I gotta a challenge for ya.

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Barry the Bear

Barry the Bear

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I have between $300-$550 to spend on a new rifle. Here are the requirements Im looking for:
1.Has to be either a bolt or lever action(.243 caliber or above)
2.Has to have a wood stock
3.Needs to have STANDARD iron sights
4.Doesnt matter if new or used
5.NO ROSSI
6.NO MOSINS
Thats pretty much it,looking for some good suggestions.
 
Might be able to find a Savage 99 or older Remington with iron sights in that price range. Could almost certainly pick up a used 30-30 lever gun as well.
 
Sporterized mausers and Springfield 1903s. Best bang for your buck in that price range if you shop around.
 
I'll play (but will do some creative interpretation of the rules)...

<EDIT> Of course, on review I completely missed the iron sights requirement - very sorry - still this is a nice package<EDIT>

Savage Axis XP in .308 (with scope), $303 at Buds

Boyds Stock for Savage Axis - I selected the thumbhole for this exercise, but all three models are $99 each. I got one of these for an Axis (in .223) and it was a drop-in fit (the stock comes with trigger guard and recoil lug included).

Now. If one wants to get really cute, the Axis is very accurate but the trigger could be worked on. If you're not comfortable modifying their trigger on your own, a RifleBasix trigger can be gotten for $84. The first trigger replacement I ever did was this one, followed by a Rifle Basix on a Marlin 25MN.

Hence, $486 plus some shipping would put you in a pretty doggone accurate .308 (assuming it's like the .223 on this score) with a really nice wood stock and a trigger adjustable from 14 ounces to 3 pounds.
 
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skeptical_in_Ohio said:
I'll play (but will do some creative interpretation of the rules)...

<EDIT> Of course, on review I completely missed the iron sights requirement - very sorry - still this is a nice package<EDIT>

Savage Axis XP in .308 (with scope), $303 at Buds

Boyds Stock for Savage Axis - I selected the thumbhole for this exercise, but all three models are $99 each. I got one of these for an Axis (in .223) and it was a drop-in fit (the stock comes with trigger guard and recoil lug included).

Now. If one wants to get really cute, the Axis is very accurate but the trigger could be worked on. If you're not comfortable modifying their trigger on your own, a RifleBasix trigger can be gotten for $84. The first trigger replacement I ever did was this one, followed by a Rifle Basix on a Marlin 25MN.

Hence, $486 plus some shipping would put you in a pretty doggone accurate .308 (assuming it's like the .223 on this score) with a really nice wood stock and a trigger adjustable from 14 ounces to 3 pounds.
Click to expand...
That has no irons.

I would look for the Mauser. Look in pawn shops and consignment racks and you will find them for $300-400 with good irons. If you get one without irons, I have a receiver sight not doing anything you could have installed.
 
in that case if you dont mind no irons you could just get the savage 10/110 trophy hunter xp. it come with a nice nikon scope for around your price (under 550). nice gun.
 
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a couple of years ago I found a remington ADL in 30-06 at a local gunstore for $200 OTD. The shiny finish was flaking off and the blue was thin on the barrel. The bore was perfect and the bolt lugs had almost 100% lockup. Plus the stock has a very nice figured peice of walnut.

I scraped and refinished the stock after I sanded out all but one deep scratch. I bedded the action and floated the barrel while it was apart. It will shoot 1 1/2" or less groups with any load I have tried. I enjoyed doing the work on it. And its not so fancy I am afraid to use it. And it did come with open sights. I even bought a williams guide site the fits the rear receiver holes for it.

I see rifles like this on a regular basis at pawn shops after deer season is over. At the end of january when the credit card bills for christmas start hitting is a real good time to hit the pawn shops and used gun stores.
 
sappyg said:
Not wood stocked but close enough.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/36_758/products_id/79823

Better still

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/36_758/products_id/411548884
Click to expand...

Not to be too much on a Boyd's kick here, but they do make stocks for a Mossberg 100 ATR in .243 for $97.

And if necessary there appears to be a RifleBasix trigger for this as well.

I receive no royalties from either Boyd's or Rifle Basix. I've just had good experience with both products.
 
Well, being a Marlin junkie, I'd have to steer you that way. You can still find Marlin rifles in the $300 to $400 range. Look for rifles with the JM stamp just forward of the receiver to get a real Marlin. I won't get into the why here other than to say that since the Remington buyout, quality is hit and miss. It's just easier all around to buy a JM stamped gun. I would also say that I love the 35 Remington and the 45-70 but the good old 30-30 is much easier to find and will do the job quite well. I just like guns a little off the beaten path and it seems everyone has a 30-30.
 
Barry the Bear said:
actually Im kinda liking that savage axis suggestion you posted
Click to expand...
If you can live without irons (and I know that can be difficult to get used to), I'm certain you wouldn't regret the Savage Axis. My 14 year old brother in law used one to take an 8-point buck and several wild hogs in Texas in the last month. The Savage Axis gets it done as well as any other rifle. My own experience with the Axis was that it was tremendously accurate for it's price; sub-MOA with factory Remington Core-Lokt ammo is excellent in my book. This one was a .270 Winchester, for what it's worth. The same rifle was used on the aforementioned Texas hunts.
 
The last 1903 I purchased was $475 with Lyman peep sight and Fajen stock. That was about ten months ago. I was also lucky enough to acquire two for free a couple weeks ago from a family friend.
 
There are a lot of choices....

Savage/Stevens bolt action used 30-30, under $200. Add Williams peep sight for about $85.

Yugo 8x57 Mauser, under $200. Since this is an intermediate action length rifle, it cannot be converted to 30-06 or 270, hence the low price. Add Mojo iron sights for a definite improvement, $90. Very potent cartridge.

Swedish 1896 Mauser in 6.5x55, probably under $300 if you shop. The 29" barrel does give it a bit of heft, but it's arguably as good a milsurp as you can buy. Mojos fit these, too.

Or you could shop for any of the decent used bolt actions. Some are under $350, all ready to sight in. They are a lot less fiddling than any of the milsurp options, but, then, some of us like to fiddle.
 
I had a Savage Axis in .308 for a few months until I shot a guy's AR at 350 yards while I was shooting my Savage... and then traded in the Savage on an AR.

But the Savage was GREAT. Shot 1.5-2 MOA with a loop sling (no bags or benchrest, just elbows, arms, and a sling) out to 350 yards, literally didn't miss a single shot on the 24" plate at 350. Totally reliable, easy to clean, I absolutely couldn't believe how good it was for the price. I would highly recommend one, even with no wood stock or irons. You could get those aftermarket if ya really wanted to.

You sure you don't want a Mosin? Wood stock, iron sights, DIRT CHEAP good quality, hard hitting ammo.... and you could buy backups and stockpile ammo on your budget. :D

OOH you could get a Mosin AND a Savage. Beater wood stocked iron sighted rifle that's cheap and powerful, and the accurate, black plastic Savage in your caliber of choice.



But more seriously, I haven't seen a suggestion of an Enfield yet- my brother's 1942 Australian SMLE is pretty awesome. And the ammo, new or surplus, is cheaper or similarly priced to any other non 5.45/5.56/2.23/7.62x39 rifle caliber. Super tough, wood stock and iron sights. MY brother paid 275 out the door for his.
 
Based purely on a succession of several different Big Reno Shows, I can say that your price range is very practical.

That amount of cash would have bought MANY, repeat: MANY perfectly-good sporting rifles at those Shows, and some would even have had serviceable scope sights mounted.

These would be Remingtons, Ruger 77s, Savages, Winchesters..... lots to choose from. I have even remarked to friends at those shows, about how simple it would be to obtain a very decent rifle for a first-time hunter without breaking the bank.

(And yet, I STILL see many threads decrying the "lousy, useless etc" state of gunshows today. Humph. They DO still have their uses.)
 
In that price range I think you'll have no problems finding a nice used rifle, probably with a scope. The only hang up may be the iron sight requirement, but its probably still do able. In a newer gun, I'd look for a Savage, best bang for the buck IMO. If that doesn't float your boat, I'm sure you could score a nice Mil surp in that price range, maybe a K31, inexpensive, accurate, and cheap non corrosive surplus ammo that is match grade. Don't know what your beef against Mosins is, but you really shouldn't discount them either, in good shape they are a decent rifle for an unbeatable price.
 
JC Higgins Model 50. Comes in your choice of 270 or 30-06. Uses a commercial FN Mauser action made in Belgium and a chrome lined High Standard barrel. Meets all your criteria and they are very accurate.
 
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