- Thread starter
- #21
Hey now, stop calling my new rifle ugly in public. It might hear you for crying out loud.
Cheap Rifles.
- Thread starter ShadeTree
- Start date
Hey now, stop calling my new rifle ugly in public. It might hear you for crying out loud.
Jimbeaux82
Handloader
- Jan 6, 2011
- 411
- 186
I have a Ruger American in 7-08. I get .5 moa with my handloads. I bought the rifle used for $200 and put a refurbished Nikon 4x12 scope on it. So I have $300 in a half moa rifle. Hard pressed to beat that
cloverleaf
Handloader
- Sep 10, 2006
- 4,401
- 1,066
There you go. Looks like good bases and rings too....cant think of the brand name.... Millet maybe? Not so bad... Some body you know must have a 17HMR that needs to be "over-scoped". What cal. ? CL
- Thread starter
- #24
7mm-08. Don't have the rife in hand yet obviously, but what I read on the Sierra is it's a light contour, short barreled version of the Model 10. Basically Savage's version at the time to compete against the M700 mountain rifle, etc.
Being in a Savage, I'm expecting it to shoot. I'm hoping its accuracy and handiness makes me overlook that black synthetic stock.
Scope will probably go on Ebay. My wife is a long time seller on there, so I just use her account occasionally.
RL338
Handloader
- Mar 23, 2017
- 3,381
- 5,528
The nice thing with a Savage you can easily change the flavor of your barrel at home. I’m sure this one with serve you well.
3 Meter Para Bellum
Handloader
- Apr 17, 2020
- 297
- 362
I like the Ruger American rifle a lot, but hate the magazines. The magazine design is fine and functions well when it stays in one piece, but they are made out of very poor quality plastic and have been known to break. To add insult to injury Ruger charges excessive prices for their junk magazines so it gets expensive if you want to keep spares around just in case they break. For this reason I wouldn't buy an American unless it was compatible with AR or AI style mags. I have no problem with Mossbergs, they seem to work very well, and I am not familiar with the TC.
My Ruger American shoots great, but I also didn't care for the rotary magazines, mine would sometimes not feed. So I called Ruger CS and the sent me an AI mag conversion kit for $26 and it works very well.
- Thread starter
- #28
Got this rifle but haven't had a chance to shoot it yet.
They sure didn't help themselves with the details on this rifle. Like stated above, it was advertised as a compact youth.....it's not. Standard LOP. Just said Model 10. I determined myself by the bolt that it was a M10 Sierra. That changes things. Just said it had a 4-16X50 scope. I figured it was some no name el-cheapo can barely see through, junk pile. It's actually a 4-16X40, not 50, but it's a Bushnell Wide Angle with AO and illuminated reticle. Very clear from what I looked through it. Not a scope I'm interested in, but I imagine it will bring $100 or so on Ebay.
Will test it with the scope that's on it, then put something else on it.
They sure didn't help themselves with the details on this rifle. Like stated above, it was advertised as a compact youth.....it's not. Standard LOP. Just said Model 10. I determined myself by the bolt that it was a M10 Sierra. That changes things. Just said it had a 4-16X50 scope. I figured it was some no name el-cheapo can barely see through, junk pile. It's actually a 4-16X40, not 50, but it's a Bushnell Wide Angle with AO and illuminated reticle. Very clear from what I looked through it. Not a scope I'm interested in, but I imagine it will bring $100 or so on Ebay.
Will test it with the scope that's on it, then put something else on it.
Just me, but if I was looking for an inexpensive rifle, I'd be all over a Howa. I know it isn't on your list and I may hit post and see you've already gotten something else, but the barreled actions from Brownells are usually quite reasonable and a stock isn't too expensive to pick up either. Plus, they seem a bit more solid than the rest from my view.
HA! Just saw this. Can't hardly beat a Savage either.
CEG17
Handloader
- May 12, 2022
- 39
- 62
Bought my daughter a Marlin XS-7 chambered in .243 Winchester when she was in college. Once I sighted it in she put 5 rounds into the bullseye at 100 yards that could be covered with a quarter. I paid just over $200 new for it - best gun for the money I ever bought.
3 Meter Para Bellum
Handloader
- Apr 17, 2020
- 297
- 362
Wow, nice! My Mossberg pump cost more than that! Just curious, what year was that? Does that gun still get used?
RL338
Handloader
- Mar 23, 2017
- 3,381
- 5,528
This ^^^^^^^^
If anyone is looking at getting a new rifle on a budget , Howa and Weatherby Vanguard are hard to beat for value in my honest opinion.
CEG17
Handloader
- May 12, 2022
- 39
- 62
I bought it in 2009. I put a Nikon ProStaff 3-9x40 BDC scope and Rock Mount bipod on it before giving it to her. I don't know if she uses it much but that one session at the range made her fall in love with that rifle.
- Thread starter
- #35
Well Scotty, some days I'm a little slow in the head. Back in January a shop had a couple Howa 1500's in 7MM-08 which was kinda the next cartridge I was looking for. They had both the green and black stocked versions. Hogue stocks, pillar bedded, blued steel bottom metal, yada, yada, yada. $485. A lot of rifle cheap at todays prices. I him-hawed around and eventually they were gone. Course the ones they have in now are a good bit more money.
This Savage 10 that I got in 7-08 is a little unusual in that it's the Sierra, that comes with a 20" barrel and is lightweight at just over 6 lbs. The Howa's are kinda heavy for a synthetic stock.......I think I'll probably actually like this rifle better, but value wise, that Howa they had for $485 was probably more value for the dollar.
walkinhorseman
Beginner
- Sep 28, 2010
- 151
- 111
If you are referring to the Howa with the "green-black stock" it is probably the H-S Precision stock that has an internal aluminum chassis and not a Hogue. They do offer Hogue versions. I bought one of these Howa's in 6.5 "manbunn" last year so I know what they are. Those rifles are probably the greatest value out there, IMHO. I replaced the two-stage HACT trigger with a Timney after one range trip. These rifles are listed on https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting-gear-gun-supplies/rifles/howa-hs-precision-rifle/p/p58851. The Hogue version https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting...es/howa-1500-hogue-bolt-action-rifle/p/p52615 does not have the black speckle paint. The H-S is a heavy rifle because of the aluminum chassis, which is not simple pillars. If you passed on the H-S at less than $500, you missed a good deal.
CEG17
Handloader
- May 12, 2022
- 39
- 62
Howa started marketing their rifles in the US with Smith & Wesson in the early 80's. Then in the late 80's they switched to Mossberg until Mossberg came out with their own rifles some time in the 90's. They also were producing the barrels and actions for Weatherby's Vanguard series. I have a Mossberg 1550 .30-06 with a Howa action and two Weatherby Vanguard Synthetics - one in .25-06 and one in .223. For the money, Howa's or Vanguard's are hard to beat. Those three rifles are the most accurate rifles I have in my gun safe.
- Thread starter
- #38
No it was the Hoque. They aren't immensely heavy, but are listed at 7.5 lbs bare gun. Don't mind that weight at all in an 06, and wouldn't be a deal breaker at all in any cartridge, but don't mind having a little lighter than that at in something like a 7-08.
Even in the Hoque, being brand new, it was a good bit of rifle for that money at todays prices IMO. Also in a 7-08 adds a little to it value wise, verses a more common chambering IMO. Oh well, can't buy them all. Ha.
- Thread starter
- #39
Digging up an old thread but as an update to this, I got to shoot this rifle and I was disappointed as I expected more. To start off it shot flat out crappy using a load that shot very well in a Rem 700 and a Rem 788, as well as shot decent in a Rem mountain rifle, so that was not a good sign.
That was using 139 SST's, didn't have a ton of those left so I moved on to a box of 139 BTSP's I picked up a while back. Using Varget and shooting a ladder in .5 grain increments, the best I had on 1 load was 1.5", everything else was 2" or over. A couple of the charge weights I didn't bother shooting the 3rd one when I seen how far apart the first 2 were.
Some investigation revealed a pretty significant relaxing of the action when I loosened up the front action screw. So it needed bedded or else move onto something like a Boyd's stock for it. Neither I wanted to do on a modern Savage. Just wasn't a rifle that I was interested in putting work into. Moved it on and just sold it for the total I had in it. Explained what it did for me as well as what I discovered about the action being stressed and it would likely need bedding to work better. Is what it is, no harm no foul, just wasn't the type rifle I wanted to make work. Move onto the next one.
That was using 139 SST's, didn't have a ton of those left so I moved on to a box of 139 BTSP's I picked up a while back. Using Varget and shooting a ladder in .5 grain increments, the best I had on 1 load was 1.5", everything else was 2" or over. A couple of the charge weights I didn't bother shooting the 3rd one when I seen how far apart the first 2 were.
Some investigation revealed a pretty significant relaxing of the action when I loosened up the front action screw. So it needed bedded or else move onto something like a Boyd's stock for it. Neither I wanted to do on a modern Savage. Just wasn't a rifle that I was interested in putting work into. Moved it on and just sold it for the total I had in it. Explained what it did for me as well as what I discovered about the action being stressed and it would likely need bedding to work better. Is what it is, no harm no foul, just wasn't the type rifle I wanted to make work. Move onto the next one.
I’m sorry it didn’t work out-I have three girls that hunt and we are heavy on 7mm-08’s in our house. They all shoot very differently and like different feed. I would’ve suggested the 120 grain Sierra pro hunter hand loaded but you’ve already moved on….
There are so many reviews and videos on YouTube-that’s where I start when I have interest in something, guns, bullets, optics, etc. reviews are the key.
Hope you’re next purchase goes much better, I’ve learned my lesson about cheap guns and optics!
There are so many reviews and videos on YouTube-that’s where I start when I have interest in something, guns, bullets, optics, etc. reviews are the key.
Hope you’re next purchase goes much better, I’ve learned my lesson about cheap guns and optics!
