Better bolt rifle brands?

[MOHunter1978]

The Marlin bolt action does pretty well, meaning moa @ 100. Sporter barrels heat up and lose accuracy but the first 3 shots from a cold barrel are tight. Perfect hunting rifle. Light weight (6 lbs wo scope), fluted bolt, adjustable trigger, recessed crown. I have one in 308. Will be deer hunting with it and the Ruger M77 compact 243 in about 11 days and counting. For just a hair over $300, you cannot go wrong, and its offered in the most popular chamberings for deer hunting: 243, 7mm 08, 308, 270, 30-06, 25-06.

 

[benzy2]

If you are spending $700+ today you are probably getting a quality rifle that has a few bells and whistles as well. The ~$400 market has quite a few good shooting rifles though some of the smaller details get passed over. Most of the popular name brands are putting out quality rifles today. I would pick the one in the caliber you like most that appeals the most. I think .223 makes a lot of sense. There are multiple quality options out there for accurate factory ammo from ultra light varmint rounds to the long and heavy long range target rounds. .223 is pretty much as cheap or cheaper than anything else out there today that comes in a quality loading.

I also suggest you think about a .22lr. Dirt cheap ammo and you can probably shoot it at your local indoor ranges. It will give you the ability to get more trigger time in for your dollar. Toss some targets out at 200 yards and things are a lot of fun. Just a thought. You can spend a few grand on a really nice .22lr if you like.

 

[ifit]

i also recommend the fn bolt actions, did research on the savages and remingtons etc... wanted something different and glad i went with the fn tsr xp, very accurate outa the box, you cant go wrong with the fn model bolt actions.

 

[valnar]

Wow. Options all over the place. Thanks everyone.

I had not considered Kimber. American, and seems to be well made. I will heed your advice on the .223 and maybe a .22lr as well. I wanted to avoid the .308 for now because I'm not sure how I would handle the recoil, but as you say, it definitely is cheaper than 7mm-08 (the caliber I was originally looking at).

Just to throw a monkey wrench into things.....for availability of ammo for cheap, whatcha' think about the 6.5x55 Swede?

 

[Sav .250]

Very subjective.......

 

[Sock Puppet]

Just to throw a monkey wrench into things.....for availability of ammo for cheap, whatcha' think about the 6.5x55 Swede?

A fine caliber, but not really what you seem to be looking for.

If you're only going to have one rifle I would stick with a 308 or 30.06. There are many, many off-the-shelf loads available and you can find ammo virtually anywhere. You can ad a 223 later.

As others have mentioned, there is no substitute for a rifle that "just feels right." Go to the local shops and handle as many different rifles as possible. Everyone has their opionions and their favorites, but that doesn't mean it will feel right to you.

Some of the current offerings I'm fond of include the CZ 550 line, new Winchester/FN, TC Icon (or Venture if you're watching your budget), and the wallet-friendly Howa 1500s.

 

[Sako Shooter]

I will tell you this. I think it is possible to get a very good rifle or a lemon from any of the maufacturers you listed. That said, I was in your position about a year ago and decided on a Browning X-Bolt. Let me put it this way, it is not for sale.

As I appricate it, Tikka is Sako's brand of value rifle. It costs less than the actual Sako, but I believe all come with a MOA accuracy guarantee. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Many people love their Tikka's and would buy one again before anything else. It is subjective. From experience, Sako makes one fine hunting rifle.

Weatherby also gives an accuracy guarantee and makes some fine low cost and high dollar rifles.

Remington has been around forever, and perchance you buy one that doesn't shoot a lot of smiths can make it shoot.

I settled on the Browning X-Bolt. I knew 10 seconds after I shouldered the rifle that I wanted one. And it does shoot sub-moa with the right factory ammo.

Some also swear by Savage, but I think you already knew that. I don't own one so I can't comment.

 

[kludge]

Where and what would you be hunting? In low price, I like Marlin and Stevens. In that order. Moving up in price, Savage, Tikka, Weatherby, Ruger, Browning all have their merits. I'm not a Remington fan, but that doesn't mean it's not right for you.

My "one rifle" in a bolt action for most game in North America would be a .280 Remington. Ammo is not widely available, but I reload so that doesn't matter to me a bit.

As a second choice, one with widely available ammo, would be a 7mm-08. Next would be a .30-06 or a .270.

For whitetail size game and down it would be a .260 Rem, but the .25-06 has the edge for ammo availability. I would be a little different though and get a .25 WSSM for myself... but that's just becuase I can use a common parent case for my actual deer hunting rifle, a .358 WSSM wildcat (Indiana legal).

 

[valnar]

Taking another Chuck Hawks article with a grain of salt and adding in the comments from this thread and others, it appears Kimber, Sako and Browning X-Bolt are well thought of. All relatively expensive, no doubt. Remington seems to have as many fans as non-fans.

Having never owned a bolt-action before, I just needed a good place to start whittling the list down. I think I have that now. Assuming I decide not to spend the money and get something 'cheap-but-good', there is universal praise for the Savage, so that is on my short list as well.

Caliber....that's my next question. I have fat and short-range covered (.30-30, 7.62x39), so small and mid-range (.223) might indeed be a good place to start. If I need to reach out and hit something with a thump, without thumping my own shoulder, I was thinking 7mm-08 or .260 would be a good compromise. But with the price of surplus .308, maybe I'll live with that thump and get a heavier rifle. I always wanted an M1A....

I can't believe how expensive rifle ammo is. Maybe I will look into reloading after all, but I need something drop dead simple. I'd prefer a simple-to-follow formula with assembly line-like automation. I don't have the luxury of testing my reloads at any decent distance within city limits. If anything, I would probably want to duplicate the exact recipe of some quality shelf brand.

 

[SwampWolf]

I've had nothing but good luck with Ruger bolt-action rifles since I bought my first one in the early seventies. Accurate, well-made, nice looking and affordable.

 

[benzy2]

If you don't reload .260 is a terrible choice as ammo is tough to find. If you do reload it's a great option.

I would seriously consider what you plan to hunt. .308 has practically no advantage over .223 in paper punching if you get the right twist on a .223 and if you only shoot to 500 yards I can't see it being worth the extra recoil. If you can't find a fast twist .223 then things change a bit. You say you might hunt but be honest with yourself. If you realistically aren't going to go hunting, a .223 is a better all around choice than .308 or .30-06. If you reload it is an even better option as components are quite a bit cheaper for .223. From there, practically any other current production caliber is going to run you $1 a round or more with factory ammo.

I really like the TC Venture line. You get 1 MOA accuracy guarantee and a pretty high quality rifle. Some of the local shops run them on sale down to $300. Hard to beat for the money. As I said though, most everyone is making a quality rifle and most everyone is willing to fix or replace a lemon. Not many "bad buys" in the market today.

 

[valnar]

I think expensive ammo is what has been moving me towards the military or surplus calibers. Except for the .30-30, which is also comparatively inexpensive. My Vz.58 has only ever shot Brown Bear. No better quality bullet has touched it yet!

I believe I'll take your advice on the .223, and maybe a .22LR will be next. After that I may buy a 6.5x55 or .308 "just to have", or look into the Mausers in 7x57 or 8x57 if cheap surplus ammo is even still available these days.

It's not that I'm building my collection from the military angle. I'm doing so from the non-hunter angle....which I suppose puts me more into the historical military camp by default. All-in-all, this is quite fun. I've only dealt with handguns for 10 years and am now finally learning about rifles and their calibers. One doesn't have to have a 'need' to appreciate the finer things in life.

 

[BrocLuno]

Valnar, the thing about hunting rifles is you never know where or when the shot will come. The game can step out from behind a tree or bush and there you go. So the rifle has to come to shoulder naturally and align your eye with whatever sight system you use. Fit and feel are very important.

Haunt the used gun racks and try a bunch to shoulder. See where your cheek lands (called cheek weld) and if you can do this swiftly with natural feel. Once you have found the stock you like, THEN go looking for the rifle. Browning, Sako/Tikka, Howa, Weatherby, Winchester, Savage, the list goes on and on. They are all slightly different. BUT, they all make good shooters. If they didn't, they'd be out of business.

A commercial Mauser or Sako might be top of the list, but not until you know if it fits and points naturally?

 

[jmr40]

think expensive ammo is what has been moving me towards the military or surplus calibers.

Start reloading. Much cheaper and pretty close to the same price for most all of them. Not to mention usually more accurate.

 

[kludge]

valnar, the problem with cheap surplus ammo is that it's not very good hunting ammuntion. Also, hunting ammo for the surplus rifles is just as much if not more than other calibers.

Most surplus rifles will shoot well enough to hunt deer out to 250 yards anyway... which probably covers 90% of the deer shot... 7.62x54mm, 7mm and 8mm Mauser, and especially 6.5x55 Swede will all work very well, so if you like the rifle and the cartridge, don't let ammo stop you, just reload! You will save a ton of money on hunting ammo if you reload.

But anyway, the 7mm and 8mm Mauser (especially the 8mm) is hard to find surplus ammo for, and surplus 6.5 Swedish is getting hard to find too.

 

[toejamm]

I was in the same position not long ago

I decided on .308 because it is a versitile round, plentiful, lots of factory variations, bullets, grains etc and they are relatively inexpensive when compared to other big game rifle calibers.
Held, shot and/or fondled most of the non-custom bolts at one time or another and came down to chosing between Kimber, Sako, Tikka, Browning and Weatherby.
Decided to wait a bit longer and spend a bit more for the Sako. No regrets.
Put a Zeiss scope and Optilock rings on it and I am getting .5" MOA groups with Federal GM 168Gr Sierra Match King.

Of the five mentioned I liked for my own personal reasons, in order most to least, Sako, Tikka, Browning, Weatherby and Kimber.

Visit as many shops as you can, shoulder all you can, cycle the bolts feel the trigger. Have fun with it.

BTW having an adjustable trigger is a very nice feature 2-4 lbs.

 

[Col]

I currently own a Remington 700,chambered for 308,which is very accurate,I also have a
P14 which has been modified with a heavy barrel designed for target shooting,this rifle is more accurate than I ever will be, but my favorite rifle I own is a CZ 527 american,chambered for .223, it is extremely accurate from the box,even using shop ammo,I also have 2 marlins,one is .44 mag the other is .357 mag,both good fun guns.But its the CZ I enjoy using the most,and as I reload for it and all my rifles ,the costs of shooting are not extortionate.

 

[Magwa45]

You can pick up a sps Remington 700 for about $700 new and check the gun stores in your area. There are often used .270 win or .30 caliber rifles available for a good price. .223 remington is a very popular round as the civilian equivalent of the military round, but if you want to hunt deer, you should probably go to at least .243 Winchester. Many states prohibit use of .223 for big game hunting. It is good for coyotes and other varmints. My preference would be .30-06, but you would need to reload to get all the benefits of that round.

 

[H2oPumper]

I have a 270 Ruger Hawkeye and a Marlin XL7-270. The Ruger (3"-5") has a great design, but the Marlin (1"-1.5") will out shoot it in a heartbeat. I'm left a bit disappointed and I'm working with Ruger to see if they have a resolution. I know others have had incredible luck with Ruger, I want to as well, it's a great design.