Classic heirloom hunting rifle - $1000 budget

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NIGHTLORD40K said:
You know, there is a lot of hate for the new production 700s, but I gotta say my buddy has a recent 700SP and it is every bit as accurate as my vintage 700BDL. As much as I like my Walker trigger, and would never replace it, I .will admit the X-Mark pro is darn nice as well and actually breaks a tiny bit cleaner.

If your bedding skills are pretty good, there is probably nothing to fear with a new 700, as long as you get to inspect it before buying.
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Thats just it. The extent of my bedding “skills” are that I know what bedding is and why it exists and I know there are a couple different types of bedding. Would rather not drop $900-1000 on a cdl sf and find out remmy was so hasty with production and QC that they bedded it poorly.

Also, I know everyones opinion of heirloom is different. All I meant by that is a quality rifle with an attractive/well made classic looking finish and construction, and is made right. I feel like many of the sub $1000 rifles mentioned qualify for my definition of heirloom or rather “quality, classic looking rifle to pass down to my son”.

A lot of votes for that Lyman! Propbably will never do that but one day I think owning an 1861 Springfield percussion cap (civil war flavor) variant would be awesome.

Any word on Kimber rifles for the mauser action? Or stick with winchester for that?
 
The other thing which is a remote possibility would be to go with a Sako 85 synthetic which can be had for under $1000. That would go against the whole classic looks thing. Not to say I cant put a wood stock on that down the road. But if a Sako 85 is that much more coveted than an xbolt, tikka, m70, etc then who knows.
 
When I was shopping for my hunting rifle I headed down to a local gun shop. It also happens to be the largest this side of the Mississippi. I told them what I wanted. They didn't have it and offered me several alternatives. I knew what I wanted but if you are going to let me play with your rifles, well, ok then.

I put hands on pretty much every rifle we have talked about, Remington, Sako, Tikka, Browning, Ruger and some others I'm sure I'm forgetting. I went with Winchester because that was what I wanted, and after handling all those other rifles I still would rather have my Winchester. It's a factory mass produced firearm so it doesn't have hand cut checkering or a hand rubbed oil finish. But it does have a very smooth action and the best looking stock I've ever seen on an off the shelf rifle.

OP, get what speaks to you. I'm a Winchester fan. Don't care for Remington at all. But that is me. Tons of people are the exact opposite. Go down to the local gun shop and look at as many as you can and find something that speaks to you. For me that was a M70 Safari Express in 375 H&H Magnum.
 
I didn't mention Kimber because of your price issue, but my Kimber 84M .204 is one of the best rifles I own, wicked accurate and available in bigger calibers. bought it slightly used for $1,000. also have a Sako FinnFire....very fine rifle... my brother has a Sako Vixen...truly exceptional, but quite pricey.
BTW, the newest Rem 700 I bought had the X-mark pro trigger...ok, but not great. I replaced it with a Timney. have replaced all the 700 tiggers with timney or shilen.....except the oldest 700..the 270...because it's an older model I bought used and has the older and much better trigger. all my other 700s were bought new in the last 10 years. I'll say one more thing about the 700s......once I changed triggers and worked up loads for them, they are all very accurate....I cannot tolerate "adequate" accuracy. One of these days though, I want to try a Winchester 70 and will probably buy a super-grade. However, I'm also very attracted to Sako....really fine fit & finish and superb performance. let us know what you buy.
 
For under 100 yards and around $1000 the choices for me are very few...that’s definitely iron/peep sight range for hunting.

Winchester Model 70 - either the new ones (Alaskan model) or a pre-64.

CZ 550 with sights - full stock/Mannlicher. Very well built rifles. Good wood. Nice enough trigger. Really deserves a nice receiver sight.

The Remington Model Seven in 308 from about 10-15 years ago was a solid rifle for me - light, handy, had sights and a low powered scope. It was my 50-150 yard deer rifle for a long time. Nice wood, decent trigger, good finish. Should’ve kept it.

That’s only what I personally know to be good. Probably some others out there.
 
Robert said:
When I was shopping for my hunting rifle I headed down to a local gun shop. It also happens to be the largest this side of the Mississippi. I told them what I wanted. They didn't have it and offered me several alternatives. I knew what I wanted but if you are going to let me play with your rifles, well, ok then.

I put hands on pretty much every rifle we have talked about, Remington, Sako, Tikka, Browning, Ruger and some others I'm sure I'm forgetting. I went with Winchester because that was what I wanted, and after handling all those other rifles I still would rather have my Winchester. It's a factory mass produced firearm so it doesn't have hand cut checkering or a hand rubbed oil finish. But it does have a very smooth action and the best looking stock I've ever seen on an off the shelf rifle.

OP, get what speaks to you. I'm a Winchester fan. Don't care for Remington at all. But that is me. Tons of people are the exact opposite. Go down to the local gun shop and look at as many as you can and find something that speaks to you. For me that was a M70 Safari Express in 375 H&H Magnum.
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This is what I do. Winchester and Montana speak to me. Something else could easily be what gets you hot and bothered.
 
A lot of good input here and a lot of the same makes and models keep being mentioned and that's a good thing. I stopped into Cabela's this morning and they let me check out all of the rifles I mentioned and then some. After fondling them, I do now have some that I am more firmly interested in and some that are all but out of the equation.

The tikka and remmy anything is out. I'm sure the tikkad are great but after holding it and working the bolt, it didnt speak to me. Can't explain it, just didn't do it for me. The Remingtons did not exude the quality of the other rifles I checked out. The bergara b-14 action wasn't as awesome as I thought. Maybe I'm not as in love with that style as I thought. Still real nice but no really glossy stock option.

Winchester model 70 super grade maple is in. Gorgeous, glossy stock with a great action. Solid but decently out of my budget unless I stumble on a used one.
Win M70 super grade walnut. Nowhere near the glossy finish of the maple. Not sure why.
I realized I really am drawn to the high gloss stocks so this is out.
M70 sporter, M70 featherweight, xbolt Hunter I believe it was, rem 700, basically everything not named x-bolt medallion did not have a stock that really popped so they are out.
I thought I remembered not caring for the x-bolt action but I honestly could live with it. I liked it better than the Tikka action but slightly less than the rem 700 style or mauser style. Not bad though.
They did have a Weatherby mk v deluxe used for $1100 and said they would haggle on price. It came with scope bases. Beautiful gun. Used with some very minor wear but stunning deep blued and heavily polished finish and glossy stock.

I feel that it has basically been narrowed down to X-bolt medallion or medallion white gold, used weatherby mk v if it's still there, or M70 maple super grade with the glossy stock if I can find a used one perhaps. Not sure why the one super grade didn't seem glossy at all and the maple one was poppin' though...

The glossy stock spoke to me more than did the feel of the action. Can't get over it and I now don't think I can go with a duller wood. I might wait it out for a bit and check out the used market as well. Don't want to rush it but will absolutely post pics when I get something.

One last option to throw in there is the Weatherby vanguard deluxe. Didn't have any of them at Cabela's but I remember liking them before. Seem to be well thought of and come in a deluxe model with a high gloss stock.
 
I've seen a couple new vanguard deluxe's on the shelf lately and they both had semi gloss stocks. I would think real hard on the used MK V. Its an investment as it will always increase in value and they are really nice unique guns. A cut above the others you've listed in my opinion.
 
I own both a M70 EW and a Kimber CC; both have their positives. Glossy stocks certainly make the grain on a nice wood stock pop but that finish is extremely sensitive to scuffing - mine of the past drove me crazy. There is lots of good stuff on the market today; the advice is always great but the final approval is yours. Have fun shopping - the journey to the destination is it’s own enjoyment.
 
I’m probably in the minority but like the looks of an oiled finish better than glossy. Winchester Sporter stocks are plain Jane but for some reason they are a thing of beauty to me. It’s not the reason I like oiled finish stocks but an added bonus is they are easier to repair(scratches) than gloss.

Every wood stocked rifle I’ve bought new needed some more treatment so they have all received at least one coat of BLO.

Don’t have a Vanguard Deluxe but have a Sporter. I like it and wouldn’t hesitate to get a Deluxe if I wanted a glossier finish.
 
Fine wood is rarely covered by a gloss finish because the shine is there to distract from a lower grade or poor finish sanding. It looks flashy, but that is the purpose behind it. I have a few shiny stocks including a 700 but none have graded wood stocks.

Heck buy that Weatherby and a Microfit stock that you can finish yourself, but don’t be fooled on why the manufacturer chose the finish: they’re hiding ugly or plain wood. Walnut runs the gamut on color from nearly white to brown, black, purple, and greenish hues. From there are crotch and burl that provide distinct or unique grain. Barring that, it may as well be composite or birch IMO.


Typical 700 Walnut stock, oooh glossy...plain...almost sapwood...
2B5245EB-91EB-4C18-932E-AD3B9751BD95.jpeg

Grade 4 stock. Fine checkering. Satin finish. Fully figured. Actual pictures of the stock you order from both sides and Walnut you wouldn’t want to hide that isn’t stained brownish red (Remingt...) to look more “consistent”.
016D9BC5-0D5E-4137-B63D-B6FDC8DAAF39.jpeg
 
I like glossy stocks, but I prefer it to come from oil finish rather than sprayed on urethane. The polyurethanes they use on guns tends to scuff and chip when roughly handled. Oil bend and conforms with the dings and dents. Unfortunately you don't get gloss oil finish on a $1000 new gun unless you do it yourself.
 
I'll go off the course here and suggest you look for one of the Interarms MKX rifles. I own one in 30-06 with the oiled stock and black fore end cap.
Classic stock lines, Mauser action, "vintage" caliber and it's got a Lyman 3x9 scope. It's also an accurate rifle.
Just sayin'....
 
ksalmi72 said:
Hmmm so is the MK V stock an oiled finish or is that PU also?
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I believe most of them use an epoxy finish similar to an automotive clear coat. Someone may know more than me. You said that it already had a few dings and use marks in it. If its not chipping or cracking at those existing dings then it should be a quality durable finish that will last while hunting and getting more dings.
 
Shanghai McCoy said:
I'll go off the course here and suggest you look for one of the Interarms MKX rifles. I own one in 30-06 with the oiled stock and black fore end cap.
Classic stock lines, Mauser action, "vintage" caliber and it's got a Lyman 3x9 scope. It's also an accurate rifle.
Just sayin'....
Click to expand...

Those are some real nice rifles as well.
 
I've never actually owned a Model 70 but they seem to be building some very good ones these days, and it's still kind of American. And there are always the older models that, along with the Model 700 would be the classic heirloom type gun.

I've owned 700s, liked them, but mine were from the 70s and that's the general era I'd go back to for a keeper.

These days I'm a fan of the CZ 550. I find them to be great quality and accurate, and there's something satisfying and captivating about the heavy Mauser action. And I have grown to love the single set trigger now that I've spent time to very carefully adjust it perfectly for my tastes.

There happens to be a couple of rare 550 Americans on GB right now with an oil-looking finish that is beautiful in person (I have one in what I think is the same finish, but a 527 instead of 550). These were considered "factory custom" guns by CZ. They built a few of them back in the 2010 time frame. I'm not sure how many 550s they built, but they built 120 of the 527s. In person the wood finish looks MUCH more high-end than the standard finish (at least my 527 does, and again, I'm assuming the finish is the same on the 550s). They have special wood, special wood finish, and Mahogany grip and forend caps. The 550s on GB have the spiral barrel, which some might like and some might not.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/772162901 (I think I'd go for this one of the two)
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/772701728 (this one has had the bolt coated)

Here's my 527 in a better quality photo than the GB sell offers for the 550s.
rJA1vPA.jpg

There's also has the 550 FS, which has been discontinued but still available if you look around a little bit. That style is pretty unique and would make a good heirloom type gun, IMO. With the hogback stock they are ideal for open sight shooting but if you mount a scope as low as possible they are not bad that way either (in terms of cheek contact for stability in aiming). The American would fit more people better when shooting with a scope.
g1kdXIg.jpg
 

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The Remington Model Seven in 308 from about 10-15 years ago was a solid rifle for me - light, handy, had sights and a low powered scope. It was my 50-150 yard deer rifle for a long time. Nice wood, decent trigger, good finish. Should’ve kept it.
Click to expand...

I still have mine in 7-08 from about 30 years ago before they offered the 20" barrel. Still shoots great and a joy to walk with all day compared to 7 mag older BDL
 
I know you said bolt, but I’d look at a Savage 99 for your conditions. Woods and sub 100 yards is made for the 99. IIRC, you can get them in .358. I know .308 because my LGS has one

If you want new, a Tikka, CZ (my favorite, I have three), Browning, or the Winchester I don’t know that there’s a wrong answer other than Remington
 
Winchester, Tikka or CZ with nice wood are my top 3 picks. Probably the Winchester since you mentioned heirloom and you know, 'murica. LOL
 
Skylerbone said:
Fine wood is rarely covered by a gloss finish because the shine is there to distract from a lower grade or poor finish sanding. It looks flashy, but that is the purpose behind it. I have a few shiny stocks including a 700 but none have graded wood stocks.

Heck buy that Weatherby and a Microfit stock that you can finish yourself, but don’t be fooled on why the manufacturer chose the finish: they’re hiding ugly or plain wood. Walnut runs the gamut on color from nearly white to brown, black, purple, and greenish hues. From there are crotch and burl that provide distinct or unique grain. Barring that, it may as well be composite or birch IMO.


Typical 700 Walnut stock, oooh glossy...plain...almost sapwood...
View attachment 792882

Grade 4 stock. Fine checkering. Satin finish. Fully figured. Actual pictures of the stock you order from both sides and Walnut you wouldn’t want to hide that isn’t stained brownish red (Remingt...) to look more “consistent”.
View attachment 792881
Click to expand...
It is a Weatherby so I don't think it's that bad. I get what you are saying but part of it I'm guessing it's to make a more weather resistant and durable finish over wood that has only been oiled
redneck2 said:
I know you said bolt, but I’d look at a Savage 99 for your conditions. Woods and sub 100 yards is made for the 99. IIRC, you can get them in .358. I know .308 because my LGS has one

If you want new, a Tikka, CZ (my favorite, I have three), Browning, or the Winchester I don’t know that there’s a wrong answer other than Remington
Click to expand...

I think that last statement seems to be true. I'm simply not attracted to savage 99s though.

I looked at those interarms and they definitely look nice but I want a brand I'm more familiar with
 
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