7-lb. pull weight
* Safety: two-position toggle
* Sights: none; receiver drilled and tapped for Remington Model 700 bases
* Stock: molded, composite w/internal aluminum chassis; adjustable comb
* Metal Finish: Sniper Grey Cerakote
* Overall Length: 48"
* Weight: 10.1 lbs.
* MSRP: $1,279


https://www.americanhunter.org/conte...rness-terrain/