I have two Tikka’s. One T3x lite in .308. The other a superlite in 6.5. I bought the .308 as a go anywhere do anything rifle. I’ll probably take it elk hunting as well. I chose the howa because I had shot enough to know they were rugged and accurate but not expensive enough that it would break my heart if it was damaged by tsa workers. The 6.5 came as a trade. The scope it was wearing was what made the deal. My son usually hunts with it but if he isn’t going I’ll grab the 6.5 over the 308. That’s because of a nicer sling and trigger and nothing to do with caliber. The 6.5 doesn’t have a great reputation on deer but it’s more because new hunters grabbing a popular well marketed cartridge and making bad shots than anything. Both cartridges are excellent for deer and will do the job well.
I have also owned a couple of Savages. One in 243 and the other in 7mm Remington magnum. I’ve shot other savages as well. The older savage synthetic stocks were junk. The newer accustock was better but was still flimsy out past the end of the bedding block. I can’t speak to the newer stuff. I really wanted to love Savage rifles. They are accurate, reliable and the aftermarket availability on the 10/110 action is great. The reason there isn’t a savage in my safe right now is recoil. It’s a personal thing because I haven’t heard many fuss about it. Something about savages stock design just doesn’t fit me. To me the .243 felt about like a 270 and the 7mm mag was closer to 300 mag instead of a hot 30-06. Neither were bad enough that I wouldn’t shoot them but when I decided everything needed to fit in my safe Those were the first long rifles to go. I haven’t shot a new savage in 10 years they may have better stocks now.
Really anything .243 and up from any of the well known companies would serve you well on whitetail. My .308 is my go anywhere do anything rifle for North America. If I were going to shoot anything bigger than deer I would definitely go with the .308. If I wasn’t concerned with mild recoil and wanted something that shot flatter than the 308 I would look at the .270. For me the only reason to consider the 6.5 is recoil. It really is a sweet shooting cartridge but it didn’t bring anythingnew to the table but a catchy name.
I have also owned a couple of Savages. One in 243 and the other in 7mm Remington magnum. I’ve shot other savages as well. The older savage synthetic stocks were junk. The newer accustock was better but was still flimsy out past the end of the bedding block. I can’t speak to the newer stuff. I really wanted to love Savage rifles. They are accurate, reliable and the aftermarket availability on the 10/110 action is great. The reason there isn’t a savage in my safe right now is recoil. It’s a personal thing because I haven’t heard many fuss about it. Something about savages stock design just doesn’t fit me. To me the .243 felt about like a 270 and the 7mm mag was closer to 300 mag instead of a hot 30-06. Neither were bad enough that I wouldn’t shoot them but when I decided everything needed to fit in my safe Those were the first long rifles to go. I haven’t shot a new savage in 10 years they may have better stocks now.
Really anything .243 and up from any of the well known companies would serve you well on whitetail. My .308 is my go anywhere do anything rifle for North America. If I were going to shoot anything bigger than deer I would definitely go with the .308. If I wasn’t concerned with mild recoil and wanted something that shot flatter than the 308 I would look at the .270. For me the only reason to consider the 6.5 is recoil. It really is a sweet shooting cartridge but it didn’t bring anythingnew to the table but a catchy name.