Cheapest 500 yard Rifle
- Thread starter classic.rocker978
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classic.rocker978
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The only used remington 700's I've seen under that price with any kind of decent glass is the junk that walmart is pumping out now.
35 Whelen
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Your buddy picked an excellent calliber to begin with. There are oodles of bolt action .308's out there for well under his budget. Check out GunBroker.com He should be able find one no problem. The older Remington 700 BDL's, Model 70's and Ruger 77's are no longer "in style", so should fairly priced. I've owned and shot a Model 70 and a Ruger 77 in .308, and currently own a Mauser in said caliber. All were/are just crazy accurate; all grouping easily well under 1" @ 100 yds. with good handloads.
A co-worker bought a Tikka (sorry, don't know the model) at the local Academy and put a Leupold 3-9x40 on it all for around $800. He shot it here at the house on my range with Hornady factory ammo as well as some of my handloads and it was INSANELY accurate easily grouping 3-shots @ 100 into 1/2" over and over. Excellent shooting from a sporterweight hunting rifle.
Another long forgotten rifle is the homely, yet super accurate Remington 788. A close friend has one in .308 and I've handloaded for it for 20+ years. It too easily groups under 1" at 100 yds. with an occassional group around 1/2".
The 308 is just one of those cartridges that for whatever reason shoots well in almost any rifle.
Regarding the scope, I'd discourage him from a fixed 10X scope. It would be fine at long range, but in hunting situations, it's inevitable that a nice buck will show himself at 20 yds. where a 10X scope is as useless as the proverbial teats on a boar hog. A Leupold, or better yet Burris, 3-9X32 or 40mm will do everything he needs.
Good luck,
35W
A co-worker bought a Tikka (sorry, don't know the model) at the local Academy and put a Leupold 3-9x40 on it all for around $800. He shot it here at the house on my range with Hornady factory ammo as well as some of my handloads and it was INSANELY accurate easily grouping 3-shots @ 100 into 1/2" over and over. Excellent shooting from a sporterweight hunting rifle.
Another long forgotten rifle is the homely, yet super accurate Remington 788. A close friend has one in .308 and I've handloaded for it for 20+ years. It too easily groups under 1" at 100 yds. with an occassional group around 1/2".
The 308 is just one of those cartridges that for whatever reason shoots well in almost any rifle.
Regarding the scope, I'd discourage him from a fixed 10X scope. It would be fine at long range, but in hunting situations, it's inevitable that a nice buck will show himself at 20 yds. where a 10X scope is as useless as the proverbial teats on a boar hog. A Leupold, or better yet Burris, 3-9X32 or 40mm will do everything he needs.
Good luck,
35W
classic.rocker978
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I've talked him down to a fixed 6x scope. He hunts in open beanfields where he rarely has bucks within 50 yards. He thinks variables shift their point of zero too much. Otherwise I'd say a 3x9 would suit his needs perfectly.
I can see where hes coming from... If I knew I'd only be taking deer at 300+ yards then I would go with a fixed 10x... and if I knew i would be taking deer from 25-200 yards I would choose a fixed 4x. But I dont, I need the variable scope because I hunt fields and along the brush.
He is limiting himself to the fields.
I can see where hes coming from... If I knew I'd only be taking deer at 300+ yards then I would go with a fixed 10x... and if I knew i would be taking deer from 25-200 yards I would choose a fixed 4x. But I dont, I need the variable scope because I hunt fields and along the brush.
He is limiting himself to the fields.
Travis McGee
Member
If you don't mind ugly, Mosin Nagant wins hands-down.
35 Whelen
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Excellent compromise. Looks like you've pointed him in the right direction!
35W
classic.rocker978
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Can a Mosin Nagant shoot 300 yards accurately and take down a deer? Isn't the ammo pretty corrosive?
jpwilly
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A Mosin Nagant isn't a 500yrd rifle from a precision standpoint. It can fling lead that far yes but any elchepo $250 modern rifle will shoot circles around it. Unless you get the exceptionally rare one that shoots well, don't hold your breath.
A Stevens, Savage, Remington, Tikka, T/C, Howa ect ect will all do the job if you can.
A Stevens, Savage, Remington, Tikka, T/C, Howa ect ect will all do the job if you can.
classic.rocker978
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He's having a tough time deciding between the XS7 and the Stevens 200.
In all honesty I dont even know which I would choose. If I was building a 1,000 yard rifle I would choose the Stevens 200 mainly for the action and aftermarket availability. BUT for a hunting setup with a max range of 300-500 yards the XS7 seems nice. Comes with a nice, crisp trigger. It also has a better stock than the 200.
I've got a Savage 116 with in 300 with the stainless steel barrell and a Leupold VX1 3x9 scope that I like. I'm almost afraid to take it hunting lol. Its worth a small fortune to me. I could happily go bang around in the woods with either of the above rifles knowing they could kill out to 300 yards easy.
In all honesty I dont even know which I would choose. If I was building a 1,000 yard rifle I would choose the Stevens 200 mainly for the action and aftermarket availability. BUT for a hunting setup with a max range of 300-500 yards the XS7 seems nice. Comes with a nice, crisp trigger. It also has a better stock than the 200.
I've got a Savage 116 with in 300 with the stainless steel barrell and a Leupold VX1 3x9 scope that I like. I'm almost afraid to take it hunting lol. Its worth a small fortune to me. I could happily go bang around in the woods with either of the above rifles knowing they could kill out to 300 yards easy.
XxWINxX94
Member
+1 on the .22-250
Very flat shooting round. Mines in a Remington 700 heavy Barrel with Leupold Scope and its a great combination.
Very flat shooting round. Mines in a Remington 700 heavy Barrel with Leupold Scope and its a great combination.
jpwilly
Member
Just grab a Stevens 200 or Savage 110 or 10 and go from there. Should your want's change you'll have the platform to change with your needs.
Mencius
Member
After reading a bit on the T/C Venture it has me thinking some, could be a decent gun. Maybe I will have to get one for, uh, when the kids get older?
+1 even with the most accurate rifle I won't shoot at a deer past 400. I took a nice ten point this year at 275 with my 308 and he turned between the time a shot and when the bullet got there it was 4 inches off. Still took out a lung but didn't find him till the next day and the meat was no good. I felt terrible...
ol' scratch
Member
Get a Savage and spend the rest on glass. I don't think $750 is too little. As far as 500 yards, he is going to have to ask himself if he can ethically take an animal at that range. The problem is with the glass he can get for the leftover amount. Is he going to be able to see the animal at that range with the scope he chooses? Can he place a shot (with enough velocity left over) do ethically kill an animal from that range with a .308?
35 Whelen
Member
Yes, shooting targets at 500 yards, even 300 or so, from field positions is VERY humbling. It's much easier to talk about hitting something at 500 than it is to actually do it. Practice, practice, practice and learn to read the wind.
35W
35W
shane justice
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Let me start by saying I have never been a big fan of Savage.
Lemme add an aside by saying, loved the old 99's. I never saw or heard of one that was not a shooter. Many an old cowboy had given up his '94 Winnie for a Savage in .243 or .250 -3000. And they were game getting sons o' guns you better believe it. And then they just died, and were no more. When it came time to buy my first deer rifle, I looked (being left-handed they were a perfect choice.) but none were to be found anywhere.
The bolt actions at that time, were ugly.The actions were like a raggedy bolt connected to a sewer pipe.
SO when I finally got around to looking for a left handed bolt gun that would shoot a "fair piece" my pocket book" was a determining factor. But you know, the choices out there were sort of odd.
No more Winnies, (slowly changing but not for southpaws) Remington makes a decent rifle but the old time quality doesn't seem to be there...and then there is RUGER, who makes a dang fine rifle but they were a bit beyond me as well.
So, I ventured forth into Savage territory.
What I found was a surprise.
They make a dang accurate rifle. Any of their lines will do what you need them to do.
If you need a 500 yard rifle. One can be had in whatever caliber Savage makes.
You won't be sorry.
If you do not see what you want on the website...call Efee Sullivan..she handles the custom orders. The prices are not unreasonable and their customs are priced very near to their base guns, within reason.
SO buy it, scope it well, and shoot hell out of it. I bet 500 will seem a short distance.
Shane
Lemme add an aside by saying, loved the old 99's. I never saw or heard of one that was not a shooter. Many an old cowboy had given up his '94 Winnie for a Savage in .243 or .250 -3000. And they were game getting sons o' guns you better believe it. And then they just died, and were no more. When it came time to buy my first deer rifle, I looked (being left-handed they were a perfect choice.) but none were to be found anywhere.
The bolt actions at that time, were ugly.The actions were like a raggedy bolt connected to a sewer pipe.
SO when I finally got around to looking for a left handed bolt gun that would shoot a "fair piece" my pocket book" was a determining factor. But you know, the choices out there were sort of odd.
No more Winnies, (slowly changing but not for southpaws) Remington makes a decent rifle but the old time quality doesn't seem to be there...and then there is RUGER, who makes a dang fine rifle but they were a bit beyond me as well.
So, I ventured forth into Savage territory.
What I found was a surprise.
They make a dang accurate rifle. Any of their lines will do what you need them to do.
If you need a 500 yard rifle. One can be had in whatever caliber Savage makes.
You won't be sorry.
If you do not see what you want on the website...call Efee Sullivan..she handles the custom orders. The prices are not unreasonable and their customs are priced very near to their base guns, within reason.
SO buy it, scope it well, and shoot hell out of it. I bet 500 will seem a short distance.
Shane
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