My first Bolt Gun.

[American123]

To be pedantic, the first long range smokeless caliber that was good for 1000 yards was the 6.5 x 55 Swedish designed in 1891. It is still relatively common on long range shooters lists. The 6.5 bullet has better long range ballistics at longer ranges with lighter bullet weights than 30 caliber and 270 but at lower down range energy. 6.5 creedmoor is not quite in its class but does deliver the same bullet in a pretty good ballistic package.

Your post is a great example of thinking of what you're going to do at 1000 with the rifle. If you're hunting the 270 makes great sense but a small bullet selection. If you were target the 6.5 would be better but there are a number of 6.5s that are superior to the creedmoor like 260, 260 AI, 6.5x55.

In any event I like your research.

Thanks, agreed the bullet selection is limited, 152gr nosler ballistic tips and 152gr nosler accubond LR are basically going to be the only bullets I use.

Nosler also makes the accubond in 30cal and in 6.5 I believe, when I was comparing the "heavy for caliber loadings" that each had the best BC for each round to calculate my data for comparisons I saw that the 'old .270' wasn't a chump. I haven't begun to try and load for it yet, but on charts it looks respectable. Time will tell if charts and reality match up. Plus it gave me a reason to get a $300 bolt gun OTD.

 

[Sealesniper]

you cant go wrong with a tikka T3 as for scope if on budget a SWFA SS would do.

 

[pharmseller]

you cant go wrong with a tikka T3 as for scope if on budget a SWFA SS would do.

Leupold VX2 in 3-9 or 4-12 x40mm with CDS work well, too. Especially in modified Talley rings, with the bases milled to fit over the dovetail.




P

 

[bbbass]

My first bolt action rifle was a shot out iron sights .303 Enfield. Anything the OP buys new should be mucho betteroski!

 

[Pete F]

My first bolt action rifle was a shot out iron sights .303 Enfield. Anything the OP buys new should be mucho betteroski!

I bought mine for $5 from Sears, or I should say that my Dad bought one for me and one for my brother when we were barely teenagers. For an additional $5 you got 250 rounds of fmj ammo. The Enfields were in pretty good shape mechanically with beat up stocks, but good bluing and bores and my brother's was covered in cosmoline. They were about 3 MOA rifles using iron sights. The only problem that we had was with reloaded ammo, the bases would separate after a few reloadings. We sportized them as best we could - cut down fore ends, shortened stocks and recoil pads. I still have mine and some of the ammo. Served me well for hunting over 10 years.

 

[bbbass]

It's not a "bad" round. I'd have to look it up to see what to compare it to.

BTW, when I was a wee lad I used to drool over the Sears catalog. Remember all the Ted Williams stuff?



This machine gun was called "The Big Dick".

 

[muskoka]

For a first bolt gun, one that will be used for hunting, a nice stainless Rem 700 in either .30-06 or .308 would do well.

 

[Glock Jock]

Well I finally came to a decision and picked the Bergara 14 Hunter in .30-06 and found one for a great price (much lower than the original one I was looking at) and used my savings so I could get the good price. I got the last one for $618 with shipping and a lifetime warranty. I also ordered the Vortex 4-14 30mm Viper HST from optics planet also on sale, so I'm doing pretty good but don't have everything.

Unfortunately now I have to rant. I ordered the gun from Budsgunshops.com and it was a huge mistake and one of the worst buying experiences of my life. I ordered the detachable box mag model and it took a couple weeks to get it so when I went down to the shop they had made a mistake and sent the hinged floor plate model so the guy at the shop and I went online and realized they have both models listed, but BOTH say detachable magazine. It was an honest mistake. So I didn't accept it. The first person I talked to at Buds says "Oh we sent you the box-plate model" - LOL. Clearly knows nothing about guns. So I called again to get it fixed and simply told the guy they have both rifles listed as having a magazine and he says he is going to look at the ads himself and comes back and says "uh, neither of these ads say detachable magazine they're both floor plate model you got what you ordered". I was shocked that he was that stupid but now I can see he was lying. We went back and forth about 5 times before he started yelling and throwing a fit and yells "WHATEVER, YOU WANT TO RETURN IT, FINE!" so I said "your customer service is terrible" and he yells back "YEAH, WELL YOU NEED TO WORK ON YOUR READING". Literally throwing a fit and lying to my face. So he arranges to haver it returned but nothing about getting another one.

So I call a manager the next day and explain what happened and he wasn't at all surprised that guy yelled, lied or that there was a mistake he literally didn't care at all - not an ounce of concern and never once apologized. But he did clearly see that the ads were wrong and that he would have them fixed. He asked if I wanted the other one and I said yes. So he starts the transaction and instead of a discount or even giving me the price match I originally paid he says that I have to give them more money. Yes, you read that correctly, they charged me an extra $20 because that one costs more. He didn't care at all and made it sound like he was giving me a discount. So I ordered this 1 month and 1 day before my birthday and will probably take almost 2 months before I finally get what I ordered and have to pay shipping insurance twice plus extra and I'm not getting by my bday. NEVER AGAIN will I buy anything from these people.

Eventually I will get it all and maybe post a pic of completed.

 

[JRuby]

I vote for a 30-06 yes a 308 is a versatile round but what the 308 can do the 3006 can do and a bit more. Get a good rifle doesn't even have to be new. Learn to shoot it and determine a good load. I am no expert but one thing I believe is accuracy depends more on the shooters capability than the gun. I believe one must build a relationship with their firearm to be good with it. Know it and it's capabilities. Choose one or two loads for it. If you use it enough it becomes a natural extension of your body. Just my opinion.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Well to tide you over you could get this little critter gitter..

WTS OR - Thompson Center Compass 5.56

 

[JDAVIS]

sorry about your luck with buds. sucks when you get crappy service like that.

good choice on the rifle tho. the Bergara is a fine rifle and all of them that i have shot have been very accurate with the right factory load. and the old tried and true 30-06... hard to go wrong with that

 

[Glock Jock]

sorry about your luck with buds. sucks when you get crappy service like that.

good choice on the rifle tho. the Bergara is a fine rifle and all of them that i have shot have been very accurate with the right factory load. and the old tried and true 30-06... hard to go wrong with that

Eventually it will be worth it.

 

[SIG34]

Remington 700 sps aac is only Bolt gun I've bought... I like my guns Full semi-automatic

 

[DirectDrive]

Remington 700 sps aac is only Bolt gun I've bought... I like my guns Full semi-automatic

Full-semi
Sumtin new ?

 

[SIG34]

Full-semi
Sumtin new ?

It's a Joke
YouTube (CNN full-semi automatic )

 

[awshoot]

... I would say choose a 6.5X55 Swede ...

I use a 6.5 sweede for deer hunting, and while the 6.5 Creedmoor is getting some negative commentary here, in my Hornaday reloading manual every maximum velocity listed for identical bullets is about 150 FPS faster with the Creedmore, something which I can only think will aid in accuracy as well as fast ethical kills. Secondly, I usually find that an accurate load requires something less than the maximum load -- there's more room to play with velocity-wise with a 6.5 Creedmoor over a 6.5x55 Sweede. That said -- I don't have real world experience with 6.5 Creedmoor, though I want to get it -- a Tikka T3x in that caliber is pretty high on my list of wants.

 

[pharmseller]

150 fps is nothing. And reloading manuals tend to be, shall we say, optimistic in their published velocities. They also tend to use 26" barrels, so knock 30 fps off to start.

Nosler's data is the closest to reality I've seen. Even so, the 7mm-08 gets 100-150 fps more than either the Creedmore or Swede.

But again, 150 fps is insignificant.



P

 

[Glock Jock]

Done. Had to pull some hair out along the way but it's super nice!

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Was looking at this too. And I wasn't set on the .308 as much as a place to start. The .270, .30-06 and .300 WinMag were the other choices.

Browning® X-Bolt Hell's Canyon Speed Bolt-Action Rifles : Cabela's

I would favor the .30-06 because of the wide variety of types and weights of bullets it can use.

 

[Glock Jock]

I would favor the .30-06 because of the wide variety of types and weights of bullets it can use.

It's a Bergara Hunter 14 .30-06 and a Vortex HST 4-16. Also got some extra mags, Harris Bipod, Tactical bolt knob and Boyt hard case. It's all really nice!