Replace hunting rifle with ???

[Vaultman]

I have a hunting rifle that I am going to replace. I want to get a 270 win. I am wanting something in the realm of 500-700 bucks (scope not included). And I want long range accurate. This will be a backup hunting rifle for deer and elk. (I have a 25-06 for deer, and a 300wm for elk).

What would be my best bet in that price point?

Read More

 

[Spitpatch]

I will commend you first of all for your pre-existing choices, and a perfect speculation for a split in the middle. (Although I am not a belted-magnum fan, there are no flies on the 300wm for elk.) We shortly here will have devotees to certain brands to exclusion of others. Listen more carefully to those who present attributes of the brands that are NOT their favorites. These are the voices of experience (positive and negative).

For bolt guns, I freely admit I am a devotee of the Remington700. You carefully and perhaps craftily did not reveal what your quarter-bore and three hundred vehicles are. Having expressed my favorite, I will be quick to acknowledge (from experience) the closely challenging (and sometimes surpassing) accuracy of the newer Savage guns. Savage has also gone to great lengths to modify the old 110 platform bolt action to be more esthetically appealing in a number of style modifications. Early ones always looked "economical" and clunky (but they shot like the dickens!). Winchester '70's right now I would (rightfully I believe) consider to be once again in the "experimental" stage, given their changing of hands, stop-and-start production, etc., etc., etc.. Give the new owners and new production lines a chance to settle down, produce predictably reliable guns, and I certainly do have faith that a Winchester bolt gun can re-attain its deserved respect. The Ruger 77 has always been a bulwark of reliability and ruggedness, combined with good appearance, and now with Ruger building their own barrels, that firm may be a choice to seriously consider. I cannot speak of experience with recent Rugers, but my experience with less recent ones follows that of others: Some were unbelievably accurate. Others were mediocre and troublesome.

Yes, Remington has changed hands relatively recently too, and rumors flew about production quality and deteroration of accuracy. I kept buying them, and have some vintage ones, some relatively recent, and some very recent. Mine all shot VERY well from the start (but I cannot resist what I know to be good and simple tinkering toward making them shoot phenomenally, and so now they all do). The reputation of the action is unquestioned amongst custom builders, and I have never found the need (or the money) to rebarrel one. (Yes, some custom builders strongly prefer to work with a vintage 700 action rather than a recent one, but other respectable custom gun builders know the quality of the design itself, and have no qualms staking their reputation on ANY 700.) The gun holds its value a bit more tenaciously than other hunting bolt guns due to its reputation as well.

Peruse the Remington catalog, don't buy from a "top retail price" source, select your stock preference (wood, synthetic, etc.), and make your "split in the middle" a Remington 700.

Sorry for going so long, but give me credit for not pontificating about your impeccable choice of the .270 Winchester. This website has not the capacity for my response toward that.

 

[Mark W.]

Savage 111C fan here

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Buy what fits you best and has the controls you find most convient, at your price point. Almost any modern well made rifle is going to give a lifetime of service.

 

[kukusya]

Best chose for me at the tame was Savage 111 pair with Simmons 3x9x40 in 7mm Rem. Mag Msrp 525+ tax, I got that baby at Big 5 for 299.99 +tax. So keep looking and you will find right rifle for fair price. And remember ,,Rush is needed when catching fleas and #$@%$ somebody's wife".

 

[2ndtimer]

I just bought a new Winchester Model 70 Ultimate Shadow in .270WSM to replace my old Model 70 Super Shadow .270WSM. Nothing wrong with the original .270 Win., but I prefer the short action and extra 200 fps capability of the "short fat one". While I am still waiting for my scope to arrive, and have yet to fire the new rifle, my old one proved very accurate and reliable over the years and I am expecting no less from my new one. Factory ammo is a little pricey for the WSM's but since I handload, it isn't really an issue for me. If you are on a budget and don't handload, the standard .270 Win probably makes more sense. My new Ultimate Shadow just fits within your budget, and if you wanted to save a little money I would look at a new Weatherby Vanguard S2 in .270 Win. I have handled a couple and they are pretty nice for the price. The new trigger is a huge improvement over the old Vanguard / Howa 1500.

 

[jonn5335]

I own/owned savage 110s, winchester 70s, a couple Rugers, remingtons, a browning, a tikka and a few custom rifles as well. If I had $500-700 to buy a hunting rifle I would get a Tikka. My Tikka shoots .6 moa out of the box as well as adjustable trigger, floated barrel, detachable mag and a 75 deg bolt throw which is generally 90 deg or more on a 2 lugger.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

You may want to look for a S&W 1500 in decent condition. I just saw one on "near new" condition for less then 4 Franklins. I used to own one in .270 and found it very accurate.

 

[Vaultman]

Interesting choices presented here. Some I expected, some surprises.

Spitpatch, you are 100% correct in the idea that I did not reveal what I have currently for hunting rifles. I want to influence the answers I get in the least.

I do not care about "What fits me the best", because I will not buy something that doesn't fit. I just want to know about accuracy. After I determine accuracy levels I will decide on fit. I have done some long range shooting, and want this rifle to preform like my 25-06 and 300wm but be calibered in 270.

Any other thoughts?

 

[kukusya]

Interesting choices presented here. Some I expected, some surprises.

Spitpatch, you are 100% correct in the idea that I did not reveal what I have currently for hunting rifles. I want to influence the answers I get in the least.

I do not care about "What fits me the best", because I will not buy something that doesn't fit. I just want to know about accuracy. After I determine accuracy levels I will decide on fit. I have done some long range shooting, and want this rifle to preform like my 25-06 and 300wm but be calibered in 270.

Any other thoughts?

7MM REM MAG

 

[OregonPlinker]

I have Rem 700 in 223 & 270 and love them.The 223 shoots dime size groups at 100 yards with 26" bull barrel. I also have a Ruger M77 25-06 with 24 inch barrel and a Winchester Model 70 in 7mm rem mag with 24 inch barrel. They are all stock aside from trigger work. They all shoot about the same. MOA or a little less... The 270 I bought new just for me for hunting and it just has the 22 inch barrel which is fine by me and it does shoot just as well as the longer barrels of other brands and calibers. My next gun is gonna be a Rem 700 in 308 if that tells you anything about what I would buy. If I wasnt gonna buy a Rem700 I would get a savage just cause Ive never owned one of there bolt guns and Ive heard a LOT of good things about them in the last few years...

 

[mjbskwim]

I have a Tika in 338wm and I love the gun.
And if the pre 64 winchesters were way better than today's,they must have been outstanding,cause mine is very accurate .Love that one too.
And it's in 270win. Seems to be a pretty popular caliber.
I was reading a thread on another site where 2 Alaskans were arguing whether it was enough gun for up there.
One guy said he was a guide and had customers,who could actually shoot,kill every kind of game that walked in Alaska.And not needing multiple shots,just perfect placement.

Good luck with your 'hunt' for a new rifle,sorry

 

[shockme]

i got a 270 weatherby, shoots good, nice to look at to.

 

[Greenbug]

I like the Tikka, Remington, and Winchester in that price range. 270 Win is a good round and fills the niche you speak of. Each of these three guns has their drawbacks. The Tikka's replacement magazines are rediculously expensive. The newer Remingtons are not as good as the older ones (the X-mark pro trigger sucks IMHO). The Winchesters are really good, but have a really crappy synthetic stock in the $500-$700 range.

I hear that the Savage guns are accurate, but I will never know first hand because I can't bring myself to buy something that ugly.

 

[mjbskwim]

The Winchesters are really good, but have a really crappy synthetic stock in the $500-$700 range.

No crap.I got luck at a gun show and found a sweet wood stock for mine.
Looks and feels 100% better

 

[Spitpatch]

Vaultman, you are among the few that staunchly hang on to a good handhold with the. .270.

I will disrespect your original concept (as others disrespected your hard caliber choice), and offer that you bide your time, find a sturdy (but doggy) M700 Long Action and begin a step-by-step project for yourself. You have time on your side. You have every critter in North America covered with your .300 and Newton. Make the "fill-in" rifle a labor of love and creation. Stick with the untouchable caliber of course, but make this the darling: allow yourself the progressive and incremental (therefore not financially painful) build of the dream gun.

Please consider that it will take backstage to your current workhorses. This will be the thoroughbred: to only be brought out for the special need. Barrel ordered and istalled to your contour and length and liking (I prefer Lilja). Stock to be either striking wood or scientific utility (I prefer MPI). You can easily install your own Timney or Jewell trigger.

Plink away (either in purchases or savings) to the tune of $100-$150 a month, and you will get the .270 that will confidently prove the non-need for a .25-06 or a .300 Winchester Magnum. Then you sell them and pay for the .270, and go to McDonald's.

 

[Vaultman]

Vaultman, you are among the few that staunchly hang on to a good handhold with the. .270.

I will disrespect your original concept (as others disrespected your hard caliber choice), and offer that you bide your time, find a sturdy (but doggy) M700 Long Action and begin a step-by-step project for yourself. You have time on your side. You have every critter in North America covered with your .300 and Newton. Make the "fill-in" rifle a labor of love and creation. Stick with the untouchable caliber of course, but make this the darling: allow yourself the progressive and incremental (therefore not financially painful) build of the dream gun.

Please consider that it will take backstage to your current workhorses. This will be the thoroughbred: to only be brought out for the special need. Barrel ordered and istalled to your contour and length and liking (I prefer Lilja). Stock to be either striking wood or scientific utility (I prefer MPI). You can easily install your own Timney or Jewell trigger.

Plink away (either in purchases or savings) to the tune of $100-$150 a month, and you will get the .270 that will confidently prove the non-need for a .25-06 or a .300 Winchester Magnum. Then you sell them and pay for the .270, and go to McDonald's.

I like the way you think. Not sure if the wife will let me be 'putting away' as we are already doing that, for something slightly more important (new baby). For all you gun nuts out there I said slightly. For all you parents out there I was being sarcastic.

This will take some serious consideration. The only thing I am not 100% a go with is, I do not like going into a season without a back up rifle. And next year is coming up fast. We will have to see. Thanks for the thought.

 

[orygun]

I've owned a couple of .270s and didn't keep them. It wasn't the cartridge, it was the guns.
#1 S&W 1500 (same as the Howa and Weatherby Vanguard) Didn't feed with complete reliability and had a very stiff, but crisp trigger.
#2 JC Higgins (Belgian Mauser) Had a Timney trigger so the trigger was excellent, but it was just kind of a "clunky" gun. The stock was kind of thick and heavy.

I've owned one Savage 110 and thought the stock was much like the Belgian Mauser, but the Hogue stock I put on my friends Savage was a fantastic improvement. If I owned another Savage I'd do the Hogue stock all over again!

So far I've only told you what I wouldn't buy, so here's what I would buy.
Ruger 77 MKII or Hawkeye. I regret not keeping one of the 2 30-06 that I've owned. Reliable, feed like a dream, accurate and have one of the very best scope mounting systems available. Only a great trigger like a Timney keeps them from being fantastic. All of the MKIIs and Hawkeyes have Ruger's hammer forged barrels on them. Haven't met one of them I didn't like.
Winchester Pre-64 Model 70. Mine's a Featherweight and chambered in 30-06. The trigger doesn't adjust as light as I'd like, but other than that the gun is flawless. Only bolt gun I've owned that feeds as smoothly as my Rugers, at least as accurate and the craftsmanship is second to none on a production gun. I've seen several of these in 270 Win for around the $700 mark.
For the record, I'm a fan of CRF (controlled round feed) but if that wasn't an issue, I'd probably go for a Savage and include the price of the Hogue stock.
I'm also a fan of USA made rifles and that's not negotiable.

 

[Grommit327]

Just my honest opinion but you already have a backup rifle. The 25-06 with a premium bullet will make a kill shot on an elk-people have been using them for years. I would have to second spitpatch. Find yourself a 700 LA, add a H-S precision stock and timney trigger and a new barrel in whatever contour you like and you are set for a good LR rifle that can tackle most game.

 

[longcolt]

I am a big fan of the Remington 700 series also, have a SPS in 30-06 and like the way it shoots and can tell you from experience its one tough rifle. Sliding down the side of a MT in unit 46 this year showed the rifle was better constructed than my butt.

Your choice of the 25-06 caliber shows you know your calibers. What a wonderful caliber that is, great for those long range Antelope shots. Now just add the other 06 and you are good to go.