Re: New user with question about a rifle
I was in your position a couple of weeks ago and may be able to offer some advice, all of which came from the hide of course.
First, since you sound like you're on a budget go with a .308 or other caliber with cheap ammunition. I am very glad that I did, since I have been able to put 200 rounds downrange in the last 2 weeks for a reasonable price. This is very important in developing your marksmanship skills. Practice makes perfect so to speak.
You don't necessarily have to get a 700 with huge aftermarket support since you're on a budget anyway. To add a lot of the features from the aftermarket many times comes out to be more expensive than buying the gun from the factory that way, although quality can be higher in the aftermarket. I went with a Tikka, both for the out of the box accuracy and the price that I found. I have heard amazing things about savage as well but have never shot one.
28" may be a little hard to come by for a budget. Although, 20 is definitely slightly detrimental to your FPS regarding long range accuracy.<<< Finding this out the hard way, I'll work through it though.
Finally, BY WHAT YOU WANT!!!! There's a lot of information and a lot of rationalizing you can do, but there is no replacement for finding a rifle that meets your requirements and that gives that great feeling when you pick it up for the first time and then it surpasses you expectations at the range. Think long and hard about it, just not too much.
