Best Off The Shelf Rifle

[HINZERD]

If 700 is a hard budget for everything, I recommend checking a Ruger American in 308 with a Leupold VX freedom. If you shop around you should be able to find everything needed to go the Range and shoot for pennies below 700. This combo will cure the hunting bug, and be a lot easier on the wallet than Magnums.
- Rifle
- Scope
- Mounts
- Box of Federal blue box 150gr 308.

 

[pharmseller]

If your buddy wants a Tikka, find a used stainless T3 in a manageable cartridge, with a Limbsaver recoil pad already installed. It really makes a difference in recoil, and used Tikkas shoot like new Tikkas but $200 less.




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[aksu747]

Another vote for Tikka. Or Bergara,surprised I haven't seen Bergara mentioned once this whole thread.

 

[titsonritz]

Tikka

7mm Rem Mag might be a bit stout for a new shooter. Avoid the machismo if possible.



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IMO it is straight up moronic to start with a 7mm Rem mag, if he wants a 7mm he should consider a 7mm-08.

As far a the stick itself I'd also suggest Tikka.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

My .308 Tikka T3xCTR does "just alright".

View attachment 774386

youre low right on the first shot

 

[arrowshooter]

I'll put in a vote for the Winchester XPR mine is 30.06. As I reported in another thread, first 3 shots, cold bore with my loads at 70 yards. This was after about 30 shots break-in with factory ammo and an 18 shot ladder.

 

[No_Regerts]

I did a thread a couple years ago where I out together a combo rifle/scope for $391 that shot real well. Weatherby Vanguard/Howa 1500 with a used Burris Fullfield II 3-9x40 and Talley lightweight mounts. 270 Winchester.

$400 Rifle Range Day

A few years ago I gave my Nephew a Winchester Model 94 in .32 Winchester Special. I never bothered to hand load for it since the 170gr. Remington CoreLock HP shot very close to 1/2MOA at 200yrds. It had been my Grandpas last Rifle. That year he took his first deer with it. Now he hunts every year.

www.northwestfirearms.com

 

[No_Regerts]

As far as cartridges, bullet technology has made it so you can shoot something fairly mild that doesn't kick you into next week and still get exits on elk. Cartridges like the 7mm-08 and 270 kick less, are cheaper to shoot, and perform great. Ammo is usually easy to find. Especially the 270. The 308 and 30-06 also fit into that category.

 

[spookshack]

Remember, it's not the arrow, it's the @Andy54Hawken

I'm dead.....

 

[awshoot]

Tikka

7mm Rem Mag might be a bit stout for a new shooter. Avoid the machismo if possible.

Yeah -- he'll spend a long time getting over the flinch he learns or he won't practice enough. Neither are good results.

 

[pharmseller]

Randy Newberg has killed an elk or two. He's a fan of the -08s, 7mm-08 and 308. I'm a 7mm-08 homer, but I have horns on the wall and meat in the freezer to show for it.

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[Stomper]

Did you build that load?

They are hand loads based on a recipe from @v0lcom13sn0w which has consistently grouped with the same MOA in two different .308 Tikka T3xCTR rifles set up very similarly. It's up to him to OK it to share the recipe.

youre low right on the first shot

Yeah, @DB is Here kept blowing in my damned ear the entire time!

 

[Devenk89]

Big Tikka fan here, I own a couple as well as a couple Sakos. As far as caliber, if you ever have any desire to shoot past 300, then you should not get a 308 or 30-06, get a 6.5 creedmoor or 7mm. I was on the spotter yesterday while my buddy smoked a deer from 400 with his Tikka 6.5.

 

[EHJ]

They are hand loads based a recipe from @v0lcom13sn0w which has consistently grouped with the same MOA in two different .308 Tikka T3xCTR rifles set up very similarly. It's up to him to OK it to share the recipe.

I had a feeling.
You were shooting sighted in bulls with just a tad bit of confidence there. Nice job.

 

[Stomper]

Big Tikka fan here, I own a couple as well as a couple Sakos. As far as caliber, if you every have any desire to shoot past 300, then you should not get a 308 or 30-06, get a 6.5 creedmoor or 7mm. I was on the spotter yester while my buddy smoked a deer from 400 with his Tikka 6.5.

Me and @11Charlie were smacking a 10" rock on a logging yard landing from 1000yds with our .308 Tikkas, but whatever floats ya!

 

[Devenk89]

Me and @11Charlie were smacking a 10" rock on a logging yard landing from 1000yds with our .308 Tikkas, but whatever floats ya!

I don't doubt that! but on paper the 6.5 is the superior long range cartridge, especially when you throw wind into the equation

 

[Stomper]

I don't doubt that! but on paper the 6.5 is the superior long range cartridge, especially when you throw wind into the equation

Remember what @Certaindeaf said... it's not the arrow. It's the @Andy54Hawken

 

[Devenk89]

Remember what @Certaindeaf said... it's not the arrow. It's the @Andy54Hawken

Agreed, but If I can purchase a more capable cartridge to mitigate user error - I'm going to. Hence why I primarily hunt with my 28 Nosler and 6.5 creedmoor.

 

[TTSX]

Go Savage, spend the extra few hundred you didn't spend on the trendy Tikka on ammo/optic. My 7mm mag model 111 cost me $300. Yes, the group is high right, but that's my scope more than the ammo. Shoots high right with everything, never cared to correct it.
Edit: get the 10/110, 11/111 models, not the axis. Let's not get a cheap budget rifle from Walmart

 

[pharmseller]

Big Tikka fan here, I own a couple as well as a couple Sakos. As far as caliber, if you ever have any desire to shoot past 300, then you should not get a 308 or 30-06, get a 6.5 creedmoor or 7mm. I was on the spotter yesterday while my buddy smoked a deer from 400 with his Tikka 6.5.

Shhhh...be very quiet...







You might wake these animals up if you say not to shoot farther than 300 yards with a 7mm-08...

The first bull was 409 yards, the spike was 346, both bucks were over 500 yards...

The 6.5 Manbun doesn't impress me.





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