Will $300 make a difference?

If your just starting

If your just starting and playing with the idea I would go with the savage or the Marlin XL. I have found both of these rifle to be very accurate(in 308) for their cost, besides, most people wouldn't be able to out shoot any of these rifles even if they had some time behind the scope. These rifle will give you good results as you learn to master your shooting skills. It would also be a good rifle to fall back on, use to teach others and used to hone your skills. Look at it like racing, you have your setup/practice car and then your money car.

Have fun and good shooting.

benzy2 what I was pointing out is that a lot of people dont/cant work on their own guns, I have never used a gunsmith, and never will and I have done major modifications, you may work on things yourself too, but you cant assume everyone will, look how many people cant or dont want to even change the oil on their car or simple things like that. In addition to that a lot of people would rather not buy a brand new rifle then be disapointed/ outgrow it shortly thereafter.

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That's a fair point and not everyone is looking to upgrade a rifle. If that is the case, then something else is a good idea. That said, the Stevens IS a Savage. Same action, barrel, and stock as the base hunter profiled barrel. The price of the upgrades is pretty similar when I built mine as to buying a factory rifle. I got a BVSS stock for $100 and almost bought an unfired take off BVSS barrel for another $130. The wrench needed for the barrel nut was $25 and the go gauge was about the same. A new trigger from a few places runs about $100 as well. So this mentality that building a Stevens with factory Savage parts being much more expensive isn't the case.

The benefits of building on a Savage/Stevens action aren't to build a factory produced Savage rifle. The benefits are that for a little more, you can have yourself a top of the line barrel that shoots well and cleans even better. Its a great beginner rifle because you can start cheap and then improve parts as you find your shooting is improving. Unfortunately the 12BV is no longer available. You either get the 12FV, with its bottom of the barrel stock, for around $580-$600 or you get the BVSS, which now starts at around $800. If it were me, I would plan on getting a better stock for the FV though I would probably leave the BVSS alone. This would put my end price of the FV into the $700-$800 range, depending on the stock.

When I price out the cost to build a Stevens I run right around $900 all said and done. For me, I'd rather have a $900 Stevens with a Shilen barrel than a stock BVSS and $100 cash. If you don't want to do any work, my route isn't an option. If on the other hand you don't mind unscrewing a few bolts, modifying a Savage/Stevens is easy and safe. Of late, I wouldn't pay the asking price Savage wants for their rifles. The $600 price range has a lot of good options available, and the $900 range only opens that many more windows.

The real benefit to starting with a Stevens 200 is that while in the early stages of learning, the rifle will perform beyond the shooter's capability. When you get to be a better shot, things can be swapped out to increase the rifle's capability. You don't have to spend a lot of money all at once to get into the game. For a new shooter to spend $800-$900 on a rifle for a game he may or may not enjoy seems like a bit of an investment. On the other hand, spending $300 on a rifle he may or may not enjoy that will grow with him seems logical to me. Getting 3/4" groups at 100 yards out of a box stock Stevens 200 isn't unheard of, after all it is the same Savage model 12 action with one of the Savage sporter barrels and a Savage stock.

I would also rather start with a $300 rifle, use it for a year and realize it isn't enough, sell it for $225 and buy that $900 rifle that fits the bill than spend $900 and realize I don't enjoy the game and sell it for $700.

In the end, buy what you think is the best for the money and enjoy it. It isn't my money you are spending so it really doesn't make a difference what you buy.

I've been hot for another centerfire bolt action for a month now---I have $400 saved up already and have been looking over the Mossberg--Savage Edge--Marlin XL7 and the cheaper Remingtons that Walmart carries---in the end I just can't do it.

I'll be waiting another month or so when I can save up a bit more after this month's house payment and an insurance payment coming due.

Then either a Ruger Hawkeye or Browning X-bolt will be coming home with me.

Saw some nice Weatherby Vanguards at Academy yesterday for 399.99 and they were in many chamberings long action and short action , I saw one in .25-06 and I want one now, I have a Howa 1500 in .308, and for those who don't know, Howa makes the barreled actions for Weatherby Vanguards.

Ain't nuthing wrong with Weatherby.

Gooch, the idea of starting with a used gun is very sound. Whatever you have in it, you will be able to get back if it does not get trashed. There are some really great used ones out there. 308 might be a little hard to come by in the used rack(s) as they are very popular, but there are many cartridges with similar ballistics. 06 and 270 would not be out of the question and they can be had off almost any used rack.

If you found a super nice 243, I'd think about that. No, it's not the end game, but you could shoot it for a while and do OK, then rebarrel in 308 as they share parent cases. Starting from used, you have lots of options. Heck, since the case head is close, you might even think about going with 6.5swede if you rebarrel. That is an exceptionally nice long range round that doubles as a hunter due to BC and other factors.

Keep us posted on what you get. We're curious of course

I believe in the old addage you pay for what you get. A firearm is something you will have for the rest of your life, save a little longer to get something nicer and you won't regret it in the long run. There will always be vendors out there who try to make the same for less. I just don't belive it's possible. Same with scopes.

CZ 452... you will appreciate the quality.

One point I would make is to try and avoid the calibers that are expensive to shoot. Anytime you have to pay a buck every time you pull the trigger it can diminish the fun somewhat. I would look at staying with .223, .308, 22-250, 30-06, etc.Always try to take your future ammo cost into consideration. Also when looking at a basic rifle consider what you might want to do with it in the future. Are after market stocks available for it? Other dress up accessories? And as i said don't discount the used market. The Armslist classified make it easy to look in your area for good deals http://www.armslist.com/classifieds/

I picked up a Stevens 270 at Academy for $180. I'll hang on to it, and sometime when I have 30 minutes to spare, I'll stick a stainless 22-250 AI barrel I've been saving on it. Later, I may take an hour and put a trigger in it, and put a decent stock on it in the same hour. Then go outshoot a bunch of more expensive guns. It's fun.

Having owned nearly every budget rifle on the planet at one time or another, I would say invest a few extra dollars in a higher quality rifle. Mind you my all five of my Savages have been real shooters, and my Marlin XS7 was no slouch in any area. Avoid 770s and ATRs, nobody likes them and they have zilch for resale value. I have mixed emotions on the SPS 700s because they shoot so darn good, but rust super fast even with frequent cleaning and oiling. I don't regret spending the extra $100 for my T3 stainless not for one second. Absolutly the best rifle I have ever shot, it feels like a million bucks, and has shot every handload I have ever tried with remarkable accuracy. The action is Uber smooth, the hard fiber/matrix stocks feel a thousand times better then the el-cheapo plastic stocks elsewhere. You don't have to spend a fortune on it, but find one that fits you properly, and feels great in your hands.