HELP me choose my first bolt-action!!!

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coyote_jr

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Ok, I have a decision to make. I'm actually going from AR's and AK's to hunting rifles but anyway....this will be my first bolt action (technically not true, I have all the usual C&R suspects, my first modern bolt shall we say)

1. Savage Model 10 in .308- @$550
2. Interarms Mark X in .270- @$350
3. Remington 700PSS in 6.8SPC(?)- @$720

Savage and Interarms both come with a scope. I believe all are used, I forgot to ask about the Remington.

Just want something that can do 1"@100 or better at the range, something that can hit a coyote at 300 or less, maybe ding a plate at 500 for fun? I like things about all three: .308 in the case that if I ever do get an M1A I can share ammo, scope on the Mark X is very nice plus it's the cheapest option, Remington name (the guy is marketing it a "counter-terrorism sniper rifle":confused:)

Now realize I am new to this. I know alot of you have experience with other rifles and some will say, as I often see in these type threads, to get a swiss k31 instead or something to the effect, but these are three that I have found and I want one of them.

Any suggestions? I guess I am unsure of the .270 cartridge, never even heard of it. The Savage has a short barrel which I kind of don't like but if it can shoot like I hope I don't care. I am wondering about that 6.8 caliber as well.

Any and all feedback is much appreciated.

P.s.- Or should I just keep saving up for an M1A?:)
P.s.s.- Another guy had an FN patrol model bolt in .308 I believe, brand new, I swear I only breathed on the trigger and it clicked, but it was around $1300 which is a bit too pricey for me, again..the M1A....
 
Can't give you any feedback on the ones listed. My only non-milsurp boltie is a Ruger 77 in a varmint setup.

In about three posts, someone is going to tell you to get a Moisin.
 
Out of the three...Savage...BTW .270 is a 30-06 necked down to a smaller diameter bullet. IMO I would stay away from the 6.8 until there are more factory offerings of ammo. I wouldn't put too much value on the scopes presently on the rifles, I am of the opinion that the optics should probably cost more than the rifle.
 
Another option you might look at is the Mossberg 100 ATR. I got mine in .270 caliber with a scope for $400. Its an awsome rifle, shoots very well and I am very happy with it. you can get one in 30-06 for the same price too
 
I would recommend the savage given the choices. I have only shot 1 model 10, and it was sweet! Also its a great value. .270 is known more as a hunting round than target (im sure in the right rifle it works fine though for targets) and Ive never heard of the maker. Remington makes a great gun, but as previously mentioned the 6.8mm ammo is pretty difficult to find.

As for optics, get something good (Leupold) - you wont regret it.
 
iirw, the interarms is basically an italina made weatherby, from some time back. Very nice, very well made, would not hesitate to pull the trigger on that one, so to speak, especially if it has a better scope, better scopes usually run you big bucks. I'd get that one. It won't come around again, but you will find that savage again, and proly cheaper.
 
The Remington is the highest quality of the choices you list by far. However, the caliber its chambered in is still yet to become popular enough for my tastes. Ammo availability is no where near what .308 is. 6.8spc is somewhat of a negative, unless you specifically want that cartridge for whatever benefits it offers you. You'll be part of the crowd buying into it and popularizing it. Nothing wrong with that.


The Savage is nice. Good trigger and a nice bolt handle. Stock is junk though. Flimsy. Some people live with it, I think it isn't suitable. It's why I didn't buy that Savage model. A stock is a crucial part of a bolt action rifle for many reasons, one of which being accuracy potential. The reason the Savage is priced better vs. the Remington is simply because you're buying just a barrel and action. That stock is worthless. The Remington costs more because they're actually including a quality stock. By the time you upgrade the Savage stock to something close to the Remington's, the price gap closes significantly.


I recommend that you go to some shops or a gunshow and handle the Savage if you haven't already. See what you think. Opinions vary quite a bit.
 
I have a Interarms Mark X in 7mm rem Mag., a Savage Tactical 110FP in .308 and a CZ 500 in .308. Personally I would lean a little more towards the Savage, then the Mark X.

Remington's are great rifles but I agree with others that the 6.8 round isn't yet proven and is rather expensive.

Savage's have free a free float barrels, very smoother bolt, and (if it is a newer model) their great accu-trigger system. Also, being chambered in .308 is a huge plus.

As for the Mark X, I have never used a .270 but my cousin's husband does and he swears by it.

Also, if you want a cheap but high quality bolt action rifle, consider the Stevens M200. It retails new for under $350 and has received incredibly favorable reviews.
 
of those three, get the Interarms. Very solid rifle, comes with a scope that if there's anything wrong with you can send to Leupold and they will make it right, and the .270 is one of THE classic hunting rounds of all time--if you don't have one in your collection, your collection isn't complete. I have lots of other wizz bangy guns and calibers, but if it came down to it the last gun I'd probably sell would be my old Winchester model 70 featherweight in 270.

I hate to say it and stir up the faithful, but Remington has been pretty much putting out junk for years now. Check out a new CDL. Look nice from a distance, but it doesn't even have plastic forend tips or anything--they just dip it in black paint or something. The floorplate is some microscopically thin piece of potmetal that again they spraypaint black (and on the outside only!)...just an embarrassment IMO. I had actually ordered a new one sight unseen and after getting it traded it on a CZ, which sadly was a much nicer (and way more accurate gun) for less money. The Remy also had been drilled and tapped enough off center that I had to have my scope adjusted as far as it would go to one side to even get close to being on target. Remington was the GM of american firearms makers--their labor costs meant that either their comparable product cost you more than other makers, or if it was priced the same it was a cheaper made product for the same price. I've got older examples of their in my collection--a model 8, an 870 wingmaster light contour--but you'd be hard pressed to get me to buy one of their products from the last 10 years or so anyway.

Savages actually tend to be very functional--good shooters, if it has the accutrigger at least it's a decent weight from the factory--but I never liked the stock designs from a comfort standpoint--they always seemed like rifles that you had to work harder to shoot well, if that makes sense, though they were at least capable of shooting well without tons of work by a gunsmith or something.
 
The Savage is a "scout" model, don't know if that makes any difference in opinions.

I like the point rangerruck made about availabilty, if it is indeed true. I am thinking there will be lots of Savages around for a long time and I can always find a nice one to add to my collection.

I think the consensus would be the Savage at this point. My only concern there is; how much better is the rifle than the Mark X? It's $200 more. Am I getting a flat out better rifle in terms of accuracy? I mean, if both are capable of doing what I stated in my original post, why not get the less expensive option? However if the Savage will far and away outperform (assuming I am doing my part) the other, then I can justify spending the extra money no problem.
 
My opinion is that the Savage would best choice for accuracy. An aftermarket trigger and good optics will make it a pleasure to own. This opinion is worth every penny you paid for it..........Essex
 
New development. I was at a different store today and the guy had a Ruger M77MKII(I believe that it is the VLE version with a 26" barrel) in .308 w/ a Harris bipod and a Nikon scope for $700. Very nice looking rifle in a caliber I want. Closer to the high end of what I want to spend.

Any thoughts on this rifle?
 
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From your choices

I would go with the Savage. You may also want to look at the Tikka line of rifles. I think that they come with a 3 shot 1" guarantee. (or it may be 1.5"... I can't remember). They use the same exact barrels as the Sako rifles, so you know that you are getting a good barrel, And they have a very good adjustable trigger. They only come in long action lengths which bothers some folks, but I don’t think that it is that big of a deal.

You may also want to look at the Weatherby Vanguard line. They are a good value for the price.

If you have a 308, then you may want to stick with 308 that way you have ammo/ bullet/ brass/ die/ powder compatibility. However, a guy that goes to the range that I used to hang out at has the Tikka Laminate in 260 Remington, and that sucker is a tack driver. I would avoid the 6.8SPC for a bolt gun. The 6.8 was designed to put a Band-Aid on the AR/ M16/ M4 rifles by upping the close range lethality in the current design parameters. By using this in a bolt gun with no set OLA parameters, you would be “powering down” and limiting your options for bullet weights.

Just my $0.02
 
Stick with the Savage and ask the owner if he will sell it without the scope that you said comes on it, then buy yourself a nice scope and a Harris bipod and you will have (IMHO) a far better more accurate shooter than the Ruger.

Value wise the Rugar w/out scope is worth about $550 ($500-$620 depending on which model 77 MKII) in Excellent condition. The scope is probably the Buckmaster 3x9-40 which is $200 new. If this is the cases, the $700 is about right but still a little more than I would spend on the package.

The Savage Model 10 scout rifle, on the other hand, is listed at $400 in Excellent condition but is also listed as a "sleeper" having the potential to increase in value and/or have some collectible value. If you can get him to lose the scope and sell it to you for $400-$450, that IMHO would be your best deal.

*Values mentioned taken from the 2007 Standard Catalog of Firearms: The Collector's Price and Reference Guide.
 
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