Rifle Purchase - One for All (At least for now)
I plan to purchase a rifle in the next few days. I had asked a similar question a few months back but I have a few more bucks to spend now. I want a bolt action that would be used primarily for deer and maybe larger game down the road but I don't beleive any large bears would ever be the subject of the stalk. I want to spend about $700.00 on the rifle (less if I can get something good) and I have been thinking of calibers such as 270 WSM, 30-06 and .308. I don't think it will be used for varmints aoften if at all but it might spend a good deal of time at the range. What do the experts suggest. BTW - I'm really intrested in the Tikkas and the Kimber. Can I get some good advice? I live in NJ and since rifle hunting is illegal here I would mostly be travelling to nearby states in the east. I'm not intrested in a used rifle since NJ does not allow gun shows and transferring to an NJ FFL holder is tedious at best.
[8D]Thanks!
Chuck from NJ
[8D]Thanks!
Chuck from NJ
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-- Gen. George S. Patton
referring to the M1 Garand0 -
chuckfromnj;
You are going to get a lot of opinions. But; IMO The 30-06 will cover your intended game and be useful on the biggest game on this side of the world. That includes bears, moose, and elk. If you spend you money on the best rifle and scope you can buy you will not be wrong-gunned in this lifetime.
with 100 gr bullets you can play can tag
With 125gr you can shoot varmits
With 150-165 deer are covered
With 180 Caribou and Moose get dead
With 168gr match kings you can punch paper.
With cast bullets you can shoot cheap and experiment for the pure joy of it.
I recently got a TC ENCORE. It has a BP barrel and a 300WM. You could get the receiver and buy a caliber every time the you wanted for about 200 bucks. With that set up the sky is the limit.0 -
If it were up to me, I would go with the Kimber in 308. Kimber makes a great rifle, and the 308 is a very accurate round and it is fairly cheap also. If you are going to be shooting alot, you want to find a round that is affordable. That is just my 2?
"My faith, my country and my family will guide me; nothing more, nothing less" -Gen. Tommy Franks
Jess Hoffman
Mooseyard Precision
LE Supply & Firearms
NRA Certified Instructor
Shawano, WI 541660 -
Hey,
Yeah you are definitely going to get a lot of different opinions on this topic. As far as caliber, mine would definitely be to go with the .308. Why you might ask? You are getting a caliber that can match and will even outdo the velocities of the 30-06 with the lighter to mid-range bullets. Velocities with heavier bullets are also similiar. The .308 will also give you a shorter action meaninig less weight for you to carry around. And also as said previously, ammo is cheaper if you don't reload. As for the rifle, there are a lot of choices out there. The tikka's are great guns for the money and everyone I have ever owned has shot great and been very reliable. Another good choice is the Ruger M77 MII Ultralight. It is a very nice carry gun and is very accurate with it's 20" barrel. I have one and recently added a bipod on it and because of it's lightweight, it actually balanced the gun out to make it feel even lighter! If you are going to be doing a lot of varmint hunting though, I would advise not to get this gun because of the lightweight barrel. .308 is definitely the way to go IMO. Good luck!!
"The man who can hunt with 1 gun is the most dangerous, but that doesn't mean you can't have a lot of guns"
http://www.geocities.com/jonnya0322/0 -
Weatherby Vangard ss/syn .270 topped off with a Leupold 3-9x40 for around $600.00!
http://www.libertybelles.org0 -
you know, with the quality of todays rifles and the similar quality in todays ammunition, I have found just about every brand of rifle on the market today to have been a nice rifle when it was matched with the best ammo.
As far as caliber,..that is highly subjective and there never will be a "perfect" all around cartridge, just some that perform better or more efficiently under certain parameters than others.
I am a remington 700 fan, and that is an opinon. I am a 7mm rem mag fan, and that is also an opinion. I have had great experiences with both in the same rifle so my fond memories no doubt play a large role in the opinion. Any quality rifle in any caliber from say 260rem on up to 300win mag will fit the bill. Now, if you mayyy go for larger game soooomeday, then do yourself a favor and don't burn magnum powder charges for the next 10yrs on that possibility. You will benefit from shooting more comfortably. If you will shoot only to say 200yds 90% of the time, you will need little more than a 7mm-08/308/270/280/30-06 etc for all your efforts. Just my opinion.
why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?0 -
30-06 - the most bullet selection in loaded cartridges...period. 0 -
Hang-Fire 1 and JustC you both said 270. did you mean 270 or 270WSM?
I know all the pluses of the regular 270 and the '06 but I like the idea of the short action.
Am I out of Browning or Kimber price range and while I'm at it what of the BAR?
-Chuck
Chuck from NJ0 -
Hey Chuck, I was talking about the .270win it is a long action, shoots a little faster and flater than the 06. I'm a fan of the 06 as well...[:D]
http://www.libertybelles.org0 -
For a hunting package, it doesnt get any bettter than a howa lighting 1500 30-06 or 308 at wallmart for 400:00 bucks-remember that howa produced products for weatherby and other famous name brand manufacturers! Id top it off with a bushnell 4200 elite scope 2.5 -10 x 40mm .Scope is about 300:00 bucks.Lifetime warrenty and unconditional money back guarantee for any reason! I have had mine for a year now and it has taken a beating.Its all about accuracy and quality and i feel this is a great starter package -something to think about anyways! 0 -
quote:Originally posted by dcloco
30-06 - the most bullet selection in loaded cartridges...period.
What he said.0 -
I would go with a tikka t-3 for sure. With this gun you get a ton of great features and the smoothest action out there for under $1000. I would get a 7mag or 30'06.You can get the rifles for around $500+/- depending on model. Make sure to check one out before you buy anything else. I've bought 3 of them. 0 -
I really like my Browning A-Bolt Composite Stalker in .270.The 60 degree bolt throw is really nice.I haven't priced them lately,but I think one can be had for around $600.
BW
IT'S WHAT PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THEMSELVES THAT MAKES THEM AFRAID.0 -
I've never fired one of the WSM rounds because I've never found the need. Forget about them and stick with one of the proven old standbys. One because of ammo availability and two because of ammo price. If you think you are going to spend a lot of time at the range the 308 would be a good choice. Lots of cheap surplus ammo available and the specialty loads made my the major manufacturers should do anything else you need. If you hadn't ruled out used guns there are a ton of used (at reasonable prices) 300 win mags and 7mm mags on the marked from guys who dumped them for the WSM's. Again ammo price can be an issue. 0 -
Chuckfromnj,
I would buy the best grade of Win 70 I could get in 30-06 for what you want. Along with that get a recoil pad or a shooting jacket/vest with a pad if you plan to shoot it much.
I say the Win 70 because I like the quality of the action(forged) the 3 position safety (Ruger has one too), the extraction system is better than the Rem 700, especially if you shoot some hot loads. The Rem 700 is well noted for good accuracy But I think the Savage is better.
I say the 30-06 because it has plenty of power for anything in North America and many things in many other countries. You don't have to take a beating to have good power. The .308 won't stay up with the 30-06 when you need a heavier bullet. Any .280(7mm)/.270/6.5 caliber provides flat trajectories but not enough range in heavier bullets. 30-06 is also very common to buy off the shelf and inexpensive compared to other calibers if you don't reload.
Other than that there is a whole myriad of rifles that are good choices. I like the Tikka, but the Kimber may cost a lot more than $700. Savage gives best bang for buck shootingwise,but not real shiny. Rem700 Sendero good choice.
I prefer owning a small battery of rifles as opposed to 'one gun for all' Too much variation in needs. -Good luck with your choice though
We have the second amendment so that all the rest are secure....UNK>0 -
There are several excellent cartridges that fit the areas that you outlined in your question. My choices in order would be: 30/06(still not a better all around cartridge out there), .280 Remington, 6.5x55mm, .270 win., .308 win.. The 30/06 and .280 are my top choices because of their abilities plus the fact they have a greater range of bullet selection. For shooting strictly out west these would change somewhat with the inclusion of the 7mm Rem. mag., .264 Win. Mag., 6.5/06, etc. Rifles would include the 700 Remington, 70 Winchester, Savage, Ruger or any really good grade 98 mauser. The main thing is to make your choice and then shoot, shoot, shoot and shoot some more until you can hit a 4" dot at 100 yards from any position in the field and do it consistantly. Shooting from a bench rest is fine but they are hard to pack into the field. They are most useful for getting a good sight setting and then get up on your hind legs and shoot. If you plan on using a shooting stick in the field, then that is what you should practice with. My opinion anyway. 0 -
I was just faced with the same question. I went with the T3 Lite in 30-06 for many of the reasons listed above. Yes some of the other calibers may be slightly better at some things, but the '06 is (as you put it) an all around gun.
As for brand, I was going to buy a model 70 until I worked the safety. It was very loud! not what I wanted in a hunting rifle. The Tikka has great fit and finish and is a pleasure to carry and shoot.0
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