New hunting rifle?

American_Fusilier

American_Fusilier

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So I have an old Remington 760 in 30-06 that was my great grandpa's that I am determined to get my first deer with.

This gun is not great though. It's just not a good fit for me. I'll always keep it, as it's the only surviving firearm from my great grandpa to remain in the family.

After I get a deer with it, I'm going to get a new hunting rifle.

I'm going to stay with 30-06 in case I ever hunt out west or in Alaska.

I want a bolt action. With sling studs (my Remington 760 doesn't have sling studs). It'd be nice if it had a threaded barrel, but that's not a deal breaker.

Though I did find a new job, I am not rich.

So I'm looking at the Savage Axis XP II with the Accu-trigger or maybe a Mossberg Patriot.

Those rifles are in my price range of about $400.

Am I stupid to consider those rifles? What other rifles should I consider in that price range?

I'm just curious what you guys would recommend.
 
There are a lot of good lower priced options and you picked 2 good ones to consider. Also look at the Ruger American, Weatherby Vanguard, and Savage 110. Sticking with the 30-06 is a good choice 👌

Good luck hunting this year with Grandpa's 760. And hunting for that new rifle.
 
Ruger american or savage 110 would be at the top of my list. Used if necessary.

TC compass is pretty good if you can find one.

I would avoid the patriot.

A lot of folks like the axis, but I just can't warm up to it. It would likely need a new stock so factor that in, too.

Howa 1500 used to be around $400. Not sure about current prices. They are solid, but can be fairly heavy.

Of the ones I mentioned, I either own or have owned all of them except the patriot. All of them are, generally, going to be more than accurate enough for deer sized game.


I would handle as many as you can and go from there. A lot of it is personal preference.
 
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Ive owned most of the budget rifles currently available.
My short list would be
Howa 1500/wby vanguard
Mossberg Patriot (bedding seems to be an accuracy issue for some folks, primarily on the wood stock versions). My wifes is MOA, my PRC predator in its wood stock was significantly better than MOA.
Ruger American

I personally really dont like the Axis, but they donwhat they are supposed to.
Id also be willing to recommend the Remington 783, but the one i spent time with was older, i dont know how thr Rem Arms guns are.


As an aside, i thing the 760 is a fantastic hunting rifle if kept clean and lubed. Ive never seen one thet would shoot reasonably well.
 
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Chuck R. said:
Instant cure for absent sling studs on a 760:

www.unclemikes.com

Buy Remington 760 & 7600 Swivels And More | Uncle Mikes

Shopping for the Remington 760 & 7600 Swivels? Learn more about the latest Remington and more at Uncle Mikes.
www.unclemikes.com www.unclemikes.com

Your rifle's date of manufacture and your preference will dictate which version.
Click to expand...

I found that as well. But mine is an older 760. The gunsmith said that my only option was a clamp on barrel band, which I am not crazy about...
 
I have other guns that I technically could hunt with, but they're very heavy and I wouldn't want to walk in the forest with them.

The sling issue is a deal breaker, but almost all modern hunting rifles will come with studs.
 
Buy a 308. Does everything a 30-06 does. There are more good options for rifles in your price range.. In fact modern 308 loads beat WW-2 era 30-06 loads by 100 fps. 30-06 is fading in popularity. Some manufacturers don't even offer it anymore and the ones who still do don't make many.

Not anything in the $400 range I'd suggest. Prices have gone up. Ruger American is the closest i would recommend. You might find something used.
 
American_Fusilier said:
So I have an old Remington 760 in 30-06 that was my great grandpa's that I am determined to get my first deer with.

This gun is not great though. It's just not a good fit for me. I'll always keep it, as it's the only surviving firearm from my great grandpa to remain in the family.

After I get a deer with it, I'm going to get a new hunting rifle.

I'm going to stay with 30-06 in case I ever hunt out west or in Alaska.

I want a bolt action. With sling studs (my Remington 760 doesn't have sling studs). It'd be nice if it had a threaded barrel, but that's not a deal breaker.

Though I did find a new job, I am not rich.

So I'm looking at the Savage Axis XP II with the Accu-trigger or maybe a Mossberg Patriot.

Those rifles are in my price range of about $400.

Am I stupid to consider those rifles? What other rifles should I consider in that price range?

I'm just curious what you guys would recommend.
Click to expand...
We have two Patriots, a 243 KUIU Vias and a 300 Win Mag black synthetic. Both perform great, especially for the price. My only complaint is with the 300 Win magazines. 1 out of 3 allowed cartridges to pop out on a moderate impact. Mossberg replaced that one.

Both are plenty accurate, and with the spring snipped, the trigger pull is easily adjusted to a crisp 2#. They come with stout Picatinny bases

If I had a need for another caliber rifle I would look at another Patriot.

I checked out the Axis II. I like the trigger, but I didn't like the gun overall.
 
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conan32120 said:
I gotta ask, where are you hunting and for what? If its antelope on the plains you might want a totally different set up than if you're snap shooting in thick woods for whitetail or long range shooting in the high rockies for a bugling elk. Just asking
Click to expand...

Right now, I'm hunting in the state of Wisconsin, for white tails.
 
You might wanna look for a shorter barreled 6.5 creedmore or a 7-08 and save yourself from toting unnecessary weight. My patriot is an mvp in .223 and its a tack driver over a wide range of bullet weights, my savage axis is a .308 and its much more finicky and even in its boyds stock still not any resemblance of a tack driver, its also a bit heavier in the bolt lift. Cant speak of the ruger american but it is on my wish list. My own rifle of choice would be my remington 700 in .243 with 100gr pills.
 
LoonWulf said:
I dont know if the vanguards are actually better, but the extra cost buys you a much more traditional, if heavier, rifle thats nicer in general.
Click to expand...
I like the overall build on them better. Howa builds a great rifle, and i guess I'm one of those that likes a fixed box compared to a detachable mag. The action on it is much smoother than the 2 Americans I owned, and both the Patriots I've worked on in recent times. The Vanguard in 30-06 will be a 24" barrel, everything else most likely 22".
Not a fan of synthetic stocks, well factory ones anyway, but the Weatherby stock is perfect. LOP, feel, it fits. I paid i think 560 for FDE synthetic. Optics and hardware,were unfortunately, not included.
For sure agree on the Axis....better to just step up to the 110. New shooter just picked up a 110 combo with I think a Vortex scope for $650OTD. That rifle came with 3 or 4 spacers for the recoil pad, dialed LOP right in for her. She's like 5ft tall, it's a perfect fit. That would be worth checking out and maybe saving a few extra sheckles.
As far as the 760, irregardless of condition, if it were my great grandfather's, it would definitely get a sit or 2, nice morning or evening, every deer season with me.
 
conan32120 said:
You might wanna look for a shorter barreled 6.5 creedmore or a 7-08 and save yourself from toting unnecessary weight. My patriot is an mvp in .223 and its a tack driver over a wide range of bullet weights, my savage axis is a .308 and its much more finicky and even in its boyds stock still not any resemblance of a tack driver, its also a bit heavier in the bolt lift. Cant speak of the ruger american but it is on my wish list. My own rifle of choice would be my remington 700 in .243 with 100gr pills.
Click to expand...

I would like a bolt action rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor in addition to a new hunting rifle, that I could also use for hunting here.
 
bigpower491 said:
Take the time to save a little extra for a Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic. You'll get a much better rifle for about $150 more than a Ruger American or Mossberg Patriot
Click to expand...
Howas are accurate and have a fast lock time, but the Ruger Americans are a bit more accurate on average. I've had a handful of both, and a gun writer friend who has tested both under proper conditions arrived at his conclusion that the Americans are more accurate on average. He also claims the Patriots are surprisingly accurate.

I'm not knocking the Vanguard at all. Since the Howa/S&W rifle days I have liked the rifle a lot. My S&W 270 was a beautiful rifle and plenty accurate, and a Vanguard 257 Bee was a tremendous antelope rifle. IMO the Howas are a higher quality rifle; their newer trigger was a good change.
 
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