Help Me Pick One of These Four Rifles

[jmr40]

Ruger is not on your list, but priced at about $660 is a better choice than all but the Winchester, which would be my pick.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...s_id/42483/Ruger+HKM77RFP+HAWKEYE+BOLT+308+SS

I know this is 308, but a 270 shouldn't be hard to find at the same price.

 

[WYcoyote]

I'd throw the Tikka, Savage 116, and the Ruger Hawkeye on the list and flip a coin.

 

[TreeDoc]

#4, Had a mountain rifle for several years, shot great and lightweight made for easy carry. Rifle was traded for a new central air system for the house.( great trade by the way ) Last year picked a Ruger American, just to see how accurate they were. $310 out the door, it's OK, not great, not going to win a beauty contest, but put a used Redfield on top and was to get 1"MOA or under using factory ammo. The rem was nicer to look at, trigger was cleaner, but both guns shot the same.

 

[Field Tester]

http://www.gunwatcher.com/

OP,
Here is a pretty cool site to help price out some firearms.

 

[joed]

I wouldn't hesitate on any of the rifles in the initial post. Never owned a Weatherby but I've heard no bad about them. I've owned Winchester and Remington with a few Savage rifles. I'm not a Savage fan so would stay with your first choices.

 

[Mohave-Tec]

I owe several Remington SPS. I paid $449 for the 270 but it is not the Toyota of rifles, it is the Ford of rifles.

 

[tahoe2]

out of what you've listed; Weatherby hands down!

 

[On An Island]

#4.

 

[BigBore44]

Winchester. No "if's ands or buts" about it. Not only are they handsome rifles, they are shooters. But you have to find what you like. When you hold "that rifle" all the opinions on this forum won't change your mind.

 

[BudgetBucks1]

I know it is not on your list but it fits your criteria and price range. A friend of mine just purchased a Savage .270 with a stainless steel barrel. With Hornady hunting ammo he shot a 1.5 inch group(the only group we shot) at 200 yards. That is the only ammo he tried as it was already hunting season. He paid $600 for it. My Savage in .308 will shoot 1.5 at 300 yards with handloads. You may want to consider one.

 

[natman]

These are the four rifles I'm trying to decide on:

1) Weatherby Vanguard 2 ~$625
2) Remington 700 SPS ~$660
3) Winchester 70 Ultimate Shadow SS ~$770
4) Remington 700 Mountain SS ~$885

You can't go too far wrong with any of these, but the Winchester is the pick of the litter. Also take a look at the Tikka.

 

[Tirod]

as so many others have said, the deer won't know the difference

It's a deer hunting rifle. That determines the range and target that is foreseen.

What you need is a cartridge first, one capable of putting out 1,000 foot pounds of energy out to 300 meters. That will cover 85% of the situations that a deer will be visible for a shot. The other 15% is a statistical extreme that most hunters won't attempt.

A 110 to 130 grain bullet with about 30 grains of powder behind it would be sufficient. The real issue is shot placement, not caliber, or cartridge designation, or Brand, or what is traditional, or whatever. The deer won't know the difference.

What does count is recoil, a universal scope mount, the ability to make a second shot quickly, easy unloading, having an environment resistant finish, easy takedown for cleaning, small size for portability, and the ability to change options as needed as hunting changes.

I tried bolt actions for that and went back to a self loading action. it gets a second shot quicker and more surely brings down the game. I tried full length cartridges and went back to an intermediate, recoil interfered with accuracy and acquiring the second shot. I tried high powered scopes and went back to a red dot, it put the gun on target quicker so that a shoot decision could be made sooner - or not. I tried carbon steel and plain wood and went back to extreme finishes and composites, I just wipe down the gun after an outing in the rain, and years later it's no worse for the wear. I tried blind magazines, but jacking every round thru the chamber is more likely to result in ND, so I went back to an externally detachable magazine. I tried sourcing and mounting special scope rings and living with the limited choice of where they focus, and went back to a picatinny rail.

Any of the copycat bolt actions will perform nearly identically, what I went back to was the user-friendliness of guns with ergonomics that improved shooter accuracy, rather than a design that hampers it.

If it's a set decision to buy a bolt gun in .270, then asking a crowd of guys on the internet isn't about which is the better gun, I've outlined reasons why it may not be. It's about choosing the one that would likely enhance self image the most. That goes to an entirely different focus.

 

[papaholmz]

It's a deer hunting rifle. That determines the range and target that is foreseen.

What you need is a cartridge first, one capable of putting out 1,000 foot pounds of energy out to 300 meters. That will cover 85% of the situations that a deer will be visible for a shot. The other 15% is a statistical extreme that most hunters won't attempt.

A 110 to 130 grain bullet with about 30 grains of powder behind it would be sufficient. The real issue is shot placement, not caliber, or cartridge designation, or Brand, or what is traditional, or whatever. The deer won't know the difference.

What does count is recoil, a universal scope mount, the ability to make a second shot quickly, easy unloading, having an environment resistant finish, easy takedown for cleaning, small size for portability, and the ability to change options as needed as hunting changes.

I tried bolt actions for that and went back to a self loading action. it gets a second shot quicker and more surely brings down the game. I tried full length cartridges and went back to an intermediate, recoil interfered with accuracy and acquiring the second shot. I tried high powered scopes and went back to a red dot, it put the gun on target quicker so that a shoot decision could be made sooner - or not. I tried carbon steel and plain wood and went back to extreme finishes and composites, I just wipe down the gun after an outing in the rain, and years later it's no worse for the wear. I tried blind magazines, but jacking every round thru the chamber is more likely to result in ND, so I went back to an externally detachable magazine. I tried sourcing and mounting special scope rings and living with the limited choice of where they focus, and went back to a picatinny rail.

Any of the copycat bolt actions will perform nearly identically, what I went back to was the user-friendliness of guns with ergonomics that improved shooter accuracy, rather than a design that hampers it.

If it's a set decision to buy a bolt gun in .270, then asking a crowd of guys on the internet isn't about which is the better gun, I've outlined reasons why it may not be. It's about choosing the one that would likely enhance self image the most. That goes to an entirely different focus.

It may be that I'm just a little more inexperienced (or naive) than you assume, but to me, choosing the better of those 4 bolt action riffles really is about getting the better gun and not about self image. But that is neither here nor there…

Other than your final remarks, your post was very informative and gave me some food for thought. My decision to get a bolt action was based on several reviews (Chuck Hawks and other sites) that repeatedly mentioned that the accuracy of a bolt was usually greater than the accuracy of a semi-auto. However, that being said, there seems to be a general consensus that the Browning BAR is about as accurate as most bolt action riffles, and at one time I was considering purchasing it.

It seems to fit most of the criteria you mention, it is self-loading, it can have a picatinny rail installed, it can have a DBM, etc…

Do you have an opinion/recommendation on the Browning BAR or any other riffles that fit the criteria you laid out?

Thanks,
John

 

[j1]

No. You are paying for it so pick whatever floats your boat and be happy.

 

[Bbear]

which one?

If Iwere buying the gun, #1 - the Weatherby. But that is simply because;
A) it fits me the best of the one's listed
B) a good trigger straight from the factory
C) accuracy guaranteed from the factory

But, I am NOT the one buying the gun. An earlier poster suggested, and I agree, that you should handle and feel each of the models on your list. See how they fit YOUR hands, shoulder etc. Don't try it in a t-shirt! Odds are you won't be hunting in one! Wear or take a jacket with you when you handle the rifles. One or maybe two of them will feel better than the others.

If one or two DON'T feel good, handle some of the models the other posters have suggested. The key is to find one that feels good in YOUR hands.

Then buy and don't look back.

 

[87hurricane]

My choice would probably be the Weatherby, because they fit me just right, but I'd look hard at the Winchester as well, and although its not on your list, you should check out the Tikka as well. All three would be an excellent choice, so its really down to whichever one fits/feels right to you.

 

[Art Eatman]

The BAR is likely to a pound or so heavier than many of the choices, if weight is a consideration. Stand hunting, no big deal. Cross-country walking, yeah, it can give you a serious case of shoulder sag by the end of the day.

 

[dprice3844444]

weatherby vanguard. also,check which is the lightest

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Winchester

 

[otiacri]

.270 choice?

The Wetherby OOTB guaranteed MOA. What more could you ask for?

 

[itsa pain]

It's a deer hunting rifle. That determines the range and target that is foreseen.

What you need is a cartridge first, one capable of putting out 1,000 foot pounds of energy out to 300 meters. That will cover 85% of the situations that a deer will be visible for a shot. The other 15% is a statistical extreme that most hunters won't attempt.

A 110 to 130 grain bullet with about 30 grains of powder behind it would be sufficient. The real issue is shot placement, not caliber, or cartridge designation, or Brand, or what is traditional, or whatever. The deer won't know the difference.

What does count is recoil, a universal scope mount, the ability to make a second shot quickly, easy unloading, having an environment resistant finish, easy takedown for cleaning, small size for portability, and the ability to change options as needed as hunting changes.

I tried bolt actions for that and went back to a self loading action. it gets a second shot quicker and more surely brings down the game. I tried full length cartridges and went back to an intermediate, recoil interfered with accuracy and acquiring the second shot. I tried high powered scopes and went back to a red dot, it put the gun on target quicker so that a shoot decision could be made sooner - or not. I tried carbon steel and plain wood and went back to extreme finishes and composites, I just wipe down the gun after an outing in the rain, and years later it's no worse for the wear. I tried blind magazines, but jacking every round thru the chamber is more likely to result in ND, so I went back to an externally detachable magazine. I tried sourcing and mounting special scope rings and living with the limited choice of where they focus, and went back to a picatinny rail.

Any of the copycat bolt actions will perform nearly identically, what I went back to was the user-friendliness of guns with ergonomics that improved shooter accuracy, rather than a design that hampers it.

If it's a set decision to buy a bolt gun in .270, then asking a crowd of guys on the internet isn't about which is the better gun, I've outlined reasons why it may not be. It's about choosing the one that would likely enhance self image the most. That goes to an entirely different focus.

with a hinged floor plate you could unload a gun safely also without forgetting the magazine home. Many of my friends have lost the mags for their bolt hunting rifles

 

[epoletna]

I'd go with a Marlin 99 in .22 Hi Power or .250 Savage. It has nothing to do with what you asked, but it's a cool combination!

 

[Gordon]

Winchester SS ultimate shadow = controlled round feeding