Kelsey Cooter wrote:Yeah mate fairly open and flat so just for a bit more hitting power on pigs aye, while harvesting we can end up seeing pigs 300m or 500m away. Im actually replacing an old 308. Reason I'm interested in the howa is because its a pretty rough life in the tractors and cane harvester so i can't justify beating up an expensive rifle, and my howa has been 100% reliable so it has me thinking howa 308 would be a good way to go
That's super cool - i grew up on a cropping farm (but now live in the big smoke) - it always gives me a sense of nostalgia thinking back to when my dad used to ping game from the cabs of his vehicles. I'm sure the Howa will do great; but FWIW, i was all jeed up to pick up a Howa 308w (for high-power MS), but then at the last second, I handled the Tikka CTR and instantly fell in love; picked it cheap due to the new incoming t3x's. The CTR is a handy little 20" with an intermediate-profile barrel and hard poly stock, so it absolutely drives tacks even for those long strings of shots.
Just one thought, if your shooting without a spotter, just remember you're pretty much guaranteed to lose your target due to the recoil of the 308w (which leaves you guessing where the bullet may have gone if you miss); not so great if there's a crosswind over those longer distances. This is where the 6.5CM shines; the short-action cartridge combined with a lighter, super-high BC projectile (and preferably a muzzle break) means
much lower recoil so you can often see the round impact (and make the necessary corrections for a follow-up shot).
Then again, the 308w will be cheaper to run/reload with a lot more projectile choices (which is why I chose the 308w over the 6.5CM). That and you have the luxury of someone calling your shots during MS!
Food for thought.