STOMP442

I have yet to see any factory-produced rifle out shoot a Tikka. My one and only complaint with them is their short barrel lengths.

I have a complete LA Magnum assembly new in the package. Black Aluminum and comes with box, follower, and spring. I paid $150 for it. I'll let it go for that plus whatever the going rate for a USPS flat rate box is. Shoot me a PM if you want it.

I just upgraded my glass so I am not needing these anymore. 1. Steiner Predator 12x40. I have used these for the past 10 years or so and have gone with me just about everywhere. They are well used but still glass up deer just fine. $200 2. Nikon Prostaff 5 12x50. I bought these last year and used them only a couple of times. Nice pair of glass, like new in the original box and even has a the tripod U mount adapter. $200 3. Nikon Action Zoom XL 10-22x50 These are also like new in original box. I bought these for my niece to use on her youth hunt a couple years ago. She used them for a few days and they have been in the box since. $80

I have two unopened bottles of Reloader 26. Asking $40 a piece or trade for Retumbo. Located in Safford.

I have one metal trigger guard. Midway wants $40 for a brand new one. Mine is a new takeoff so I'll do $30 shipped.

I have a few ADL boxes, springs, followers and trigger guards long and short standard cailbers. .243 308, 270, 30-06. $45 shipped. I also have a handful of takeoff X mark triggers. $25 shipped.

Tikka T3 lite in .300 WSM and be done with it. Top it with a light weight quality Leupold, load it with 185gr Bergers at mag length and you can shoot 700 yards all day long and tackle all the grizz you like. Or, spend thousands of dollars on a custom rig that may or may not shoot any better and be only a couple ounces lighter. I hate super light rifles. They are hard to hold steady, recoil is always an issue and the cost is generally outrageous. There are lots of areas to shave weight besides the rifle. Trim up the pack and the gear and turn ounces into pounds. I would much rather carry a rifle that I am confident in than one that is marginally more comfortable to carry.

What is the twist and where are you located?

For the money and right off the shelf the Tikka is very hard to beat. I have messed with lots of the higher end factory rifles like the Christensen, Cooper and Kimbers. I haven't seen them do anything better than a Tikka that costs half as much. The Tikka will easily be a half moa rifle even with off the shelf ammo. I have yet to mess with one that hasn't shot extremely well. I would drop the $700 on a Tikka and put the rest into a nice piece of glass and skip the lower end glass bit and just be done with it. With a little bit of work, the Tikka can be truly amazing. Here is a five shot group of a load I worked up for a factory off the shelf Tikka T3x in 6.5x55. No bedding, no trigger, just bone stock.

The only downfall with the .243 Win is barrel twist. If manufacturers would offer an 8 twist that would allow for the High BC 105 weight class of bullets to be used and that would really open the doors to hunters in the versatility department. The 105 Berger is devastating on deer and offers ballistic performance very similar to the very popular 6.5s. Your average .243 Shooter never even thinks about bullet weights above 85 grains.

The rifle itself is generally the cheapest thing on any of my rifles. For a hunting rifle, the B&C is definitely a great stock for the money.

Might also try some fore end pressure. Those little lightweight barrels can get whippy.

What is your idea of breaking the bank? Boyds will sell you a nice laminate for under $200. Bell & Carlson or HS precision will sell you a nice composite for $300-$600 depending on what style you want.

Use the two-piece Burris Extreme tactical bases and Burris signature rings or tactical rings. Super solid set up and no stress or ring marks on the scope with the ability to add MOA inserts to the rings if you need it. Rem 700 bases will work on the Howa.

Just because he has a large budget doesn't mean he has to jump into a very niche do everything cartridge to begin with. There is nothing wrong with the 28 Nosler, in fact, its my favorite of the new Nosler offerings, but if it were me and I was in the market for a 7mm do anything rifle I would look at the 7mm Rem Mag and open up a whole bunch of options for factory rifles and save a ton on dies and brass.