Most Accurate Economy Hunting Rifle Ever Produced?

[hinton03]

I was giving this some thought and it donned on me a few weeks back at a gun show that the answer has to be the Remington 788, at least in my opinion and experience.

Anyone else ever had a 788 shoot circles around your more expensive rifles?

 

[Coop45]

My uncle had one chambered in .222 and it was a hoot.

 

[VA27]

Oops! Missed the 'economy' part.

 

[caribou]

M-39 Finn Mosin Nagant for me.......


Definitly accurate, definitly for Hunting, dfinitly a Bargin!!


Make mine a Mosin

 

[GooseGestapo]

Owned several:
.30/30, .243, .223
With ammo they "liked", they were quite accurate. But, no more accurate than the M700's of the same era.
I've got a Savage Axis in .243 thats just as accurate however....
Besides, the trigger on the Savage was much easier to tweak to ~2.5lbs. Rifle is 1.5lbs lighter, too.

But, at the time, for the money, they were hard to beat. The .30/30 gave me more than several 1-hole 3-shot groups with handloads. Particularily, the 130gr Speer HollowPoints over IMR4320.

 

[hinton03]

What made me think of it is a nearly new condition .243 with Walnut stock sitting at a table marked $375, as soon as I asked a question about the rifle the guy says your for $325; couldn't pass it up.

 

[4season]

I think you need to define "economy" better. Does that mean under a certain dollar amount, or are you talking about economy lines from major manufacturers? If you just mean gun you can get into for cheep then there are lots of old battle rifles out there that would be considered accurate. Mosins, Mausers,and K31s come to mind with the K31 probably being the most accurate, and the Mosin being the least expensive. Now if you want something new the Savage Axis has good accuracy for a value line, but my vote would go to the Tikki T3. I know it cost more than anything else mentioned but it is Sako's economy line and besides being the most accurate out of the box it also has the smoothest action of anything I have ever handled.

 

[WNTFW]

Marlin 60 if you consider .22lr hunting small game.

I have shot some el cheapo Remingtons that did well. Wby Vanguard are pretty good values too. Some of the Savage / Stevens have very good reports.

My first upgrade on anything would be handloading; Provided the sighting system was functioning properly.

Overall per dollar I think accuracy now if more affordable than ever. Some of it is the rifle mfg process and compromises. Some of it is bullet and propellent improvements.

Excepting the current shortage and impending assault on all things "gun" it has never been better in the cost vs accuracy dept.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Excluding the initial governmental cost...

To the consumer, Surplus 1903/1903-A3

 

[snakeman]

I've shot 788's and howa's and weatherby vanguards. Which one is more accurate? They all are equally accurate, but the 788 wears an e.r. shaw barrel.

 

[Averageman]

I picked up a Savage Model 11 in .308 and put a nice scope and rings I had on hand on it.
I think if you start looking at budget rifles, that was a good deal.

 

[Art Eatman]

Post #9 for the win.

 

[hipoint]

I've never owned the gun mentioned in the initial post, but I have owned a mossberg ATR along with quite a few others. I think that mossberg fits anyone's definition of "economy". It was as accurate as it needed to be, never really sat down to see what it was capable of as I mainly used it to shoot "things" instead of paper, but it always exploded the "thing" I was aiming for. It was .30-06 caliber, I think I paid $250 for it on the used market, but they weren't much more new at wally world.

I don't know why or how, but it had considerably less recoil than my other .30-06's maybe a different twist in the rifling, or possibly bad tolerances, either way I was happy with it and wish I had never sold it. I own a browning a-bolt now, and sure it's a better gun, but the mossberg with it's "less recoil" my girlfriend had no problem shooting a whole box of shells though with my other guns I can't get her to shoot more than one or two before her shoulder hurts (to be honest mine does too).

anyhow, I'd suggest adding that ATR to the list of economy hunting rifles that is worth a spin around the block...

 

[mnhntr]

The 788 was one as well as the stevens 200 more recently.

 

[Manny]

When I read "economy hunting rifle" my mind goes to the value line of rifles from commercial producers, not surpluss military.

The 788 Rem was a very noted sucess in this area, with the lower end Stevens/Savages having great reputations as well. Of late the Savage Axis series and Marlin X's have had favorable reports. The up coming Remington 783 has had some favorable mention and sounds interesting. The one that's captured my attention however is the Ruger American.

Just at Gander Mt last Friday comparing the Axis, Marlin & American and hands down thought the Ruger was the complete package. Very smooth bolt operation, nice solid feel to the rifle as a whole and it just felt good in the hands. I've not shot one yet, but the reviews I've read consistantly remark on the good accuracy. The event Ruger staged at the FTW ranch with a gathering of gun writers over several days really impressed me with some terrific shooting across the board from all the rifles from the accounts I've read thus far. I was so impressed I've been really regretting not picking up a new American for the $299 asking price at the last gun show.

Truth be told, living in Ohio where centerfire rifles aren't allowed for big game (deer) hunting, I have very little use for anything more than my .223/5.56 AR. But at $300 or so with the positive reports I read I think one of the Americans will follow me home sooner or later.

 

[Liberty1776]

my vote is also for the 788. I never tire of bragging on my ugly, heavy .243 carbine with a 19" bbl, that shoots 5/8" groups with cheap PMC ammo...

 

[Cranky CJ]

I'll depart from the rest and say Marlin XL7 series. The 25-06 I got is dead nuts accurate and a hoot to shoot and cheap, just north of $300 for gun that has a really nice trigger and is an all weather gun (stainless and syn stock).

Otherwise I'd say a Mosin Nagant. $99 for a gun that you can shoot and shoot and shoot for pennies a round.

 

[T.R.]

Although not a centerfire rifle, Marlin's model 60 is an accurate shooting 22 and one of the most high volume sellers (sporting rifle) of all time.

TR

 

[k_dawg]

Swedish Mauser Model 1896 rifle in 6.5x55mm, or Springfield 1903/1903-A3 in 30-06.

Both are more accurate than I am. The only limitations I can see is, if you need to scope them.

 

[WoodchuckAssassin]

Remington 788.

My dad has been shooting one in 22-250 for the last 35 years. He bought it straight out of college, and It's still the only high-power rifle he owns.

 

[35 Whelen]

Funny....when I saw the title of the thread, before I even clicked on it, "Remington 788" popped into my head. I've owned a few and fired a few more. .222, .223, 22-250, 6mm Remington, and .308. Some of them were capable of jaw dropping accuracy.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the OP was speaking specifically of commercial rifles.

35W

 

[hueyville]

Currently I think Savage has the line on bang for buck. In past REM 788 and 700 classics have been good shooters at fair price. This discounts the odd nice rifle bought at a steal.

 

[Deer_Freak]

I would have to go with the Marlin. I have never owned a rifle that didn't have usable iron sights on it and I don't intend to start. Scopes are fragile critters. I usually take two guns when I travel but I want to be able to take the scope off and keep hunting in the event the scope breaks.

 

[Gordon]

The Old first series Savage single shot target guns in .220 swift and other calibers were incredibly accurate. But in my experience the Remington 600 series are extremely accurate for so light a gun. I have had 3 guns made on 600 actions by Brown precision two in .308 and one in .223 which were near benchrest accurate. But of course not an economy gun when they got done with it. I have however a pretty much stock .35 Remington 600 carbine and last week with 180 grain Speer loads I developed for it it placed 5 rounds in 5/8" from a lead sled with a 4x scope at 200 yards twice in a row! Actually it put two groups into 3/4" at 200 yards before that final group ! My witness could not believe that this weird "brush gun" just beat my 700 5R F class with Federal Match and a 16x scope!
600 Remington and old Savage Varmit single shots get my vote. All my 788s have been good but not spectacular, but they were .44mag and .243 .


Here is a picture from a couple years back with 200 grain FACTORY Corelokt ammo. I knew it shot well, but not freaky well.

 

[Cee Zee]

Stevens 200 by a mile. Some of the Mossbergs and Marlins were close. And I agree that we should stick to rifles designed as hunting rifles and not milsurp. Even if they were sporterized they were still battle rifles first.