westernrover
Member
- Joined
- May 4, 2018
- Messages
- 1,613
I want to give my son, 15, a rifle for mule deer and pronghorn in open country. I'm not asking about or discussing the cartridge. There's plenty written on all that. So I'm asking about the rifle models.
He took a buck at 180 yards last year. I want him to be able to confidently take game at up to 300 yards. I know a lot of that is on him, but I want to give him an accurate rifle. I don't think that's too hard to do out-of-the-box nowadays.
I'll put a lightweight scope on it, Swarovski Z5 that I already have. If I get another optic for it, it will be similar.
The budget for the rifle is similarly mid-range: $1000 to $2000. However, I don't own a lot of guns. I hold onto classics like a pre-64 Model 70, and guns that are otherwise worthy. If they're mediocre, I'll sell them and move on. Because of this, I'd rather not acquire anything mediocre in the first place and would be willing to spend more to get something better. I don't, however, want to spend on impractical things like "Purdey" or engraving.
I can't easily acquire an old Model 70 or a Ruger No. 1 or a vintage Weatherby Mark V with certainty that they'll be as accurate as I demand for this case. With my out-of-the-box accuracy demand, I'm forced into present-day designs with synthetic stocks and modern bedding and recoil lugs. For my son, that suits him just fine.
He doesn't share his old man's fudly ways or appreciation for bluing and walnut. On the other hand, he doesn't have any feelings about a different aesthetic being more desirable. If he was hot for camo polymer stocks and cerakote or even an AR-10, I'd indulge him, but he is simply and eminently practical. The most impressive things for him will be if it hits where he aims and isn't too heavy to carry, and doesn't break.
He took a buck at 180 yards last year. I want him to be able to confidently take game at up to 300 yards. I know a lot of that is on him, but I want to give him an accurate rifle. I don't think that's too hard to do out-of-the-box nowadays.
I'll put a lightweight scope on it, Swarovski Z5 that I already have. If I get another optic for it, it will be similar.
The budget for the rifle is similarly mid-range: $1000 to $2000. However, I don't own a lot of guns. I hold onto classics like a pre-64 Model 70, and guns that are otherwise worthy. If they're mediocre, I'll sell them and move on. Because of this, I'd rather not acquire anything mediocre in the first place and would be willing to spend more to get something better. I don't, however, want to spend on impractical things like "Purdey" or engraving.
I can't easily acquire an old Model 70 or a Ruger No. 1 or a vintage Weatherby Mark V with certainty that they'll be as accurate as I demand for this case. With my out-of-the-box accuracy demand, I'm forced into present-day designs with synthetic stocks and modern bedding and recoil lugs. For my son, that suits him just fine.
He doesn't share his old man's fudly ways or appreciation for bluing and walnut. On the other hand, he doesn't have any feelings about a different aesthetic being more desirable. If he was hot for camo polymer stocks and cerakote or even an AR-10, I'd indulge him, but he is simply and eminently practical. The most impressive things for him will be if it hits where he aims and isn't too heavy to carry, and doesn't break.