Bolt Action Rifle

[Mikey]

I would like to invest in a new bolt-action rifle but can not afford a lot, say 500 bucks. Most new rifle seem much more then $500. Either a .308 or 30-06 is what i have in mind. Any suggestions?

 

[highlander]

Have you looked at the Savage bolt guns? I haven't checked lately but I think that they are under the $500 limit. Have you thought about used Go to Kittery's web sight and go to their used gun section and follow the instructions you should be able to find something in your price range

 

[Mikey]

Thanks i will look at both

 

[Jose]

Howa 1500 deserves a look as well.

In most internet gun sale sites, Ruger Model 77s go for less than 5 Franklins.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I would like to invest in a new bolt-action rifle but can not afford a lot, say 500 bucks. Most new rifle seem much more then $500. Either a .308 or 30-06 is what i have in mind. Any suggestions?

After a lifetime of study, it has become apparent to me that the single most important element in the composition of a utility rifle is trigger action. A good trigger makes a rifle easier to hit with than its accuracy, or its sighting system, or its cartridge, or its action. A 2 minute rifle with a perfect trigger is more useful in the field than a 1 minute rifle without one. Today, unfortunately, most manufacturers do not realize this (or possibly they do not care) and since we live in the Age of Litigation, the idea of a delicate trigger out-of-the-box fills industrial directors with horror.

One reason why this matter of poor triggers is not as well appreciated as it might be is our preoccupation with the shooting bench, where a good trigger action is not nearly as important as it is in the field. The more stable the firing position is, the less the trigger matters, and most of our group-testing is done from the bench, which is the most stable position we can get. As the stability of the shooting position decreases, the delicacy of the trigger action becomes more important. It is less important, for example, from the prone position than it is on the snap shot. The "hitability" of a given rifle should always be tested in a field trial, to which few people have access. Thus we are stuck in most modern production with rifles that have many good features, but lack the most important one. (The exceptions to this general rule are Mauser,Mannlicher, and Blaser. Possibly these people are simply not as scared of law suits as the others.)

A good trigger should be light about 40oz. will do nicely - but more important than weight is an imperceptible let-off. The surprise break of the rifleman must indeed sunrise him, and thus he must not be able to detect any movement at all in the trigger when it releases the striker. Such a trigger should come with the gun over the counter, but with few exceptions it does not, though it did at one time. I have a Model 70 Winchester (dating from 1937!) and its trigger, though never touched by a gunsmith, is perfect. Do not look for any such thing, however, on any of its descendants being produced today.
- Col. Jeff Cooper, 1994

Take a good, hard look at the Savage rifles. Their Accu-Trigger is head and shoulders above anything the Remington or Ruger or Browning factories are fitting to their guns. You'd have to invest in an expensive aftermarket trigger for one of them to come up with as nice a trigger setup as Savage is now providing from the factory.

Regards
John

 

[Jose]

Remington triggers are easy, very easy to adjust to a crisp, safe pull. BTDT.

 

[Cledus J. Crabb]

I do like my Remington 700P.
But the Savage is hard to beat for short money.
Thier tupperware stocks are not all that great, but the accu-triggers and out-of-box accuracy are impressive.

 

[dreppucci007]

Mike,

What do you intend on using it for? That can make a big difference as well. There's such a variety of bolt action guns out there.

Saying a Remington 700 is like saying I want to buy a car...Maybe a Honda. Well, there are many different models of that Honda...There are like 10 different versions of the Remington 700. They are essentially the same, but made for different things.

Knowing what you're gonna use it for could also help determine what caliber to choose. Granted a .30-06 or .308 is nice, depending on your abilities and desires for the gun, perhaps you should try something like a .223 or .243 to begin with.

Just my 0.02...From someone who owns mostly bolt action rifles, all for different purposes.

 

[Mikey]

What about stocks, I have always had wood but are synthetic stocks worth checking out?

 

[Mikey]

This gun will be used for hunting, Mostly if not always in the north east which will be for the most part whitetail. But i would like to expand to black bear and moose. I do not reload and so i do not want a caliber that will run my wallet dry at the range. It may be a hard choice but i need an "all around gun". Something that will be an asset if the SHTF is always good as well.

 

[highlander]

308 or 30'06 ammo is plentiful and somewhat cheap. I second the idea of a Savage they for the most part will shoot circles arond their competitors

 

[PatMcD]

If buying new, you probably should go Savage, as others have said.
Personally, I wouldn't buy a new rifle. There are literally thousands of gently used bolt actions on local gun shop shelves.

I picked up a beautiful little Husquvarna 4100 in 30-06 with a Lyman receiver sight for under $400. These were made in the 1960's. No way you could buy that quality rifle, new, for under $1000.

 

[win308]

I have the Savage 30-06. Good package for the money. When you have more $$$ you can upgrade the scope, put a LimbSaver pad, etc.

 

[RKG]

Before purchasing a centerfire bolt rifle, you should educate yourself to the difference between Mauser-type extractors (such as the Winchester Model 70) (sometimes known as "controlled feed") and snap-type extractors (such as the Remington 700). For a slew of reasons, some folks will only accept controlled feed; others will accept either. To some extent, it makes a difference what use you intend to put the rifle to.

Here is one article on the difference. http://www.african-hunter.com/it's_all_in_the_claw.htm

 

[BoB13]

Last fall I picked up a Model 16 .308 Weather Warrior from Savage....great gun. The trigger is amazing. Very light, but then again everything is compared to a Rem. 742.