Barrett, Steyr, or Sako

H

Hamer

Inactive
New to the forum here and looking for some advice.

Looking to pick up a new hunting/target rifle in the next few weeks and am having a hard time deciding what to get.

I have settled on a Barrett Fieldcraft, Sako 85 Finnlight, or a Steyr Pro Hunter.

The rifle will be chambered in .308 and used primarily for mulies, whitetail, and maybe even some elk. I will also be using the rifle for plinking on the range.

I will be mounting a Night Force SHV 5-20 x 56 scope on top, and when I can afford it I'd like to mount a Trijicon RMR on the side of the scope ring.

Any input/opinions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
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And a large bank account....

If your carrying it for any great distance, or high altitude you may want to also consider one of Proof Research rifles.
Or NULA for that matter.
 
That scope would border on useless for hunting whitetail, mule deer or elk. A variable scope such as a 2-7x, 2.5-8x, or 3-9x would be infinitely better for such hunting.
 
I realize the scope is overkill, but I will likely be using it on the lowest power while hunting. And with the addition of the RMR I'll be able to close the gap on anything closer. I also don't want to change out scopes between hunting and target shooting.

Why would a Proof Research or NULA be preferred when carrying at great distance or high elevation? The 3 rifles I listed all come in at under 6 pounds so I can't really imagine it being a problem carrying. Still would like to hear your thoughts though.

Also, I will be hunting at considerable elevations at times. Between Idaho, Montana, and Colorado. So if there is some reason one of the rifles I've listed would be inferior at high elevation I'd really like to know.
 
I took my only record book whitetail at about 10 yards and my biggest 5 x 5 bull elk at 25 yards or less. I would not have been able to see either of those animals in a scope if the lowest power was 5x. If you can a afford that Nightforce scope and rifle, you can probably afford a scope that will enable you to effectively hunt deer and elk.

Edited to add: I didn't intend to criticize you. I was trying to help you avoid a horribly disappointing hunting experience that would occur if the minimum power on your variable scope prevented you from being able shoot a wonderful trophy deer or elk at close range.
 
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Just took a gander at the proof research and nula websites, and I'm afraid my bank account isn't THAT big lol. Damn fine looking rifles though.
 
That's the point of the RMR.... Why would I use a scope for anything at that range?
Click to expand...

You won't know the range unless you have a range finder and it is time (or about time) to shoot. Of course, if the animal is only 10 - 20 yards away you will know it. Good luck using that RMR next to an extremely long, huge scope while trying to take a giant Iowa whitetail within spitting range.
 
Considering Iowa doesn't allow use of a .308 while hunting I don't think I need to worry about that. I use my Benelli M2 here.
 
Ok, I have hunted for about 50 years (mulies, blackmail, elk, and antelope primarily), and I build rifles for a living and set my customers up for success afield. I have customers who hunt all over the world and accept my rifle advice with no reservations. I would recommend something a bit different, but if that is your choice of rifle and scope, so be it.

The scope is unnecessarily heavy and burdened with large target turret knobs, and the magnification is excessive. I don't mean to insult you, but your rifle is a lightweight design, and you want to hang a 2 lbs scope on it? Plus an RMR? Why? Pick a high quality variable power scope (Zeiss comes to mind, but there are others) of about 3-9 power, designed for hunting. The scope's weight will be about 1/2 of the Nightforce, and the rifle will balance better and handle better. Forget about an RMR, the scope has you covered.
 
Of course Iowa doesn't allow any centerfire rifles to be used for deer hunting. Including the word Iowa describing a giant buck in my last post was my error. My statement does apply to deer hunting in Missouri and Minnesota, states where I have enjoyed very successful whitetail hunting.
 
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Scorch - I'm honestly not super concerned about the weight. I just really don't want two scopes for one gun. And the addition of the RMR is practically nothing in terms of weight. I've hunted with my Colt MARC901 with a Night Force scope, so I really don't mind lugging around weight. I hiked around the Frank Church wilderness in Idaho with a 50 pound pack for a week straight less than a month ago and it didn't bother me a bit. So the lightweight feature would be more convenience than necessity.

Is there something else in the under $2000 range that you would pick instead? I'm definitely no expert here, these are 3 rifles I picked based solely on handling in store and specs on paper. Have not shot any of them (that's why I'm asking here).
 
Sako and a Leupold VX6 3-18x would work nicely!
I really like my Burris Veracity scope on my tikka. I have the 4-20x model and my tikka is a combo hunting/target rifle.
 
For the rifle, the Sako 85 Finnlight is great. I love mine. Mine is topped with a Trijicon 4-16X50 Accupoint and balances very well.
 
Precision - I was actually considering that VX6, but settled on the NF because I like their MOAR reticle. Can you tell me why you would go the leopuld route instead?

Saltydog - what are your thoughts on the trigger? I've pulled on one in store and it seemed super smooth, but I don't want to get it home and find out I need to add an aftermarket one...
 
Nice choice in rifles. I prefer Leupold scopes, always have, but confess to having 2 Weaver target scopes that have never failed me.

My deer rifles have 3x9 scopes on them and I never found them lacking. On one of my varmint rifles I have a VX2 Leupold with 4x18 that works quite well.
 
First off you need to get your hands on each one of the rifles you a considering, once you do you'll know which one you actually want.

Based on your type of hunting you want to do I'd rate them Barrett, Sako, then Steyr. Simply based off of weight, I know you say weight doesn't matter but it will eventually. We all get older and things that didn't matter so much when we're younger, but with adding 2 lbs of optics and rings the Barrett will weight 8 lbs and the Steyr 9 lbs. I don't know what kind of hiking you did in Idaho, but hunting for a 5-10 days and sleeping on the ground or a cot being tired and sore after a few days you'll appreciate the lightest rifle you can carry when you are close to timberline.

What kind of target shooting to you plan on with this rifle? You can do a lot of long range shooting with a lower power optics, unless you are shooting benchrest or some other competition where small groups win. If you just want to learn and bang away at steel targets around the size of a IPSC 18"X30" you can do this with around a top end of 10X out past 1000 yards. Also I understand that you like the MOAR reticle from NF, but realize that most other scope companies have a very similar reticles as well. If you stick with the NF SHV realize going to the 3-10 power scope you'll save 10 ounces in weight and not be so limited for hunting.
 
Leupold due to simplicity and weight savings.
If you like the reticle on the NF, check out the Burris Veracity FFP. I like their MOA reticle and the scope can be had in 3-15x, 4-20x, and 5-25x. The Burris has the M.A.D. System which allows you to have capped turrets for hunting then change them out to larger target style exposed turrets if you want. 1 scope, dual purpose. And the glass is fantastic.
https://www.burrisoptics.com/reticles/ballistic-plex-e1-ffp-4-20x-and-5-25x-version
 
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