In the calibers you mentioned, I would go with the 7-08, never had one myself. I started about 45 years ago with a 30-06 and have stayed with that size and larger for bolt actions. My reason is that for most things ballistically it is fine, not quite as long ranged as the 25-06 or .270, and has a bit more umph than the .243. It can use a shorter action than the 06 based cases and therefore is considered a bit more accurate. I have a little Ruger #1 in 7mm Mauser which is about the same, really pleasant to shoot in a light weight rifle due to low recoil. Look at the available rifles and get what you like, not what anyone else may say.
Too Many Choices
- Thread starter chains1240
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chains1240
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Probably go to the LGS today and see what they have on the shelf. I wanted a weather warrior a while back but then they changed the twist rate for 7mm-08 and I have never used the accutrigger.
Murphys Law
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Don't overlook the .270 in the weather warrior. If you really like that specific rifle, don't pass it up because of the 7-08's twist rate. Just substitute the .270 and it will do everything the 7-08 will. ( Maybe even better 
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)chains1240
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Went to the LGS today and shouldered every rifle on the shelf. None of them felt any better than the others. The Howa 1500 had a pretty stiff stock and I like the 3 position safety that locks the bolt. I did notice however that the Savages had center feed magazines. In a blind magazine is that a PITA to load compared to a traditional blind magazine? The Howa 1500 was $480 and the Weather Warrior was $580. I have looked at the .270 but according to the recoil table the .270 with a 130 grain bullet only enjoys 1# less in recoil compared to the 150 grain 30-06. And I loath the 30-06.
chains1240
Member
I also shouldered the Savage 10FP just to see what a 8.5# rifle felt like, it felt heavy, very heavy.
I would take $100 away from your optics budget and spend $700 on the rifle and $400 on the scope. That would allow you to get into a Browning X-bolt. Like other have mentioned the 4x16 is way to much optic for your intended purpose. Even at $400 you could buy a Zeiss conquest in 3x9x40, a Bushnell 4200 2.5x10x40, or a Leupold VX3 in 2.5x8x36; all of these are fine scopes.
chains1240
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I may forget about the 4-16 and just buy a nice 3-9x40 with quality glass like a Nikon or Burris Fullview II
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