Tactical rifle thoughts

kamagong

kamagong

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Jan 13, 2001
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I want a tactical rifle. I don't know why, maybe it's the armchair commando in me. No matter, any reason to buy a gun is good right? I'm thinking of getting a Tikka T3 Lite in .308. It looks good and the price is right, $550 at my local gunshop. I also considered the Remington 700, but various factors, including the lower price, steered me in the direction of the Tikka. It may not have as many aftermarket parts, but most of my research indicates that Tikka rifles are good to go out of the box. Remingtons are more likely to need tweaking, while Tikkas only leave the factory after passing a rigorous 1" 100 yard test. I know that this gun will outshoot me, but I like knowing that if I miss the target it's my fault and not the rifle's. I think it would make diagnosing shooting problems easier.

Any ideas on optics? I don't know much about glass other than quality costs. But I don't want to spend a fortune on a scope. I'm looking for the most bang for the buck. I want to match my inexpensive, quality rifle with an inexpensive, quality scope. Is there such a thing?

Thanks for the tips again.

P.S. I never picked up that SKS. I just couldn't get over its looks.
 
I think you should milk this urge for as much pleasure and education as you can get.
Now that you have decided to buy a rifle, start to do your homework. Study the rifles and their prices and attributes until you know the tiniest details.
Save money, keep saving it until you have enough to buy the very best rifle you can afford.

I used to be an "enthusiastic" gun buyer, but living in Japan has caused me to rethink this. I cant actually touch my guns, so I spend my time studying, thinking, planning,etc..

I have decided to save up my money and get one of those nice Match M-1A's.
OR, if I can find one, a Beretta BM-59. (a Beretta M-1A)

Enjoy it, make it last, do it right...
 
Haven't heard too much about accuracy troubles from Remington...

Scope is very important. If money is an issue, don't overlook the Savage bolt actions. Reputation for accuracy, but lower price.

As much as i love good, pretty rifles, they are just a part of the system. The launching pad, so to speak. You need a good scope, that will hold up, let you see the target, and possibly help with range estimation. You need good, accurate, reliable ammo. Then, you need a good launching pad.

Savages typically have very good triggers, a sometimes overlooked aspect of practical marksmanship. After all, it is your interface with the system.

Take care, and have fun!

Tom

PS how much, and well, you train is more important than the gun. Good guns help though. M1A is a great choice.
 
Good accuracy, barrel interchanability, accu-trigger. Their sythetic stocks get low marks by most shooters.
Howa makes a quality rifle that comes with a factory target proving how accurate they are. They are the same company that produces Weatherby Vanguards.
If you want a really tactical rifle get an AR varient. You can build to suit what you need and end up with a custom rifle capable of long distance shots.
Swift Scopes are little known and have a great reputation. You can usually pick up their top of the line for around $200

EABCO.com builds custom rifles and really can't say enough good about them. Kind of an interesting site all around.
 
Nikon monarchs are awesome scopes, as well as the leupolds vx-II's and vx-III's.

As far as rifles go 550 isn't bad far a t3 lite.

Have a look at the savage 10fp, and the cz "varmint" kevlar stocked .308's. Both are excellent "tactical" rifles, and comparably priced.
 
I've got a remington 700 and a savage g10. The remington is a great rifle, which is why the army and the marines use it. I really like the acutrigger on the savage, though. I haven't had any experience with tikka so I can't comment there.
As far as glass goes, it wouldn't be a bad thing to spend more on a scope than on your rifle. You can't shoot things you can't see and better glass will let you see more clearly and possibly further in different lighting conditions. Don't pinch pennies on the scope. Burris, Zeiss, Leupold and Nikon all make excellent scopes at affordable prices. Try to compare some side by side to really see the difference. Oh yeah, get a good bipod, too.
 
I'll probably get a fixed scope. I don't know if you can tell, but I don't have any experience using scopes. I figure that using a fixed scope instead of a variable scope will make the learning process easier. Any thoughts now that I've added this additional criterion?
 
go to a local rifle range and shoot some of their guns, you may find you definently like some styles over others.

I have an AR15 and really enjoy shooting it, its a lot of fun!

Its got a trijicon sight, without any magnification. I want to get some kind of magnified sight, but dont have fundage for a halfway decent one so it'll have to wait.

check out www.talonarms.com and www.ar15.com if your interested in the AR rifles
there is a ton of customizing you can do to make it suit your needs
 
When people ask about "SHTF" rifles now, I tell them my idea of one is my sporterized 1903 Springfield- in other words, a standard-profile bolt-action rifle with a mid-power scope.
 
The Remington series are good. My stock 700PSS .308 w/ Burris 6.5x24 shoots sub .5 MOA with my hand loads and .5 MOA w/ Federal Match factory. My only dislike on the 700 is it's 1-12" twist doesent like the 180-200 grn Match King bullets.
My next bolt gun will be one of the Savage HB rifles. The twist rate on the Savage is 1-10", this is more suited for the heavy bullets. I have heard good things on the Savage heavy barrel rifles but they do look and feel kinda cheesy in their stock form in my opinion, it does not seem to affect their performance though.
If you have to spend more money on one thing over another(rifle or scope), I would elect to spend it on the optics.
I would go for one of the better 10x for a fixed optic. If you go for high quality here, the clarity of your field of view will compensate for a little less magnification at further distances. There is a lot to be said for optic clarity and light gathering.
 
I bought one of the Savage tacticals in .308 about 10 years ago. It's a great rifle and an excellent value. The factory trigger it came with left something to be desired but there are many inexpensive aftermarket options for that and I understand that the current models are much improved over what they used to be.

My first choice over everything is still the AR15.
 
While youre doing some research, look up Jeff Cooper's Scout Rifle concept. It doesnt seem to be a widely accepted thought process from what I can tell, but I think it works nicely. Anything Jeff Cooper wrote concerning shooting is well worth the read IMO.
 
I confess a near total ignorance of Remington 700's, but a battle rifle has to be capable of sustained rapid fire. A "hunting" rifle is unlikely to cut it. (How many hunters expect to let off dozens of rounds in a few minutes -- or seconds?)

Knife content: The tactical rifle should be pared with a tactical knife, I suppose. :D
 
Mr. Spectre's Springfield & it's contemporaries were the state of the art tactical rifles of their time. Which stretched from ~1898 to ~1945 considering the German Mauser 98. One might be suprised by the volume of extremely accurate fire such a weapon can lay down with a rifleman behind it :thumbup:

Personally I would prefer the M14/M1A1 platform or maybe the FN FAL. However, I wouldn't go labelling someone's bolt, lever or pump action rifle as obsolete - especially for a SHTF gun. To each his own.
 
James Green Dragon said:
Mr. Spectre's Springfield & it's contemporaries were the state of the art tactical rifles of their time. Which stretched from ~1898 to ~1945 considering the German Mauser 98. One might be suprised by the volume of extremely accurate fire such a weapon can lay down with a rifleman behind it :thumbup:
Click to expand...
Exactly - a rifle built to handle the heat of rapid fire, a different environment than "hunting."

. . . I wouldn't go labelling someone's bolt, lever or pump action rifle as obsolete - especially for a SHTF gun. To each his own.
Click to expand...
Good advice. Nor would I advise looking down a gas tank with a match for light or spitting into the wind --- but like calling someone's choice in rifles "obsolete," neither of those things has happened here - yet. ;)
 
My family owns quite a few Remington bolt guns, and they are all 1 MOA or better with handloads. Tikka has a great reputation for accuracy (they are part of Sako!) and I think one at the price that you quoted is very good.

Raghorn, the new Savages have some of the best triggers available on a production gun (Google AccuTrigger). My dad has a varmint model with it and it is out of this world!

For the money and warranty, it is hard to beat Leupold. Like what was said before, the VXII and above are great scopes. Super Sniper makes a good scope for the money (they build for the govt), and the Weaver Grand Slams are also excellent (I think they are all variables though). Look up articles by David Fortier, he is an optics guru and a tactical rifle instructor.

Be safe and have fun! (.308 is a great caliber BTW ~ good choice!)
 
Y'all don't be fooled, now- I have an extremely expensive STG-58 (FAL/SLR pattern) rifle and a box full of detachable magazines.

It is entirely true that some hunting rifles are not built for the rigors of difficult conditions. I do suggest that everyone evaluate your true rifle needs carefully:

under what conditions (if any) are you likely to be firing a heavy volume of fire?

under what conditions (if any) are you likely to need a relatively heavy volume of fire at extended range (the forte- the e is silent incidentally, it's French not Italian- of the heavy-barreled police/sniper/countersniper rifle)?

is it more probable that a well-balanced, powerful, and accurate rifle- notice I never said "hunting", though- will be more useful than a more poorly balanced and chunkier bullet hose, or an extremely poorly balanced and very heavy match piece?

Just asking. And I'm bloody-minded sort, anyway, so if I'm asking, maybe you should, too. Think out your plan carefully, friends.

John
 
I'm not looking for a SHTF rifle. I said I want a tactical rifle, but I guess I should have used the term precision, or even "s____r". I know I don't need one, I just want one.

I also plan on getting a Springfield M1A, someday. One thing at a time. I'm going to take it slow and save up for it.

I talked to my old roommate today and asked for his thoughts on the subject. He's been shooting guns his whole life and he has an extensive gun collection, including a .50 cal. rifle. I asked him if he could consistently hit a target past 200 yards. He told me no. That confirmed my instincts, stay at 100 yards, at least for a while. No need to go longer distances, especially since I am unskilled. He agreed that I should stay with a fixed scope, as that is one less worry for an inexperienced shooter to deal with. So I will most likely go with a 4X. Shooters throughout most of history have made do with less.

The scope that I'm looking hard at is the Nikon Monarch 4X40mm. I know it's not a Leupold or a Zeiss, but I don't need the best (yet), just quality glass. The research I've done indicates that this is a good, if not great, piece of gear. Anyone have experience with Nikon scopes? What about my thought process? Am I missing anything here?
 
Another route to take is the Weatherby Vanguard you can pick one up for about $400. They are shot at the factory and they send you the target. As far as a scope goes the Bushnell Banner line is pretty sweet. They have the low light coating on the lenses and mine works great with my Weatherby. I think I paid $89 for the scope.
 
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