Budget Hunting Rifle

[Hookeye]

Thinking of a Savage, dropped into Choate stock, .25-06 or 7 mag.
Saw some nice rolling hill ground today, thinkin I need a long range rifle.
Got a woods rifle (.35 rem) and a general purpose .30-06, but nothing for the 400 or farther.
Doubt I find a Sendero at a good price.

Savage feel clunky to me, thicker through the middle too.
Dunno about using a Rem 783 action.

Hell I'd take a #1B in .25-06...........but hardly a budget gun LOL.
See what folks turn loose of, for project base...........when X mas bills come due.

 

[Bigtanker]

.....
Hell I'd take a #1B in .25-06...........but hardly a budget gun LOL.
See what folks turn loose of, for project base...........when X mas bills come due.

How's about a .257 WBY MAG?

https://www.lipseys.com/itemdetail?itemno=RU1B257WBYMAG

 

[Hookeye]

I saw that one LOL......tempting.

 

[ChalupaCabras]

$800 will buy you a Sauer 100 and get you most of the way to a decent scope.

There are a LOT of good suggestions in here, but NONE of them commonly produce SUB MOA accuracy ... from their BUDGET model ... with a SPORTER profile barrel.

My Sauer 100 Classic (wood stock) shoots 1/2 MOA 3 shot and 3/4 MOA 5 shot groups from a sand bag at 100 yards. With Federal budget ammo (blue box 'power shock' 150gr 30-06, $17/20 @ Walmart). THAT'S NOT EXCEPTIONAL, it's the norm for these rifles.

I almost bought a Browning X Bolt. IF I couldn't get a Sauer, that's still what I would buy.

No, its not a cheap rifle. Its also hard to call it a "budget" rifle, but the value is unbeatable in the sub $1K market, and beyond.

 

[Hookeye]

My Steyr came w a MOA guarantee. Pro Hunter....cost me 600 new. Thing is a pig ( heavy ).
Scope base and softer pad was 100. Scope is Redfield Rev 3-9x50mm. That was on sale for 200. Rings are Burris Sig Zee for another 50.

Not a bad rig for under a K total, all new

 

[two70]

Yes, several reasonably priced rifles come with a MOA guarantee, Bergarra, T/C Venture, Weatherby Vanguard, etc if you put much stock in those kind of things.


I practically stole my first Pro Hunter for $675 lightly use with Zeiss 3X9 included. My second one was $650 without a scope, still a good deal in my opinion, especially chambered in the much less common .25-06.

 

[Hookeye]

I was looking for the .25-06 but they were sold out LOL.
Wanted a Merkel Helix, but sold out of the .243 win Explorer (reg 3K, were on sale for 2K).
Looked at the Steyr CLII and thought for 1600 that'll do.
But noticed the PH was discontinued and on blow out.
Eh, needed a bad weather knock about general big game rifle, so said .30-06 would do.
$599 plus shipping (35 bucks).
Of course the pad sucked, so got the soft one and a spare mag from MGW for half the price of other places.
Scope base?
Had to dig for a while, turns out NECG carries Recknagle. $70.

Not much info in reg channles and the Steyr forum is pretty lame.

Gotta dig around to get what's really what LOL

 

[Hookeye]

Budget rifle............

I got one comin'.

Remington 14.

LOL

 

[ChalupaCabras]

NOT a pig (6 3/4 lb)... SUB MOA groups.

 

[Hookeye]

My 700 ADL is sub MOA. Paid 300 for it used but like new. Of course i free floated the cheap stock and stiffened it w epoxy. So add 15 for the goop and 5 for sandpaper.

Slapped a VX1 on sale for 199. Burris sig zee I already had. Weaver alloy bases. But i added a Gre-Tan pin/ shroud to dump J lock and canned the junk plastic trigger guard and got a steel one. So add another hundred for that.

 

[Hookeye]

I had 850 in my used Ruger #1 RSI w Leupold 4x.
It'd cloverleaf w factory ammo at 75 yards.

It was annoying in blast w 20" bbl and i like the looks of the A model better so away it went. Good rig...just not what i really wanted in a #1.

Safe buy, did not lose $ on it. Killed my buck dead too

 

[SpydieSig]

The Savage 110 is a quality rifle. Honestly I have an Axis in 30-06 and for the money, it really is a decent, handy little rifle.

 

[JSJamboree]

I just picked up the Savage Axis with Scope from Cabeals for $199 in 6.5. I didn't need it but figured i would pick it up as a loaner for when someone wants to go hunting. Generally cant go wrong with Savage.

 

[ChalupaCabras]

I had 850 in my used Ruger #1 RSI w Leupold 4x.
It'd cloverleaf w factory ammo at 75 yards.

It was annoying in blast w 20" bbl and i like the looks of the A model better so away it went. Good rig...just not what i really wanted in a #1.

Safe buy, did not lose $ on it. Killed my buck dead too

Thats a classy deer rifle!

 

[Hookeye]

I went more for a beater that lobs fatter boolits
$500 for the rifle (1963 Remington 760 in .35 rem)
$150 for the scope (Leupold 4X compact- mint)
$20 for the ugly but usable Leupold Rifleman low rings (heaven forbid they not be see through on an old Remington)
.....will be swapped for Burris Zee rings tomorrow
And $20 for the old Bucheimer sling (was on the #1 RSI)

 

[Dmac22]

Honestly either of those are great options. The 243 Howa I owned was a quality firearm. I would say both of those are in the $500 ballpark. If you are wanting to spend that or even less, I would take a look at the Thompson Center rifles as well Compass or Venture. I dunno what it is but mine and everyone I know that has one it shoots lights out. With rebates and such going on they can be had for a steal. They aren’t pretty but they are very functional platforms. I don’t think there is a whiny answer there. I’m always a Remington 700 fan, they can be had for under $500 consistently as well.I also know people are having good luck with the Ruger Americans right now. Another option to throw in the hat. Honestly I would pick whichever had the best deal and the one that felt best to you. All good options.

 

[Banbuddy]

I went more for a beater that lobs fatter boolits
$500 for the rifle (1963 Remington 760 in .35 rem)
$150 for the scope (Leupold 4X compact- mint)
$20 for the ugly but usable Leupold Rifleman low rings (heaven forbid they not be see through on an old Remington)
.....will be swapped for Burris Zee rings tomorrow
And $20 for the old Bucheimer sling (was on the #1 RSI)

How do you like .35rem for a deer cartridge? I've never considered it but it seems like an interesting round.

 

[Hookeye]

I've taken four deer with that cartridge (all rifle kills).
All have been w 200gr FTX.

.35 Remington............hammers deer, not you (just a bump).

I'm not gonna push em past 150 yards.
Farthest so far is 75.

Nothing fancy really. Just a comfy boom and stuff dies.

Deer hunting...........pump rifles............35 rem

Classic.

 

[Hookeye]

If used on public land, .35 rem needs trimmed to meet PCR spec.

And it isn't straightwall so proly no go out of state PCR.

Remington pumps are not cheap. .35 rem in it of cult like status.
Older models the cheaper ones (like mine).
Expect 500 and up for one (bare rifle).

"35 rem" stamped magazines are 100 and up.
You can run reg 760 .308 mags.

My rifle is an ADL, kinda beat up/worn. Bore is great, shoots great (even w stock trigger).
I don't abuse the rifle, but I don't baby it either.

Nothing is perfect. There is some rattle to mag and forend, but not as bad as some.
Read an O ring falls apart and makes em rattle bad. Easy fix.

The 760 does carry well and w low scope is reflexive like a 20 ga 870 shotgun.
They just feel good.

And should you need a second shot, you don't come off the gun, hands don't change position on the gun, you just shuck and go.
No bolt movement toward eye, no finger removal from trigger.

Youre just BOOM and back at it.
Like a semi auto, with a slight delay LOL

I wanted a newer style 760, looks like 7600. Grice did a special run yrs ago.
They run a grand used, for a synth 7600.
This one came along for half that.

Not what I wanted, but being an ADL and worn, it had character.
I put 3 shots into a .50 cal hole at 25 yards off my elbows and told the owner "yeah, I'll take it".

It aint what I wanted, but is close enough.
I won't be getting a 7600 version now.
Might eventually have a Ruger #1 rebarreled to .35 rem.

THAT would be my ideal timber deer rifle.

 

[Hookeye]

I understand economics.
But deer hunting so rich a sport, I refuse to sell it and myself short by trying to go cheap.

See guys driving 50K pickups running entry level rifles w package scopes.
Goody for them.
Its their money.

I drive crap and shoot nicer rifles