Looking for a hunting rifle that wouldn't be a bad base to start a 1000 yard rifle off of. Too young to have the experience or knowledge for the long range aspect. Any input would help
best overall bolt action rifle for around $800?
- Thread starter weststanwildcat
- Start date
Then get on here and read, read, read. Not saying asking questions is wrong, but there's a wealth of knowledge on here to be had. That's what I've been doing the last few months.
. I've been reading a bit here and there but the people here seem to have much larger budgets than a 20 year old college student
Im in the same boat actually, it depends on where you look. There's lots of threads on where to start. I'm starting a Howa build that would be done over the next year or so (funds willing) that will be just about 700.
tikka t3. growing aftermarket support, sako barrels, buttery smooth action and a more than serviceable trigger.
I have always hunted with Remington 700s and considered getting one but I wanted to see what else is out there first
The T3 seems like it would be a good place to start. I helped a friend do some load development and was really impressed with the rifle. Also shot a 270 WSM at the range and again was impressed.
A used Remington 700 would be another good option.
A used Remington 700 would be another good option.
I think I wanna go 7mm rem mag. What are the advantages and disadvantages to getting a bull barrel and does anybody recommend it?
Welcome to the Hide.
This thread illustrates an interesting trend whether guys realize it or not. In the past the stock answer would have been to start with a Rem 700 in .308 and then upgrade pretty much everything on it until all you had left was the Rem action (which had been completely re-worked by a competent gunsmith).
You nailed the Hide pretty accurately in that there are a number of members that can afford to buy whatever they want. I was one of those guys until recently but the end of the war means the end of my employment so I'm trying to be a bit smarter about what I buy.
If I were doing it today on a budget, it would be either the Tikka or the Howa. On a budget, I'd go against "conventional wisdom" and start with a super-performer like 6.5 Creedmoor. Yes you'll learn a lot about ballistics using the .308 and that's where we "all" started, but the 6.5/260 is just better. That pains me to say because I was one of the guys that was very resistant to the 6.5 as the newest "fad", but it's proven itself to be a badass round. The new super 6's are even sexier but I don't reload.
Many of us have insanely expensive custom rifles or customized Remington's, but not many of us are THAT good to really get the performance out of them compared to the quality offerings from Tikka and Howa. Years ago you "had" to start with a mediocre rifle and improve it, nowadays you can get a pretty damn nice rifle for a great price.
Just my .02, and welcome to the Hide.
This thread illustrates an interesting trend whether guys realize it or not. In the past the stock answer would have been to start with a Rem 700 in .308 and then upgrade pretty much everything on it until all you had left was the Rem action (which had been completely re-worked by a competent gunsmith).
You nailed the Hide pretty accurately in that there are a number of members that can afford to buy whatever they want. I was one of those guys until recently but the end of the war means the end of my employment so I'm trying to be a bit smarter about what I buy.
If I were doing it today on a budget, it would be either the Tikka or the Howa. On a budget, I'd go against "conventional wisdom" and start with a super-performer like 6.5 Creedmoor. Yes you'll learn a lot about ballistics using the .308 and that's where we "all" started, but the 6.5/260 is just better. That pains me to say because I was one of the guys that was very resistant to the 6.5 as the newest "fad", but it's proven itself to be a badass round. The new super 6's are even sexier but I don't reload.
Many of us have insanely expensive custom rifles or customized Remington's, but not many of us are THAT good to really get the performance out of them compared to the quality offerings from Tikka and Howa. Years ago you "had" to start with a mediocre rifle and improve it, nowadays you can get a pretty damn nice rifle for a great price.
Just my .02, and welcome to the Hide.
Well said bogey. I've done this just about every way possible from just buying a heavy barreled factory to full blown custom. I think the Tikka T3 is the ticket now or a Savage and upgrade when you can. I also did a Howa build and I was very happy with it in stock form.
The tikka is a great choice but I was in your spot about 10 years ago I started with a savage model 10 varmit. It's easy to upgrade and most local smiths can do the work your not comfortable with and not mess it up. 6.5 cred or 308 for caliber so you can get match ammo for less then $30 a box.
Warning this shit is a bad habit I have more tried up in my long range sticks then I do in my Lexus. Intill you have extra cash just sitting around buy quality stuff( glass,mounts,ect) that is tried and true save experimental, newest thing, broscience stuff for the guys with extra cash.
Warning this shit is a bad habit I have more tried up in my long range sticks then I do in my Lexus. Intill you have extra cash just sitting around buy quality stuff( glass,mounts,ect) that is tried and true save experimental, newest thing, broscience stuff for the guys with extra cash.
I just purchased a Savage 10 PC in .308. I am pretty new to the forum and certainly don't have the knowledge or experience of most of the members here. I have owned a number of Savage rifles for hunting and they all shoot much better than I do. Of the 4 I have owned they all shot sub MOA with factory ammo. If you reload you can tighten the groups up a little bit as well. Not as big of an aftermarket platform as Remington but there are still a decent amount of aftermarket "upgrade" parts available. Changing barrels can be done if you have a little bit of mechanical skill as well.
Forget ANY magnum cartridges. Seriously. You need to shoot a lot to get good. That means you need ammo that is easy on the budget, easy on your barrel, and easy on your shoulder. Magnums fail at all three. And their ballistics are hardly an improvement over 6 mm or 6.5 mm non-magnum cartridges.
The new CTR Tikka is a little more than your budget, but not much. Might want to give that a look for a good starter rifle, that you can grow into later if you need to...
I can't remember when the last time was I recommended big green to anyone.
For the OP, Savage or Tikka. Savage if you like to turn wrenches on your own gear. I'm getting into Tikka now and from what I have seen so far, they are some very well made rifles.
Good to know about the Tikka. I'm always Rem 700 fanboy, but I will take a look at T3. I'm glad I checked out this thread.
You won't be disappointed at all! I started out with a 700PSS .308 15 to 20 years ago and really enjoyed that rifle. Life happens and I ended up selling it and was without a rifle for a few years when a buddy of mine offered me a Tikka T3 Varmint .308. All I could say was wow, the action was silky smooth and the trigger was phenomenal for a factory unit. The accuracy right out of the gate was terrific and once I started working up loads for it I was amazed! It has been the most factory rifles I've ever owned!
Tikka!
I have a few and love every one of them. Accuracy out of the box was sub moa at 100 yds and shrank even more with my hand loads.
Here is my T3 in 308. Nothing special, standard stock that I textured and put a cheek riser on, larger bolt knob, EGW scope base with a Vortex PST scope.
My Tikka in .243 is an absolute tack driver, getting 1/2" groups at 100 yds.
I have a few and love every one of them. Accuracy out of the box was sub moa at 100 yds and shrank even more with my hand loads.
Here is my T3 in 308. Nothing special, standard stock that I textured and put a cheek riser on, larger bolt knob, EGW scope base with a Vortex PST scope.
My Tikka in .243 is an absolute tack driver, getting 1/2" groups at 100 yds.
Another vote for Tikka. For the money, they're a darn nice rifle. Start with a 6.5 Creed or 260 for deer-sized game, or a 7 Rem Mag if you are going after elk/moose.
Well after reading this thread I want to go buy a tikka... And I don't even need another rifle! Haha. I have a couple buddies that have tikka's and really enjoy them. Best of luck.
Tikka!
I have a few and love every one of them. Accuracy out of the box was sub moa at 100 yds and shrank even more with my hand loads.
Here is my T3 in 308. Nothing special, standard stock that I textured and put a cheek riser on, larger bolt knob, EGW scope base with a Vortex PST scope.
My Tikka in .243 is an absolute tack driver, getting 1/2" groups at 100 yds.
Oooh that's purdy.
What are everyone's thoughts on T/C Venture's and Weatherby Vanguard's for budget rifles?
Tikka makes a fine rifle and the action is smooth and strong.
The Howa heavy barrel rifles are probably the best bang for your buck. A very good trigger and a well made action with a one piece bolt.
That being said, the Rem 700P in .308 is still a fine rifle and an excellent base to begin with, they also tend to shoot very well.
The Howa heavy barrel rifles are probably the best bang for your buck. A very good trigger and a well made action with a one piece bolt.
That being said, the Rem 700P in .308 is still a fine rifle and an excellent base to begin with, they also tend to shoot very well.
Thank you for the warm welcome and wisdom. Looks like tikka will be a new item I may need to do some research on as well as the 6.5
Probably the best move going with a 6.5! Most people get the .308 because that is a popular round, and then down the road end up wanting more performance.... Save your self time and money and just go with the 6.5. You will be glad you did!
Start with Savage or Remington in 308 ....
Starting with a rifle with virtually no aftermarket support in a cartridge that nobody makes ammo or components for is not the best "first".
Starting with a rifle with virtually no aftermarket support in a cartridge that nobody makes ammo or components for is not the best "first".
7Mag is nice for hunting , but as long as you keep your shots within your ammos effective killing range you won't be disappointed with a 6.5 Creedmoor or 260 Remington and spend a lot less on ammo and barrels in the long run . If you can find a M70 at an estate sale for a reasonable price buy it . For a new purchase Tikka , Howa or for a few Bucks more Sauer although Sauer is somewhat limiter on barrel/cartridge choices !
Ok, after seeing so many guys advocating beginners buying the the Mazzerati's of shooting when many of them haven't pulled a trigger 100 times yet, (and many have limited $$). I have to add my .02. Before even thinking about going 6/6.5 creedmore or 260 rem even do this: Go to your local stores and see just how much match ammo and or components you can find. Do an online search and look at costs of brass and how hard to find it is. OP, you are just learning to shoot by the sound of things. You are so far away from 1000 yard perfection that the high performance calibers may not get you there as quick due to lack of ammo availability and especially cost. Do you even reload?? Without that cost of ammo in those high speed low drag calibers will drag you down. In truth, your best deal on a T3, Savage, or Rem. 700 in 308 is still your best bet. Even a 223/556 would be great for inexperienced shooters that need to learn the basics. Add a 22lr to the mix when ammo becomes available again. Shoot a lot, read more. Post when you have developed a question you can't find a clear answer for. You MUST crawl before you walk in shooting. You will burn more ammo in a few years(or less) than the rifle is worth if your serious about this. Pick the cheapest effective caliber to learn on and then go forward. Out to 800m the 308 is no slouch. If you reload then it can be tweaked with 155's to reach a little further. It will never be a 6/6.5, but you cannot at this point, nor for a while, use the advantage that those calibers provide you, and a 308 CAN be rebarreled if your persuit reaches the point where your skill and finances allow using them. At my point in the game I could use about any caliber I want to its effective range short of the stuff shooting at over a mile due to no experience in extended long range. The 308 still meets 90% of the shooting I do out to 1000 yards. I will probably never get to the hide cup or any of the other big matches out west. I will build a 300 WM for my 2nd rifle eventually(caliber choice as a result of many of the same advantages of the 308), but consider it a luxury rather than a necessity. Best of luck!
Final tip: All the knowledge you could want to know about rifle shooting and reloading is here. Google "snipershide search engine" and use the resulting search engine to find your info.
Also ETA: What your hunting has not been stated. I am assuming anything up to short of an Elk(though 308 will certainly do the job there are better calibers for this). In my opinion, for deer/black bear sized critters the 308 is fine to somewhere near 600-700 yards. I have a few whitetail deer kills around 500yards myself. If your going to go after bigger stuff I suggest a need for a 2nd rifle in magnum caliber of your choice. (7mm or .30 IMHO) Please do not start shooting at game at distance until you have proven to yourself you can make the shot you are taking reliably. A wounded animal is a sad thing to see, and a responsibility to track down and finish that can be a monumental undertaking. Having said that, magnum calibers make poor learning rifles.
Final tip: All the knowledge you could want to know about rifle shooting and reloading is here. Google "snipershide search engine" and use the resulting search engine to find your info.
Also ETA: What your hunting has not been stated. I am assuming anything up to short of an Elk(though 308 will certainly do the job there are better calibers for this). In my opinion, for deer/black bear sized critters the 308 is fine to somewhere near 600-700 yards. I have a few whitetail deer kills around 500yards myself. If your going to go after bigger stuff I suggest a need for a 2nd rifle in magnum caliber of your choice. (7mm or .30 IMHO) Please do not start shooting at game at distance until you have proven to yourself you can make the shot you are taking reliably. A wounded animal is a sad thing to see, and a responsibility to track down and finish that can be a monumental undertaking. Having said that, magnum calibers make poor learning rifles.
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Kind of backwards here . . . but I would recommend a crappier rifle than a Tikka for a first LR gun. I had a nice T3 and it sort of spoiled me. Everything worked well, the chamber took anything I reloaded, and it required no modifications.
I bought a Rem 700 AAC after a while, and man what a piece of junk it seemed to be. Squeaky bolt, tight chamber that required a complete revamp of my reloading process, crappy trigger that I had to work over . . . And on and on. But I have learned much more about the system, reloading, and applying shooting fundamentals than I had to before. In retrospect, I find that The Tikka was covering up for flaws in my game at 100 and 200 and was sort of denying me valuable experience.
That said, I'd buy another Tikka without reservation.
I bought a Rem 700 AAC after a while, and man what a piece of junk it seemed to be. Squeaky bolt, tight chamber that required a complete revamp of my reloading process, crappy trigger that I had to work over . . . And on and on. But I have learned much more about the system, reloading, and applying shooting fundamentals than I had to before. In retrospect, I find that The Tikka was covering up for flaws in my game at 100 and 200 and was sort of denying me valuable experience.
That said, I'd buy another Tikka without reservation.
pass on the 7mm remmag, reloading for this is almost twice as much.
idd get a savage based off the 308win case, in 243win or 260rem, 7mm08, you can use 7.62nato brass to lower reloading cost.
the money you save getting a savage over a tikka, will buy your reloading stuff. you need to roll your own ammo.
savage is an awesome american company that all gun owners should support,
idd get a savage based off the 308win case, in 243win or 260rem, 7mm08, you can use 7.62nato brass to lower reloading cost.
the money you save getting a savage over a tikka, will buy your reloading stuff. you need to roll your own ammo.
savage is an awesome american company that all gun owners should support,
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This guy has it right. Use a SAvage or Remington .308. Unless your ready to compete in the Olympics it will serve your purposes and there is lots of support for the old war horse.
I can't think of a better value and better platform moving forward, than a used 700 BDL. Depending on the size of game select your cartridge accordingly. Don't buy new, you're throwing money away for your purposes. Used rifles are rarely used, that just means somebody else takes the big hit buying new and selling used. You could probably find a used 243 in your area for under $400 in a week if you flew an ad, an 06 even cheaper than that. Look at the used component and rifle market and ask yourself what platform you would like to upgrade.
PS The factory BDL wood stock is a fine do it all stock.
PS The factory BDL wood stock is a fine do it all stock.
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They're not importing the varmint in .308 any longer but they're out there on the used market. They are releasing the new CTR in .308 which should be hitting the shelves soon.
I understand exactly where you're coming from. I currently own several precision .308s and as I said in my initial response, it's "what we all started with". The reason I advocated that the OP just go ahead and start with 6.5 is because the match ammo is consistently cheaper and more available than either Black Hills or FGMM .308. Consistently.
There have been times over the past few years when I either couldn't find, or couldn't justify the expense of match .308 ammo, while 6.5 has remained around $1.10 per round and I've never not seen it available. My days of using any of my .22s for practice are pretty much over until the insanity stops.
If I were on a budget today, why wouldn't I START with the caliber that I'd eventually be going to anyway? So many of us have done this the hard way that we expect everyone else to do it the hard way also. If the OP can get a good grip on his fundamentals at 100-200yds then he can plug his information into a solver and take his shiny new rifle out to 1000yds the same day.
There is no magical mythical trial by fire that one must endure before being worthy of shooting at 1000yds or more. The distance magnifies mistakes and magnifies the effects of wind, that's it. If he wants to shoot to 1000yds successfully, on a budget, why would he NOT choose a caliber that will save him ammo and frustration doing it? Hits at extended ranges with a 6.5, rather than a bunch of misses with a .308, will build his confidence and ENJOYMENT of this sport. In this area, I don't believe that guys need to go out and fail and fail again before they're "allowed" to succeed simply because that's how it was always done.
Likewise with rifles. Our choices a few years ago were Remington or Savage. One of which you "needed to" customize to get accuracy and the other which offered moderate to lower after-market support. Nowadays a couple of additonal companies are offering rifles out of the box that are very good and require little modification. Because of that, they've been embraced by shooters that just want to buy a rifle and shoot it without screwing around with it. This has had the added benefit of more companies offering aftermarket stocks/chassis for them. There are more players in the game these days than just Rem/Savage. On a budget, I agree that Savage deserves consideration along with Tikka and Howa. I couldn't recommend Rem to a guy on a budget because he's going to inevitably want/need to rebuild it at some point.
To be clear, I'm not bashing the .308 or even the Remington. I own both and have enjoyed shooting them and learning with them. However, if I had known then......
I'd have started with what I eventually ended up with and avoided the time and money I spent getting to the inevitable conclusion.
I've been shooting since I was a young kid. I've been shooting a .270 for about the past 5 years. And I was thinking a bit bigger for larger game later on down the road but for California deer the .308 would be fine. Thanks for the input everybody
19-Pages of gunbroker goodness on most every Tikka model available; including the 308. Don't over look the 30-06 round... I know it is old, and has been put to pasture... or better stated: retired to the hunters. But the 30-06 is still a near magnum round with tremendous component and ammo support. That said, here is the gunbroker tikka search:
tikka For Sale ? Buy tikka Online at GunBroker.com
If you have a Dick's sporting Goods near-by, they have a Savage Varmint in 223 or 308 for $579. Decent starter rifle, wear it out, then go get something better... but I would go Tikka for nearly the same price, or a little more.
tikka For Sale ? Buy tikka Online at GunBroker.com
If you have a Dick's sporting Goods near-by, they have a Savage Varmint in 223 or 308 for $579. Decent starter rifle, wear it out, then go get something better... but I would go Tikka for nearly the same price, or a little more.
