$1000 .308 or 7mm.

[slzy]

it has been said if 30-06 is not enough gun,you need to improve your stalking skills.

 

[ACP]

With an 8- to 8.5-lb. rifle you're going to be talking 19+ ft. lbs. of recoil energy, which is up there. Anything lighter will increase felt recoil. So don't go "too light" with rifle, scope, bases and sling.

 

[Terrierman]

Buy the Sako and kiss your wife. I'd probably go for the Stainless Synthetic myself though. But how far wrong can you go with either of those choices anyway?

 

[rbernie]

The Weatherby MkV is one of my favorite actions; smooth, very ergonomic, strong, and very easy to work fast from the shoulder.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I have pretty much narrowed it down to either a Weatherby Mark V, Remington 700, Browning A-bolt white gold medallion, or the Sako 75 deluxe in 7mm Remington Mag. And maybe the Tikka T3 Lite stainless steel

Any of them will do, all are nice guns. The Remington and Tikka will leave you with extra cash for accessories and ammo. If it is to be a hunting rifle, remember, it will get knocked around some. Scratches and dings are unavoidable if you actually hunt with the rifle; it is easier to stomach if the gun is more utilitarian/less expensive. Not that I enjoy damaging any of my guns. First day in the field with my stainless/synthetic 700 BDL .375 ultra, I set it down on the bi-pod to adjust my sitting position. Bumped the rifle and it tipped over, the barrel coming to rest of a piece of granite. Nice little winger in the bead-blasted stainless finish . It happens.

 

[garrett1955]

Buy the Browning A-bolt and never look back. I absoultly Love mine. mine is a syn. stainless steel left hand 30-06 A-bolt stalker. W/ a Leupold VX-III 2.5-8.5 I use it for white tail deer hunting. When I shoot at the range at 100 yds. I can shoot groups a quarter will cover. And the action is damn smooth.

If you are up in the air between the 7mm rem. and the .308 Get the 7mm rem. My Grandpa shot everything from a mtn. goat, to Big horn sheep with his 7mm rem. Just more knock down power there. Just shoot deer in the head or neck, doesn't waist the meat.

 

[bigcim]

I have a sako 75 stainless synthetic 7mm rem with a vx-L 3.5-10x50 boone and crockett that I bought 2 months ago love it

 

[carnaby]

Here's another vote for the Sako. My brother is from Finland and, naturally, swears by them. I was lucky enough to get some range time with an older one, and it was my first ever trip to the rifle range so I sucked, but the rifle was sure nice.

 

[ozarkhillbilly]

I have a Browning A-bolt in 7mm mag and love it, that being said I now really want a Ruger No1 in 7mm mag

 

[n10sivern]

i grew up shooting .270 and .308 and have killed my share of deer, but i just bought a tikka t3 SS lite in the 7mm rem mag. i must say that it is an excellent rifle that lives up to their accuracy promise. i mounted a silver zeiss conquest scope on it. went to the range yesterday with a fairly strong wind and was shooting 3 shot groups at 1" at 100yds and 2 and 2.5" groups at 250 yards. if it had been a windless day i could have probably have shot better. i will say that the tikka is very light and the recoil hurts so if you decide to go tikka go ahead and invest in a limbsaver recoil pad (ordered mine yesterday). i paid $589 for my rifle. if i had $1000 to spend, you can find the discontinued sako model 75 and will never look back (sako makes tikka btw if you didn't know).

long post but in the end my suggestion would be #1 tikka t3 for dollar to performance ratio and #2 sako 75, both in 7mm rem mag of course!