Two Gun Quiver

[colin_outdoors]

Hey yall

Long time lurker here looking to dial in a two gun quiver in the years to come. Looking for feedback on a three year plan for a ultralight sheep/mule deer rifle and an all around elk/goat rifle that looks something like this.

Ultralight Mountain Rifle:
Tikka T3-X superlite
6.5 Creedmoor
Talley Lightweight Rings
Nightforce NXS 2.5-10

All Around:
Tikka T3-X Lite
7MM Rem Mag
SWFA 3x15

I currently shoot a Savage 300WM that has killed everything I've pointed it at, but it's heavy as heck and not my favorite thing to shoot for a lot of reasons. I am not super interested in other cartridges, and am well aware of the trade off of weight to accuracy and shootability- I like to shave weight everywhere but optics.

What would be your ideal finished weight for those two calibers?

What equivalent budget/quality rifles would you recommend to bring the weight down on the Creedmoor?

Thanks!

 

[hereinaz]

Look at the new Howa ultralight.

 

[colin_outdoors]

That how many looks like a sweet rifle! Looks like some people were having some issues with qc when they first came out, but i guess that’s the price you pay for a sub 5lb rifle at that price? I’d be keen to know if talleys started making rings for them and how folks have enjoyed actually shooting them.

 

[Johnboy041586]

If you exclude my .22 cal, my hunting rifle is a 2 quiver. 6.5 grendel and 300 wm.

6.5 grendel is a howa mini @ ×/-6.5#
300 wm is a browning x bolt @ +/- 8.5#
I'm pretty pleased with both, and personally feel I'm covered for any game I will ever pursue

 

[Marbles]

I would skip the Talley rings.

I would also ask, what is your max range, and will you be hunting in states that mandate lead free?

If max range is 600 or less and you can use lead ammo, I would just go with the 6.5 and skip the 7mm.

 

[colin_outdoors]

How do you like that Howa mini?

 

[colin_outdoors]

I would skip the Talley rings.

I would also ask, what is your max range, and will you be hunting in states that mandate lead free?

If max range is 600 or less and you can use lead ammo, I would just go with the 6.5 and skip the 7mm.

Just curious about your experience with Talley rings? Find them to be unreliable or another reason?

I shoot steel at 8 and dropped a bull at 470 this year.

Ideally i’d be effective to 6 with both but i don’t imagine that being common in field conditions up here in BC. Steep shots and haggard rests are pretty typical.

I’ve killed big critters with arrows in the right places- but for elk and especially goats im not super fond of a 6.5’s terminal performance

My priorities high to low are:
Accuracy in field
Toughness of setup
Terminal Performance
Availability of ammo
Weight

Hard to do in a budget but i know it’s possible with the right compromise

 

[Marbles]

Just curious about your experience with Talley rings? Find them to be unreliable or another reason?

I shoot steel at 8 and dropped a bull at 470 this year.

Ideally i’d be effective to 6 with both but i don’t imagine that being common in field conditions up here in BC. Steep shots and haggard rests are pretty typical.

I’ve killed big critters with arrows in the right places- but for elk and especially goats im not super fond of a 6.5’s terminal performance

My priorities high to low are:
Accuracy in field
Toughness of setup
Terminal Performance
Availability of ammo
Weight

Hard to do in a budget but i know it’s possible with the right compromise

I have heard of several people having Talley lightweight rings crack, so I don't use them. Odds are they will work fine.

Terminal performance discussions can devolve pretty quick. I'll share my opinion, but feel free to disregard it as I've lost my marbles.

Bullet construction and impact velocity are what matters. A well constructed bullet, delivered at adequate velocity to upset is what one needs and going past that has negative trade offs in recoils.

This thread has several instances of elk being successful taken as far out as 800 yards with 77 gr TMKs or ELD-Ms in 22 caliber centerfires. In general, a TMK needs 1800 FPS to upset.

.223 for bear, deer, elk and moose.

DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ 176 PAGES? HERE'S THE CHEAT SHEET. “Bullets matter more than headstamps.” “Spent primers offer the supreme tutorial”. I’ve read it here and elsewhere online. It got my attention. I started digging and asking questions and listened. The 77gr TMK delivered by a .223...

rokslide.com

There is a similar thread for 6 mm and for 6.5 mm. It is a lot of reading.

This thread goes over why SOME match bullets are better for hunting.

Why Match/Target Bullets For Hunting

My belief has always been that wind would cause more misses than any other factor, but I don't have the experience to state that definitively. Just too many variables with the wind. Learning to read it, especially over mixed terrain, would take a crapton of experience. Wind is by far the...

rokslide.com

For me, it was a slow process to change my mind. It is worth reading and chewing over, even if you stick with your original plan.

 

[Johnboy041586]

How do you like that Howa mini?

So far I'm pleased with it. But my round count is pretty low so take that for what it's worth

 

[Wyo_hntr]

All around hunting Rifle:
Tikka T3-X superlite
6.5 Creedmoor
Sportsmatch or UM rings
Swfa 3-9x, 6x, 10x. Or nightforce if you have one

There's the easy button. Spend the money you'd waste on another rifle on as many cases of ammo (hornady 140eldm) you can buy and shoot.

 

[Jbuck]

A friend bought the howa superlite and said he was getting good groups with it. He didn't mention what he was getting, but he normally shoots very well. So I took it to mean sub moa. I have a Kimber Hunter in 308 and with a random load for a 125gr bullet it was just over 1moa. So I'm guessing it would be a decent shooter with some work. It was around 3/4" with 168gr FGMM.

I prefer my rifles to be around 7 pounds bare. Seems to be about the best Wright for shootability for me. I have lighter rifles, but they are hard to shoot accurately especially at distance.

But back to your question, my 2 gun quiver is a 6.5cm and 300wsm. The CM for deer and 300wsm for elk, but they both serve as backup for the other incase of a issue.

 

[jamesmc8]

I have the Howa Superlite and yes Talley makes rings for them. I have had no issues with Talleys and lightweight scopes. Couple of buddies run Talley on 7 RM without issue. I would have no hesitation whatsoever to put them on a 6.5 with a light scope.

The Howa Superlite is a great specialized rifle. I get good velocity 2800 fps with 130gr Sierras and Accuracy right at 1 MOA. With Scope and rings my set-up weights 5lbs 13oz. It is definitely more challenging to steady and shoot an ultralight rifle and there is more muzzle blast & jump too. To me this is a specialized backpacking rifle where every ounce counts. For a general all around rifle I would probably go a Tikka which would be a pound heavier but more shootable for extended ranges.

I would definitely have two rifles, then you always have a back-up and/or loaner.

 

[colin_outdoors]

I have the Howa Superlite and yes Talley makes rings for them. I have had no issues with Talleys and lightweight scopes. Couple of buddies run Talley on 7 RM without issue. I would have no hesitation whatsoever to put them on a 6.5 with a light scope.

The Howa Superlite is a great specialized rifle. I get good velocity 2800 fps with 130gr Sierras and Accuracy right at 1 MOA. With Scope and rings my set-up weights 5lbs 13oz. It is definitely more challenging to steady and shoot an ultralight rifle and there is more muzzle blast & jump too. To me this is a specialized backpacking rifle where every ounce counts. For a general all around rifle I would probably go a Tikka which would be a pound heavier but more shootable for extended ranges.

I would definitely have two rifles, then you always have a back-up and/or loaner.

This is awesome to hear. I think a heavier tikka 7 rem mag with and SWFA 3-15 for long shots on larger game and a Howa Superlite with a SWFA ultralite or Nightforce NXS 2.5x10 for shorter shots would cover pretty much everything up here in BC. I'm a relatively new sheep hunter and a 6 pound rifle feels significantly different then an 8.5 pound rifle and will hopefully shoot similarly.

I have an SWFA 3-15 at 20 oz right now so I'll slap that on the Howa to start and if I think I can go down in weight based off shotability I'll make that transition.

Thanks for all the help fellas!