Beginners rifle

[TimS]

My son is looking to buy a rifle to shoot with his wife. He is going to be limited to factory ammunition.

It is for recreation, but of course, he wants it to be accurate.

I’m thinking of a Tikka T3x UPR in 6.5 CM. Anyone with experience with this rifle? Comments are welcome.

thanks

Tim

 

[Adam in WI]

You said Tikka and Creedmoor, I think you'll be just fine.

 

[Mark M.]

Good choice

 

[DangerRanger]

I have a 20” t3x ctr that shoots factory 147 very well. I do not have experience with a UPR but it seems like the same barreled action

 

[joshb]

Have you considered a 223? Ammo is cheaper. Less recoil for the girls. Just some thoughts.

 

[jackieschmidt]

Just a question, but if he is planning on shooting much at all, he really should invest in a reloading set up.

The up front cost might seem high, but The cost of quality Factory ammunition is getting higher by the day.

And it’s not just a cost thing. Even a simple reloading kit like the ones offered by companies like RCBS will allow him to enhance his shooting activity to a great degree.

If there is a reason that doing his own reloading would be prohibitive, then just ignore my thoughts..

 

[beemanjohn]

6.5 CM has a lot of recoil for a new woman shooter, and ammo prices are kind of high. I would go with a 223.

 

[Ranger188]

Tim, if it's going to see limited use then the Tikka in 6.5 Creed is a fine choice. Varmints, paper targets, steel to bigger game.
When the ammo run is over, the 6.5 has one of the best variety of factory choices out there.
The Tikka is a fine factory rifle.
If you are worried about recoil, find a good brake. Close to a 223 after that.
223 is limited on range (I'll hear about that)

Will depend on how far they are wanting to shoot to.
100yds. a 22LR will work
100-300 a 223
300 and beyond 6 or 6.5

 

[ncageneral]

For the ladies , 6.5 Grendel. Light recoil, light rifle. Deadly . Same recoil as 223, alot more thump at 300 yds . Alot deader. Deader isnt really a word ,,, but you get my drift .

 

[ND shooter]

Have you considered a 223? Ammo is cheaper. Less recoil for the girls. Just some thoughts.

^^^^ This

 

[Tommie]

For the ladies , 6.5 Grendel. Light recoil, light rifle. Deadly . Same recoil as 223, alot more thump at 300 yds . Alot deader. Deader isnt really a word ,,, but you get my drift .

Same recoil as a .223? How so?

 

[dolek]

Same recoil as a .223? How so?

It's not even close . In a .223 max load published by Hodgdon for IMR 8208 is 19. 6 grains for a 90 grain bullet , while the Grendel max is 31 grains .

 

[dgeesaman]

Agreed. 6.5 Creedmoor is a great rifle cartridge for long range accuracy using factory ammo and reasonable resistance to wind drift. But to simply learn marksmanship or focus on its recoil, it's clunky. .223 makes a lot more sense for practicing marksmanship. Tikka says they make .222 also which is perfect for marksmanship practice and short range accuracy but I don’t know if any are in the US. Unfortunately there are very few other light cartridge options out there on factory rifles these days. Everyone is shooting moose at 1500y these days I guess.

That said, CM will work especially if the rifle platform is not too light. If you have other uses for this rifle in 6.5CM that a .223 can't do, it's likely a good compromise.

I've attached a quick comparison of the cartridges mentioned here. Since they're different bullet calibers, don't consider them a direct comparison. But the recoil numbers are such that we can compare that.

 

[Texas10]

If you are seriously considering a 6.5 CM, the most accurate, out of the box rifle and ammo combo I've seen is the Savage 12FV ( a Cabelas special) with a 26 inch varmint barrel and Hornaday Black 140 gr. BTHP. Time after time this combo seems to shoot with remarkable accuracy, and ammo is frequently on sale for 18.99 a box of 20. With a half decent scope, and even in the original tupperware stock, I've seen it put 5 shots into a 2 inch circle at 300 yds, and do it consistently. And every person I've seen at the range with this combo says the same thing, ridiculously accurate.

I have put good aftermarket barrels on the 12FV that don't like the Hornaday Black 140 gr as much as the factory barrel. Not sure what the secret is of that combo, but it seems to be a marriage made in heaven.

There are plenty of very well made factory rifles out there, capable of very consistent and tight groups. I'm sure the 12FV isn't the only one, but I do know it is very capable and yet not expensive. As a beginner's rifle, i think it would be a very good choice for shooting only factory ammo.

 

[drover]

My son is looking to buy a rifle to shoot with his wife. He is going to be limited to factory ammunition.

It is for recreation, but of course, he wants it to be accurate.

I’m thinking of a Tikka T3x UPR in 6.5 CM. Anyone with experience with this rifle? Comments are welcome.

thanks

Tim

You specified recreation - in that case it should be something that is accurate and enjoyable to shoot, and ammo should be reasonably priced to fill that square. In which case it is hard to beat a Tikka T-3 chambered in 223 it checks all of the boxes you indicated.

drover

 

[Ccrider]

What type of shooting might they use it for?

 

[MGYSGT]

Before all the madness, I would say it didn't matter if recoil was not an issue. Heck, .223 was $6 a box of 20. Now it's $20 a box of 20. Hopefully that will change after November. I have seen a lot of young people turned off by recoil. I bought my wife a .22 Hornet (CZ). Thing is a lazer, came with a set trigger. She had a .223 and didn't like the recoil.

 

[people]

The 223 is a better choice for just general shooting. Everything is a compromise. such as cost per shot, barrel life, how many rounds you can shoot before heat is an issue. availability of ammo, different types of ammo, different bullet weights.

What I really like about 223 is if you really want to lean wind shoot a 50gr bullet. Want something to buck it better go heavy.

Hand loading (eventually) 223 is very easy to load for and there is a ton of information on good loads. There are many bullets to choose from that shoot well way out there.

What ever they chose I would think something with a bit more weight to take recoil would be a good idea. Also getting a faster twist to work with the heaver bullets. Get a threaded barrel so they can add a silencer if they want. My wife does not like shooting with out a silencer once she tried one.

 

[Trashy]

Doesnt reload? Recreational shooting only? Why not a .22 or .22 magnum? Cheaper (and right now available) ammo, and can be crazy accurate.

Not even suggesting it for the wife aspect. My wife loves heavy recoil where I am a a big recoil baby due to motorcycle accidents. She loves 4570s and nasty light hunting rifles in 300 win mag, where as I look for healthy muzzle brakes for 14 pound 223s.

 

[Tommie]

It's not even close . In a .223 max load published by Hodgdon for IMR 8208 is 19. 6 grains for a 90 grain bullet , while the Grendel max is 31 grains .

My point exactly!