Wondering if I got this hunting rifle thing backwards???

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I have a rifle and scope combination that cost about $800. It’s a Savage smokeless muzzleloader. The ML season here in KY is a weekend in October and a week in December. 11 days total. That rifle gets fired a maximum of three times a year: once to verify the sights and once or twice at a deer. It gets carried afield maybe 5-6 days total.

To me there is no relationship between how infrequently I shoot it and how valuable it is to me. It probably accounts for 50% of the deer I’ve taken since I’ve owned it. I consider it one of my most indispensable guns.
 
The AR in proper .223 soft point bullets works very well on large deer here in Minnesota. It will make mush of the heart and lungs and works better than slug guns because they don't damage much if any tissue beyond the wound channel. That said, my deer rifle is a Tikka in 7-08. An AR with a scope gets pretty bulky and I don't like the ergos for hunting all day. While a proper .223 works, I prefer the 7-08 by a good margin, bigger and faster is better.
I think you already have the best deer gun. An AR in .223 or .5.56 makes a great range toy and back up hunting gun. Although as someone else said, I would take a Remington 7400 in 30-06 (or .308) as a back up over an AR because that is what I do as long as my shoulder holds up.
I could use the Tikka for a Target gun because it is very accurate but usually I sight it in usually 3 rounds, and hunt. 1 to 4 kill shots, depending on how we fill out.
 
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I was thinking about an economical caliber like the 5.56 or 223. But then nowhere did I say that I would use an AR for hunting. If I could only buy one gun then maybe... What do you think of the 6.5 CM?

As a hunting gun, stick with the Sako. As a range toy that will take a deer with proper bullets and marksmanship the AR is hard to beat. Just be sure it is a good quality build or better a factory gun with a good trigger and barrel.
 
any caliber would have done that if the shot was the same. try to reach the heart from a quartering away shot on a large deer or a straight away shot. this heart shot was on a very large kudu quartering away in thick brush in Africa.
Yeah, about that. Nobody has recommended hunting Kudo in Africa with an AR. Congratulations to you. You don't have to rub our noses in it every other post. Also as a combat veteran I don't like your equating hunting with soft point ammo to shooting men with NATO ammo.
Your point about angles is valid. Range is another consideration. you are more limited with a .223 although I haven't had a problem with it.
 
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With respect to the OP's question about allocating rifle resources, I think the shooting activity is more important than the number of rounds fired. For me, hunting is more important than plinking or target shooting, so I would want my "best" rifle for hunting. Better still if all my rifles were high quality or high dollar, but the question was about how to rank resources.
 
Sako = excellent hunting rifle. 6.5x55 = excellent hunting caliber. Keep it and hunt! I shoot my CZ452 and Ruger MK3 Target much more than my hunting rifle. Just because I like to plink and hunt small game. I do have a Rem 700 in 22-250 for varmints and predators. I do believe you are over thinking this or just have an itch to buy something. If so buy something but don't sell the Sako. It is a reliable and quality hunting tool/rifle.
 
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