Which Budget Noob Bolt Gun?

[buckshotbarlow]

get a savage, i have 6 of em with the accu trigger. Got rid of all my rugers and only have 1 remmy left...

as for caliber:
270, 308, 30-06
I prefer military calibers...more brass/ammo then those goofy hunting rounds.

6.5wsm, 300wsm or 338edge if you wildcat.

[hammer03]

30-06 ain't cheap to shoot, factor the cost of ammo in to the equation.

Some quick searching yielded a little over 50 cents a round for 308 Santa Barbara surplus. Wideners and others have 150g Korean surplus 30-06 for a little less than that.

Hunting ammo price difference doesn't seem like that much, so I wouldn't let the price of plinking ammo keep me away from a caliber, and the '06 might even be a little cheaper if you stock up. Reloading components aren't that different afaik.

300 win mag, other magnums, yeah the price of ammo goes way up.

[Goodburbon]

Some quick searching yielded a little over 50 cents a round for 308 Santa Barbara surplus. Wideners and others have 150g Korean surplus 30-06 for a little less than that.

Hunting ammo price difference doesn't seem like that much, so I wouldn't let the price of plinking ammo keep me away from a caliber, and the '06 might even be a little cheaper if you stock up. Reloading components aren't that different afaik.

300 win mag, other magnums, yeah the price of ammo goes way up.

battle packs of surplus .308 can typically be had for ~.40 a round.

[ford_muscle1]

I have Remington 700 in 308 and it's a great rifle I also have a Savage 111 in 338 that's great to but strictly for elk, so both would be a good choice.

[fitz19d]

Got to handle most of them.

Decided to cross out the 800+ Ones including savage 10 precision. Just too much of a bench gun/heavier. Love it, but not really on task with what I'm after.

I liked the savage axis I looked at, pretty decently, still certainly shows it's price point. The Ruger American just seemed so feather light and rickety.
I really loved the feel of the Thompson Center Venture. The weatherby vanguard 2 was a little bit less nice.

Dillema is the counter guy. (Mid 20's) He turned me onto the T/C and the Marlin XL7 initially. But he between the 2 models in stock (T/C and Weatherby) actually voted for the Ruger American as being the better rifle/better value. And the weatherby as better than the T/C. (Counter to my order of personal ranking.) Amongst his reasons was saying the Ruger was free floated and had adjustable trigger. (I had read it was so flimsy it's own weight would un free float it.)


Going to do more reading online, but any last moment comments on my new info or votes between those 3? (Solid feel and grippy stock worth the extra $150-200 over the Ruger?)

Brain says Ruger due to just being a game rifle in .30-06, heart says TC, balance of the 2 says Weatherby.

[Troublco]

My vote would go to Weatherby. It's a good, strong action (actually a Howa action); a great value for the money. I've heard good things about the T/C, but have not shot one myself. I do have a Vanguard in .300 Weatherby Mag, and it's a nice rifle for the price. I'll probably restock it, but I tend to do that with most of my hunting guns anyhow to get exactly what I want. I'll admit to not being a fan of the Ruger hunting rifles, not really sure why but I don't have any. Remingtons, Winchesters, Weatherbys, Custom Mausers, but no Rugers. And none I really want.

[20X11]

Take a look at the $400 savage hunting rifles...known for accuracy....accu-trigger setup...great value.

[King]

I like my Tikka T3, its the most accurate off-the-shelf bolt gun I've owned.

But if you are truly looking for a budget rifle, the chain sporting goods stores usually discount a basic bolt gun in August for hunting season. Any of the Remington, Savage, Ruger low-end models will work well.

I would suggest .30-06 for a first gun. Ammo is easy to find, has a lot of bullet choices and its easy to learn to reload for. I urge you to avoid the more esoteric calibers as their ammo is more expensive, and learning to reload on a belted magnum (.300 Win Mag as an example) isn't a good idea.

I like my Tikka T3 lite (7 rem mag) as well. Sub MOA all day long. The only negative I have to say about it is when I attached a bi-pod to the front sling swivel stud, the stud popped out. it destroyed the plastic thread it screwed into. I fixed this by using a machine screw type stud with a nut and locktite holdiong it in there. Its been rock solid ever since but I thought I would mention it.

[a98kdoc]

I would look at a Mosin Nagant at about 130 buck or less.
Ammo is in the same price range as 270 for soft point 2x that for Norma.
I ware glasses for long range vision so iron sights work for me.
The big nasty point is 3 to 4 inches of MOA will put an elk or deer on you table out to 300 yards. So if low price is you point this is lowest one and yes I have 4 of these guys. I am amused that the REM ADL at 420$ at Walmart is off you list so I'd like to ask why you dont want to consider it here.

Me

[DHC]

Got to handle most of them.

Decided to cross out the 800+ Ones including savage 10 precision. Just too much of a bench gun/heavier. Love it, but not really on task with what I'm after.

I liked the savage axis I looked at, pretty decently, still certainly shows it's price point. The Ruger American just seemed so feather light and rickety.
I really loved the feel of the Thompson Center Venture. The weatherby vanguard 2 was a little bit less nice.

Dillema is the counter guy. (Mid 20's) He turned me onto the T/C and the Marlin XL7 initially. But he between the 2 models in stock (T/C and Weatherby) actually voted for the Ruger American as being the better rifle/better value. And the weatherby as better than the T/C. (Counter to my order of personal ranking.) Amongst his reasons was saying the Ruger was free floated and had adjustable trigger. (I had read it was so flimsy it's own weight would un free float it.)


Going to do more reading online, but any last moment comments on my new info or votes between those 3? (Solid feel and grippy stock worth the extra $150-200 over the Ruger?)

Brain says Ruger due to just being a game rifle in .30-06, heart says TC, balance of the 2 says Weatherby.

TC Icon in 30-06 took its first buck this weekend. The Venture has most of the same features as the Icon. I have/had Savage, Remington 700, Marlin XS7, and the TC, all in bolt action rifles - and of the lot of them, I think the TC is the best hunting rifle. A few things I like about the Icon and are features shared with the Venture are:

* Adjustable trigger. While not as good as an upgraded Shilen in a Rem 700, it is still an excellent trigger - AND - it is factory standard.
* 2-position safety - provides assurance a snagged twig won't open your bolt in the field - AND - a bit of added safety when unloading an unfired round.
* Detachable magazine. I am pretty sure the Venture features a detachable mag, which turns out to be a feature I appreciate more than I expected.
* 60 degree bolt throw means you rarely, if ever, have interference with the scope.
* Accuracy - certified MOA. The shot on this buck was a good 200 yards. While that is pedestrian for many of the hunters here - this 200-yard shot was pretty damn impressive.

Edit to Add: Another buck was taken this weekend with a Rem 700 in 7mm-08. Both animals were BANG - flop - DRT. The 7mm-08 should probably be on your list as it is big enough for elk.

FWIW