Best lightweight hunting rifle in 308 / 30-06 for $300 or less?

[mr.trooper]

Well... $300 is pretty slim margins for finding any kind of decent conventional hunting rifle.

The fact that you are insisting on 308 or 30-06 is only hamstringing you further - Most cheap rifles in that power class are milsurps that shoot foreign cartridges.

I personally would look for a well done sporterized surplus rifle - you can occasionally find sporter jobs that were done right, by legitimate gunsmiths, if you look on gunbroker or at shows.

$300 will buy you a well done Enfield sporter that actually looks good. You could also build yourself a very nice rifle on a Mosin action for that. Why you would choose a beat-up, worn out , bottom shelf Remington over either of those is beyond me.

 

[Mark-Smith]

What would be the best bang for your buck lightweight hunting rifle then?

 

[dprice3844444]

http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Rifles/youth.asp
http://www.thegunsource.com/mfgcat/5-57/New-England-Firearms-Rifles-Shotguns.aspx

 

[mac66]

Was going to say a NEF Handy rifle, above post beat me to it.

 

[Mark-Smith]

Savage AXIS SR 308 TB $284 ?
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/78625

 

[Kachok]

Kachok - how much does your Savage 110 weigh w/ scope?

My Nikon weighs 12oz so with rings I should be just under 7.5lbs loaded total weight, I have not put it on a poatal scale to verify but it is pretty darn light by any standard, my old 22LR weighs more

 

[Abel]

I think that the Stevens 200 and the Ruger American are the only two that I would consider. Many might throw in the Marlin X7 or the Savage Axis. All are in the $390 class when you consider sales tax/transfer fees.

The Stevens 200 is your basic Savage that you can easily upgrade the stock on and replace the barrel if need be. Not so with the Axis.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/14607/Savage-Stevens+17748+200+308

So you can go ahead and schedule that extra paper route.

 

[nachogrande]

I think you are asking for a lot with those parameters quality/cheap, light &fast handeling/ scoped to 300 yds. at that price range you are looking used. for anyhing 1/2 decent. a good scope will be close to 300$ as will a used rifle. maybe with a lot of searching you could find a lt wt carbine length bolt in 308 with a low power/variable scope that is ok. maybe savage or ruger that has been used hard and a little beat up but still works good. realisticly I think youre looking at 2 guns 1- a shotgun or lever with open sights for hogs and another a scoped bolt. get the shotgun/ lever used first, easy enough for 300$ or under. then save app twice that much for a good used bolt/scope.

 

[Kachok]

I have owned several rifles in the $300 range, none could compare to the Savages I have owned, now if you step it up to the $400 range it is IMPOSSABLE to top a Tikka for the complete package. Absolutely the best action, and trigger of any production rifle I have ever shot, better then MOA accuracy even with cheap factory ammo and the best synthetic stock this side of a high dollar Kimber. I found my T3 Stainless for $408, to date I consider this the best firearms purchase I have ever made.

 

[wristtwister]

We've had a lot of excited shooters buying the new "American Rifles" from Ruger. We've sold a bunch of .308's and 30-06's. They're entry level rifles but well made and look great. You might take a look there if you're stuck in that $300+/- range.

WT

 

[Mark-Smith]

Stopped by the local big box gun store today, took a look at the Ruger American and the Savage Axis, and they were almost identical, except the trigger on the Savage Axis sucked.

Bud's has the Ruger American for $340: http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...Ruger+American+.308+Win.+Black+Synthetic+6903

Wasn't counting on that extra $40, so like Abel said, I'm probably going to have to get that extra paper route to cover that and the FFL transfer fee. (j/k)

 

[Kachok]

Never owned a Ruger (sad I know) so I cannot vouch for their rifles, but they look good and are supposed to be pretty darn good, but matching the Savage 110 action is a tall order.

 

[Awsomepossum]

I found my T3 Stainless for $408

Whoa for 400 dollars you got an tikka, thats what I dream of at night.

http://texasguntrader.com/index.php?a=2&b=213671 mossberg 30-06 with scope, you could get it cheap maybe.

Savage 110 .30-06 with accutrigger-
http://texasguntrader.com/index.php?a=2&b=210891
with an face to face to deal, you dont have to pay tax, hopes this helps